This invention relates to a detergent composition comprising: PA1 (a) from about 40 to 60% by weight of compounds of formula EQU R.sup.1 --O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n --H (I) PA1 wherein R.sup.1 represents a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic radical of a fatty alcohol having from about 6 to 18 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of from 4 to 15; and PA1 (b) from about 60 to 40% by weight of compounds of formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 each independently represent an alkyl radical having from about 1 to 17 carbon atoms, the total number of carbon atoms in R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 being from about 8 to 18, and p and q each independently represent a number from 0 to 15, the sum of p and q being from about 4 to 15.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to detergent compositions. More particularly, this 
invention relates to detergent compositions comprised of nonionic 
tensides. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Addition products of ethylene oxide to fatty alcohols possess detergent 
properties and are widely used. However, these products are not 
satisfactory since they are difficult to pour in the temperature range 
from 5.degree. to 20.degree. C. because of their high viscosity. 
Attempting to reduce the viscosity of the products by dilution with water 
has led to an undesirable gel formation in most cases. 
It has been suggested in German Published Application (DOS) No. 22 05 337 
that these disadvantageous characteristics can be avoided by adding an 
anionic surface-active compound or tenside in an amount of from 1 to 10% 
by weight, based on the total weight of the detergent mixture, to the 
condensation products of ethylene oxide and linear fatty alcohols. This 
approach has the disadvantage that the characteristic of the nonionic 
tensides or surface-active compounds is changed completely by the addition 
of anionic tensides shifting the turbidity points of the nonionic ethylene 
oxide addition products strongly toward higher temperatures or causing 
their complete disappearance. 
Detergent compositions comprising addition products of ethylene oxide to 
fatty alcohols have now been found that, like the known mixtures with 
anionic tensides, have a lower viscosity at room temperature, but do not 
exhibit the disadvantages of the latter. The new compositions contain 
addition products of ethylene oxide to nonterminal vicinal alkane diols. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of this invention to provide detergent compositions 
comprised of a mixture of nonionic tensides. 
It is also an object of this invention to provide detergent compositions 
having improved viscosity characteristics. 
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent in the 
discussion below. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to detergent compositions comprising: 
(a) from about 40 to 60% by weight of compounds of formula 
EQU R.sup.1 --O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n --H (I) 
wherein R.sup.1 represents a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic radical of 
a fatty alcohol having from about 6 to 18 carbon atoms, and n is an 
integer of from 4 to 15; and 
(b) from about 60 to 40% by weight of compounds of formula 
##STR2## 
wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 each independently represent an alkyl radical 
having from about 1 to 17 carbon atoms, the total number of carbon atoms 
in R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 being from about 8 to 18, and p and q each 
independently represent a number from 0 to 15, the sum of p and q being 
from about 4 to 15. 
The compounds of Formula I are known substances that can be obtained by 
known processes. Starting materials for their preparation may be saturated 
and unsaturated fatty, i.e., long chain, alcohols, particularly alkanols 
and alkenols, having from about 6 to 18 carbon atoms, such as n-hexanol, 
n-octanol, n-decanol, n-dodecanol, n-tetradecanol, n-hexadecanol, 
n-octadecanol and 9-octadecenol-(1). Typically, however, mixtures of fatty 
alcohols, such as those obtained by sodium reduction or catalytic 
hydrogenation of fatty acid mixtures from the hydrolytic saponification of 
native fats and oils, are used for the synthesis of these compounds. 
Examples of such mixtures of fatty alcohols include the technical grade 
fatty alcohols from coconut, palm kernel, tallow, soybean, and linseed 
oil. The fatty alcohols or mixtures of fatty alcohols are reacted with a 
corresponding amount of ethylene oxide, in the presence of suitable 
alkoxylating catalysts, at elevated temperature and increased pressure. 
The compounds of Formula II are also known substances. They can be obtained 
by known processes, by addition of the respective amount of ethylene oxide 
to alkane diols having vicinal, nonterminal hydroxyl groups and from about 
10 to 20 carbon atoms. Preferably, mixtures of alkane diols of varying 
chain length or those with vicinal hydroxyl groups in isomeric positions, 
or both, are used for preparation of the compounds of Formula II. Such 
mixtures of alkane diols can be obtained in a known manner from olefins 
and olefin mixtures having nonterminal double bonds randomly distributed 
over the hydrocarbon chain, by epoxidation and subsequent hydrolysis of 
the resulting epoxyalkanes. 
Useful olefins and olefin mixtures can be obtained by, for example, the 
catalytic dehydration or chlorination/dehydrochlorination of linear 
paraffins having a desired chain length and by subsequent selective 
extraction of the monoolefins with nonterminal double bonds. These olefins 
and olefin mixtures are epoxidated by known processes, for example, with 
peracetic acid. The hydrolysis of the epoxyalkanes is also perfomed 
according to processses known from the literature, with the method 
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,923 having been found to be especially 
advantageous. According to this process, the epoxyalkanes are hydrolyzed 
with 1 to 20% by weight aqueous solutions of salts of aliphatic mono- 
and/or polycarboxylic acids at temperatures above 100.degree. C. and up to 
300.degree. C. Especially suitable for this reaction are the alkali metal 
salts, particularly the sodium salts of acetic acid, propionic acid, 
butyric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, and pelargonic acid. Salts of 
dicarboxylic acids such as malonic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, 
maleic acid, fumaric acid, azelaic acid, and sebacic acid, are preferred. 
Mixtures of salts of mono- and dicarboxylic acids may also be used. 
The proportions of epoxide to be hydrolyzed and salt solution should amount 
to at least 0.5 parts by weight salt solution per part by weight epoxide. 
The use of from about 2 to 5 parts by weight salt solution per part by 
weight epoxide was found to be advantageous. 
Preferably the hydrolysis is performed in the presence of a solvent such as 
acetone, dioxane, or dioxolane. The solvents are used in amounts of at 
least 0.5 parts by weight per part by weight of the epoxide to be 
hydrolyzed. It is especially preferable to use solvent in a weight ratio 
of 2:1. 
The reaction can be performed so that the mixture of epoxide, salt solution 
and, if desired, solvent, is heated with stirring in an autoclave to the 
respective reaction temperature and kept at this temperature until the 
hydrolysis is completed. Reaction times of 15 minutes to 2 hours generally 
are adequate for this. After the removal by distillation of any solvent 
present, the reaction mixture can be recovered simply by phase-separation 
with warming. 
Suitable starting material for the preparation of compounds of Formula II 
include, for example, a mixture of isomeric vicinal alkane diols having a 
C.sub.10 chain length and nonterminal hydroxyl groups; a mixture of 
isomeric vicinal alkane diols having a C.sub.18 chain length and 
nonterminal hydroxyl groups; a mixture of isomeric vicinal alkane diols 
having C.sub.11 -C.sub.15 chain length and nonterminal hydroxyl groups; a 
mixture of isomeric vicinal alkane diols having C.sub.14 -C.sub.16 chain 
length and nonterminal hydroxyl groups; and a mixture of vicinal alkane 
diols having C.sub.15 -C.sub.18 chain length and nonterminal hydroxyl 
groups. 
The above-described alkane diol mixtures are reacted with a corresponding 
amount of ethylene oxide in the presence of suitably alkoxylating 
catalysts, at elevated temperature and increased pressure, for the 
preparation of the compounds of Formula II. The compounds prepared are 
generally semisolid to solid, wax-like products. 
Another method of preparing the compounds of Formula II comprises the 
reaction of the above-described epoxyalkanes with ethylene glycol and the 
subsequent ethoxylation of the obtained vicinal 
hydroxy-hydroxyethoxyalkane. In this method, the epoxides obtained from 
olefin mixtures are reacted in a known manner in the presence of acid 
alkoxylating catalysts at elevated temperature and, if desired, increased 
pressure, with an excess of ethylene glycol. In an especially advantageous 
method described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,931,338, the reaction is carried out 
in the presence of an alkane, such as, for example, pentane, hexane, 
heptane, or octane. After the separation of any solvent present and excess 
ethylene glycol, the obtained reaction products are further reacted at 
elevated temperature and increased pressure in the presence of suitable 
alkoxylating catalysts, with a corresponding amount of ethylene oxide, to 
form the compounds of Formula II. The products prepared in this manner are 
also semisolid to solid, wax-like products. 
Detergent compositions with especially advantageous characteristics with 
respect to applied technology are obtained when the compounds of Formula I 
and Formula II used for their preparation are similarly hydrophilic. 
Therefore, detergent compositions in which the difference between n in 
Formula I and the sum of p and q in Formula II is equal to or less than 2, 
represent a preferred embodiment of the invention. 
For the preparation of the detergent compositions according to the 
invention, the compounds of Formula I and II are mixed with one another in 
the desired proportions, with the aid of an agitator or kneading machine.

EXAMPLES 
The following examples illustrate the invention and are not to be construed 
as limiting the invention thereto. 
EXAMPLE 1 
Fifty parts by weight of the addition product of 10 mols ethylene oxide to 
a mixture of fatty alcohols of coconut oil with the chain length C.sub.12 
-C.sub.18 (OH-number261), were mixed at room temperature, using a wing 
agitator aggregate with attached baffle, with 50 parts by weight of a 
product that had been prepared by the reaction of an epoxyalkane mixture 
of the chain length C.sub.11 -C.sub.14 and with nonterminal epoxy groups 
(7.48% by weight epoxide oxygen) with ethylene glycol, and the subsequent 
addition of 10 mols of ethylene oxide. The obtained detergent mixture was 
liquid and dissolved spontaneously in water. No gel formation was observed 
upon the addition of water. 
When the dissolution of the fatty alcohol/ethylene oxide adduct in water 
was attempted without any additional substance, the result was a gel that 
could not be poured. 
EXAMPLE 2 
Fifty-five parts by weight of an addition product of 5 mols ethylene oxide 
to a mixture of fatty alcohols of coconut oil with the chain length 
C.sub.12 -C.sub.18 (OH-number 261), were mixed as in Example 1, with 45 
parts by weight of a product that had been obtained by addition of 5 mols 
of ethylene oxide to an alkane diol mixture with the chain length C.sub.15 
-C.sub.18 and vicinal nonterminal hydroxyl groups (OH-number 418). The 
resulting detergent mixture was liquid and dissolved spontaneously in 
water, without the formation of gel. 
A gel that could not be poured resulted from the mixing of the fatty 
alcohol/ethylene oxide mixture alone, with water. 
EXAMPLE 3 
Sixty parts by weight of an addition product of 5 mols of ethylene oxide to 
a mixture of fatty alcohols of tallow oil with the chain length C.sub.14 
-C.sub.18 (OH-number 216), were mixed, as in Example 1, with 40 parts by 
weight of a product that had been obtained by the reaction of an 
epoxyalkane mixture with the chain length C.sub.15 -C.sub.18 and 
nonterminal epoxy groups (5.35% by weight epoxy oxygen) with ethylene 
glycol and subsequent addition of 5 mols of ethylene oxide. The resulting 
detergent mixture was liquid but slightly turbid. It dissolved without 
difficulty in water to form a clear solution. 
The mixing with water of the adduct of fatty alcohol of tallow oil to 
ethylene oxide alone, led to the formation of a gel that could not be 
poured. 
EXAMPLE 4 
Fifty parts by weight of an addition product of 12 mols of ethylene oxide 
to an oleyl-cetyl alcohol mixture (OH-number 216; iodine-number 65) were 
mixed, as in Example 1, with fifty parts by weight of a product that had 
been obtained by the reaction of an epoxyalkane mixture with the chain 
length C.sub.16 -C.sub.18 and nonterminal epoxy groups (5.75% by weight 
epoxide oxygen) with ethylene glycol and subsequent adddition of 10 mols 
of ethylene oxide. A liquid product was obtained, which dissolved 
spontaneously in water, without troublesome gel formation. 
When the oleyl-cetyl alcohol/ethylene oxide adduct was mixed with water 
without any additional substance, the result was a gel that could not be 
poured. 
Although the present invention has been disclosed in connection with a few 
preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications may be 
resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the 
principles of the new invention. All of these variations and modifications 
are considered to be within the true spirit and scope of the present 
invention as disclosed in the foregoing description and defined by the 
appended claims.