Patent GB-1041036-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to polyglycol ethers
IPC: C11D1/722
Filed: 1963-07-10
Abstract: Non-ionic surface-active polyglycol ethers obtained by the addition of ethylene oxide to 1,2-glycols having 8-22 carbon atoms are used as wetting, washing, cleaning and rinsing agents. The polyethers may contain propylene glycol units also, added before, during or after the ethylene oxide, and should contain sufficient ethylene glycol units to render them water-soluble, from 3 to 10 units normally sufficing. The aqueous solutions of these polyglycol ethers are suitable for cleaning surfaces of all kinds of solids, e.g. textiles, metal, wood, ceramics, plastics, and glass.  These polyethers may also be used together with the usual additives, and may be used in solutions of pH from 1 to 12. Suitable acid substances are HCl, H2SO4, H3PO4, or acid salts of these, citric acid. Neutral and alkaline solutions may contain Na2SO4, or carbonates, various phosphates, or silicates.  Hydroperoxides of borates, carbonates or phosphates, together with stabilizers, e.g. dipicolinic acid or finely divided silicates, and activators, e.g. heavy metal ions, for these, may also be added, as may foam-reducers such as polyethylene glycol compounds with chains terminated with propylene glycol residues. Colloids may be added as e.g. dirt carriers, e.g. polyacrylic acid salts or carboxymethylcellulose ethers.  These materials may be added as required to water, or pre-mixed as liquid, pasty, or solid concentrates.  The diol-polyglycol ethers of the invention may also be present in loose and pourable, especially pulverulent, compositions containing surface-active salts of sulpho-fatty acid esters and of sulpho-fatty acids.  Powders may be obtained from the concentrates by removing water present with dehydrated salts, as water of crystallization. In examples an addition product of a C11-18 diol mixture and 4.5 mols. of ethylene oxide is mixed (a) with a sulphated C12-14 fatty alcohol/2 mols. ethylene oxide addition product, or a triethanolamine, or a sodium, salt of tetrapropylenebenzenesulphonic acid, or a mixture of all three, in aqueous solution, (b) with carboxymethylcellulose, sodium pyrophosphate, Na2O. 3.3 SiO2, and Na5P3O10 (pentasodium tripolyphosphate).ALSO:The invention comprises polyglycol ethers and their preparation by treating 1,2-glycols containing 8-22 C atoms in the molecule with ethylen oxide.  Glycols containing at least 75% of 1,2-glycols should be used, and propylene oxide may be added before, during, or after the addition of the ethylene oxide, preferably in a ratio to ethylene oxide of between 1:4 and 4:1. The product should contain 2-20 ethylene glycol residues per molecule, preferably 0.15-0.45 residues per C atom in the diol, and have a turbidity point between 20 DEG  and 105 DEG  C.  When propylene glycol residues are present, the number of ethylene glycol residues should be increased by 1/4 -4 residues per propylene glycol residue.  The addition may be effected at normal or superatmospheric pressures in the presence of acid or basic catalysts, e.g. BF3, or halides of Zn, Fe, Sbv or SnIV, or hydroxides, soaps or alcoholates of Na or K.  1,2-Octanediol, a 1,2-C14- 16-diol mixture, 1,2-tridecanediol and 1,2-pentadecanediol are prepared by reacting corresponding terminal olefines either with H2O2 and formic or acetic acid followed by hydrolysis of the resulting diol half ester or by epoxidation followed by reaction with acetic anhydride and fission of the resulting diester.ALSO:The invention comprises polyglycol ethers derived from 1,2-glycols having 8-22 carbon atoms in the molecule, and the preparation of these by treating the glycols with ethylene oxide and, optionally, propylene oxide.  Glycols containing at least 75% of 1,2-glycols should be used, and the propylene oxide, if any, may be added before, during, or after the addition of the ethylene oxide, preferably in a ratio thereto of 1:4 to 4:1.  The product should preferably contain 2-20 residues of ethylene glycol per molecule, better 2-10, or 0.15-0.45 residues per C atom of the 1,2-glycol, the number being increased if propylene glycols are also present by 1/4-4 residues per propylene glycol residue, and should be water-soluble at least up to 5 DEG  C., with a turbidity point between 20 DEG  and 105 DEG  C. The addition may be effected at 50-200 DEG  C. i.p.s. acid or basic catalysts, e.g. BF3, halides of Zn, Fe, SbV or SnIV, or hydroxides, soaps or alcoholates of Na or K.  The polyglycols are used in detergent compositions.