GB852968A - Sulphation process - Google Patents

Abstract

Alcoholic hydroxy compounds are sulphated in the liquid phase with a liquid sulphating agent in the presence of an aliphatic silicone. The presence of the silicone reduces foaming during the reaction and permits the sulphation to be effected more rapidly and if desired in the absence of water or an inert solvent. The silicone, for example methyl or ethyl silicone, may be added as an oil or in solution in a small amount of solvent. The amount of silicone is generally about 0,01 or less to 0,5% by weight of the starting material ; more may be used if a low sudsing detergent product is required. The hydroxy compounds may be straight or branched aliphatic alcohols, preferably C7-16 primary alcohols ; fatty acid alkylolamides and mixtures thereof with fatty alcohols ; and the compounds obtained by reacting aliphatic alcohols or alkyl phenols with alkylene oxides such as ethylene oxide or its admixture with propylene oxide. The sulphating agent may be concentrated sulphuric acid, oleum or chlorsulphonic acid and is preferably added gradually to a stirred mixture of the hydroxy compound and silicone. In examples following the above procedure (1) a mixture of lauryl and myristyl alcohols, (2) sperm oil, (3) a condensate of coconut fatty alcohols with ethylene oxide, (4) a condensate of C11-16 oxo alcohols with a mixture of ethylene and propylene oxides, (5) a mixture of coconut fatty acid ethanol amides and the condensation product of (4), (6) an ethylene oxide-tallow alcohol condensate and (7) an ethylene oxide-pnonyl phenol condensate were sulphated in the presence of a small amount of a commercial alkyl silicone using sulphuric acid or oleum and the product neutralised with aq. NaOH ; the results are compared with those obtained when the silicone is omitted. According to the Provisional Specification, sulphonation or sulphation reactions generally may be effected in the liquid phase in the presence of a silicone, reference being made to the treatment of saturated and unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, alkyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons and alkyl-substituted phenols.ALSO:Detergent compositions are prepared by sulphating, in the liquid phase and in the presence of an aliphatic silicone, a mixture of a fatty alcohol and a fatty acid alkylolamide or (Example 5) a mixture of the monoethanolamide of coconut oil fatty acids and a condensation product derived from a mixture of C11-C16 oxo alcohols and a mixture of ethylene and propylene oxides, followed by neutralisation of the resulting sulphuric acid esters.