GB690564A - Polyglycol ethers of 3.5.5.-trimethyl-1-hexanol - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention comprises the products obtainable by condensing 3 : 5 : 5-trimethyl-1-hexanol with from 1 to 20 mols. of ethylene oxide. The compounds are polyglycol ethers of 3 : 5 : 5-trimethyl-1-hexanol and have the formula <FORM:0690564/IV (b)/1> where x is an integer having a value of from 1 to 20. They are prepared by passing ethylene oxide in liquid or gaseous form into the alcohol in the presence of an alkaline catalyst. The b -hydroxy ethyl ether having the formula <FORM:0690564/IV (b)/2> may be esterified with various inorganic or organic carboxylic acids, e.g. sulphuric, phosphoric, hydrochloric, acetic, propionic, butyric, maleic, fumaric, phthalic and adipic acids. In the examples (a) varying amounts of ethylene oxide are reacted with 3 : 5 : 5-trimethyl-1-hexanol in the presence of potash to give products of the formula <FORM:0690564/IV (b)/3> in which x is 5, 10 and 15; (b) equal parts of the compounds in which x is 5 and 10 are mixed. The products may be used as wetting agents and detergents. If used as detergents they may be used alone or combined with alkali metal builder salts such as phosphates, sulphates, carbonates, silicates, or with carbohydrate materials such as starch and carboxymethyl cellulose.ALSO:Products of formula <FORM:0690564/IV (c)/1> in which x is an integer having a value of from 1 to 20 may be used by themselves or combined with alkali metal builder salts or with carbohydrate materials as wetting agents and detergents. Alkali metal builder salts which may be used are the phosphates, sulphates, carbonates, and silicates. Carbohydrate materials which are suitable are, for example, starch and carboxymethyl cellulose. A suitable detergent material, for example, consists of a mixture of <FORM:0690564/IV (c)/2> tetrasodium pyrophosphate, starch and carboxymethyl cellulose.ALSO:Polyglycol ethers of 3 : 5 : 5-trimethyl-1-hexanol having the formula <FORM:0690564/III/1> in which x has a value from 1 to 20, may be mixed with alkali-metal salts such as phosphates, sulphates, carbonates and silicates or with carbohydrate materials such as starch and carboxymethylcellulose to give detergent compositions. Suitable alkali metal salts are disodium and trisodium orthophosphates, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium metaphosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and sodium sesquicarbonate. In an example a detergent composition contains a polyglycol ether of the formula given above in which x is 15, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, starch and carboxy methyl cellulose. If desired the starch may be replaced by soda ash or or sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium silicate or mixtures of these.