Nicht ionisches oberflaechenaktives Mittel sowie Verfahren zu seiner Herstellung

1,125,935. Secondary alcohol-alkylene oxide condensates. GENERAL ANILINE & FILM CORP. 23 Nov., 1965 [24 Nov., 1964], No. 49750/65. Heading C2C. [Also in Division C3] Non-ionic surface-active agents are prepared by passing propylene oxide into at least one C 6 -C 20 secondary alcohol at 0-125‹ C. in the presence of an acidic catalyst until between 1 and 4 moles of propylene oxide have reacted per mole of said alcohol, neutralizing the resultant reaction mixture, and then reacting the neutralized mixture with ethylene oxide in the presence of an alkaline catalyst at 50- 200‹ C. until between 1 and 150 moles of ethylene oxide have reacted per mole of secondary alcohol reacted in the first stage. Particular secondary alcohols are 2,6,8-trimethyl-4- nonanol, 2-dodecanol, 2-hexanol and 2-eicosanol. The acidic-catalyst may be of the Friedel- Crafts type or also sulphuric or phosphoric acid. The neutralizing agent and alkaline catalyst is suitably either powdered caustic soda or a 50% methanolic caustic soda solution.