Preparation of salts of alkanesulfonic acids

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A SALT OF AN ALKANESUFLONIC ACID WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES OXIDIZING, IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM, A METAL SALT OF AN ALKANESULFINIC ACID, AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW THE DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE OF SAID ALKANESULFINATE AND FOR A TIME TO OXIDIZE AN APPRECIABLE AMOUNT OF SID ALKANESULFINATE TO THE CORRESPONDING ALKANESULFONATE, IN THE PRESENCE OF DISSOLVED IONS OF A METAL CAPABLE OF EXISTENCE IN MORE THAN ONE VALENCE STATE, SAID IONS BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO ACCELERATE SAID OXIDATION REACTION, SAID METAL BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ION, COBALT AND NICKEL.

Claim 3

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A SALT OF AN ALKANESULFONIC ACID WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES: (A) OXIDIZING, IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM HAVING A PH OF NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 7, A METAL ALKANESULFINATE, SAID METAL BEING CAPABLE OF REACTING WITH HYDROXYL IONS TO FORM A HYDROXIDE OF LOW SOLUBILITY IN WATER, AT A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 50*C. AND ABOUT 200* C., WHICH REACTION TEMPERATURE IS HELD BELOW THE DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE OF SAID ALKANESULFINATE, FOR A TIME SUCH THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID ALKANESULFINATE IS OXIDIZED TO THE CORRESPONDING ALKANESULFONATE, AND IN THE PRESENCE OF METAL IONS IN AN AMOUNT AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO ACCELERATE SAID OXIDATION REACTION, SAID IONS BEING DERIVED FROM A METAL CAPABLE OF EXISTING IN MORE THAN ONE VALENCE STATE, SAID METAL BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSITING OF IRON, COBALT AND NICKEL, (B) TREATING SAID ALKANESULFONATE-CONTAINING AQUEOUS REACTION PRODUCT WITH AN ION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMMONIUM AND ALKALI METAL, AT A PH ABOVE 7, TO OBTAIN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF PRODUCT ALKANESULFONATE AND A PRECIPITATE OF METAL HYDROXIDE AND, (C) SEPARATING SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS OF PRODUCT ALKANESULFONATE FROM SAID PRECIPITATE.

Claim 4

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A SALT OF AN ALKANESULFONIC ACID WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES: (A) OXIDIZING, IN AN AQUEOUS MEDIUM HAVING A PH OF NOT MORE THAN ABOUT 7, A METAL ALKANESULFINATE, SAID METAL BEING CAPABLE OF REACTING WITH HYDROXYL IONS TO FORM A HYDROXIDE OF LOW SOLUBILITY IN WATER, AT A TEMPERATURE OF BETWEEN ABOUT 50*C. AND ABOUT 200* C., WHICH REACTION TEMPERATURE IS HELD BELOW THE DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE OF SAID ALKANESULFINATE, FOR A TIME SUCH THAT SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID ALKANESULFINATE IS OXIDIZED TO THE CORRESPONDING ALKANESULFONATE, AND IN THE PRESENCE OF METAL IONS IN AN AMOUNT AT LEAST SUFFICIENT TO ACCELERATE SAID OXIDATION REACTION, SAID IONS BEING DERIVED FROM A METAL CAPABLE OF EXISTING IN MORE THAN ONE VALENCE STATE, SAID METAL BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSITING OF IRON, COBALT AND NICKEL, (B) TREATING SAID ALKANESULFONATE-CONTAINING AQUEOUS REACTION PRODUCT WITH AN ION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AMMONIUM AND ALKALI METAL, AT A PH ABOVE 7, TO OBTAIN AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF PRODUCT ALKANESULFONATE AND A PRECIPITATE OF METAL HYDROXIDE AND, (C) SEPARATING SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS OF PRODUCT ALKANESULFONATE FROM SAID PRECIPITATE.