Abstract: Cationic surfactant compound comprising, in the form of a quaternary ammonium salt, a product of condensation between, on the one hand a fraction of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids, or of derivatives of said acids chosen from the group comprising esters, anhydrides and acid chlorides, and on the other hand at least one tertiary amine, characterized in that, in combination:the alkyl chains of the tertiary amine together contain from 4 to 12 carbon atomsthe alkyl chains of the tertiary amine together contain from 1 to 4 functions each chosen from the group comprising hydroxyl and amine functionsthe fatty acids fraction/tertiary amine mole ratio is between 1.85 and 1.40the fatty acids each possess a hydrocarbon chain in which the number of carbon atoms is between 5 and 23.

Abstract: Cationic surfactant compound comprising, in the form of a quaternary ammonium salt, a product of condensation between, on the one hand a fraction of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids, or of derivatives of said acids chosen from the group comprising esters, anhydrides and acid chlorides, and on the other hand at least one tertiary amine, characterized in that, in combination:the alkyl chains of the tertiary amine together contain from 4 to 12 carbon atomsthe alkyl chains of the tertiary amine together contain from 1 to 4 functions each chosen from the group comprising hydroxyl and amine functionsthe fatty acids fraction/tertiary amine mole ratio is between 1.85 and 1.40the fatty acids each possess a hydrocarbon chain in which the number of carbon atoms is between 5 and 23.

Abstract: The invention relates to N-alkyl, N-acetylglycosylamines of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 represents the residue of a reducing sugar selected from among glucose, galactose, lactose, or cellobiose;R.sub.2 is an alkyl radical, either linear or branched, comprising from 1 to 24 atoms of carbon, preferably from 8 to 18 atoms of carbon, under the reservation that, when R.sub.1 is a residue of lactose, that R.sub.2 is then different from the nonyl radical. These compounds are useful as surfactants.