Nonionic gemini surfactants

Abstract

Novel nonionic gemini surfactants are extremely effective emulsifiers for oil-in-water emulsions that provide improved detergency at even low concentration levels. The surfactants are characterized by the formula: wherein R1 is independently H or a C1 to C22 alkyl, R2 is H or C1 to C22 alkyl and R3 is D1—R4—D1 or R4—D1—R4 wherein R4 is independently a C1-C10 alkyl group, —C(O)—, —R5[O(EO)a(PO)b]—, —O—R5—O—, or aryl, e.g. phenyl, and D1 is independently —O—, —S—, —S—S—, —SO2—, —C(O)—, a polyether group [—O(EO)a(PO)b—], an amide group [—C(O)N(R6)—], an amino group [—N(R6)—], —O—R5—O—, or aryl. (EO)a(PO)b is a polyether group and Z is a C1-C4 alkyl, or an alkylaryl or hydrogen wherein EO represents ethyleneoxy radicals, PO represents propyleneoxy radicals, a and b are numbers of from 0 to 100, a is preferably from about 0 to about 30 and b is preferably from about 0 to 10, wherein a plus b is at least one, and the EO and PO alkyl or alkylaryl.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.