TENSID AUF GRUNDLAGE EINES STICKSTOFFHALTIGEN ORTHOESTERS, DESSEN HERSTELLUNG UND VERWENDUNG

The present invention relates to a new tertiary or quaternary nitrogen-containing ortho ester-based surfactant, where the hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts are attached by separate ortho ester linkages. The ortho ester surfactants are stable in alkaline solutions, but are readily hydrolysed in acidic solutions. Since the hydrophobic and the hydrophilic parts of the surfactants reside in different substituents of the ortho ester, the surface activity is lost upon dydrolysis. The invention also relates to a process for making the ortho ester-based surfactants, where low molecular weight ortho esters are used as starting materials. These low molecular weight ortho esters are reacted with a hydrophobic component, which is an alcohol or an alkoxylated alcohol, and hydrophilic component, which is an alkanolamine or an alkoxylated alkanolamine. The molar amounts of the reactants are preferably 1-2 moles of the hydrophilic component per mole orthoester and 1-2 moles of the hydrophobic component per mole ortho ester. By this process surface active amino ortho esters are obtained. To obtain quaternary aunonium ortho esters, the amnino ortho esters are reacted with an alkylating reagent such as methyl chloride or dimethyl sulphate. The nitrogen-containing ortho esters are surface active and form micelles, they are efficient in lowering the surface tension and have excellent wetting properties. They are suitable to be used in all applications where quaternary ammonium surfactants anad tertiary amine surfactants are typically used.