摘要 |
The invention relates to secondary C10 to C18 surfactant alcohols of the general formula (I), wherein R represents methyl or ethyl and R represents a linear or branched alkyl group with 6-13 C atoms, excepting 5-ethyl-2-nonanol and 6-ethyl-3-decanol, in addition to fatty alcohol alkoxylates, alkyl phosphates, alkyl sulphates, alkyl ether phosphates and alkyl ether sulphates. The secondary C10 to C18 surfactant alcohols can be produced by a simple aldol condensation of linear or branched saturated or unsaturated C7-C14 aldehydes, excepting 2-ethyl hexanal, with acetone or methyl ethyl ketone and the subsequent hydrogenation of the condensation product. In the preferred method, the aldol condensation is heterogenically catalysed under hydrogenation conditions and the saturated ketone that has been formed is subsequently hydrogenated. |