Eight anionic detergents from three general classes (alcohol sulfates,a‐sulfo fatty acid esters and alkylbenzenesulfonates were tested for biodegradability under anaerobic conditions of sludge digestion. The alcohol sulfates were found to be readily and completely degraded. Thea‐sulfo fatty acid esters did not degrade but had no adverse effect on bacteriological digestion while the alkylbenzenesulfonates used for control purposes did not degrade and disrupted the normal digestion process. Preliminary lysimeter studies showed that sodium isopropyla‐sulfostearate is completely degraded, linear alkylbenzenesulfonate 83%, and ABS 35%.

Phenyloctadecanol from the Friedel‐Crafts reaction, like phenylstearic acid, is a viscous oil and a mixture of several position isomers. Gasliquid chromatography of the acetophenone homologs formed by CrO3 oxidation showed it to be a mixture of 13 position homologs, with substitution of the phenyl group at carbon atoms 5–17. A crystalline 17‐phenyloctadecanol was isolated. Reaction of oily phenyloctadecanol with dioxane‐SO3 sulfated the primary alcohol group to give sodium phenyloctadecyl sulfate CH3 (CH2)xCH (C6H5) (CH2)y CH2OSO3Na, where x + y = 15. Reaction of phenyloctadecanol with 2.4 moles of SO3 gave an impure p‐sulfophenyloctadecyl sulfate, hydrolyzed to sodium p‐sulfophenyloctadecanol CH3(CH2)xCH (p‐Cin6) H4SO3Na) (CH2)yCH2OH, and sulfated again with dioxane‐SO3 to disodium p‐sulfophenyl‐octadecyl sulfate CH3(CH2)xCH(p‐C6H4SO3Na) (CH2)yCH2OSO3Na. Foam, detergency, and other surface‐active properties were compared with those of the p‐sulfo anda‐sulfo derivatives of oily phenylstearic acid.

Saturated (I, ROSO3Na) and unsaturated (II, R'OSO3Na) tallow alcohol sulfates, the disodium salt ofa‐sulfonated saturated tallow fatty acids (III, RCH(SO3Na)CO2Na), the sodium salt of the methyl ester ofa‐sulfonated saturated tallow fatty acids (IV, RCH(SO3Na) CO2CH3), and commercial tallow soap flakes (V) were compared, singly and in combinations, as built and unbuilt solutions in soft and hard water, with respect to foam height and detergency, using four different types of standard soiled cotton. Built solutions of combinations of the two most soluble detergents, II and IV, at concentration 0.05% total active ingredient plus 0.20% builder in hard water of 300 ppm, remained perfectly clear on standing for several months. Built solutions containing I or II had the best foaming properties. The presence of soap decreased foam height. Cloths A and B showed the detergency of built solutions to be in the order I=II>IV>III>V, and all combinations containing I or II were superior detergents. With cloth C, detergents ranked in the order I=II=IV>III>V, and many combinations containing I or II with IV were synergistic. Cloth D did not distinguish sharply between detergents in built solutions in hard water. In general, detergent systems containing tallow alcohol sulfates witha‐sulfo esters had the most desirable solubility, wetting, foaming, and detergent properties.