Fiber lubricants derived from polyethoxylated and polyoxyalkylated reaction products of an alpha-olefin epoxide and a fatty alcohol

摘要

Lubricants and processing aids for thermoplastic synthetic fibers, particularly polyester and nylon fibers are disclosed together with processes therefor. Said lubricants comprise compounds having the structural formula: in which R and R1 are independently selected from straight or branched chain aliphatic radicals having about 7 to about 22 carbon atoms; A is oxyethylene or a heteric mixture of oxyethylene and oxypropylene residues derived from the reaction of ethylene oxide and 1,2-propylene oxide in the respective ratio by weight of about 3:7 to about 9:1; and n has a value to produce a compound having a molecular weight of about 300 to about 3000. Said compounds are the ethoxylated or alkoxylated reaction product of the reaction product of an alpha-olefin epoxide and a fatty alcohol. Where liquid products are desired which contain the higher numbered carbon chain residues, low viscosity compounds can be obtained by oxyalkylating the intermediate obtained by reacting an alpha-olefin epoxide with a fatty alcohol using an ethylene oxide and 1,2-propylene oxide mixture in the respective ratio as set forth above. By properly balancing the carbon chain length of the R and R1 groups in the lubricant compounds with the oxyethylene or oxyalkylene ratio, variation between insoluble and soluble products can be obtained.