Method for preparing high metal-con-tent salts of sulfonic acids

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR PREPARING A COMPLES MEATL SALT OF AN OIL-SOLUBLE SULFONIC ACID, SAID SULFONIC ACID BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PETROLEUM SULFONIC ACIDS AND ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED ARYL SULFONIC ACIDS THE ALKYL GROUPS OF WHICH CONTAIN FROM ABOUT 8 TO ABOUT 24 CARBON ATOMS AND SAID COMPLEX SALT HAVING A METAL CONTENT OF FROM ABOUT 200% TO ABOUT 300% IN EXCESS OF THAT OF A NORMAL METAL SALT OF SAID SULFONIC ACID, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF (1) INTIMATELY CONTACTING A HYDROCARBON SOLUTION OF THE SULFONIC ACID IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER WITH A HYDROXIDE OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISITING OF CALCIUM, BARIUM AND MAGNESIUM IN AN AMUNT TO SUPPLY AT LEAST ABOUT ONE EQUIVALENT OF METAL PER EQUIVALENT OF ACID-HYDROGEN CONTENT IN SAID SULFONIC ACID SOLUTION, AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 25*C. TO ABOT 100*C., (2) FORMING A REACTION MIXTUE COMPRISING THE REACTION PRODUCT FORMED IN STEP 1, FORMALDEHYDE, ACETIC ACID AND A HYDROXIDE OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CALCIUM, BARIUM AND MAGNESIUM, IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER, AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 25*C. TO ABOUT 100*C., THE AMOUNT OF FORMALDEHYDE BEING FROM ABOUT 2 TO ABOUT 4 EQUIVALENTS PER EQUIVALENT OF ACID-HYDROGEN IN SAID SULFONIC ACID SOLUTION, THE AMOUNT OF ACETIC ACID BEING FROM ABOUT 0.3 TO 1.0 EQUIVALENT PER EQUIVALENT OF ACID-HYDROGEN IN SAID SULFONIC ACID SOLUTION, AND THE AMOUNT OF METAL HYDROXIDE PRESENT IN SAID REACTION MIXTURE BEING THE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY AT LEAST ABOUT TWO EQUIVALENTS OF METAL PER EQUIVALENT OF ACID-HYDROGEN CONTENT IN SAID SULFONIC ACID SOLUTION, (3) SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY DEHYDRATING THE REACTION MIXTURE FROM STEP 2, AND (4) FILTERING OFF INSOLUBLE MATERIAL FROM SAID REACTION MIXTURE.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR PREPARING A COMPLES MEATL SALT OF AN OIL-SOLUBLE SULFONIC ACID, SAID SULFONIC ACID BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PETROLEUM SULFONIC ACIDS AND ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED ARYL SULFONIC ACIDS THE ALKYL GROUPS OF WHICH CONTAIN FROM ABOUT 8 TO ABOUT 24 CARBON ATOMS AND SAID COMPLEX SALT HAVING A METAL CONTENT OF FROM ABOUT 200% TO ABOUT 300% IN EXCESS OF THAT OF A NORMAL METAL SALT OF SAID SULFONIC ACID, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF (1) INTIMATELY CONTACTING A HYDROCARBON SOLUTION OF THE SULFONIC ACID IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER WITH A HYDROXIDE OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISITING OF CALCIUM, BARIUM AND MAGNESIUM IN AN AMUNT TO SUPPLY AT LEAST ABOUT ONE EQUIVALENT OF METAL PER EQUIVALENT OF ACID-HYDROGEN CONTENT IN SAID SULFONIC ACID SOLUTION, AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 25*C. TO ABOT 100*C., (2) FORMING A REACTION MIXTUE COMPRISING THE REACTION PRODUCT FORMED IN STEP 1, FORMALDEHYDE, ACETIC ACID AND A HYDROXIDE OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CALCIUM, BARIUM AND MAGNESIUM, IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER, AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM 25*C. TO ABOUT 100*C., THE AMOUNT OF FORMALDEHYDE BEING FROM ABOUT 2 TO ABOUT 4 EQUIVALENTS PER EQUIVALENT OF ACID-HYDROGEN IN SAID SULFONIC ACID SOLUTION, THE AMOUNT OF ACETIC ACID BEING FROM ABOUT 0.3 TO 1.0 EQUIVALENT PER EQUIVALENT OF ACID-HYDROGEN IN SAID SULFONIC ACID SOLUTION, AND THE AMOUNT OF METAL HYDROXIDE PRESENT IN SAID REACTION MIXTURE BEING THE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPLY AT LEAST ABOUT TWO EQUIVALENTS OF METAL PER EQUIVALENT OF ACID-HYDROGEN CONTENT IN SAID SULFONIC ACID SOLUTION, (3) SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY DEHYDRATING THE REACTION MIXTURE FROM STEP 2, AND (4) FILTERING OFF INSOLUBLE MATERIAL FROM SAID REACTION MIXTURE.