Claims
- 1. A process for the production of alkali metal C.sub.8-22 .alpha.-olefin sulfonates of light color and of low sultone content comprising:
- (a) reacting a C.sub.8-22 .alpha.-olefin with 1.0 to 1.5 mols of gaseous sulfur trioxide diluted with an inert gas to a concentration of 0.5% to 20% by volume thereby forming a crude sulfonation product mixture containing a C.sub.8-22 olefin sulfonic acid, with a content of sultones,
- (b) diluting said crude sulfonation product mixture to a 5% to 80% by weight solution and bleaching said crude sulfonation product mixture at 30.degree. C. to 80.degree. C. for 10 to 60 minutes with an aqueous alkaline bleaching solution, said bleaching step being conducted at a pH of from 10 to 14, the bleaching being effected by the action of a water-soluble, inorganic bleaching agent which is stable at an alkali pH selected from the group consisting of alkali metal hypochlorites and chlorine, the amount of said bleaching agent being equivalent to 0.5% to 5% by weight, based on the olefin sulfonate content, of NaOCl,
- (c) heating said diluted bleached sulfonation product mixture containing excess alkali to a temperature of from 140.degree. C. to 170.degree. C. for a time sufficient until the sultone content of the sulfonation product mixture is less than 100 ppm, where the pH after hydrolysis is complete, is at least 9, and
- (d) recovering said alkali metal C.sub.8-22 .alpha.-olefin sulfonates of light color and of low sultone content.
- 2. The process of claim 1 wherein said heating to a temperature of from 140.degree. C. to 170.degree. C. of step (c) is for a period of from 10 to 30 minutes.
- 3. The process according to claim 1 wherein said inorganic bleaching agent is sodium hypochlorite.
- 4. The process according to claim 1 wherein the weight of said bleach is equivalent to 1% to 3% by weight, based on the olefin sulfonate content of NaOCl.
- 5. The process according to claim 1 wherein said crude sulfonation product mixture is diluted to a 20% to 60% by weight solution.
- 6. The process according to claim 1 wherein in Step (b) the temperature during said bleaching is 50.degree. C. to 60.degree. C.
- 7. The process according to claim 1 wherein in Step (c) the temperature at which solution is heated is 150.degree. C. to 165.degree. C.
- 8. The process according to claim 1 wherein the pH after hydrolysis is complete in Step (c) is in the range of 11 to 14.
- 9. The process according to claim 1 wherein said heating Step (c) is continued until the sultone content is less than 50 p.p.m.
- 10. A process according to claim 1 whereas the amount of said sulfur trioxide is 1.05 to 1.15 mol per mol of said .alpha.-olefin.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
8158/75 |
Oct 1975 |
ATX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of Ser. No. 735,889, filed Oct. 26, 1976, and now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3639282 |
Sharman |
Feb 1972 |
|
3997575 |
Ogoshi et al. |
Dec 1976 |
|
4052431 |
Baker et al. |
Oct 1977 |
|
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
983056 |
Feb 1965 |
GBX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Cotton et al., "Advanced Inorganic Chemistry", pp. 565-574 (1966). |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
735889 |
Oct 1976 |
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