Process for preparation of alkyl glucosides and alkyl oligosaccharides

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF A MIXTURE COMPRISED OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALKYL GLUCOSIDES, HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALKYL OLIGOSACCHARIDES, AND A STARTING HIGHER ALCOHOL, THE IMPROVEMENT CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF: A. REACTING A MONOSACCHARIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GLYCOSE AND A SOURCE OF GLYCOSE WITH A HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT MONOHYDRIC STRAIGHT OR BRANCHED PRIMARY ALCOHOL HAVING FROM 6 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ACID CATALYST WHEREIN SAID CATALYST IS SULFURIC ACID, HYDROCHLORIC ACID, SULFONIC ION EXCHANGE RESINS, OR NITRIC ACID, AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM ABOUT 80*C TO ABOUT 130*C; B. REMOVING FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE THE WATER OF REACTION SUBSTANTIALLY AS FAST AS IT IS FORMED BY EITHER VACUUM DISTILLATION OR AXEOTROPIC DISTILLATION; C. CONTROLLING THE CATALYST CONCENTRATION AND TEMPERATURE SO THAT SOLUBILIZATION OF SAID MONOSACCHARIDE AND FORMATION OF THE DESIRED PRODUCTS OCCUR, WHILE OLIGOMERIZATION AND DEGRADATION OF SAID MONOSACCHARIDES IS SUBSTANTIALLY AVOIDED; AND D. EMPLOYING A MOLAR RATIO OF SAID ALCOHOL TO SAID MONOSACCHARIDE SUCH THAT DECREASING GLYCOSE SOLUBILITY WITH RISING ALCOHOL MOLECULAR WEIGHT IS COMPENSATED FOR BY INCREASING SAID MOLAR RATIO.