Acrylic acid Detergents, production

Functional derivatives of polyethylene, particularly poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(acryLic acid) and derivatives, have received attention because of their water-solubility and disposal iato the aqueous environment. Poly(vinyl alcohol) is used ia a wide variety of appHcations, including textiles, paper, plastic films, etc, and poly(acryLic acid) is widely used ia detergents as a builder, a super-absorbent for diapers and feminine hygiene products, for water treatment, ia thickeners, as pigment dispersant, etc (see Vinyl polymers, vinyl alcohol polymers). 

Another important bulk chemical that could be derived from glycerol is acrylic acid (Craciun et al., 2005 Shima and Takahashi, 2006 Dubois et al., 2006). Shima and Takahashi (2006) reported a complete process for acrylic acid production involving the steps of glycerol dehydration in a gas phase followed by the application of a gas phase oxidation reaction to a gaseous reaction product formed by the dehydration reaction. Dehydration of glycerol could lead to commercially viable production of acrolein, which is an important and versatile intermediate for the production of acrylic acid esters, superabsorber polymers or detergents (Ott et al., 2006). Sub- and supercritical water have been applied by Ott et al. (2006) as the reaction media for glycerol dehydration, but the conversion and acrolein selectivities that have been achieved so far are not satisfactory for an economical process. 

Interest in detergent products derived from renewable resources and with better biodegradability has driven evaluation of oxidized sugars and starches as builders or co-builders in detergents.113 Builders and co-builders complex calcium and magnesium ions in hard water to prevent sealing or deposits due to precipitation of insoluble carbonate salts. In current powder detergents, the builders are usually zeolites used in combination with polycarboxylate polymers derived from synthetic acrylic-maleic acid copolymers.114... 

South Africa. Sasol produces many products from coal-derived syngas, including ethylene, propylene, a-olefins, alcohols, and ketones. They have also increased their production of methanol, synthetic lubricants, detergent alcohols, acrylic acid and acrylates, oxo-alcohols, styrene and polystyrene, propylene oxide, and propylene glycol. 

Polycarboxylates, also known as polyacrylates, are polymers having a carbon-carbon backbone with attached carboxyl groups. In household consumer products, the anionic polycarboxylates most commonly used are copolymers of acrylic acid and maleic anhydride, copolymers of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, or polymers of acrylic acid. Polycarboxylates find use as detergent builders and as partial replacements for polyphosphates. However, they are very expensive for use in high concentrations as builders in detergent formulations and also have poor biodegradability [16]. 

Diels-Alder derivatives can be made from TOFA. For example, an interesting group of chemicals is based on the product of the reaction of TOFA-derived conjugated linoleic acids with acrylic acid. The C21 dibasic acid product and its derivatives have interesting properties that lead to diverse uses such as in detergents, textile lubricants, fabric softeners, corrosion inhibitors, inks, and floor polishes. 

Other C5-based building blocks are very limited and are used at scales of around SOkton/ year and up. Pentane diamine (cadaverine) is an important example of C5-based building blocks. It is used in the production of nylon 5,10 (formed by the decarboxylation of lysine). Another important C5-based building block is itaconic acid, which can be processed into a polymer. It may be used to replace petroleum-based poly-acrylic acids (used in diapers, feminine pads, detergents, cosmetics, inks, and cleaners Jong, 2012). 

In 2005, about 650 million liters (170 million gallons) of ethyl alcohol were produced by the phosphoric acid method. Of that amount, 60 percent was used for industrial solvents in the manufacture of toiletries and cosmetics, coatings and inks, detergents and household cleaners, pharmaceuticals, and other products. The remaining 40 percent was used in the preparation of other chemical compounds, including ethyl acrylate, vinegar, ethylamines, ethyl acetate, glycol ethers, and miscellaneous materials. 

PMMA has exceptional optical clarity and durability for outdoor exposure, with optimum resistance to alkalis, detergents, oils and dilute acids (but not to most solvents), and it is used mostly for glazing as a shatterproof replacement for glass, for lighting, for curtain-wall panels as a sealant and for decorative features, and in acrylic latex paints (containing PMMA suspended in water). There are also PMMA compounds specially developed for production of complex medical components. 

The reaction of excess amounts of methyl acrylate and the self-metathesis products of monounsaturated fatty acids like methyl ester of oleic acid with ethylene, produces valuable monomers for polycondensation polymers, as well as precursors for detergents in the presence of a suitable metathesis catalyst. In oleochemistry, azaleic and pelargonic acid were obtained industrially by ozonolysis of oleic acid. Non-linear fatty acid derivatives with two double bonds, (ricinoleic acid maleate) and one double bond (ricinoleic acid succinate) were produced from ricinoleic acid by esterification with maleic and succinic anhydride, respectively. Hydrogenation of this ricinoleic acid succinate yielded 12-hydroxystearic acid succinate which is a monomer for vegetable oil-based polyester. 

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