The reaction of 1,2-butylene oxide with fatty alcohols of 12 to 18 carbon atoms was investigated and products were compared with those from the propylene oxide reaction. A 60% yield of the first derivative was obtained for the butylene oxide reaction compared with a maximum yield of 50% for the propylene oxide reaction. First and second derivatives were fractionally distilled from the reaction mixtures and characterized as pure ether alcohols and their acetates.Sulfation of the pure ether alcohols permitted some interesting comparisons of the effect of structural change on surface active properties. Oxybutylation gave slightly greater solubility increases than oxypropy]ation and both reactions were more effective than oxyethylation. Dioxyalkylated products had lower Krafft points than monooxyalkylated products. A low degree of oxyalkylation had only minor effects on the detergency of alcohol sulfates but polyoxybutylation caused significant reductions in foam height for the 16 and 18 carbon alcohol sulfates. Critical mieelle concentration was reduced both by increasing degree of oxyalkylation and molecular weight of epoxide. All of the ether alcohol sulfates were effective lime soap dispersing agents.

Lithium, ammonium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium salts of methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl and secondary butyl esters ofa‐sulfopalmitic anda‐sulfostearic acids were prepared for a study of structureproperty relations. The esters are easily biodegradable, have good foaming, detergent and lime soap dispersing properties and resist acid and alkaline hydrolysis. Thea‐sulfopalmitates are more soluble. Differences in the cation and the alcohol influence melting point, aqueous solubility, solubility in organic solvents, surface and interfacial tension, critical micelle concentration and emulsifying properties.

Linear phenylalkanes made from 12, 14, 16 and 18 carbon a-olefins and benzene, with a]uminum chloride or methanesulfonic acid as the condensing agent, were found by gas-liquid chromatography of the acetophenone homologs obtained by chromic acid oxidation to be a mixture of all possible internal position isomers. Product distribution measured by the relative amounts of acetophenone homologs must be corrected in the case of the 2-and 3-phenylalkanes because of unequal oxidative seission and differing ease of oxidation. The 2-phenyl isomer, formed in largest amount and presumably the highest melting isomer, was separated by low temperature crystallization from acetone.The phenylalkane product mixtures and the isolated 2-phenyl isomers were sulfonated and detergent and surface active properties were compared. The sodium p-a]ky]benzenesulfonates from the 2-phenylalkanes were more biodegradable than the mixtures in the river water die-away test.

A method in which the test detergent was the sole source of carbon was used to study the metabolism of several tallow-based detergents. These were tallow alcohol sulfates, long-chain ether alcohol sulfates, and esters of a-sulfo fatty acids. Sodium p-(l-methylundecyl)benzenesulfonate (LAS) was used as a reference material. The alcohol sulfates were the most rapidly and completely metabolized (96 to 99%), and one ether alcohol sulfate was 94% degraded. The other compounds were metabolized to the extent of 61 to 87%; LAS was 80% degraded. Except for the alcohol sulfates, loss of methylene blue activity (MBAS) occurred long before the chemical oxygen demand (COD) values had reached a minimum; with the alcohol sulfates, MBAS and COD decreased simultaneously.

A method in which the test detergent was the sole source of carbon was used to study the metabolism of several tallow-based detergents. These were tallow alcohol sulfates, long-chain ether alcohol sulfates, and esters of α-sulfo fatty acids. Sodium p -(1-methylundecyl)benzenesulfonate (LAS) was used as a reference material. The alcohol sulfates were the most rapidly and completely metabolized (96 to 99%), and one ether alcohol sulfate was 94% degraded. The other compounds were metabolized to the extent of 61 to 87%; LAS was 80% degraded. Except for the alcohol sulfates, loss of methylene blue activity (MBAS) occurred long before the chemical oxygen demand (COD) values had reached a minimum; with the alcohol sulfates, MBAS and COD decreased simultaneously.