Abstract: Processes for purifying compounds are disclosed which include reacting (i) a mixture of at least one tocopherol compound or sterol compound, and an alcohol having from about 10 to 30 carbons with (i) one or more boron-containing compounds to form a second mixture of orthoborate esters, wherein the mole ratio of tocopherol, sterol and alcohol to boron is at least about 2.5:1; heating the second mixture to form a residue containing the orthoborate esters; contacting the residue with a compound capable of solvolyzing the orthoborate esters to form a third mixture including the boron-containing compound(s), the alcohol and the tocopherol and/or sterol compound(s); and recovering the tocopherol and/or sterol compound(s).

Abstract: Processes for purifying compounds are disclosed which include reacting (i) a mixture of at least one tocopherol compound or sterol compound, and an alcohol having from about 10 to 30 carbons with (ii) one or more boron-containing compounds to form a second mixture of orthoborate esters, wherein the mole ratio of tocopherol, sterol and alcohol to boron is at least about 2.5:1; heating the second mixture to form a residue containing the orthoborate esters; contacting the residue with a compound capable of solvolyzing the orthoborate esters to form a third mixture including the boron-containing compound(s), the alcohol and the tocopherol and/or sterol compound(s); and recovering the tocopherol and/or sterol compound(s).

Abstract: A process for preparing glycosides from a source of saccharide moiety and an alcohol in the presence of a hydrophobic acid catalyst is provided. An example of such a catalyst is dinonylnaphthalenemonosulfonic acid. The use of such catalysts provides a number of process advantages, which includes the reduced production of polar by-products. Preferred glycosides produced by the process are higher alkyl glycosides useful as surfactants.

Abstract: Undesired hydrophilic materials are readily removed from long chain hydrophobic alcohols, from long chain hydrophobic alcohol/glycoside surfactant mixtures and from solutions of glycoside surfactants in water immiscible solvents resulting from dissolving the glycoside surfactants in said solvents or mixing aqueous mixtures of glycoside surfactants with said solvents, by contacting the hydrophilic material containing hydrophobic composition with water in an amount, and for a time period sufficient, to extract at least a portion of the hydrophilic material from the hydrophobic composition and to form a separate aqueous phase and by separating the resulting aqueous phase from the hydrophobic composition.