Ether alcohol sulfates. The effect of oxypropylation and oxybutylation on surface active properties

The reaction of 1,2-butylene oxide with fatty alcohols of 12 to 18 carbon atoms was investigated and products were compared with those from the propylene oxide reaction. A 60% yield of the first derivative was obtained for the butylene oxide reaction compared with a maximum yield of 50% for the propylene oxide reaction. First and second derivatives were fractionally distilled from the reaction mixtures and characterized as pure ether alcohols and their acetates. Sulfation of the pure ether alcohols permitted some interesting comparisons of the effect of structural change on surface active properties. Oxybutylation gave slightly greater solubility increases than oxypropylation and both reactions were more effective than oxyethylation. Dioxyalkylated products had lower Krafft points than monooxyalkylated products. A low degree of oxyalkylation had only minor effects on the detergency of alcohol sulfates but polyoxybutylation caused significant reductions in foam height for the 16 and 18 carbon alcohol sulfates. Critical micelle concentration was reduced both by increasing degree of oxyalkylation and molecular weight of epoxide. All of the ether alcohol sulfates were effective lime soap dispersing agents. Presented at the AOCS Meeting in Philadelphia, October 1966. E. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.