Patent ID: 8664423

Claim:
A process for the preparation of acylated secondary alcohol alkoxylates, said process comprising:— (i) reacting an internal olefin with a carboxylic acid in the presence of a catalyst composition to form a carboxylic acid ester; (ii) reacting said carboxylic acid ester from step (i) with an alkylene oxide reactant, in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst composition comprising: (a) an alkaline earth metal salt of a carboxylic or hydroxycarboxylic acid or a hydrate of the former; (b) an oxy-acid selected from sulphuric acid and ortho-phosphoric acid; (c) an alcohol or an ester; or products of the reciprocal reactions of (a), (b) and/or (c) in order to form an acylated secondary alcohol alkoxylate.