Claims
- 1. A process for the recovery of surfactants from an aqueous surfactant/contaminant-containing solution wherein said solution is ultrafiltered in order to recover said surfactant from the permeate for recycle and re-use, said process comprising the use of a sugar-derived nonionic surfactant that remains polar and solvated at the operating temperature of the ultrafiltration system.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said sugar-derived nonionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alkyl polysaccharides and mixtures thereof.
- 3. The process of claim 1 wherein said alkyl polysaccharide is selected from the group comprising alkyl polyglycoside, alkyl polyglucosides, alkyl glucomides and mixtures thereof.
- 4. The process of claim 3 wherein said alkyl polysaccharide comprises a cyclic form of glucose in which the hydrogen of the hemiacetal hydroxyl has been replaced with an alkyl, aryl or oxyethylene alkyl or aryl moiety.
- 5. The process of claim 4 wherein said alkyl polyglycoside and an alkyl polyglucoside surfactant are represented by the structural formula: ##STR4## wherein R is a C.sub.4 to C.sub.12 straight or branched chain alkyl and x is a number of from about 1 to 20.
- 6. The process of claim 5 wherein said alkyl glucomide is represented by the formula: ##STR5## wherein R is a C.sub.4 to C.sub.12 straight or branched chain alkyl and x is a number of about 1 to 20 with the further proviso that the glucose ring can exist in its dehydrated or hydrated form.
- 7. A process as claimed in claim 6 wherein the amount of nonionic surfactant in said aqueous surfactant/contaminant-containing solution is from about 0.01% to about 40% by weight.
- 8. A process as claimed in claim 7 wherein the amount of nonionic surfactant in said aqueous surfactant/contaminant containing solution is from about 0.01% to about 10% by weight.
- 9. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the amount of said nonionic surfactant in said aqueous surfactant/contaminant containing solution is from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight.
- 10. The process of claim 9 wherein said surfactant/contaminant solution further comprises additional excipients selected from the group consisting of silicates, phosphates, pyrophosphates, polyphosphates and their sodium salts, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 lower alcohols, glycols, glycol ethers, chelating agents, amides, thickeners, cellulose derivatives, phosphate builders, sequestering agents, buffers, polyacrylates, corrosion inhibitors, hydrotropes, anti-foam agents, sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, dibasic acids, phosphate esters, alkyl carboxylates, nonylphenol ethoxylates, alcohol ethoxylates, ethoxylated fatty acid amides and alkyl quaternary ammonium compounds and mixtures thereof.
- 11. A process according to claim 10 wherein said aqueous solution is ultrafiltered using an ultrafiltration membrane selected from the group consisting of polymeric, ceramic and metal/metal oxide membranes sintered on a ceramic support.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/936,826 filed on Sep. 25, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
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Date |
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0 402 981A2 |
Dec 1990 |
EPX |
0 441 175A2 |
Aug 1991 |
EPX |
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JPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
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Parent |
936826 |
Sep 1997 |
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