The present invention is related with the obtaining process and use of branched germinal zwitterionic liquids based on either bis-N,N-dialkyl-N-polyether-betaine or bis-N, N-dialkenyl-N-polyether-betaine or bis-N, N-dicycloalkyl-N-polyether-betaine or bis-N,N-diaryl-N-polyether-betaine, to be applied as modifiers of the wettability of rocks such as limestone, dolomite, sandstone, quartz or heteregenous lithologies, under the presence of brines having high content of divalent ions such as calcium, magnesium, barium or strontium, under high temperature and high pressure within enhanced oil recovery processes in order to increase the oil production.

The branched germinal zwitterionic liquids of the present invention have moreover the property to act as viscosity reducers of heavy oils having high content of polar fractions, both for extraction and production, and transport and storage operations, so allowing increase the production level of this oil type. An additional advantage shown by the zwitterionic liquids, derived from their molecular structure, is that they can be handed in such a manner that can be dissolved by water, hydrocarbon or other polar and non-polar solvents.

The present invention provides a surfactant composition that is excellent in storage stability while maintaining high viscosity thereof even when the concentration of a surfactant used therein is low, and a process for producing the surfactant composition. The present invention relates to [1] a surfactant composition including (A): a polyol having from 2 to 3 carbon atoms; (B): a specific polyoxyalkylene alkyl or alkenyl ether sulfate or a salt thereof; (C): at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal salt other than the aforementioned component (B) and the like; and (D): water, in which a content of the component (A) in the composition is from 25 to 98% by mass, a content of the component (B) in the composition is from 0.05 to 10% by mass in terms of the sulfate, a total content of alkali metals (X) derived from the polyoxyalkylene alkyl or alkenyl ether sulfate salt as the component (B) and derived from the at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the alkali metal salt and the like as the component (C), in the composition is not more than 2.5% by mass in terms of the metal elements, and a molar ratio of the alkali metals (X) to the component (B) is not less than 1.5, and [2] a process for producing the aforementioned composition.

A dispersant is provided comprising a blend of mono- and di-phosphate esters, each phosphate group being substituted with either one or two alkyl or alkenyl alkoxylate groups wherein the alkyl or alkenyl portion is a branched alkyl or alkenyl radical comprising 1-30 carbon atoms, the alkoxylate portion comprises ethoxylate monomers and/or propoxylate monomers, and the dispersant further comprises a basic component selected from an amidopropyldimethylamine, a heterocyclic amine, an ammonium ion, and an alkali metal ion. The dispersant is suitable for dispersing a variety of pigments and other particulate matter in either aqueous or organic media.

A method for producing a polydiene, the method comprising of combining a lanthanide compound, an alkylating agent, a halogen source, and optionally conjugated diene monomer to form an active preformed catalyst; independent of step (i), introducing an amine with conjugated diene monomer to be polymerized; independent of step (i), introducing the active preformed catalyst to the conjugated diene monomer to be polymerized to form an active polymerization mixture, where the active polymerization mixture includes less than 10% by weight, based on the total weight of the active polymerization mixture, of a solvent; and allowing the monomer to be polymerized to polymerize in the presence of the amine.

Esteramine compositions and their derivatives are disclosed. The esteramines comprise a reaction product of a metathesis-derived C.sub.10-C.sub.17 monounsaturated acid, octadecene-1,18-dioic acid, or their ester derivatives with a tertiary alkanolamine. Derivatives made by quaternizing, sulfonating, alkoxylating, sulfating, and/or sulfitating the esteramines are also disclosed. In one aspect, the ester derivative of the C.sub.10-C.sub.17 monounsaturated acid or octadecene-1,18-dioic acid is a lower alkyl ester. In other aspects, the ester derivative is a modified triglyceride made by self-metathesis of a natural oil or an unsaturated triglyceride made by cross-metathesis of a natural oil with an olefin. The esteramines and derivatives are valuable for a wide variety of end uses, including cleaners, fabric treatment, hair conditioning, personal care (liquid cleansing products, conditioning bars, oral care products), antimicrobial compositions, agricultural uses, and oil field applications.

The composition, advantageously an emulsion or a foam, includes an internal phase dispersed in a hydrophilic continuous phase, the percentage of the internal phase being higher than 50%. The emulsion composition contains nanocrystals of a polysaccharide other than cellulose, advantageously chitin, that are located at the interface between the internal phase and the hydrophilic continuous phase.

The present invention relates to a new Winsor type IV microemulsion system for faster return of well service fluid and enhanced production of hydrocarbon-containing fluids in fractured tight subterranean formations, where the microemulsion system includes a surfactant subsystem including at least one glucamide sugar surfactant, a solvent subsystem and a co-solvent subsystem and to methods for making and using same.

The present invention relates to a process for producing hydrosilylatable, eugenol-based polyethers, to the conversion thereof into polyether siloxanes and also to the products that may be produced by this process and to the use of said products as surfactants.

A process for preparing a dispersion comprising the stages: i) providing a dispersion comprising a particulate solid, a liquid medium and a dispersant having cross-linkable groups and a weight averaged molecular weight of from 1,000 to 70,000; and ii) cross-linking the dispersant in the presence of the particulate solid and the liquid medium thereby preparing a dispersion of an encapsulated particulate solid, wherein the cross-linking is performed such that 0.01 to 0.5 mmoles of cross-linkable groups in the dispersant are cross-linked per g of dispersant; said process also comprising at any stage: iii) adding a metal chelating agent to the dispersion; and after stage iii) the stage of: iv) removing at least some of the metal chelating agent from the dispersion.

The invention relates to novel polyglycerol esters with a particular oligomer distribution of the polyglycerol present, and to their use in particular in cosmetic formulations as, for example, emulsifier.