PROCESS FOR PREPARING A CONCENTRATED, NON-GELLING, AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF BETAINE

摘要

The present invention relates to the field of surfactants and in particular to the preparation of concentrated, flowable and pumpable low-viscosity aqueous solutions of betaine of formula (I):
in which R is a mixture of C8-C18 alkyl and C8-C18 unsaturated alkyl radical, which have lower storage, transportation and operational costs due to their high active matter and low water content. The process comprises an amidation and a carboxymethylation step, which do not involve the use of any additional organic solvents or any additional materials or chemicals, and is characterised by selecting the fatty acid stock type to be used in amidation and a controlled cooling rate subsequent to completion of the carboxymethylation reaction.