METHOD OF PREPARING SURFACE-ACTIVE ALCOHOLS AND SURFACE-ACTIVE ALCOHOLIC ETHERS, PRODUCTS OBTAINED BY SAID METHOD AND THEIR USE

摘要

The invention describes a process for the preparation of surfactant alcohols and surfactant alcohol ethers which are, inter alia, highly suitable as surfactants or for the preparation of surfactants. The process, starting from olefin mixtures which comprise less than 30% by weight of linear hexene isomers and utilizing a catalyst which contains nickel, prepares olefin mixtures having a predominant fraction of branched dodecenes, which are subsequently derivatized to give surfactant alcohols and then optionally alkoxylated.The invention further relates to the use of the surfactant alcohols and surfactant alcohol ethers for the preparation of surfactants by glycosidation or polyglycosidation, sulfation or phosphation.