Process of reacting organic compounds with sulfur trioxide

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR SULFONATING SULFONATABLE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF FATTY ALCOHOLS CONTAINING FROM 8 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS, CONDENSATION PRODUCTS OF SAID ALCOHOLS WITH ETHYLENE OXIDE, ALKYL BENZENE, ALKYL TOLUENE AND CONDENSATION PRODUCTS OF ALKYL PHENOLS WITH ETHYLENE OXIDE, THE SAID ALKYLS CONTAINING FROM 8 TO 18 CARBON ATOMS, AND FATTY ACIDS RANGING IN CHAIN LENGTH FROM 10 TO 20 CARBON ATOMS, CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF THE STEP OF REACTING UNDILUTED SULFUR TRIOXIDE VAPOR WITH A LIQUID CHARGE OF SAID ORGANIC COMPOUND WITH AGITATION IN A REACTION VESSEL MAINTAINED AT A SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT 1 MM. TO ABOUT 500 MM. OF MERCURY AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 75*F. TO ABOUT 150*F., SAID SULFUR TRIOXIDE VAPOR BEING INTRODUCED INTO THE REACTION MIXTURE WELL BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE LIQUID ORGANIC COMPOUND, SAID ORGANIC COMPOUND HAVING A BOILING POINT AT LEAST ABOUT 40*F. ABOVE THE REACTION TEMPERATURE AT THE REACTION VESSEL PRESSURE.