Process for the combined synthesis of betaine and choline chloride

A process for the combined synthesis of betaine and choline chloride comprising the following sequence of steps carried out in a closed vessel with continuous mixing:

• (1) increasing the pH of an aqueous solution of monochloroacetic acid to 5-6 by adding thereto liquid trimethylamine with the concomitant formation of trimethylammoniumchloroacetate;
• (2) maintaining the reaction solution from step (1) at pH 7.5-10, as necessary, by addition of a molar excess of liquid trimethylamine, to effect the formation of betaine and trimethyl ammonium hydrochloride until substantially all of the monochloroacetic acid has been reacted, leaving a residual amount of trimethylammoniumchloroacetate in the reaction solution;
• (3) adding liquid ethylene oxide to the reaction mixture from step (2) to effect formation of (a) choline chloride by reaction of the ethylene oxide with the trimethyl ammonium hydrochloride, (b) choline hydroxide by reaction of the ethylene oxide with excess trimethylamine, (c) a minor amount of choline chloride by reaction of choline hydroxide with the trimethyl ammonium hydrochloride until all of the trimethyl ammonium hydrochloride has been reacted and (d) additional betaine by reaction of excess trimethylamine with the residual amount of trimethylammoniumchloroacetate in the reaction solution;
• (4) as necessary, adding base to the reaction solution from step (3) to raise the pH to 10-12 and stripping any residual trimethylamine from the solution, while converting any residual amounts of chloroacetic acid to glycolic acid;
• and
• (5) adjusting the pH of the stripped product from step (4) to pH 6-8 by addition of hydrochloric acid.