Patent ID: 8853447

Claim:
A process for the preparation of C 8 -C 22 acyl amido compounds which comprises: (i) reacting an amino compound or salt thereof having a structure (I), wherein R 2 is hydrogen, CH 2 COOX or a C 1 -C 5 alkyl radical; R 3 is hydrogen; R 4 is selected from the group consisting of (CH 2 ) m CO 2 X, (CH 2 ) m SO 3 X, CH 2 NR 2 (CH 2 ) m OH and glucosyl radicals; R 5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyphenyl, C 1 -C 6 hydroxyalkyl, C 1 -C 10 alkyl, benzyl, hydroxybenzyl, alkylcarbamido, thioalkyl, and carboxylic radicals; X is selected from hydrogen, metal ions, amine salts and C 1 -C 4 alkyl radicals; and m ranges from 0 to 6; with a C 1 -C 3 alkyl ester of C 8 to C 22 fatty acid in a medium comprising: a) a polyol of molecules weight ranging from 76 to 300; b) 0 to 10% by wt. water; and c) a basic salt containing catalyst selected from the group consisting of alkaline and metal containing hydroxides, phosphates, sulphates and oxides; (ii) heating reactants from step (i) to form the C 8 -C 22 acyl amido compounds having a structure (II) wherein R is a C 7 -C 21 saturated or unsaturated alkyl radical provided by the fatty acid ester; and the resultant mass has a Hunter Lab Color Scale value L ranging from 70 to 100; and iii) recovering a resultant mass from the process.