Method of forming glass fiber dispersions with cationic quaternary ammonium surfactants having at least two long chain groups

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Description of the Preferred Embodiments The select quaternary ammonium surfactants of the invention are characterized by the following structural formula: ##STR1## where at least two of R.
sub.
1, R.
sub.
2, R.
sub.
3 and R.
sub.
4 are hydrocarbon groups containing at least 10 carbon atoms each, and preferably between 12 and 18 carbon atoms each.
The hydrocarbon groups can be aliphatic or aromatic, and, if aliphatic, can be linear, branched or cyclic in nature, and can be the same or different in each radical.
The aliphatic hydrocarbon radical can contain ethylenic unsaturation.
Preferably, the remaining two of the R.
sub.
1, R.
sub.
2, R.
sub.
3 and R.
sub.
4 groups are selected from among alkyl groups, such as lower alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups having from 1-4 carbon atoms, and substituted alkyl groups thereof.
The long chain hydrocarbon groups suitably are selected from such long chain hydrocarbon groups such as stearyl, laurel, oleyl, tridecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl, dodecyl, octadecyl, nonadecyl, or substituted groups thereof, derived from natural or synthetic sources.
The sum of the R.
sub.
1, R.
sub.
2, R.
sub.
3, and R.
sub.
4 groups preferably is at least 22 and less than 48 carbon atoms, and they may be discrete radicals or, alternatively, they may be internally bound to provide an acyclic structure.
X.
sup.
.
crclbar.
is an anion, preferably a halogen, i.
e.
, chloride, bromide, iodide, fluoride, or a mono lower alkyl sulfate, acetate or formate.
Typical quaternary ammonium compounds of the invention are distearyl dimethylammonium chloride, and ethylheptadecylamidoethyl stearyl imidazolinium ethylulfate.
Other compounds within the scope of the invention are given in Cationic Surfactants, Vol.
4, by E.
Jungerman, M.
Dekker, Inc.
(New York, N.
Y.
) 1970.
In a typical wet-laid process for making glass fiber mats, a stock suspension of the fibrous material of predetermined fiber consistency is prepared in a mixing tank.
The suspension then is pumped into a head box of a paper-making machine where it may be further diluted with water to a lower consistency