A surfactant of structure (I) is useful as a biodegradable low foaming surfactant: where m is a value in a range of 3 to 10, n is a value in a range of 5 to 20 and z is a value in a range of 10 to 25. ##STR00001##

The present invention provides a method for directly preparing glycol dimethyl ether and co-producing ethylene glycol from ethylene glycol monomethyl ether. More specifically, the method comprises passing a feedstock containing a raw material of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether and a carrier gas through a reactor loaded with a solid acid catalyst to produce glycol dimethyl ether and ethylene glycol, at a reaction temperature range from 40 C. to 150 C. and a reaction pressure range from 0.1 MPa to 15.0 MPa; wherein a carrier gas is an optional inactive gas; and the feedstock contains water whose volume concentration in the feedstock is in a range from 0% to 95%; and the weight hourly space velocity of the raw material of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether is in a range from 0.05 h.sup.1 to 5.0 h.sup.1; and the volume concentration of the raw material of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether in the feedstock is in a range from 1% to 100%; and the volume concentration of the carrier gas in the feedstock is in a range from 0% to 99%. In the method of the present invention, using a solid acid as a catalyst and ethylene glycol monomethyl ether as a raw material, under a low temperature condition, glycol dimethyl ether and ethylene glycol are prepared directly with high selectivity; moreover, there is substantially or completely no production of by-product 1,4-dioxane that causes pollution to the environment and is harmful to the human body or animal bodies.

The present invention provides a method for directly preparing glycol dimethyl ether and co-producing ethylene glycol from ethylene glycol monomethyl ether. More specifically, the method comprises passing a feedstock containing a raw material of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether and a carrier gas through a reactor loaded with a solid acid catalyst to produce glycol dimethyl ether and ethylene glycol, at a reaction temperature range from 40 C. to 150 C. and a reaction pressure range from 0.1 MPa to 15.0 MPa; wherein a carrier gas is an optional inactive gas; and the feedstock contains water whose volume concentration in the feedstock is in a range from 0% to 95%; and the weight hourly space velocity of the raw material of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether is in a range from 0.05 h.sup.1 to 5.0 h.sup.1; and the volume concentration of the raw material of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether in the feedstock is in a range from 1% to 100%; and the volume concentration of the carrier gas in the feedstock is in a range from 0% to 99%. In the method of the present invention, using a solid acid as a catalyst and ethylene glycol monomethyl ether as a raw material, under a low temperature condition, glycol dimethyl ether and ethylene glycol are prepared directly with high selectivity; moreover, there is substantially or completely no production of by-product 1,4-dioxane that causes pollution to the environment and is harmful to the human body or animal bodies.

The present invention relates to a compound for use in cosmetic compositions of the formula (I): R.sup.1OR.sup.2, wherein R.sup.1 and R are different from each other and are independently selected from the group of C1-C17 hydrocarbyl residues, said hydrocarbyl residues contain up to 8 CH.sub.3 groups and up to 3 ether groups (O), and wherein the total number of carbon atoms of said compounds is 10 to 20, the total number of ether groups of said compounds is 1 to 6, and the total number of methyl groups (CH.sub.3) of said compounds CN is 1 to 13, at least one of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 is a branched C3-C17 hydrocarbyl residue, in particular, as so-called volatiles in skin care and hair care compositions, as well as cosmetic compositions comprising at least one of said ether compounds, and the use of the aforementioned ether compounds in cosmetic compositions.

A process for obtaining a mixture of C4-C8 and C9-C18 alkyl monoether of saccharide, comprising: a) a first step of acetalization or trans-acetalization of a saccharide or of a mixture of saccharides with a C4-C8 aliphatic aldehyde or the acetal thereof, b) a second consecutive or simultaneous step of acetalization or trans-acetalization of the product obtained in a) of the saccharide or mixture of saccharides with a C9-C18 aliphatic aldehyde or the acetal thereof, c) a step of catalytic hydrogenolysis of the saccharide acetals obtained, and d) a step of recovery of a mixture of C4-C8 and C9-C18 alkyl saccharide monoethers. The invention further relates to a mixture of C4-C8 and C9-C18 alkyl saccharide monoethers and the use thereof as a surfactant.

Disclosed is a method for preparing a double end capped glycol ether, the method comprising: introducing into a reactor a raw material comprising a glycol monoether and a monohydric alcohol ether, and enabling the raw material to contact and react with an acidic molecular sieve catalyst to generate a double end capped glycol ether, a reaction temperature being 50-300 C., a reaction pressure being 0.1-15 MPa, a WHSV of the glycol monoether in the raw material being 0.01-15.0 h.sup.1, and a mole ratio of the monohydric alcohol ether to the glycol monoether in the raw material being 1-100:1. The method of the present invention enables a long single-pass lifespan of the catalyst and repeated regeneration, has a high yield and selectivity of a target product, low energy consumption during separation of the product, a high economic value of a by-product, and is flexible in production scale and application.

Disclosed is a method for preparing a double end capped glycol ether, the method comprising: introducing into a reactor a raw material comprising a glycol monoether and a monohydric alcohol ether, and enabling the raw material to contact and react with an acidic molecular sieve catalyst to generate a double end capped glycol ether, a reaction temperature being 50-300 C., a reaction pressure being 0.1-15 MPa, a WHSV of the glycol monoether in the raw material being 0.01-15.0 h.sup.1, and a mole ratio of the monohydric alcohol ether to the glycol monoether in the raw material being 1-100:1. The method of the present invention enables a long single-pass lifespan of the catalyst and repeated regeneration, has a high yield and selectivity of a target product, low energy consumption during separation of the product, a high economic value of a by-product, and is flexible in production scale and application.

Disclosed is a method for preparing a double end capped glycol ether, the method comprising: introducing into a reactor a raw material comprising a glycol monoether and a monohydric alcohol ether, and enabling the raw material to contact and react with an acidic molecular sieve catalyst to generate a double end capped glycol ether, a reaction temperature being 50-300 C., a reaction pressure being 0.1-15 MPa, a WHSV of the glycol monoether in the raw material being 0.01-15.0 h.sup.1, and a mole ratio of the monohydric alcohol ether to the glycol monoether in the raw material being 1-100:1. The method of the present invention enables a long single-pass lifespan of the catalyst and repeated regeneration, has a high yield and selectivity of a target product, low energy consumption during separation of the product, a high economic value of a by-product, and is flexible in production scale and application.

The present invention relates to a polymer and the associated polymerization process, and to the use of the polymers according to the invention for example as foam suppressant, for the dispersion of solids or as surfactant for washing or cleaning purposes. The polymer is prepared by polymerization of a) at least one alkylene oxide or a cyclic carbonate of the formula (I) ##STR00001## where n is 1 to 10, m is 0 to 3 and R.sup.1 is C.sub.1-C.sub.10-alkyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.10-alkenyl, aryl or aralkyl, b) glycerol carbonate, where the polymerization is carried out in the presence of at least one base.

A method for preparing methyl formate in which a raw material containing formaldehyde, methanol and/or dimethyl ether is introduced into a first reaction zone to come into contact with a catalyst A, and a component I is obtained by separation, the component I is introduced into a second reaction zone to come into contact with a catalyst B so as to obtain, by separation, methyl formate as a product, dimethyl ether that is returned to the first reaction zone and a component II that is returned to the second reaction zone, the catalysts have a long service life, the reaction conditions are mild, and the utilization rate of the raw material is high, thus enabling a continuous production for large-scale industrial application.