Process for the preparation of an alkali metal salt of a diester phosphoric acid

A process for preparing an alkali metal salt of a phosphoric ester having the formula (IV):

• ##STR34## wherein Y is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydroxy group, an alkyl or alkenyl group of 1 to 36 carbon atoms which is unsubsituted or is partially substituted by one or more fluorine atoms or an alkylphenyl group having a C.sub.1 -C.sub.15 alkyl group, a has a value of 0 to 2, b and c each have a value of 0 or 1, M is an alkali metal, and R.sup.1 is an organic group selected from one of the following groups:
• (i) a linear or branched, alkyl or alkenyl group having 8 to 36 carbon atoms,
• (ii) an alkylphenyl group having an alkyl group of 4 to 14 carbon atoms,
• (iii) a polyoxyalkylene alkyl, alkenyl or alkylphenyl group, wherein said poloxyalkylene is 1 to 20 moles of an oxyethylene, oxopropylene or oxyethylene-propylene addition group, said alkyl or alkylene having 8 to 36 carbon atoms, and said alkylphenyl group having 4 to 14 carbon atoms,
• (iv) a 2-hydroxyalkyl group having 10 to 38 carbon atoms,
• (v) a 2-hydroxy-3-alkyloxypropyl group, wherein said alkyl group has 8 to 36 carbon atoms,
• (vi) a fluorine-containing alkyl group having 8 to 36 carbon atoms, and
• (vii) an active hydrogen residue of pentose or hexose;
• which process comprises:
• (A) reacting a monoalkali metal salt of an organophosphoric monoester, having the formula (I):
• ##STR35## wherein R.sup.1 and M have the above defined meanings with an epoxy compound having the following formula (V):
• ##STR36## wherein Y, a, b and c have the above defined meanings.

A process for preparing an alkali metal salt of a phosphoric ester having the following formula (VI):

• ##STR37## wherein R.sup.6 is a hydrogen atom or methyl group, R.sup.7 is a linear or branched alkyl group of 1 to 36 carbon atoms, which is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more fluorine atoms, or a phenyl group which is unsubstituted or substituted by linear or branched alkyl groups of 1 to 15 carbon atoms, R.sup.8 is an alkylene group of 2 to 3 carbon atom, n is a number of from 0 to 30 and M is an alkali metal, which process comprises:
• (A) reacting a salt of a phosphoric monoester, having the following formula (VII):
• ##STR38## wherein R.sup.7, R.sup.8, n and M have the above defined meanings, with a compound having the following formula (VIII):
• ##STR39## wherein R.sup.6 has the above defined meaning.