Process for preparing alkylglucoside compounds from oligo- and/or polysaccharides

Claim 1

A process for preparing a reaction product containing surface active alkylglucoside compounds comprising a predominate content of alkyl monoglucoside from long chain monohydroxyl alcohols and a saccharide source selected from the group consisting of starch, polysaccharides other than starch, starch partial degradation products, and oligosaccharides other than starch partial degradation products, comprising formation of lower alkyl glucosides and transacetalization thereof with long chain monohydroxyl alcohols, which process comprises: a) reacting the saccharide source under acidic catalysis with a sufficient amount of a mixture of water and lower alkanol, which mixture is in a single phase at the reaction conditions of a temperature above 100° C. and elevated pressure, to provide throughout the entire reaction a stoichiomeric excess of lower alkanol and a stirable and flowable reaction mixture and continuing the reaction until a liquid, virtually clear single-phase first reaction product is obtained; b) admixing and reacting the first reaction product with a stoichiometric excess of the long chain alcohol heated to a reaction temperature above about 100° C., to form a second reaction mixture which is a single-phase at the operating temperature of the second reaction mixture throughout the entire reaction, under reaction conditions of pressure, temperature and rate of admixing that the water in the first reaction product is vaporized virtually immediately as it is admixed with the second reaction mixture; and c) evaporating the lower alkanol present in the first reaction product and formed by transacetalization to form a reaction product containing the surface active alkylglucoside compounds.