Process for preparing detergent compositions

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING WETTING, SUDSING AND DETERGENT AGENTS HAVING IMPROVED ANTI-CAKING PROPERTIES WHEN IN SMALL SOLID PARTICLE FORM WHICH COMPRISES SULFONATING A MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALKYL-ARYL COMPOUNDS AND MIXTURES OF HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALKYL AND ALKYL-ARYL COMPOUNDS, ALL CONTAINING AT LEAST 8 CARBON ATOMS IN THE ALKYL CHAIN, WITH A SULFONATING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF OLEUM, FREE SO3, SULFURIC ACID AND MIXTURES THEREOF, THE AMOUNT OF SAID SULFONATING AGENT BEING SUFFICIENT TO GIVE THE DESIRED COMPLETENESS OF REACTION AND SUCH THAT THE ACID MIXTURE FROM THE SAID SULFONATION CONTAINS FROM ABOUT 90 TO 99% STRENGTH SULFURIC ACID, THEREAFTER ADMIXING THE SAID ACID MIXTURE WITH A LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT MONOHYDROXY ALCOHOL HAVING NOT MORE THAN 6 CARBON ATOMS AND EFFECTING REACTION BETWEEN SAID ALCOHOL AND THE EXCESS ACID IN THE SAID ACID MIXTURE, ALLOWING THE REACTION TO PROCEED TO SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETENESS WITHOUT THE FORMATION OF OVER-SULFATION PRODUCTS, WHILE RESTRAINING THE TEMPERATURE FROM RISING SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE 125* F., WHEREBY RESIDUAL SULFONATING POWER OF THE EXCESS ACID FROM THE PRIMARY SULFONATION REACTION IS UTILIZED, THE SAID ALCOHOL BEING ADDED IN AN AMOUNT ADEQUATE TO THE FORMATION UPON SULFONATION OF AN AMOUNT OF LOWER ALKYL SULFATE SUFFICEINT TO IMPART ANTI-CAKING PROPERTIES TO THE FINAL PRODUCT, AND THEREAFTER SUBSTANTIALLY NEUTRALIZING ANY REMAINING EXCESS ACID WITH AN ALKALINE MATERIAL AND DRYING TO SOLID GRANULAR FORM AN AQUEOUS MIXTURE CONTAINING SAID REACTION PRODUCTS.