Continuous sulfonation process

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY SULFONATABLE ORGANIC REACTANT SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF OLEFINS, AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS, UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS AND COMPOUNDS HAVING AN ALCOHOLIC HYDROXYL, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING INTO A FIRST REACTION ZONE (1) STREAM OF A MIXTURE OF SULFUR TRIOXIDE AND AN INERT DILUENT, ANND (2) A STREAM OF SAID ORGANIC REACTANT TO PRODUCE A REACTION MIXTURE, VIGOROUSLY MIXING AND MAINTAINING SAID REACTION MIXTURE IN SAID FIRST REACTION ZONE, FOR NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 10 SECONDS, IN THE FORM OF A FILM THEREOF HAVING A THICKNESS OF FROM .005 INCH TO ABOUT .040 INCH, THE SAID MIXING BEING EFFECTED BY CONDITIONS OF HIGH SHEAR, IMMEDIATELY PASSING SAID REACTION MIXTURE INTO A FIRST COOLING ZONE, INTRODUCING THE COOLED REACTION MIXTURE TOGETHER WITH A FRESH STREAM OF SULFUR TROIXIDE AND INERT DILUENT INTO A SECOND REACTION ZONE, SUBJECTING THE RESULTANT REACTIONN MIXTURE TO VIGOROUS MIXING AS IN THE FIRST REACTION ZONE, IMMEDIATELY PASSING SAID REACTIONN MIXTURE FROM SAID SECOND REACTION ZONE INTO A SECOND COOLING ZONE, WITHDRAWING THE COOLED REACTION MIXTURE FROM SAID SECOND COOLING ZONE AND SUBSEQUENTLY SEPARATING INERT DILUENT CONTAINING ANY UNREACTED SULFUR TRIOXIDE FROM SAID REACTION MIXTURE.