| abstract |
The invention relates to branched primary alcohol and its sulphates, alkoxylates, alkoxysulfates and carboxylates, which have good detergent action in cold water and are biodegradable. Branched primary alcohols have a mean number of branchings per chain from 0.7 to 3.0, include at least 8 carbon atoms and contain both methyl and ethyl branches. The primary alcohol mixture may contain less than 0.5 at.% Quaternary carbon atoms and a significant number of ethyl branches, terminal isopropyl branches and a C3 position with respect to the hydroxyl carbon. The mixture is obtained by skeletal isomerization of a starting olefin with at least 7 carbon atoms or by dimerization of a C6-C10 olefin, then converted to alcohol, for example by hydroformylation, and finally the mixture is sulphated, alkoxylated, or both processes are carried out simultaneously to obtain a detergent surfactant. Suitable skeletal isomerization catalysts are zeolites having at least one channel with a crystallographically free diameter along the x and / or y planes of the image from 42 to 70 nm. Suitable catalysts are a combination of nickel carboxylate and aluminum halides or a combination of nickel chelate and alkylaluminum alkoxide. |