Manufacture of sulphated fatty alcohols and sulphonated alkyl phenyls

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SULPHATING AND SULPHONATING RESPECTIVELY A DETERGENT RAW MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SATURATED FATTY ALCOHOLS AND MONONUCLEAR ALKARYL HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING A LIQUID MASS CONTAINING SAID MATERIAL THROUGH A REACTION VESSEL PARTITIONED TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO INTERCONNECTING REACTION ZONES ESTABLISHED IN THE FLOW PATH OF THE LIQUID, INTRODUCING INTO EACH OF SAID ZONES A GASEOUS MIXTURE OF SULPHUR TRIOXIDE AND A DILUENT WHICH IS INERT AND GASEOUS AT THE CONDITIONS OF THE REACTION, SAID ZONES BEING CONTROLLED AT A TEMPERATURE JUST ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF THE REACTANTS IN THE RESPECTIVE ZONES WHEREBY THE LIQUID FLOW FREELY THROUGH THE ZONES, AND INTIMATELY MIXING SAID GAS MIXTURE WITH SAID LIQUID TO REACT SAID SULPHUR TRIOXIDE AND SAID MATERIAL, SAID GAS MIXTURE BEING INTRODUCED INTO SAID LIQUID SUCH THAT THE MOLECULAR RATIO OF SULFUR TRIOXIDE TO SAID MATERIAL IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN 1 IN THE FIRST OF SAID ZONES AND GREATER THAN 1 IN THE LATTER OF SAID ZONES, THE VOLUME OF SAID GAS MIXTURE BEING AT LEAST FOUR HUNDRED TIMES THE VOLUME OF SAID LIQUID IN THE REACTOR, THE MEAN GASLIQUID RESIDENCE TIME IN SAID LATTER ZONE BEING LESS THAN ABOUT 1 SECOND, AND THEREAFTER TERMINATING SAID REACTION.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SULPHATING AND SULPHONATING RESPECTIVELY A DETERGENT RAW MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SATURATED FATTY ALCOHOLS AND MONONUCLEAR ALKARYL HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING A LIQUID MASS CONTAINING SAID MATERIAL THROUGH A REACTION VESSEL PARTITIONED TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO INTERCONNECTING REACTION ZONES ESTABLISHED IN THE FLOW PATH OF THE LIQUID, INTRODUCING INTO EACH OF SAID ZONES A GASEOUS MIXTURE OF SULPHUR TRIOXIDE AND A DILUENT WHICH IS INERT AND GASEOUS AT THE CONDITIONS OF THE REACTION, SAID ZONES BEING CONTROLLED AT A TEMPERATURE JUST ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF THE REACTANTS IN THE RESPECTIVE ZONES WHEREBY THE LIQUID FLOW FREELY THROUGH THE ZONES, AND INTIMATELY MIXING SAID GAS MIXTURE WITH SAID LIQUID TO REACT SAID SULPHUR TRIOXIDE AND SAID MATERIAL, SAID GAS MIXTURE BEING INTRODUCED INTO SAID LIQUID SUCH THAT THE MOLECULAR RATIO OF SULFUR TRIOXIDE TO SAID MATERIAL IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN 1 IN THE FIRST OF SAID ZONES AND GREATER THAN 1 IN THE LATTER OF SAID ZONES, THE VOLUME OF SAID GAS MIXTURE BEING AT LEAST FOUR HUNDRED TIMES THE VOLUME OF SAID LIQUID IN THE REACTOR, THE MEAN GASLIQUID RESIDENCE TIME IN SAID LATTER ZONE BEING LESS THAN ABOUT 1 SECOND, AND THEREAFTER TERMINATING SAID REACTION.