Alkyl-and/or alkylene oligoglycoside betaine ester quaternaries

A process for making an alk(en)yl oligoglycoside betaine esterquat comprising:

• (a) providing an alk(en)yl oligoglycoside corresponding to formula (II):
• R1O(G)n (II)
• wherein R1 is an alk(en)yl group having from about 4 to 22 carbon atoms, G is a sugar unit containing 5 or 6 carbon atoms and n is a number of 1 to 10;
• (b) providing an α-halocarboxylic acid corresponding to formula (III):
• XCR2R3COOH (III)
• wherein R2 is H or a CH3 group, R3 is H or a linear and/or branched alk(en)yl group having from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms and X is a halogen;
• (c) reacting (a) and (b) to form a reaction product;
• (d) providing a tertiary amines corresponding to formula (IV):
• NR4R5R6 (IV)
• wherein R4, R5 and R6, independently of one another, represent a linear and/or branched alk(en)yl group having from 1 to about 24 carbon atoms or a linear and/or branched hydroxyalkyl and/or hydroxyalkenyl group having from 1 to about 24 carbon atoms;
• and
• (e) reacting the reaction product of (c) with (d) to form the alk(en)yl oligoglycoside betaine.