Lactose‐derived surfactants (I) fatty esters of lactose

Lactose, the principal solid component of whey, is a potentially inexpensive and abundantly available raw material. Its chemical structure is well suited to serve as the hydrophilic portion of a nonionic surfactant molecule. Accordingly, a series of esters of lactose was prepared by reaction of fatty acid chlorides with anhydrous lactose in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidinone. Monoesters of lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, and tallow fatty acids were obtained in this manner. Other methods of synthesis of the products were investigated but were unsuccessful. The lactose esters and their oxyethylated products were evaluated for detergency behavior, emulsification time, and lime soap dispersant requirement. The results indicate that their surfactant properties are comparable to those exhibited by analogous sucrose derivatives.