The present invention relates to a production process for 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid including at least the following successive steps: 1) mixing of acrylonitrile with at least one compound contributing SO.sub.3 at a temperature included between 80 and 30 C.; 2) placing in contact and mixing isobutylene and the sulfonating mixture with a molar ratio of SO.sub.3 to isobutylene included between 0.2:1 and 2:1 and a molar ratio of acrylonitrile to isobutylene included between 3:1 and 60:1 at a temperature included between 40 and 100 C.; 3) solid/liquid separation of the reaction mixture and isolation of the solid particles in the form of a composition 1; 4) mixing composition 1 at the end of step 3) with an aqueous solution A included at a temperature comprised between 20 and 70 C. in order to obtain a suspension 1 of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid crystals; 5) solid/liquid separation of the suspension 1 and isolation of the crystals in form of composition 2.

The present invention relates to a production process for 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid including at least the following successive steps: 1) mixing of acrylonitrile with at least one compound contributing SO.sub.3 at a temperature included between 80 and 30 C.; 2) placing in contact and mixing isobutylene and the sulfonating mixture with a molar ratio of SO.sub.3 to isobutylene included between 0.2:1 and 2:1 and a molar ratio of acrylonitrile to isobutylene included between 3:1 and 60:1 at a temperature included between 40 and 100 C.; 3) solid/liquid separation of the reaction mixture and isolation of the solid particles in the form of a composition 1; 4) mixing composition 1 at the end of step 3) with an aqueous solution A included at a temperature comprised between 20 and 70 C. in order to obtain a suspension 1 of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid crystals; 5) solid/liquid separation of the suspension 1 and isolation of the crystals in form of composition 2.

The invention relates to a composition comprising a mixture of C.sub.3-C.sub.22 alcohol alkoxylates which have a narrow weight distribution and are capped in the terminal portion by a group chosen from linear or branched alkyls comprising between 1 and 6 carbon atoms, the phenyl group, benzyl group and hydrocarbon groups having a carboxy function COO, and groups having a sugar unit. The invention also relates to the method for preparing said composition and to the uses thereof as a surfactant, in particular as a surfactant with low foaming power.

The invention relates to a composition comprising a mixture of C.sub.3-C.sub.22 alcohol alkoxylates which have a narrow weight distribution and are capped in the terminal portion by a group chosen from linear or branched alkyls comprising between 1 and 6 carbon atoms, the phenyl group, benzyl group and hydrocarbon groups having a carboxy function COO, and groups having a sugar unit. The invention also relates to the method for preparing said composition and to the uses thereof as a surfactant, in particular as a surfactant with low foaming power.

Processes to prepare lightly branched surfactant products comprise combining at least one olefin and a coordination-insertion catalyst under conditions such that at least one oligomer product is formed. The surfactant products comprise a main carbon chain containing an average of between 0.5 and 2.5 branches, wherein more than 50% of the branches are ethyl branches, wherein the branches are located more than one carbon away from each end of the main carbon chain in more than 20% of surfactant product molecules

Processes to prepare lightly branched surfactant products comprise combining at least one olefin and a coordination-insertion catalyst under conditions such that at least one oligomer product is formed. The surfactant products comprise a main carbon chain containing an average of between 0.5 and 2.5 branches, wherein more than 50% of the branches are ethyl branches, wherein the branches are located more than one carbon away from each end of the main carbon chain in more than 20% of surfactant product molecules

An amine adduct is made by (1) forming an addition intermediate by heating a mixture comprising at least one diene and at least one unsaturated fatty acyl compound, and reacting the addition intermediate with a diamine to form the amine adduct, or by (2) reacting at least one unsaturated fatty acyl compound with at least one diamine to form an amine intermediate, and heating a mixture of the amidoamine intermediate and at least one diene to form the amine adduct, or by (3) reacting at least one unsaturated fatty tertiary amine compound with at least at least one diene to form the amine adduct. A surfactant composition is derived from the amine adduct and is particularly useful in a method for enhancing the recovery of oil from a reservoir having a production wellbore, comprising introducing an aqueous flooding fluid into the reservoir at one or more locations different from the location of the production wellbore, said fluid comprising the surfactant composition and recovering the oil through the production wellbore.

An amine adduct is made by (1) forming an addition intermediate by heating a mixture comprising at least one diene and at least one unsaturated fatty acyl compound, and reacting the addition intermediate with a diamine to form the amine adduct, or by (2) reacting at least one unsaturated fatty acyl compound with at least one diamine to form an amine intermediate, and heating a mixture of the amidoamine intermediate and at least one diene to form the amine adduct, or by (3) reacting at least one unsaturated fatty tertiary amine compound with at least at least one diene to form the amine adduct. A surfactant composition is derived from the amine adduct and is particularly useful in a method for enhancing the recovery of oil from a reservoir having a production wellbore, comprising introducing an aqueous flooding fluid into the reservoir at one or more locations different from the location of the production wellbore, said fluid comprising the surfactant composition and recovering the oil through the production wellbore.

Processes to prepare lightly branched surfactant products comprise combining at least one olefin and a coordination-insertion catalyst under conditions such that at least one oligomer product is formed. The surfactant products comprise a main carbon chain containing an average of between 0.5 and 2.5 branches, wherein more than 50% of the branches are ethyl branches, wherein the branches are located more than one carbon away from each end of the main carbon chain in more than 20% of surfactant product molecules.

Processes to prepare lightly branched surfactant products comprise combining at least one olefin and a coordination-insertion catalyst under conditions such that at least one oligomer product is formed. The surfactant products comprise a main carbon chain containing an average of between 0.5 and 2.5 branches, wherein more than 50% of the branches are ethyl branches, wherein the branches are located more than one carbon away from each end of the main carbon chain in more than 20% of surfactant product molecules.