Patent ID: 6576799
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: B01F,C08G,C11D

Abstract:
A process for preparing an ether-capped poly(oxyalkylated) alcohol surfactant having the formulaR1O[CH2CH(R3)O]xCH2CH(OH)CH2OR2 wherein R1 and R2 are linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms; R3 is H, or a linear aliphatic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms; x is an integer having an average value from 1 to about 30; further wherein R2 can optionally be alkoxylated, wherein said alkoxy group is selected from the group consisting of ethoxy, propoxy, butoxy and mixtures thereof; said process comprising the steps of:(a) providing a glycidyl ether having the formula: wherein R2 is defined as above; (b) providing an ethoxylated alcohol having the formula: wherein R1, R3 and x are defined as above; (c) reacting said glycidyl ether with said ethoxylated alcohol to form said surfactant in the presence of a metallic catalyst; (d) said surfactant is sparged with an inert gas; and (e) extracting said catalyst from said surfactant by at least one aqueous extraction with an aqueous solution, wherein said aqueous solution is selected from the group consisting of a from about 2% to about 15% by weight aqueous solution of sodium carbonate, a from about 2% to about 10% by weight aqueous solution of potassium carbonate, a from about 1% to about 22% by weight aqueous solution of sodium sulfate, a from about 2% to about 6% by weight aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate, a from about 1% to about 10% by weight aqueous solution of potassium sulfate, a from about 2% to about 24% by weight aqueous solution of potassium bicarbonate, and mixtures thereof; and wherein said surfactant, after said at least one aqueous extraction, contains less than about 100 ppm of the metallic component of said metallic catalyst.