Patent GB-1036268-A (GB)
Title: Method of producing alkyl benzene sulfonate
IPC: C07C309/31
Filed: 1965-04-01
Abstract: A method of producing alkyl benzene sulfonate by chlorination alkylation and sulfonation of benzene, in which two separate alkyl benzene sulfonates are produced, one of improved water solubility having from 10 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and one of improved foam properties having from 12 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl group comprises the steps of:-  (1)  Separately monochlorinating a straight chain C10-C11 paraffinic hydrocarbon fraction to produce the straight chain C10-C11 alkyl monochlorides, a straight chain C12 paraffin to produce the straight chain C12 alkyl monochlorides, and a straight chain C13-C14 praffinic hydrocarbon fraction to produce the straight chain C13-C14 alkyl monochlorides; (2)  Alkylating benzene employing an aluminum chloride catalyst with each of the separate alkyl monochloride fractions produced in (1) to produce, respectively, a monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 10 to 11 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, a monoalkylbenzene fraction having 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and a monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 13 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl group;  (3) Fractionating the monoalkylbenzene fraction having 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group produced in (2) to produce a lower boiling overhead fraction characterized by having a low 2-phenyl monoalkylbenzene isomer content and a higher boiling bottoms fraction characterized by having a high 2-phenyl monoalkylbenzene isomer content;  (4)  Adding said bottoms fraction from (3) to said monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 10 to 11 carbon atoms in the alkyl group from (2) to produce a monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 10 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and characterized by having an increased 2-phenyl monoalkylbenzene isomer content;  (5)  Adding said overhead fraction from (3) to said monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 13 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl group from (2) to produce a monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 12 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and characterized by having a decreased 2-phenyl monoalkylbenzene isomer content;  (6)  Separately sulfonating the monoalkylbenzene fractions to produce the corresponding sulfonic acid fractions; and  (7)  Neutralizing the sulfonic acid fractions to produce a monoalkylbenzene sulfonate having from 10 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and characterized by having increased water solubility and a monoalkylbenzene sulfonate having from 12 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and characterized by having improved foam properties.  Sodium, potassium, ammonium or triethanolamine salts may be produced in step (7).  The products may be included in heavy duty detergent compositions containing sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium silicate and sodium sulphate.ALSO:A method of producing alkyl benzene sulfonate by chlorination, alkylation, and sulfonation of benzene, in which two separate alkyl benzene sulfonates are produced, one of improved water solubility having from 10 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and one of improved foam properties having from 12 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl group comprises the steps of: (1) Separately monochlorinating a straight chain C10-C11 paraffinic hydrocarbon fraction to produce the straight chain C10-C11 alkyl monochlorides, a straight chain C12 paraffin to produce the straight chain C12 alkyl monochlorides, and a straight chain C13-C14 paraffinic hydrocarbon fraction to produce the straight chain C13-C14 alkyl monochlorides; (2) Alkylating benzene employing an aluminium chloride catalyst with each of the separate alkyl monochloride fractions produced in (1) to produce, respectively, a monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 10 to 11 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, a monoalkylbenzene fraction having 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and a monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 13 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl group; (3) Fractionating the monoalkylbenzene fraction having 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group produced in (2) to produce a lower boiling overhead fraction characterized by having a low 2-phenyl monoalkylbenzene isomer content and a higher boiling bottoms fraction characterized by having a high 2-phenyl mono-alkylbenzene isomer content; (4) Adding said bottoms fraction from (3) to said monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 10 to 11 carbon atoms in the alkyl group from (2) to produce a monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 10 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and characterized by having an increased 2-phenyl monoalkylbenzene isomer content. (5) Adding said overhead fraction from (3) to said monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 13 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl group from (2) to produce a monoalkylbenzene fraction having from 12 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and characterized by having a decreased 2-phenyl monoalkylbenzene isomer content. (6) Separately sulfonating the monoalkylbenzene fractions to produce the corresponding sulfonic acid fractions; and (7) Neutralizing the sulfonic acid fractions to produce a monoalkylbenzene sulfonate having from 10 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and characterized by having increased water solubility and a monoalkylbenzene sulfonate having from 10 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and characterized by having increased water solubility and a monoalkylbenzene sulfonate having from 12 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and characterized by having improved foam properties.  In examples, 20% oleum at 120 DEG  F. is used as sulphonating agent: the salts formed in step (7) may be sodium, potassium, ammonium or triethanolamine salts.