PURPOSE: To obtain an ampholytic surfactant by reacting a monohaloacetic acid or a monohaloacetic acid salt in a reaction system composed of alkylimidazolidine or its ring-opening compound, a lower alcohol and water at specific weight ratios and separating precipitated inorganic salt by filtration.
CONSTITUTION: The objective substance can be produced by reacting (A) a monohaloacetic acid or a monohaloacetic acid salt with (B) a compositioon composed of (a) an alkylimidazolidine or its ringo-opening compound, (b) a lower alcohol and (c) water (excluding water necessary for the ringo-opening of the alkylimidazolidine) in the presence of an alkali at 50W90°C and removing precipitated salt by filtration. The above 3 components of the composition B fall within a pentagon defined by the 5 points (80, 10, 10), (80, 15, 5), (40, 55, 5), (40, 27.5, 32.5) and (52.5, 10, 37.5) on a triangular coordinate taking the components a, b and c as three apexes.
EFFECT: The desalting of the by-produced inorganic salt can be easily carried out at a low cost and the objective substance having low viscosity is obtained in high efficiency.
KUBO MAKOTO
OKABE KAZUHIKO
Next Patent: JPS62126158