Method for sulfonation and sulfation of organic compounds

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR A REACTION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFATION AND SULFONATION BETWEEN SULFUR TRIOXIDE AND A LIQUID ORGANIC COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALCOHOLS, OLEFINES, FATTY ACID ESTERS, AND POLYCYCLIC AND MONOCYCLIC HYDROCARBONS, WHICH COMPRISES FORMING A LIQUID FILM OF THE ORGANIC COMPOUND ON A SUPPORTING AND CONFINING HEAT-EXCHANGE SURFACE DEFINING A REACTION ZONE, FORMING IN PREDETERMINED CONCENTRATION A PRESSURIZED DILUTED REACTANT GASEOUS MIXTURE OF AN INERT GAS AND GASEOUS REACTANT SULFUR TRIOXIDE CONTAINING A GIVEN PROPORTION WITHIN THE RANGE OF 5:1 TO 50:1 INERT GAS TO SULFUR TRIOXIDE BY VOLUME, INTRODUCING SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE INTO THE CONFINING REACTION ZONE FORMED BY THE HEAT-EXCHANGE SURFACE AND IMPINGING SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE AGAINST SAID LIQUID FILMA AT A HIGH VELOCITY TO INDUCE MARKED TURBULENCE THEREIN AND EFFECT AN EXOTHERMIC REACTION INVOLVING THE AFORESAID REACTION, AND REMOVING AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE EXOTHERMIC HEAT OF REACTION BY HEAT-TRANSFER THROUGH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE SURFACE WHILE MAINTAINING THE FILM VISCOSITY SUFFICIENTLY LOW TO PERMIT SAID IMPINGING GAS TO EFFECT SAID MARKED TURBULENCE, SAID LIQUID FILM BEING SUBJECTED TO THE AFORESAID PRESSURIZED GASEOUS MIXTURE WITHIN SUBSTANTIALLY 0.5 SECOND.