Preparation of hyperbasic sulfonates

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING OIL-SOLUBLE HYPERBASIC ALKALINE EARTH METAL HYDROCARBYL SULFONATES WHICH COMPRISES: FORMING A REACTION MIXTURE OF AN OIL-SOLUBLE NORMAL ALKALINE EARTH METAL HYDROCARBYL SULFONATE, A WATER-IMMISCIBLE ORGANIC MEDIUM, AND AN ALKALINE EARTH METAL LOWER ALKOXY ETHANOLATE IN A VEHICLE OF THE CORRESPONDING ALKOXY ETHANOL, THE MOL RATIO OF SAID ALKOXY ETHANOLATE TO SAID NORMAL SULFONATE BEING BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5:1 AND ABOUT 7:1, SAID NORMAL SULFONATE STARTING MATERIAL CONTAINING WATER IN AN AMOUNT WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM 0.05 TIMES TO NOT SUBSTANTIALLY MORE THAN THE STOICHIOMETRIC AMOUNT OF LIQUID WATER NEEDED FOR COMPLETE HYDROLYSIS OF THE ALKOXY ETHANOLATE STARTING MAERIAL INTO THE CORRESPONDING ALKALINE EARTH METAL HYDROXIDE, STRIPPING THE MIXTURE AT TEMPERATURE OF 225* TO 500*F., BRINGING THE TOTAL QUANTITY OF WATER INTRODUCED INTO THE REACTION MIXTURE TO AN AMOUNT AT LEAST STOICHIOMETRICALLY SUFFICIENT FOR OBTAINING COMPLETE LIBERATION OF THE COMBINED ALKOXY ENTHANOL FROM THE ALKOXY ETHANOLATE STARTING MATERIAL UNDER THE STRIPPING CONDITIONS PREVAILING, AND TERMINATING THE STRIPPING WHEN SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE ALKOXY ETHANOL, VEHICLE AND HYDROLYSIS REACTION PRODUCT, HAS BEEN EXPELLED FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE.