A comparison of the ethoxylation of a fatty alcohol, fatty acid, and dimethiconol

Knowing that dimethiconols or silanols condense under acid or alkaline catalysis, a study was undertaken to determine if these compounds could be successfully ethoxylated under conditions similar to those used to ethoxylate fatty alcohols and acids. It was anticipated that the condensation reaction would take precedent over ethoxylation reaction. We determined that ethoxylation reaction occurs preferentially to condensation reaction. In addition, kinetics of ethoxylation are similar to kinetics observed when fatty alcohols are ethoxylated. This reaction gives rise to a new class of hydrolyzable silicone compounds that have applications in industrial as well as in personal-care products.