# US 8,465,668 B2 · Surfactants with a polyethersulfonate structure method for production thereof and use thereof for tertiary crude oil production > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,465,668 B2 - Document ID: US8465668B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/738,236 - Filed: 2008-10-15 - Published: 2010-08-26 - Granted: 2013-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-16 - Assignees: BASF SE - Applicants: Christian Bittner; Oetter Günter; Ulrich Steinbrenner; Jürgen Huff; Marcus Guzmann - Inventors: Christian Bittner; Oetter Günter; Ulrich Steinbrenner; Jürgen Huff; Marcus Guzmann - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8465668B2 ## CPC - C09K 23/04: Sulfonates or sulfuric acid ester salts derived from polyhydric alcohols or amino alcohols or derivatives thereof (sulfated or sulfonated fatty oils C09K23/08) - C07C 309/10: with the oxygen atom of at least one of the etherified hydroxy groups further bound to an acyclic carbon atom - C09K 8/584: characterised by the use of specific surfactants - C09K 8/602: {containing surfactants} - C09K 23/00: Use of substances as emulsifying, wetting, dispersing, or foam-producing agents - C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE - C07C: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS ## Abstract Surfactants with polyether sulfonate structure, which have a propanonylsulfonic acid group as a head group, a process for preparing such surfactants and their use for tertiary mineral oil extraction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A surfactant of the general formula (I) where R1 is a straight-chain, branched, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic and/or aromatic hydrocarbon radical having from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, R2, independently for each of the k alkoxy units, are each hydrogen or a straight-chain, branched, aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, k is from 0 to 35 and M is H+ and/or an x-valent counterion 1/x Yx+. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A surfactant according to claim 1, wherein k is from 1 to 20. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A surfactant according to claim 1, wherein R2 is hydrogen or methyl. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A surfactant according to claim 1, wherein R1 comprises linear or branched C10- to C22-alkyl radicals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) A surfactant according to claim 2, wherein R2 is hydrogen or methyl. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A surfactant according to claim 2, wherein R1 comprises linear or branched C10- to C22-alkyl radicals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) A surfactant according to claim 3, wherein R1 comprises linear or branched C10- to C22-alkyl radicals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A surfactant mixture (M) comprising at least two different surfactants (M1) and (M2), wherein at least one of the surfactants is a surfactant (I) according to claim 1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The surfactant mixture (M) according to claim 8, wherein (M1) is the surfactant (I) and (M2) is at least one nonionic surfactant. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The surfactant mixture (M) according to claim 8, which comprises at least one surfactant (M1′) with ionic behavior and at least one surfactant (M2′) with nonionic behavior. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The surfactant mixture (M) according to claim 8, which additionally comprises up to 49.9% by weight, based on the sum of all surfactants in the mixture, of at least one polymeric cosurfactant (M3). ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The surfactant mixture (M) according to claim 11, wherein the polymeric cosurfactant (M3) is a block copolymer which comprises at least one hydrophobic block and at least one hydrophilic block. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The surfactant mixture (M) according to claim 12, wherein (M3) is a polymer selected from the group of polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide block copolymers, polyisobutene-polyethylene oxide block copolymers and comb polymers with polyethylene oxide side chains and a hydrophobic main chain. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A process for preparing surfactants according to claim 1, comprising: alkoxylating an alcohol of the general formula R1—OH with k+1 mol of alkylene oxides per mole of alcohol to give the alkyl alkoxylate (III) the alkoxylation being performed in such a way that at least 1 mol of propylene oxide is used per mole of alcohol toward the end of the alkoxylation, oxidizing the alkyl alkoxylate (III) by means of a suitable oxidizing agent to give an ω-acetonylalkyl alkoxylate (IV) and reacting the ω-acetonylalkyl alkoxylate (IV) with a sulfonating agent to give the surfactant (I) ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The process according to claim 14, wherein the sulfonating agent used is one selected from the group of SO3, oleum and chlorosulfonic acid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) A process for preparing surfactants according to claim 2, comprising: alkoxylating an alcohol of the general formula R1—OH with k+1 mol of alkylene oxides per mole of alcohol to give the alkyl alkoxylate (III) the alkoxylation being performed in such a way that at least 1 mol of propylene oxide is used per mole of alcohol toward the end of the alkoxylation, oxidizing the alkyl alkoxylate (III) by means of a suitable oxidizing agent to give an ω-acetonylalkyl alkoxylate (IV) and reacting the ω-acetonylalkyl alkoxylate (IV) with a sulfonating agent to give the surfactant (I) ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) A process for preparing surfactants according to claim 3, comprising: alkoxylating an alcohol of the general formula R1—OH with k+1 mol of alkylene oxides per mole of alcohol to give the alkyl alkoxylate (III) the alkoxylation being performed in such a way that at least 1 mol of propylene oxide is used per mole of alcohol toward the end of the alkoxylation, oxidizing the alkyl alkoxylate (III) by means of a suitable oxidizing agent to give an ω-acetonylalkyl alkoxylate (IV) and reacting the ω-acetonylalkyl alkoxylate (IV) with a sulfonating agent to give the surfactant (I) ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A washing and cleaning composition which comprises the surfactant according to claim 1. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A formulation for crop protectants which comprises the surfactant according to claim 1. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A process for ore extraction which comprises utilizing the surfactant according to claim 1. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A method for processing metal which comprises utilizing the surfactant according to claim 1. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) A process for producing textiles which comprises utilizing the surfactant according to claim 1. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) A process for producing leather which comprises utilizing the surfactant according to claim 1. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A process for stabilizing an emulsion which comprises utilizing the surfactant according to claim 1. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) A process for tertiary mineral oil extraction which comprises utilizing the surfactant according to claim 1. ### Claim 26 (depends on 8) A process for tertiary mineral oil extraction which comprises utilizing the surfactant mixture according to claim 8.