Polysiloxane redistribution process

1. A process to redistribute cyclic and linear polysiloxanes, comprising:

contacting and heating a surfactant, wherein the surfactant is a salt of a protonated amine or a quaternary ammonium compound,

an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, and

a silicone comprising a silicone hydrolysate,

wherein the silicone hydrolysate comprises from 20 to 80 weight %, based upon the weight of the silicone, linear polysiloxane, and

wherein the silicone hydrolyzate comprises a cyclic polysiloxane, and

wherein the linear polysiloxane is chlorine endblocked linear polydimethylsiloxane, and

wherein the silicone hydrolysate comprises:

from 31 to 47 weight percent D 4 ;

from 8 to 30 weight % D 5 ;

from 1 to 12 weight % D 6 ; and

from 38 to 45 weight % chlorine endblocked linear polydimethylsiloxane.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the surfactant is a salt of a protonated amine and is formed from an amine according to formula (I):

NRR′R″  (I)

wherein R is an alkyl group, and R′ and R″ may independently be a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein R is an alkyl group having 5 to 14 carbon atoms and each

R′ and R″ is independently a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein the surfactant is formed from N-octylamine.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the heating is at a temperature from 60° C. to 180° C.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein the aqueous hydrochloric acid solution is a saturated solution.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the aqueous hydrochloric acid solution and the silicone are contacted in a ratio from 1:2 to 2:1.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the surfactant concentration is from 0.1 wt. % to 10 weight % based upon the weight of the aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, the surfactant, and the silicone.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the process is conducted at a pressure from 0 to 1000 kiloPascals.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein the contacting and heating step is conducted for 1 minute to 60 minutes.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the silicone is redistributed and wherein after the process is conducted the distribution of cyclic polysiloxane is different than the distribution in the silicone contacted.

12. A process to redistribute cyclic and linear polysiloxanes, comprising:

contacting and heating a surfactant, wherein the surfactant is a salt of a protonated amine or a quaternary ammonium compound,

an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, and

a silicone comprising silicone hydrolysate, wherein the silicone hydrolysate comprises from 20 to 80 weight %, based upon the weight of the silicone, linear polysiloxane, and

recovering hydrogen chloride as a gas.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the surfactant is N-octylamine hydrochloride,

the aqueous hydrochloric acid solution is a saturated aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, and the contacting is at a temperature from 60° C. to 180° C., at a pressure from 0 to 1000 kiloPascals, and for a time from 1 to 60 minutes.

14. A process to redistribute cyclic and linear polysiloxanes, comprising:

(1) contacting and heating

a surfactant, wherein the surfactant is a salt of a protonated amine or a quaternary ammonium compound,

an aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, and

a silicone comprising from 0 to <20 weight % linear polysiloxane based upon the weight of the silicone; and wherein the silicone comprises an excess of D 5 , or an excess of D 6 ; and

(2) recovering hydrogen chloride as a gas.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein the silicone comprises an excess of D 5 .

16. The process of claim 14 wherein the silicone comprises an excess of D 6 .

17. The process of claim 14 , wherein

the surfactant is N-octylamine hydrochloride,

the aqueous hydrochloric acid solution is a saturated aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, and

the contacting is at a temperature from 60° C. to 180° C., at a pressure from 0 to 1000 kiloPascals, and for a time from 1 to 60 minutes.