Salts of ॅ‐sulfo tallow and coconut esters were subjected to river die‐away, activated sludge and Warburg tests, and results show these derivatives to be biologically soft detergents with disappearance curves approximating those of the fatty alcohol sulfates. Selection of the proper fatty acid starting material, alcohol of esterification, and alkali for neutralization provides for a high degree of flexibility in tailor‐making biologically soft surface active agents for a wide range of applications. Selected compounds have been found which exhibit remarkable foaming, lime soap dispersing, fabric and hard surface detergency, wetting and related surface‐active properties. These properties allow the formulation of a variety of synthetic and soap‐synthetic combinations. Primary emphasis is given to the presentation of data on surfactant formulation application studies. Salts of short chain alkyl esters of ॅ‐sulfo tallow acid are ideally suited for 舠combo舡 soap bar and built heavy‐duty detergent applications. Salts of short chain alkyl esters of selected coconut fatty acids are uniquely suitable for light duty liquids, cosmetic and related surfactant applications. An improved process for the manufacture of these sulfo esters has been developed which produces high yield, high purity and light colored products, and which should provide for their acceptance on a large scale in the detergent field.

American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc. Abstract Petroleum sulfonates are currently being evaluated extensively in surfactant enhanced oil recovery processes in laboratory studies, pilot field trials, and in semicommercial field tests. Consideration of surfactant manufacturing, product availability projections, product properties and laboratory oil recovery tests among available types of petroleum sulfonates establish that those produced directly and economically from abundantly available petroleum refinery feedstocks can be petroleum refinery feedstocks can be produced in volume to meet oil industry produced in volume to meet oil industry requirements. The diversity of crude oils ana reservoir constraints make it desirable to tailor surfactant systems to optimize oil recovery. Introduction Most of the many hundreds of currently existing U.S. patents directed to surfactant enhanced oil recovery processes disclose the use of petroleum sulfonates singularly or in various surfactant combinations. In spite of this plethora of petroleum sulfonate use claims, the technical literature is almost devoid of comparative information relative to the various types of available petroleum sulfonate products — those derived as low yield sulfonation "by-products" and those by direct higher yield petroleum sulfonation in which the sulfonate is the primary product — and to processes for their manufacture. Accordingly, this paper, addresses itself to filling this need, with greatest emphasis being placed on the comparison between placed on the comparison between conventional petroleum mahogany sulfonates and the newer petroleum sulfonates produced by direct petroleum sulfonation recently developed by the present authors and their associates. It is apparent that for the most part the oil industry's main technical thrust has been primarily directed towards developing the complex oil recovery process technology, whereas surfactant product and process development has been a secondary process development has been a secondary consideration, with some notable exceptions to be sure. While it has recently been reported (1) that crude oil sulfonate is now being produced by SO sulfonation, the resultant low yield sulfonate is directly converted to a dilute surfactant "slug" system and is thus beyond the scope of this study.

Sulfonation and sulfation are chemical processes for introducing the sulfur trioxide moiety into organic entities. These processes are utilized in both batch and continuous modes to produce anionic surfactants, cyclic intermediates, dyes, pigments, medicinals, pesticides, sweeteners, lubricant additives, and polymeric specialty chemicals. Reagents for sulfonation and sulfation include sulfur trioxide, its derivatives and adducts, and sulfur dioxide and its derivatives. Liquid sulfur trioxide is the most reactive available reagent and is moderated by vaporization and dilution with inert dry gases, by use of reaction solvents, or by using adducting agents. Sulfonation processes and products including alkylbenzene sulfonates lignosulfonates, petroleum sulfonates, and sulfosuccinates, are described, as well as sulfated and alkoxylated alcohols. Continuous falling film gaseous sulfur trioxide sulfonation/sulfation, the method of choice for sulfonating flowable liquid feedstocks, is emphasized. Choice of reagent depends on the chemistry involved, derived product quality, as well as economic and environmental considerations.

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Sulfonation and sulfation are chemical processes for introducing the sulfur trioxide moiety into organic entities. These processes are utilized in both batch and continuous modes to produce anionic surfactants, cyclic intermediates, dyes, pigments, medicinals, pesticides, sweeteners, lubricant additives, and polymeric specialty chemicals. Reagents for sulfonation and sulfation include sulfur trioxide, its derivatives and adducts, and sulfur dioxide and its derivatives. Liquid sulfur trioxide is the most reactive available reagent and is moderated by vaporization and dilution with inert dry gases, by use of reaction solvents, or by using adducting agents. Commercially important sulfonated and sulfated products are described. Continuous falling film gaseous sulfur trioxide sulfonation–sulfation, the method of choice for sulfonating flowable liquid feedstocks, is emphasized. Choice of reagent depends on the chemistry involved, derived product quality, as well as economic and environmental considerations.