Process for the purification of alkyl glycosides, products obtainable by this process and their use

US4889925A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien · DE

Inventors

• Karl Schmid · Mettmann, DE
• Manfred Biermann · Wiesloch, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 4, 1987
• Grant date: Dec 26, 1989
• Expiry date: Feb 4, 2007

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07H15/04
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Mixtures of alkyl glycosides and fatty alcohols are readily separated by distillation without thermal degradation of glycoside. In the presence of one or more viscosity-reducing agents which are heat-stable and color-stable at temperatures of up to 160.degree. C., which are miscible with the alkyl glycosides, which have a boiling point at 760 mbar at least 50.degree. C. above the boiling point of the fatty alcohol present in the mixture, and reduce the viscosity of the mixture to at most 10,000 mPas at the distillation temperature. The fatty alcohols are quantitatively separated off from this mixture by distillation in customary distillation apparatus at a temperature at least 20.degree. C. below the thermal decomposition point of the alky glycosides and under pressures of from 1 to 10.sup.-3 bar. The process is particularly applicable to the purification of reaction mixtures obtained from the preparation of alkyl glycosides from fatty alcohols and saccharides to provide a product comprising alkyl glycoside and viscosity-reducing agent directly useable is cosmetics and fabric detergents, dishwashing detergents and cleaning preparations.