Oxyalkylated derivatives of natural alpha-amino acids

Claim 1

SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS, SUBSTANTIALLY UNDILUTED, OXYALKYLATED DERIVATIVES OF AN ANHYDROUS, SOLID, OXYALKYLATION-SUSCEPTIBLE, NATURAL ALPHA AMINO ACID, WHICH SOLID SUFFERS AT LEAST PARTIAL DECOMPOSITION IF MAINTAINED AT ITS BEGINNING-OF-FUSION TEMPERATURE FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST 15 MINUTES IN THE PRESENCE OF AN OXYALKYLATION CATALYST, AND WHICH SOLID IS INSOLUBLE IN OXYALKYLATIONRESISTANT, READILY-DISTILLABLE SOLVENTS; WHICH DERIVATIVES ARE OBTAINED BY REACTING SAID SOLID WITH AT LEAST ONE ALKYLENE CARBONATE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE CARBONATE, PROPYLENE CARBONATE, BUTYLENE CARBONATE, HYDROXYPROPYLENE CARBONATE, AND HYDROXYBUTYLENE CARBONATE, IN PRESENCE OF AN OXYALKYLATION CATALYST; THE PROPORTION OF ALKYLENE CARBONATE EMPLOYED BEING SUFFICIENT TO YIELD A PRODUCT WHICH IS LIQUID AT THE TEMPERATURE REQUIRED TO EFFECT ITS SUBSEQUENT OXYALKYLATION USING AT LEAST ONE ALKYLENE OXIDE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, PROPYLENE OXIDE, BUTYLENE OXIDE, GLYCID, AND METHYLGLYCID.