Patent GB-1037868-A (GB)
Title: A process for the production of biologically readily degradable alkylarylsulphonates
IPC: C07C1/30
Filed: 1963-05-30
Abstract: Olefins, used in the preparation of alkylarylsulphonates having good biological degradability, are prepared by chlorinating C8-C20 n-paraffins up to a maximum conversion equivalent of 50 moler per cent of monochloroalkane, and dehydrohalogenating the resultant chloroparaffins, in admixture with the unreacted paraffin hydrocarbons, or after complete or partial separation of the unreacted paraffins, in contact with a metallic catalyst under the conditions of a fractional distillation at 150-500 DEG  C. preferably 180-350 DEG  C. The C8-C20 n-paraffins may be used alone or in admixture, and mixtures containing more than 80% of normal paraffins are suitable.  The n-paraffins can be separated from mixtures by the urea or thiourea adduct process, or by adsorption on a molecular sieve.  A suitable catalyst for cracking the chloroparaffins is one or more of the metals iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, copper, silver, beryllium, magnesium, zinc, cadmium, and aluminium, or alloys of the same.  The olefins obtained undergo no isomerization of the carbon chain in the cracking process and therefore alkylarysulphonates having linear alkyl chains can be produced therefrom.ALSO:Pure hydrogen chloride is obtained as by-product in a process which comprises chlorinating C8-C20 n-paraffins up to a maximum conversion equivalent of 50 mole per cent of monochloroalkane, and dehydrohalogenating the resultant chloroparaffins, in admixture with the unreacted paraffin hydrocarbons, or after complete or partial separation of the unreacted paraffins, in contact with a metallic catalyst under the conditions of a fractional distillation at 150-500 DEG  C., preferably 180-350 DEG  C.  A suitable catalyst is one or more of the metals iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, copper, silver, beryllium, magnesium, zinc, cadmium and aluminium, or alloys of the same.  The olefins are subsequently used for the production of alkylarysulphonates.ALSO:Alkylaryl sulphonates having good biological degradability are prepared by a process which comprises chlorinating C8-C20 n-paraffins up to a maximum conversion equivalent of 50 mole per cent of monochloroalkane, dehydrohalogenating the resultant chloroparaffins, in admixture with the unreacted paraffin hydrocarbons, or after complete or partial separation of the unreacted paraffins, in contact with a metallic catalyst under the conditions of a fractional distillation at 150-500 DEG  C., preferably 180-350 DEG  C., reacting the olefins thus obtained, if desired in admixture with paraffin hydrocarbons, with aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene or xylene, in the presence of a catalyst, to form alkylaromatics, and converting the latter by sulphonation with sulphuric acid, oleum or sulphur trioxide into the desired alkylarylsulphonic acids which can subsequently be converted into salts.  The C8-C20 n-paraffins may be used alone or in an admixture, and mixtures containing more than 80% of n-paraffins are suitable for the process of the invention.  The n-paraffins can be separated from mixtures by the urea or thiourea adduct process, or by adsorption on a molecular sieve. A suitable catalyst for cracking the chloroparaffins is one or more of the metals iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, copper, silver, beryllium, magnesium, zinc, cadmium and aluminium or alloys of the same.  The olefins obtained undergo no isomerization of the carbon chain in the cracking process and therefore give alkylaromatics having linear alkyl chains. The sulphonates prepared from these compounds have good biological degradability. Suitable catalysts for the reaction of the olefins with aromatics are of the Friedel-Craft type.