Process for preparing N-alkyl polyhydroxyalkyl amines in aqueous/hydroxy solvents

US5625098A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The Procter & Gamble Company · US

Inventors

• Junan Kao · Cincinnati, US
• Jeffrey John Scheibel · Loveland, US
• Robert Edward Shumate · Cincinnati, US
• Cynthia Stark · North College Hill, US
• Roland George Severson · Cincinnati, US
• Kevin Lee Garber · Loveland, US
• Scott Alan Vandiest · Cincinnati, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 5, 1995
• Grant date: Apr 29, 1997
• Expiry date: Jun 5, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C11D1/525
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Amines such as methyl amine are reacted with materials such as reducing sugars in aqueous/hydroxy solvents such as water and/or methanol to prepare N-alkyl polyhydroxy amines. Accordingly, glucose is reacted with methyl amine and the resulting adduct is hydrogenated to yield N-methylglucamine. The N-alkyl polyhydroxyamines can be subsequently reacted with fatty esters to provide polyhydroxy fatty acid amides useful as detersive surfactants. Thus, detersive surfactants are available from non-petrochemical precursors such as sugars and sugar sources such as corn syrup, and fatty acid esters derivable from various fats and oils.