N-alkyl polyhydroxy fatty acid amide compositions and their method of

Abstract

The present invention concerns aqueous surfactant composition comprising poly hydroxy fatty acid amides of formula (A), ##STR1## wherein R.sup.2 is C.sub.11 -C.sub.19 alkyl, alkenyl or mixtures thereof, Z is a polyhydroxyhydrocarbyl moiety having a linear hydrocarbyl chain with at least 3 hydroxyls directly connected to the chain; and in a part of the total amide surfactant (a) R.sup.1 is a methyl group and in the remainder of the total amide surfactant (b) R.sup.1 is an alkyl group with from 3 to 8 carbon atoms; said composition further comprising (c) from 0% to 15% by weight of an organic solvent; wherein the ratio of N-methyl poly hydroxy fatty acid amide (a) to N-alkyl (C.sub.3 -C.sub.8) polyhydroxy fatty acid amide (b), is from 25:1 to 1:1. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the surfactant composition is prepared by mixing N-methyl poly hydroxy fatty acid amine and N-propyl poly hydroxy fatty acid amine, and reacting said mixture with a fatty acid ester reactant in the presence of a base catalyst and, preferably, in the presence of a reaction solvent.