Sulfuric acid amine salt, sulfonic acid amine salt, production thereof and softener composition

A sulfuric amine salt (hereinafter referred to as a sulfuric amine salt (I″)) represented by the formula (I″):

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• wherein in the formula, R41 is a linear or branched C18-36 alkyl or alkenyl group, or a group represented by the formula R36—(OA)n-, wherein R36 is a linear or branched C12-36 alkyl or alkenyl group, OA is an oxyalkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms and n is a number of from 0.1 to 10 on average;
• R32 is a linear or branched C10-36 alkyl or alkenyl group;
• X is —CONH—, —NHCO—, —COO— or —OCO—;
• R33 is a linear or branched C1-6 alkylene group;
• each of R44 and R45 is, independently of the other, a hydrogen atom, a linear or branched C1-6 alkyl, alkenyl or hydroxyalkyl group, or a group represented by the formula R32—X—R33—, wherein R32, X and R33 indicate the respective above meanings.

A process for preparing a softener composition comprising a step (hereinafter referred to as Step A) of mixing in advance a compound (a) represented by the formula (1) and a compound (b) having one C12-36, hydrocarbon group and one group selected from the group consisting of —SO3H and —OSO3H with each other to obtain a surfactant mixture;

• and a step (hereinafter referred to as Step B) of dissolving and/or dispersing the thus obtained surfactant mixture in water:
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• wherein in the formula, R1 is a linear or branched C10-36 alkyl or alkenyl group;
• R2 is a linear or branched C1-6 alkylene group;
• A is a group selected from the group consisting of —COO—, —OCO—, —CONH— and —NHCO—, a is a number of 0 or 1, R3 is a linear or branched C1-6 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group or a group represented by R5—[B—R6]b— and R4 is a linear or branched C1-6 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group, wherein R5 is a linear or branched C10-36 alkyl or alkenyl group, R6 is a linear or branched C1-6 alkylene group, B is a group selected from the group consisting of —COO—, —OCO—, —CONH— and —NHCO— and b is a number of 0 or 1.

A process for preparing a sulfonic acid amine salt (I′) represented by the formula (I′):

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• wherein R51 is a linear or branched C12-36 alkyl or alkenyl group or an C12-36 alkylaryl group, R32 is a linear or branched C10-36 alkyl or alkenyl group;
• X is —CONH—, —NHCO—, —COO— or —OCO—;
• R33 is a linear or branched C1-6 alkylene group;
• R34 is a linear or branched C1-6 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group, or a group represented by R5—[B—R6]b—, wherein R5 is a linear or branched C10-36 alkyl or alkenyl group, R6 is a linear or branched C1-6 alkylene group, B is a group selected from the group consisting of —COO—, —OCO—, —CONH— and —NHCO—, b is a number of 0 or 1;
• R35 is a linear or branched C1-6 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group;
• and m is a number of 0 or 1, comprising mixing and neutralizing a compound represented by the formula (III′) (hereinafter referred to as the compound (III′)):
• R51—SO3H (III′)
• wherein R51 is defined above, which has been obtained by sulfonating a compound (II′) represented by the formula (II′):
• R51—H (II′)
• wherein R51 indicates the same meaning as above,
• with a molten amine (hereinafter referred to as an amine (IV)) represented by the formula (IV):
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• wherein R32, X, R33, R34, R35 and m indicate the respective same meanings as in the above description.