Abstract: A method of manufacturing alkyloligoglycosides. Alkyloligoglycosides and alkylglycosides having alkyl groups with 8 to 24 carbon atoms, which products are of interest as surface active agents in home economics, and in the cosmetics industry, can be manufactured by glycosidation and transglycosidation. Light-colored alkyloligoglycosides and alkylglycosides can be manufactured by treating their solution in alcohols with activated carbon, distilling off the solvent, and bleaching the distillation residue or an aqueous solution of the residue with a peroxide compound.

Abstract: A process for the extraction of crude oil from an underground deposit which is penetrated by at least one injection well and at least one production well is disclosed. The process comprises forcing a solution or a dispersion of a surfactant co-solvent mixture into the injection well, wherein the surfactant is an alkyl (poly)glycoside of formula (I)R--O--Z.sub.nwherein R is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C.sub.7-24 alkyl radical, and Z.sub.n is an (oligo)glycosyl radical having, on average, n=1 to 10 hexose or pentose units or a mixture thereof.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing alkyloligoglycosides. Alkyloligoglycosides nand alkylglycosides having alkyl groups with 8 to 24 carbon atoms, which are of interest in home economics and in the cosmetics industry, can be manufactured by glycosidation and transglycosidation. Light-colored alkyloligoglycosides and alkylglycosides are manufactured from saccharides and alcohols by glycosidation and transglycosidation with the addition of salts of inorganic acids, or polybasic saturated carboxylic acids, and by bleaching of the final products with peroxides.

Abstract: A polyalcohol mixture is produced by heating dehydrating a reaction mixture comprising D-sorbitol, L-sorbitol or a mixture thereof in the presence of an acid catalyst. The reaction progress is followed by measuring the optical rotation of the reaction mixture during the reaction. The reaction is stopped when the optical rotation value of the reaction mixture corresponds to the optical rotation value of the desired polyalcohol mixture.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing alkyloligoglycosides. Alkyloligoglycosides and alkylglycosides having alkyl groups with 8 to 24 carbon atoms, which are of interest in home economics and in the cosmetics industry, can be manufactured by glycosidation and transglycosidation. Light-colored alkyloligoglycosides and alkylglycosides are manufactured from saccharides and alcohols by glycosidation and transglycosidation with the addition of polar polymeric complex-forming agents, and by bleaching of the final products with peroxides.

Abstract: The dark-colored solutions obtained in the preparation of butyloligoglycosides from saccharides and butanol are adjusted to an acidity of 0 to 12 mg of KOH/g. Colorless or light-colored butyloligoglycosides are then extracted from them by water, optionally after the addition of a nonpolar solvent, and are then isolated from the aqueous phase in a conventional way.