POLYCARBONATE TYPE NONIONIC SURFACTANTS

A process for preparing polycarbonate type nonionic surfactant compositions comprising monohydroxy alcohols capped with polycarbonate groups. The surfactant compositions comprise aliphatic, nonaromatic cycloaliphatic or aromatic alcohols which have been capped with block polycarbonate groups formed by the reaction of the alcohols with ethylene carbonate in the presence of an alkali metal salt catalyst. The surfactant properties are varied by first reacting the alcohols with ethylene oxide to form a block polyether group cap on the alcohols before the reaction with ethylene carbonate or by further reacting the polycarbonate capped alcohols with ethylene oxide to form a terminal polyether block group. The surfactants are formed by reacting 2-20 moles ethylene carbonate and 3-50 moles ethylene oxide per mole of the alcohols. 27,098A-F