Processes for preparing alkoxylated nonionic surfactants using hydrotalcite catalysts
AssigneeCognis Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsAnsgar Behler, Horst-Dieter Schares, Almud Folge
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Abstract
Processes for preparing alkoxylated nonionic surfactants are disclosed, wherein a compound having at least one active hydrogen atom, a carboxylic acid ester or mixtures thereof are reacted with an alkylene oxide in the presence of a hydrotalcite catalyst to form a reaction product mixture; and the reaction product mixture is combined with an acid in at least an equimolar amount based on the amount of the catalyst present.
Claims45
A process for preparing an alkoxylated nonionic surfactant, said process comprising:
- (a) reacting a starting material selected from the group consisting of compounds having at least one active hydrogen atom, carboxylic acid esters and mixtures thereof with an alkylene oxide in the presence of a catalyst to form a reaction product mixture, wherein said catalyst comprises a hydrotalcite;
- and
- (b) combining the reaction product mixture with an acid, wherein the acid is present in a molar ratio to the catalyst of from 1:1 to 10:1.
A process for preparing an alkoxylated nonionic surfactant, said process comprising:
- (a) reacting a carboxylic acid ester with an alkylene oxide in the presence of a catalyst to form a reaction product mixture, wherein said catalyst comprises a hydrotalcite;
- and
- (b) combining the reaction product mixture with an acid, said acid being present in at least an equimolar amount based on the amount of the catalyst present.
A process for preparing an alkoxylated nonionic surfactant, said process comprising:
- (a) reacting a starting material selected from the group consisting of compounds having at least one active hydrogen atom, carboxylic acid esters and mixtures thereof with an alkylene oxide in the presence of a catalyst to form a reaction product mixture, wherein said catalyst comprises a hydrotalcite;
- and
- (b) combining the reaction product mixture with a mineral acid, said mineral acid being present in at least an equimolar amount based on the amount of the catalyst present.
A process for preparing an alkoxylated nonionic surfactant, said process comprising:
- (a) reacting a starting material selected from the group consisting of compounds having at least one active hydrogen atom, carboxylic acid esters and mixtures thereof with an alkylene oxide in the presence of a catalyst system to form a reaction product mixture, wherein said catalyst system comprises a hydrotalcite and a co-catalyst;
- and
- (b) combining the reaction product mixture with an acid, said acid being present in at least an equimolar amount based on the amount of the catalyst present.
A method of treating a hydrotalcite catalyst-containing composition, said method comprising:
- (a) providing a mixture comprising an alkoxylated nonionic surfactant and a hydrotalcite catalyst;
- and
- (b) combining the mixture and an acid, wherein the acid is present in a molar ratio to the catalyst of from 1:1 to 10:1.
A process for preparing an alkoxylated nonionic surfactant, said process comprising:
- (a) reacting a starting material containing a methyl ester of a carboxylic acid having from 6 to 22 carbon atoms with an alkylene oxide in the presence of a catalyst to form a reaction product mixture containing an alkoxylated nonionic surfactant, wherein said catalyst comprises a hydrotalcite;
- and
- (b) combining the reaction product mixture with an acid selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, acetic acid, citric acid and mixtures thereof, at a temperature above the melting point of the alkoxylated nonionic surfactant;
- said acid being present in a molar ratio to the catalyst of from 1:1 to 4:1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.