N-lower alkyl pyrrolidones have found wide commercial acceptance as non-toxic, aprotic chemical solvents. However, absence of hydrophobic-lipophobic balance in these molecules, as in the case of N-methyl pyrrolidone, prevents micellular formation; consequently, they possess no significant aqueous surfactant properties. Linear amine oxides are known to possess high surfactant activity; however these compounds are not stable at high temperatures and cannot be employed in metal working or high temperature fiber processing.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above deficiencies by providing improved surfactant-complexant agents which are readily obtained in an inexpensive and commercially feasible manner.
Another object of this invention is to provide a group of compounds having excellent surfactant and complexing properties.
Another object is to provide a group of compounds having viscosity building and wetting properties.
Still another object is to provide specialized processes for using micelle forming pyrrolidones and to provide novel compounds resulting from such processes.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and disclosure.