PROCESSO PARA A PREPARACAO DE ALQUIL GLICOSIDEOS

The invention provides a process for preparing an alkyl-glycoside by reacting a monosaccharide with an alkyl alcohol in the presence of a heterogeneous acid catalyst in which monosaccharide and excess alkyl alcohol are heated and reacted in the presence of the heterogeneous catalyst, so that when the reaction mixture is no longer in contact with the catalyst an amount of apolar solvent is added which causes alkyl glycoside to crystallize, separating alkyl glycoside crystals from the mother liquor, removing the apolar solvent from the latter and recirculating the mother liquor from which the apolar solvent has been removed. Preferably the process monosaccharide and alkyl alcohol are heated and reacted at a temperature between 70 and 120 DEG C. Preferably the monosaccharide is an aldohexose in particular ,the alkyl alcohol is a C8-C22 alkanol and the heterogeneous catalyst is an acid ion-exchange resin.