Continuous process for making alkyl aldosides from starch or other carbohydrates

Abstract From the Canadian patent

A continuous process for making alkyl alclosides from polysaccharides and more particularly mixed alkyl glycosides from starch by direct alcoholysis. A polysaccharide, such as starch is slurried in an, alcohol and passed through a heated confined zone under pressure in, the presence of an acid catalyst to form a mixed alkyl aldoside. The alcohols which may be used include methanol ethanol, propanol and, butanol, their isomers and mixtures thereof. Higher alkyl glycosides are surfactants and, in some instances it is advantageous to use higher, alcohols such as decyl and dodecyl alcohols, to obtain particular surfactant properties in the resulting alkyl glycosides. Mixed alkyl glycosides are …