Quaternisation

Quaternisation

In quaternisation, alkyl chlorides, e.g. methyl chloride is added to a tertiary amine to form a quaternary ammonium compound (also commonly referred to as “quats”)

Quats have many applications including as surfactants and fabric conditions. One major application is as disinfectants and antimicrobial agents where they are used on a large scale as swimming pool additives. Quats are one of the active ingredients in hair conditioner which prevents your hair from becoming tangled and gives it a smooth feel. In this application they are acting as anti-static agents. Quats also have applications as phase transfer catalysts.

Chemoxy offers quaternization capabilities in our glass-lined and chloride-resistant steel reactors at the Billingham site in the U.K. Unlike many companies who handle only benzyl chloride, we have the capability and expertise to also make products using difficult-to-handle raw materials such as methyl chloride, ethyl chloride and epichlorohydrin.

Chemoxy’s ability to economically handle bulk quantities of methyl chloride, ethyl chloride and epichlorohydrin differentiates us within the custom processing industry. We have EH&S expertise that assures that your process is handled safely and cost-efficiently.