Alkali soluble and alkali stable compositions comprised predominantly of phosphate monoesters

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING SURFACE ACTIVE COMPOSITIONS CONTAINING ESSENTIALLY PRIMARY PHOSPHATE ESTERS OF HYDROXYLIC ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, COMPRISING REACTING POLYPHOSPHORIC ACID AND A CONDENSATION PRODUCT OF AT LEAST ABOUT 1 MOLE OF ETHYLENE OXIDE AND 1 MOLE OF A NONIONIC SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT PRECURSOR CONTAINING ABOUT 6 TO 150 CARBON ATOMS AND A REACTIVE HYDROGEN ATOM, AT A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 80* TO 110*C., SAID POLYPHOSPHORIC ACID BEING A MIXTURE OF PHOSPHORIC ACIDS WITH A PHOSPHORIC ACID ANHYDRIDE CONTENT CORRESPONDING TO ABOUT 73 TO 85 PERCENT EXPRESSED AS PERCENT P2O5, AND THE RATIO FO THE REACTANTS BEING FROM ABOUT 0.6 MOLE TO ABOUT 2 MOLES OF POLYPHOSPHORIC ACID TO 1 MOLE OF SAID CONDENSATION PRODUCT, PROVIDED THAT ONLY WHEN THE NUMBER OF CONDENSED ETHYLENE OXIDE UNITS IS NO MORE THAN ABOUT 2 CAN THERE BE EMPLOYED AS LITTLE AS ABOUT 0.6 MOLE OF POLYPHOSPHORIC ACID FOR EACH EQUIVALENT OF HYDROXYL GROUPS IN SAID CONDENSATION PRODUCT, AND FURTHER PROVIDED THAT THE NUMBER OF CONDENSED ETHYLENE OXIDE UNITS CAN BE AS HIGH AS ABOUT 30 WHEN THERE IS EMPLOYED AS MUCH AS ABOUT 2 MOLES OF POLYPHOSPHORIC ACID FOR EACH EQUIVALENT OF HYDROXYL GROUPS IN SAID CONDENSATION PRODUCT.