Preparation of detergent compositions

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A SALT OF A SULFONATION PRODUCT WHEREIN SAID SALT POSSESSES DETERGENT AND WETTING PROPERTIES WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: CONTACTING A FEEDSTOCK COMPRISING UNSATURATED AND SATURATED HYDROCARBONS HAVING FROM 8 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE WITH A SULFONATING AGENT CONTAINING A FREE ACID GROUP, WHEREBY UNSATURATED HYDROCARBONS, ARE REACTED WITHOUT REACTING SATURATED HYDROCARBONS, TO FORM A REACTION PRODUCT COMPRISING A SULFONATED OIL; CONTACTING SAID SULFONATED OIL WITH A TREATING AGENT COMPRISING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF A BASE TO FORM A MIXTURE COMPRISING A SALT OF SAID SULFONATED OIL AND UNREACTED SATURATED HYDROCARBONS; SUBJECTING SAID MIXTURE TO EXTRACTION TREATMENT WITH A TREATING AGENT COMPRISING A LIGHT HYDROCARBON TO OBTAIN AN EXTRACT PHASE COMPRISING UNREACTED SATURATED HYDROCARBONS AND HYDROCARBON TREATING AGENT AND A RAFFINATE PHASE COMPRISING SAID SALT OF THE SULFONATED OIL; INTRODUCING A WATER-MISCIBLE KETONE IN COMBINATION WITH ONE OF SAID TREATING AGENTS IN SAID AFOREMENTIONED TREATING STEPS; SEPARATING SAID EXTRACT AND RAFFINATE PHASES; AND SEPARATING SAID SALT OF THE SULFONATED OIL FROM SAID RAFFINATE PHASE.