Patent ID: 7678937

Claim:
A process for the manufacture of light color polyalkylated arylalkyl sulfonic acids and their salts comprising: a. sulfonating an olefin in the presence of excess olefin, b. further reacting the olefin sulfonic acid formed with an aromatic or substituted aromatic to form an arylalkyl sulfonic acid, c. allowing the arylalkyl sulfonic acid to further react with the excess olefin present to form polyalkylated arylalkyl sulfonic acid with the structure below Where R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each separately and independently H, alkyl (branched or linear C1 to C30), R 4 ═CH 3 (CH 2 )oCH(CH 2 )pCH 3 m+n=4 to 28 o+p=3 to 27, d. optionally neutralizing the polyalkylated arylalkyl sulfonic acid with a base.