Control of disalt in .alpha.-sulfofatty acid ester surfactants

US4990288A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien · DE

Inventors

• Robert Piorr · Ratingen, DE
• Guenter Panthel · Haan, DE
• Karl Schmid · Mettmann, DE
• Dietmar Colignon · Erkrath, DE
• Hans J. Rommerskirchen · Erkrath, DE
• Wolfgang Schmidt · Frankfurt, DE
• Horst Ritterbex · Goldkronach, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 18, 1987
• Grant date: Feb 5, 1991
• Expiry date: Jun 18, 2007

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C303/42
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

In light colored surfactants produced by sulfonation of fatty acid alkyl esters with less than 2 moles of SO.sub.3 per mole of fatty acid alkyl ester and subsequent work-up of the crude sulfonate in aqueous medium to form salts, the content of .alpha.-sulfofatty acid disalts is regulated and reduced by transesterifying the sulfonation product before its treatment with an aqueous medium with at least about 0.5 mole equivalent of an alcohol, based on the SO.sub.3 which is not for .alpha.-sulfonation.