Patent GB-697315-A (GB)
Title: Solid surface active agents
IPC: C11D1/72
Filed: 1950-01-20
Abstract: Liquid non-ionic surface-active agents having in the molecule a chain of condensed ethylene oxide units are converted into solid form by stirring therewith an excess by weight of urea in the presence of a hydrocarbon reaction diluent in which urea and the reaction product of urea with the liquid surface-active agent are insoluble whereby the reaction mixture takes the form of a slurry and thereafter separating and recovering the solid phase of the reaction product which phase comprises solid non-ionic surface-active addition product.  The urea may be present in amounts up to 5 parts by weight per part surface-active agent. p  The reaction is preferably effected in the presence of an activator comprising a solvent for urea which does not react with urea at the temperature of reaction, said activator constituting not more than 25 per cent of the weight of the liquid surface-active agent, e.g. water and the C1-3 alcohols.  The reaction may be effected at room temperature or higher up to about 100 DEG  C.  The diluent and activator may be partially removed by distillation and the residual sludge centrifuged and/or filtered and then dried.  The resulting powder may be converted into pellets or bars and used as a wetting-agent in photography. Specified liquid surface-active agents are the products derived from fatty and resin acids and having the formula R.COO(C2H4O)n.C2H4OH where R is a C5-50 alkyl group and n is 5-50, e.g. "Ethofats 242/20 and 25" from rosin fatty acids, "Soromin S.G." (Registered Trade Mark) which is a stearyl polyglycol ether, "Renex" from tall oil and those from carboxylic acids obtained by oxidation of paraffins; products obtained from alcohols and having the formula R-O-(C2H4O)n-C2H4OH, where R is a C5-50 alkyl group and n is 5-50, e.g. "Aeto PC 6 or 12" derived from a C15 alcohol and "Brig 30" derived from lauryl alcohol; products derived from alkylated phenols and having the formula R-A-O-(C2H4O)n-C2H4OH where R is a C8-12 alkyl group, A is an aromatic group and n is 5-50, e.g. "Lissapol N," "Igepal C" and "Antarox A200" (Registered Trade Marks); and products derived from mercaptans and having the formula R-S-(C2H4O)n-C2H4OH where R is a C10-14 alkyl group and n is 5-50, e.g. "Nonic 218" described in Specification 643,456.  The urea-addition products obtained from those surface-active agents having the first and fourth general formul  are believed to be novel.  Examples are given wherein the diluent is isopentane and the activator methanol.  The Provisional Specification states that liquid surface-active agents in general may be converted into a solid by mixing with an organic compound containing the group >N-C.X-N<, wherein X is oxygen or sulphur, e.g. urea, thiourea and alkylated ureas and thioureas.ALSO:Liquid non-ionic surface-active agents having in the molecule a chain of condensed ethylene oxide groups are converted into solid form by stirring therewith an excess by weight of urea in the presence of a hydrocarbon reaction diluent in which urea and the reaction product of urea and said liquid surface-active agent are insoluble, whereby the reaction mixture takes the form of a slurry, and thereafter separating and recovering the solid phase of the reaction product which phase comprises solid non-ionic surface-active addition product.  The urea may be present in a proportion up to 5 parts by weight per part liquid surface-active agent.  The reaction is preferably effected in the presence of an activator comprising a solvent for urea which does not react with urea at the temperature of the reaction, the activator constituting not more than 25 per cent based on the weight of the liquid surface-active agent employed; specified solvents are water and C1-3 alcohols.  The reaction may be effected at room temperature or higher to about 100 DEG  C.  The diluent and activator may be partially removed by heating and the residual sludge filtered or centrifuged and then dried.  The resulting powder may be converted into pellets or bars and may be used for photographic purposes.  Specified liquid surface-active agents are those derived from fatty and resin acids and having the formula R.COO(C2H4O)nC2H4OH, where R is a C5-50 alkyl group and n is an integer preferably 5-50, e.g. "Ethofat 242/20 or 25" from rosin fatty acids, "Soromin SG" (Registered Trade Mark) which is a stearyl polyglycol ether "Renex" from tall oil and carboxy acids obtained by oxidation of paraffins; products derived from alcohols and having the formula R-O-(C2H4O)n-C2H4OH, where R is a C5-50 alkyl group and n preferably 5-50, e.g. "Aeto PC 6 or 12" derived from a C15 alcohol and "Brig 30" derived from lauryl alcohol; products derived from alkylated phenols and having the formula R-A-O(C2H4O)n-C2H4OH, where R is a C8-12 alkyl group, A is an aromatic group and n is preferably 5-50, e.g. "Lissapol N," Igepal C" and "Antarox A200" (Registered Trade Marks); products derived from mercaptans and having the formula R-S-(C2H4O)n-C2H4OH where R is a C10-14 alkyl group and n is preferably 5-50, e.g. "Nonic 218".  The urea-addition products obtained from those surfaceactive agents having the first and fourth formul  are believed to be new.  Examples are given wherein various of these surface-active agents are mixed with urea in presence of isopentane and methanol or aqueous methanol.  Specification 643,456 is referred to.  The Provisional Specification states that liquid surface-active agents in general may be converted to solid form by mixing with an organic compound containing the group >N-C.X-N<, wherein X is oxygen or sulphur, e.g. urea, thiourea and alkylated ureas and thioureas.ALSO:Liquid non-ionic surface-active agents having in the molecule a chain of condensed ethylene oxide groups are converted into solid form by stirring therewith an excess by weight of urea in the presence of a hydrocarbon reaction diluent in which urea and the reaction product of urea and the liquid surface-active agent are insoluble whereby the reaction mixture takes the form of a slurry, and thereafter separating and recovering the solid phase of the reaction product, which phase comprises solid non-ionic surface-active addition product.  The urea may be present in amount up to 5 parts per part by weight of liquid surface-active agent.  The reaction is preferably effected in the presence of an activator comprising a solvent for urea which does not react with urea at the temperature of reaction, said activator constituting not more than 25 per cent of the weight of the liquid surface-active agents; specified activators are water and the C1-3 alcohols.  The reaction may be effected at room temperature or higher up to about 100 DEG  C.  The diluent and activator may be partially removed by heating and the residual sludge centrifuged and/or filtered and then dried.  The resulting powder may be converted into pellets or bars and used as wetting agent for photography.  Specified liquid surface-active agents are the products derived from fatty and resin acids and having the formula R.COO(C2H4O)n.C2H4OH where R is a C5-50 alkyl group and n is 5-50, e.g. "Ethofats 242/20 and 25" from rosin fatty acids, "Soromin SG" (Registered Trade Mark) which is a stearyl polyglycol ether, "Renex" from tall oil and those from carboxylic acids obtained by oxidation of paraffins; products derived from alcohols and having the formula R-O-(C2H4O)n-C2H4OH where R is a C5-50 alkyl group and n is 5-50, e.g. "Aeto PC 6 or 12" derived from a C15 alcohol and "Brig 30" derived from lauryl alcohol; products derived from alkylated phenols and having the formula R-A-O(C2H4O)n-C2H4OH where R is a C8-12 alkyl group, A is an aromatic group and n is preferably 5-50, e.g. "Lissapol N," "Igepal C" and "Antarox A 200" (Registered Trade Marks); products derived from mercaptans and having the formula R-S-(C2H4O)n-C2H4OH where R is a C10-24 alkyl group and n is preferably 5-50, e.g. "Nonic 218" described in Specification 643,456. The urea-addition products obtained from those surface-active agents having the first and fourth formul  are believed to be new.  Examples are given wherein the diluent is isopentane and the activator methanol.  The Provisional Specification states that liquid surface-active agents in general may be converted to solid form by mixing with an organic compound containing the group >N-C.X-N< wherein X is oxygen or sulphur, e.g. urea, thiourea and alkylated ureas and thioureas.