Abstract: Amines such as methyl amine are reacted with materials such as reducing sugars in aqueous/hydroxy solvents such as water and/or methanol to prepare N-alkyl polyhydroxy amines. Accordingly, glucose is reacted with methyl amine and the resulting adduct is hydrogenated to yield N-methylglucamine. The N-alkyl polyhydroxyamines can be subsequently reacted with fatty esters to provide polyhydroxy fatty acid amides useful as detersive surfactants. Thus, detersive surfactants are available from non-petrochemical precursors such as sugars and sugar sources such as corn syrup, and fatty acid esters derivable from various fats and oils.

Abstract: Spent copper "chromite" catalyst from the hydrogenation of carboxylic acids or esters of such acids is regenerated by vacuum treatment at high temperature to reduce the level of organic residue on the catalyst to less than about 25%, followed by oxidation.