GB776661A - Improved polyoxypropylene-polyoxyalkylene surface-active agents - Google Patents

Abstract

A surface-active agent is made by reacting propylene oxide or a polyoxypropylene glycol with a nitrogen-containing compound containing a plurality of active-hydrogen atoms to produce a polyoxypropylene polymer with a molecular weight of at least 900 and reacting this polymer with ethylene oxide or a polyoxyethylene glycol to produce a polymer containing 20 to 90 per cent by weight of oxyethylene groups. The nitrogen-containing compound may be (a) ammonia or hydrazine, (b) an organic compound containing at least one hydrogen atom connected to nitrogen (e.g. methylamine, butylamine, amylamine, aniline, ethylhydrazine, phenylhydrazine, N.N-dimethylhydrazine, N.N1-dibutylhydrazine, ethylene diamine, phenylene diamine, hexamethylene diamine, triethylene tetramine, tetraethylene pentamine, imidazimidazoles, pyrazolones, pyrazolidines, hydantoins, amides, imines or guanidines) or (c) a condensate of ammonia or an alkyl amine with an alkylene oxide (e.g. tri-2-propanolamine, N - butyl - di - 2 - propanolamine or triethanolamine). The reaction between propylene oxide and the nitrogen-containing compound may be effected in presence of an acid catalyst or an alkaline catalyst (e.g. sodium hydroxide, a sodium alkoxide or a quaternary ammonium base). If the nitrogen containing compound is gaseous it may be first dissolved in an organic solvent. Prior to reaction with the ethylene oxide, the polyoxypropylene polymer may be reacted with a difunctional organic compound (e.g. a dibasic acid or a di-isocyanate). The propylene oxide used may contain up to 10 per cent of ethylene oxide and the ethylene oxide used may contain up to 10 per cent of propylene oxide. The surface-active agents may be added to fatty acid soaps to prevent scum formation (see Group III). Specification 731,603 is referred to.ALSO:In order to prevent the formation of insoluble salts when a fatty acid soap is used in hard water, there is added to the soap 4-25 per cent by weight of a non-ionic surface-active agent which is made by reacting propylene oxide or a polyoxypropylene glycol with a nitrogen-containing compound to produce a polyoxypropylene polymer with a molecular weight of at least 900 and reacting this polymer with ethylene oxide or a polyoxyethylene glycol. In an example the surface-active agent is added to a soap composition comprising 60 per cent medium titer soap, 30 per cent builders (phosphates, silicates and soda ash) and 10 per cent moisture. Specification 731,603 [Group IV(a)] is referred to.