Process for preparing N-alkyl polyhydroxy amines
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsJeffrey J. Scheibel, Daniel S. Connor, Robert E. Shumate, James B. St. Laurent
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Abstract
Amines such as methyl amine are reacted with materials such as reducing sugars in hydroxy solvents such as methanol to prepare N-alkyl polyhydroxy amines. Accordingly, glucose is reacted with methyl amine and the resulting adduct is hydrogenated to yield N-methylglucamine. The N-alkyl polyhydroxyamines can be subsequently reacted with fatty esters to provide polyhydroxy fatty acid amides useful as detersive surfactants. Thus, detersive surfactants are available from non-petrochemical precursors such as sugars and sugar sources such as corn syrup, and fatty acid esters derivable from various fats and oils.
Claims1
A process carried out under non-oxidizing conditions for preparing N-methyl glucamine, comprising the steps of:
- a) reacting glucose with N-methyl amine at a mole ratio of about 1:1 amine:sugar in methanol or 1,2-propylene glycol solvent at a temperature in the range of from about 30.degree. C. to about 60.degree. C. for a period from about 1-10 hours and removing unreacted amine to provide an adduct;
- b) reacting said substantially amine-free adduct from step (a) with hydrogen at a temperature from about 40.degree. C. to about 120.degree. C. said adduct being dissolved in methanol or 1,2-propylene glycol solvent, in the presence of a nickel catalyst;
- and
- c) removing said catalyst and substantially removing the water and solvent from the reaction mixture to secure the N-methyl glucamine.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.