Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft

Clariant Corporation

Hoechst Aktiengese Ilschaft

Ignaz Wimmer

Rainer Kupfer

Siegfried Billenstein

Hildegard Freundl

Peter Klug

Thomas Martini

Rolf Kleber

Karl-Heinz Keil

Lothar Jaeckel

Detlef Wehle

Gernot Kremer

Fritz J Gohlke

Cheryl Ann Littau

Johannes Macenka

R&uuml;diger Winter

Alkoxylation catalyst

The invention provides a process for the preparation of ether carboxylic acids or alkali metal or ammonium salts thereof with low residual alcohol content, which comprises firstly converting a mono- or polyhydric alcohol into the corresponding alkoxide using a substoichiometric amount between 5 and 95 mol % of a basic compound, and then reacting the alkoxide with alkylene oxides, and, if necessary after distilling off the residual alcohol which remains, alkylating the highly alkaline reaction mixture, which comprises more than 5 mol % of alkoxylated alkoxides, directly with a chloroacetic acid derivative, and, if necessary, converting the alkylated product into the free ether carboxylic acid by acidification with mineral acid.

Process for the preparation of ether carboxylic acids with low residual alcohol content

Detergents, cleaning compositions and disinfectants comprising chlorine-active substances and fatty acid alkyl ester ethoxylates

According to the invention, the alkoxylation of compounds containing active hydrogen atoms is carried out in the presence of specific alkaline earth metal salts of alkylor alkenylsuccinic monoesters as catalyst. The alkoxylates obtained have a narrow homolog distribution and a good appearance.

Process for the preparation of alkoxylates using ester compounds as

Stable and homogeneous aqueous formulations of surfactants Stable and homogeneous aqueous formulations of surfactants having an HLB value of less than or equal to 13, which additionally contain a compound of the formula I ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 -alkenyl, phenyl, alkylphenyl or phenalkyl having in each case 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain or cyclohexyl, R.sup.2 is hydrogen or one of the radicals mentioned for R.sup.1, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, together with the nitrogen atom, are a heterocyclic radical, M is an alkali metal cation, an ammonium cation or one equivalent of an alkaline earth metal or aluminium cation and m and n in each case independently of one another are numbers from 6 to 8. By the presence of the compounds of the formula I, it is possible to prepare stable and homogeneous aqueous formulations even from those surfactants which are otherwise only sparingly soluble or not soluble at all in water.

Stable and homogeneous aqueous formulations of surfactants

In the process described for the preparation of alkoxylates having a narrow distribution of homologs by reaction of compounds containing at least one hydroxyl group with alkylene oxide, complex compounds of antimony pentahalide with a special Lewis base are used as the catalysts. Alkoxylates having a narrow distribution of homologs and good color quality are obtained at a high conversion.

Process for the preparation of alkoxylates having a narrow distribution

Compounds of the formula ##STR1## where R.sub.1 denotes a group of the formula ##STR2## R.sub.2 denotes C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, R.sub.3 denotes hydrogen or methyl, n denotes a number from 5 to 100, m denotes an integer from 0 to 4 and x denotes the number of free valences of the particular R.sub.1 radical, a process for the preparation thereof, and the use thereof as fiber spin finishes.

Poly(alkoxy ether) mixed formals

The new compounds consist essentially of ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block polymer units and oxyalkyleneated alkylphenol/aldehyde resin units, which are linked by methylene groups. They are prepared by reacting a block polymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide and an oxyalkyleneated alkylphenol/aldehyde resin with formaldehyde. The new compounds constitute especially advantageous breaking agents for petroleum.

Surface-active compounds, a process for their preparation and their use

Growing community of inventors

Winhoring, Germany

Ignaz Wimmer