Stepan Company

Xue Min Dong

Randal J Bernhardt

David R Allen

Aaron Brown

Ronald Anthony Masters

Gregory Paul Dado

E Carolina Rojas

Patti Skelton

Renee Luka

Wilma Gorman

Aaron W Sanders

Dennis S Murphy

Patrick Shane Wolfe

Branko Sajic

Andrew D Malec

Irene Shapiro

Marcos Alonso

Brian Sook

Gary R Luebke

Michael Wiester

Franz Josef Luxem

John C Hutchison

Timothy A Boebel

Mary Beddaoui

Brian Holland

Laura Lee Whitlock

Chris Spaulding

Irma Ryklin

Jacqueline Maas Pytel

Jeremy Aaron Weitgenant

Paul Knox

Gregory Wallace

Krista L Turpin

Christopher D Smith

Anatoliy A Dameshek

Nicholas Pendleton

Scott Dillavou

Carolina E Rojas

Christopher A Gariepy

Carmen Matache

Minh Tong

John Frank Zamorski

Mona Marie Knock

Gary Luebke

Franz Luxem

Paul W Knox

Jacquelin Maas Pytel

Aaron Michael Brown

Copolymers comprising recurring units of a phenyl glycidyl ether and alkylene oxides are disclosed. Some of the copolymers comprise a di- or polyfunctional nucleophilic initiator and recurring units of the phenyl glycidyl ether and an alkylene oxide. The di- or polyfunctional nucleophilic initiator is an alcohol, phenol, amine, thiol, thiophenol, sulfinic acid, or deprotonated species thereof. Other copolymers comprise a monofunctional nucleophilic initiator selected from thiols, thiophenols, aralkylated phenols, sulfinic acids, secondary amines, C-Cterpene alcohols, and deprotonated species thereof. Pigments dispersions comprising the copolymers are also disclosed. The copolymers meet the growing needs of the industry with their ease of manufacture, diverse structures, and desirable performance attributes for dispersing a wide range of organic and inorganic pigments. Agricultural applications for the copolymers are also disclosed.

Polymeric dispersants from phenyl glycidyl ether

Dilutable concentrates useful for hard surface cleaners with improved film/streak performance on high-energy surfaces are disclosed. The concentrates comprise a nonionic alkoxylated surfactant and a polyetheramine. A relatively minor proportion of a polyetheramine can resolve film/streak issues that characterize hard surface cleaners formulated with nonionic surfactants. The efficacy of polyetheramines for improving film/streak performance of hard surface cleaners formulated with nonionic alkoxylated surfactants far exceeds the benefits available from known improvements, such as the use of hydrotropes. Other inventive dilutable concentrates and hard surface cleaners comprise an amine-functional hydrophobe and an auxiliary surfactant. Still other dilutable concentrates or hard surface cleaners comprise a nonionic alkoxylated surfactant and lactic acid. An improved method for measuring film/streak properties of hard surface cleaners is also disclosed.

Reduced-residue hard surface cleaner and method for determining film/streak

Sulfate and sulfonate derivatives of unsaturated fatty alcohols, processes for making them, and methods of using them are disclosed. In one aspect, a monounsaturated fatty alcohol composition is made by reducing a metathesis-derived monounsaturated alkyl ester. The fatty alcohol composition is then converted to a sulfate or sulfonate derivative by one or more of alkoxylation, sulfation, sulfonation, and sulfitation. Of particular interest are the sulfate and ether sulfate derivatives. Microscopy studies indicate that the unsaturated sodium sulfates in particular have a lamellar phase that should enable formulation at high actives levels. Sulfate compositions comprising 40 to 60 wt. % of a monounsaturated fatty primary alcohol sulfate and 40 to 60 wt. % of a secondary hydroxyalkyl primary alcohol sulfate are also disclosed. The derivatives and sulfate compositions are valuable for many end-use applications, including, for example, agricultural dispersants, water-soluble herbicides, anionic emulsifiers for agricultural use, hard surface cleaners, light-duty liquid detergents, personal cleansers, gas well foamers for oilfield applications, laundry detergents, enhanced oil recovery compositions, latex paints, and specialty foams.

Unsaturated fatty alcohol derivatives from natural oil metathesis

Methods for making efficient use of steam in a steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process for recovering heavy oils from tar sands and similar petroleum deposits are disclosed. The methods utilize a surfactant to generate steam foam in ways that maximize efficient use of steam. In some aspects, steam foam is used in water layers or gas caps that reside above steam chambers to prevent loss of steam from the steam chamber. The predominant use of relatively dry steam in SAGD processes makes it challenging to find ways to introduce surfactants and generate steam foam. However, decreasing the mobility of the steam by converting at least some of it to foam allows the wellbore and steam chambers above the injection site to be more fully developed, provides for more effective heat transfer to the heavy oil and rock, improves production, and allows recovery of the heavy oil with a minimum amount of steam usage.

Steam foam methods for steam-assisted gravity drainage

Synergistic surfactant blends are disclosed. In one aspect, the blend comprises an anionic surfactant and a metathesis-based cationic surfactant comprising a quaternized derivative. The quaternized derivative is a quaternized fatty amine, quaternized fatty amidoamine, imidazoline quat, or esteramine quat made from a metathesis-derived C-Cmonounsaturated acid or its ester derivative. Also disclosed are synergistic surfactant blends comprising a cationic surfactant and a metathesis-based anionic surfactant comprising a sulfonated derivative. The sulfonated derivative is a fatty ester sulfonate, fatty acid sulfonate, sulfoestolide, fatty amide sulfonate, sulfonated fatty ester alkoxylate, imidazoline quat sulfonate, sulfonated amidoamine oxide, or sulfonated amidoamine betaine. The synergistic blends have a negative &#x3b2; value or a reduced interfacial tension (IFT) when compared with an expected IFT value calculated from the individual surfactant components. Blends of the invention also exhibit surprisingly favorable solubility profiles. The surfactant blends are useful for laundry detergents, dish detergents, household or industrial cleaners, personal care products, agricultural products, building materials, oil recovery compositions, emulsion polymers, and other practical applications.

Synergistic surfactant blends

Sulfate and sulfonate derivatives of unsaturated fatty alcohols, processes for making them, and methods of using them are disclosed. In one aspect, a monounsaturated fatty alcohol composition is made by reducing a metathesis-derived monounsaturated alkyl ester. The fatty alcohol composition is then converted to a sulfate or sulfonate derivative by one or more of alkoxylation, sulfation, sulfonation, and sulfitation. Of particular interest are the sulfate and ether sulfate derivatives.

Mixed dimer and mixed oligomer compositions are disclosed. The mixed dimer compositions comprise a monosulfonated cross-dimer or a salt thereof. The monosulfonated cross-dimer is a reaction product of (a) an alpha-olefin sulfonic acid (AOS acid); and (b) an unsulfonated olefin, an unsulfonated olefin precursor, or a functionalized olefin. The mixed oligomer compositions comprise a mono- or polysulfonated cross-oligomer or a salt thereof. The mono- or polysulfonated cross-oligomer is a reaction product of (a) an AOS acid; and (b) an unsulfonated diolefin or an unsulfonated diolefin precursor. Various methods for making the mixed dimer or oligomer compositions are described. Salts of the mixed dimer and oligomer compositions are useful surfactants for foams used in oilfield and other applications. The foams have improved high-temperature stability when compared with foams from AOS dimer acid salts.

Mixed dimers from alpha-olefin sulfonic acids

Methods of making an alpha-olefin sulfonic dimer acid (AOS dimer acid) are disclosed. In one method, an alpha-olefin is sulfonated, preferably with sulfur trioxide, to produce a mixture comprising an alpha-olefin sulfonic acid (AOS acid) and sulfur dioxide. This mixture is then heated while purging sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide from the reactor to produce an AOS dimer acid composition. In another method, the AOS acid mixture is treated to remove sulfur dioxide and is then heated to produce an AOS dimer acid composition. With either method, the resulting AOS dimer acid composition has at least a 30% decrease in the level of elemental sulfur when compared with that of an AOS dimer acid composition prepared by a similar process in the absence of any active removal of sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide. AOS dimer acid compositions and salts of the AOS dimer acids, which are useful surfactants for oilfield and other applications, are also disclosed.

Alpha-olefin sulfonic dimer acid process

Surfactant compositions comprising an alkoxylate, a sulfate, or ether sulfate of a C-Cmonounsaturated alcohol are disclosed. The alkoxylate, sulfate, or ether sulfate may derive from undecylenic acid or undecylenic alcohol. Compared with their saturated analogs, the monounsaturated alkoxylates, sulfates, and ether sulfates are less irritating, making them valuable for personal care, laundry, cleaners, and other household applications. Microscopy studies show that the alkoxylates, sulfates, and ether sulfates have favorable phase behavior over a wide range of actives levels, expanding opportunities for products with greater compaction. When combined with cationic surfactants, the alkoxylates, sulfates, and ether sulfates exhibit synergy, and they have improved solubility compared with their saturated analogs. The surfactants find value for the personal care, laundry and cleaning, emulsion polymerization, agricultural products, oilfield applications, and specialty foams industries.

Surfactants based on monounsaturated fatty alcohol derivatives

Unsaturated fatty alcohol alkoxylates, processes for making them, and methods of using them are disclosed. In one aspect, a monounsaturated fatty alcohol alkoxylate is made by reducing a metathesis-derived monounsaturated alkyl ester, followed by alkoxylation of the resulting monounsaturated alcohol. Microscopy reveals that the monounsaturated alkoxylates have isotropic and lamellar phases over a wider range of actives levels compared with their saturated analogs. This attribute expands formulating latitude for many end-use applications. The unsaturated fatty alcohol alkoxylates are valuable in, for example, agricultural solvents, nonionic emulsifiers for agricultural compositions, hard surface cleaners, laundry detergents, specialty foams, additives or surfactants for paints or coatings, and surfactant compositions for enhanced oil recovery.

Unsaturated fatty alcohol alkoxylates from natural oil metathesis

Synergistic surfactant blends are disclosed. In one aspect, the blend comprises an anionic surfactant and a metathesis-based cationic surfactant comprising a quaternized derivative. The quaternized derivative is a quaternized fatty amine, quaternized fatty amidoamine, imidazoline quat, or esteramine quat made from a metathesis-derived C10-C17 monounsaturated acid or its ester derivative. Also disclosed are synergistic surfactant blends comprising a cationic surfactant and a metathesisbased anionic surfactant comprising a sulfonated derivative. The sulfonated derivative is a fatty ester sulfonate, fatty acid sulfonate, sulfoestolide, fatty amide sulfonate, sulfonated fatty ester alkoxylate, imidazoline quat sulfonate, sulfonated amidoamine oxide, or sulfonated amidoamine betaine. The synergistic blends have a negative value or a reduced interfacial tension (IFT) when compared with an expected IFT value calculated from the individual surfactant components. Blends of the invention also exhibit surprisingly favorable solubility profiles.

Growing community of inventors

Lincolnshire, IL, United States of America

Xue Min Dong