Biodegradable zwitterionic surfactant compounds

A compound of the formula ##STR44## wherein R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of straight chain, branched chain or cyclic C.sub.1 -C.sub.30 alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkenyl and hydroxyalkenyl moieties and alkaryl moieties in which the alkyl group has 6-24 carbon atoms;

• R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each selected from the group consisting of straight chain, branched chain or cyclic C.sub.1 -C.sub.30 alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkenyl and hydroxyalkenyl moieties, alkaryl moieties in which the alkyl group has 6-24 carbon atoms, and C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkylene oxide having from 1 to 5 alkyleneoxy units;
• R.sup.4 is an alkylene, hydroxyalkylene, alkylene oxide, alkenylene, arylene, or alkarylene group, provided that A is no more than 10 atoms from M;
• each A is the cationic charge center ##STR45## m is 1 or 2, but can only be 2 when an additional R.sup.5 group separates the A structures;
• R.sup.5 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkylene, hydroxyalkylene, alkenylene, arylene, or alkarylene group;
• each n is independently 0 or 1;
• R.sup.6 is selected from the group consisting of straight chain, branched chain or cyclic C.sub.1 -C.sub.30 alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkenyl and hydroxyalkenyl moieties and alkaryl moieties in which the alkyl group has 6-24 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.7 is a C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkylene group or mixtures thereof;
• y is from 3 to 100;
• and X is sulfate, sulfonate or carboxylate;
• provided that the above groups are selected such that R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.6, together, contain from 12 to 50 carbon atoms and no peroxy linkages are present in the compound.