Patent ID: 11970574
Assignee: DOW GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Field: Macromolecular chemistry, polymers (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C | IPC C

Claim 2:
3. A method of producing an alcohol ethoxylate surfactant or lubricant, the method comprising:
reacting a low molecular weight initiator with ethylene oxide in the presence of a polymerization catalyst, the low molecular weight initiator having a nominal hydroxyl functionality at least 1, and the polymerization catalyst being a Lewis acid catalyst having the general formula M(R1)I(R2)I(R3)I(R4)0 or 1, whereas M is boron, aluminum, indium, bismuth or erbium, R1, R2, R3, and R4 are each independent, R1 includes a first fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group, R2 includes a second fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group or a first fluoro or chloro-substituted phenyl group, R3 includes a third fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group or a second fluoro or chloro-substituted phenyl group, and optional R4 includes a functional group or functional polymer group, R1 being different from at least one of R2 and R3; and
forming an alcohol ethoxylate surfactant or lubricant having a number average molecular weight of greater than the number average molecular weight of the low molecular weight initiator in the presence of the Lewis acid catalyst,
wherein the low molecular weight initiator is a secondary alcohol having a number average molecular weight of less than 3,000 g/mol and the alcohol ethoxylate surfactant or lubricant is a secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant or lubricant.