Ether carboxylic acid composition

A process for preparing a composition comprising an ether carboxylic acid of

• wherein R1 is a linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl chain having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, P comprises an average of n units of —(CH2CH2O)— and/or an average of m units of —(CH2CHR2O)— or —(CHR2CH2O)— and/or an average of q units of —(CH2CHR3O)— or —(CHR3CH2O)—, wherein n represents a number within the range of 0 to 50, m represents a number within the range of 0 to 50 and q represents a number within the range of 0 to 50, and the sum of n+m+q represents the average alkoxylation degree which corresponds to a number from 1 to 100;
• R2 represents a —CH3 group and R3 represents a —CH2CH3 group;
• and X represents a hydrogen atom or a cation selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium, alkylammoniums, and alkanolammoniums, the process comprising the steps of:
• i. providing in a reactor an oxyalkylated alcohol compound of
• wherein R1 and P have the values set forth in Formula (I);
• ii. feeding an alkaline solution containing an alkali salt to the oxyalkylated alcohol compound of Formula (II);
• and
• iii. carboxyalkylating the oxyalkylated alcohol compound of Formula (II) with monochloroacetic acid, wherein the molar ratio between the monochloroacetic acid and an alkali salt in the alkaline solution is greater than 1:2.15 and up to 1:3.