| abstract |
Surface-active condensation products are prepared by condensing carboxylic acids with the formula RCOOH, preferably their mixtures with hydroxylalkanesulfonic acid salts of the formula HO- (CH 2 ) n SO 3 X, where n 2-4 and x is an alkali metal or NH, in the presence of a consistency regulator which lowers the viscosity of the reaction mixture. As consistency regulators, esters, in particular mixtures of the esters of synthetic or natural fatty acids, are used, for example of the formula R'COOR ", where R 'is a saturated and / or unsaturated radical having 7 to 17 carbon atoms and R" is CH 3 or C 2 H 5 . The presence of the consistency regulator allows the reaction mixture to be homogenized well during the reaction, and the end product can be prepared very advantageously, in particular by spray drying an aqueous solution; high-quality free-flowing products are obtained. The esterification product can also be processed directly without spray drying. |