A process for ethoxylating a derivative of technical cashew nut shell liquid

摘要

A process for ethoxylating cardanol in which a mixture comprising a predominant amount of cardanol and a relatively small amount of cardanol oligomer is ethoxylated without previously distilling the cardanol or subjecting the mixture to another purification method to remove the oligomer. Preferably, the mixture may be obtained by subjecting technical cashew nut shell liquid to a reaction with formaldehyde together with an amine. The invention also extends to an ethoxylated mixture of a predominant amount of cardanol and a minor amount of cardanol oligomer, as well as a cleaning composition containing such an ethoxylated mixture.