Patent ID: 8058480

Claim:
A process comprising: contacting one or more alcohols of the formula R 1 OH with one or more 1,2 alkylene epoxides of the formula Q(O), wherein Q is a linear alkylene group of the formula C y H 2y where y is an integer of from 2 to 10, and R 1 is a linear, branched, cyclic, or aromatic hydrocarbyl group, optionally substituted, having from 1 to 30 carbon atoms; at a temperature from about 60Â° C. to about 200Â° C. and a pressure from ambient atmospheric pressure to about 1035 KPa; in the presence of a catalyst at a molar ratio of alcohol to catalyst of from about 200 to 15, wherein the catalyst is MB(OR 1 ) x (X) 4âˆ’x or B(OR 1 ) 3 /MX, and wherein M is Na + , K + , Li + , R 2 R 3 R 4 R 5 N + , or R 2 R 3 R 4 R 5 P + , and R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 independently are hydrocarbyl groups, X is Br, F, or I, and x is 1 to 3; to form an alkyl alkoxylate of the formula R 1 O(QO) m H wherein m is from 1 to 20.