Claims
- 1. A process for the preparation of secondary alcohol mixtures enriched in alcohols of the formula ##STR2## wherein R is alkyl of 1 to 18 carbon atoms, said process comprising (A) reacting an olefin mixture containing at least 25 percent of a C.sub.6 to C.sub.20 olefin having no unsaturation at the site of the No. 2 carbon atom thereof, with a C.sub.1 to C.sub.10 carboxylic acid, said reaction being carried out under ester-forming reaction conditions including the presence of a catalyst comprising crystalline zeolite material having a silica to alumina mole ratio of at least 12 and a Constraint Index of from about 1 to 12, to thereby selectively produce an alkyl carboxylate ester product which is enriched in the .alpha.-methylalkyl carboxylate ester; and
- (B) subsequently hydrolyzing said .alpha.-methylalkyl carboxylate-enriched ester product under hydrolysis reaction conditions, to thereby provide said secondary alcohol mixture enriched in alcohols having hydroxy functionality at the 2-position.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said ester-forming reaction conditions include a temperature of between about 25.degree. C. and 600.degree. C. and a pressure of within the range of 10.sup.4 Pa to 10.sup.7 Pa.
- 3. The process of claim 1 wherein said carboxylic acid is selected from acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid.
- 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the olefins in said olefin mixture are linear or slightly branched and have from 3 to about 20 carbon atoms therein.
- 5. The process of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said zeolite is selected from the group consisting of ZSM-5, ZSM-11, ZSM-12, ZSM-23, ZSM-35, ZSM-38 and ZSM-48.
- 6. The process of claim 5 wherein said zeolite is ZSM-5.
- 7. The process of claim 5 wherein said ZSM-5 additionally comprises a binder therefor.
- 8. The process of claim 5 wherein said zeolite is ZSM-12.
- 9. The process of claim 1 wherein said hydrolysis conditions include carrying out said hydrolysis in a basic medium.
- 10. The process of claim 9 wherein said basic medium comprises an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide or of potassium hydroxide.
- 11. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of converting said secondary alcohol mixture to a surface active agent, wherein said secondary alcohol mixture is converted to a nonionic detergent by reaction with ethylene oxide.
- 12. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of converting said secondary alcohol mixture to a surface active agent, wherein said secondary alcohol mixture is sulfated.
- 13. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of converting said secondary alcohol mixture to a surface active agent, wherein said secondary alcohol mixture is polyethoxylated, then sulfated and then neutralized with sodium hydroxide or ammonium hydroxide.
- 14. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of converting said secondary alcohol mixture to a surface active agent, wherein said secondary alcohol mixture is halogenated and condensed with a tertiary amine to form a cationic quaternary nitrogen surfactant.
- 15. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of converting said secondary alcohol mixture to a surface active agent, wherein said secondary alcohol mixture is reacted with phosphorus pentoxide to produce a phosphate ester surfactant.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of the copending application of Lewis B. Young, said application having Ser. No. 222,835, filed Jan. 6, 1981 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (4)
Entry |
Brewster, Organic Chemistry, (1948), 228-229. |
Morrison et al., Organic Chemistry, 3rd Ed., (1973), 455 and 752. |
Schick, Nonionic Surfactants (1967), 384. |
Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Third Edition, vol. 1, pp. 728-729, (1978), Regarding the Conversion of Alcohols to Surfactants. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
222835 |
Jan 1981 |
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