Process for preparing inner sulfonium salts

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF AN INNER SULPHONIUM SALT WHICH COMPRISES REACTING AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN -50*C. AND 50*C., AN ORGANIC SULPHIDE R3-S-R4 WITH AN ALKYLENE OXIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE OXIDE, PROPYLENE OXIDE AND BUTYLENE OXIDE AND AN ACID COMPONENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBON DIOXIDE, SULPHUR DIOXIDE, SULPHUR TRIOXIDE, ACETIC ANHYDRIDE, PROPIONIC ANHYDRIDE, MALEIC ANHYDRIDE, SUCCINIC ANHYDRIDE, ACETYLK AN DPROPIONYL BROMIDES AND CHLORIDES, THE SUBSTITUENTS R3 AND R4 BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ALKYL, ALKENYL CONTAINING FROM 2-3 CARBON ATOMS, PHENYL, NAPHTHYL, AND RADICALS OF THE FORMULA CHR1CHR2OH WHERE R1 AND R2 ARE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN AND ALKYL CONTAINING FROM 1 TO 3 CARBON ATOMS.