Method for sulphonatizing and sulphatizing organic compounds with sulphur trioxide and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

An improved process for continuously sulfonating and sulfating a liquid organic compound selected from the group consisting of olefins, aromatic hydrocarbons, alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, ethoxylated fatty alcohols, and ethoxylated alkyl phenols, wherein the liquid reactant consisting of said sulfonatable and sulfatable organic compound and a gaseous reactant consisting of a mixture of sulfur trioxide and inert gas are fed, each from a single space, through distribution means, to a plurality of externally cooled parallel reaction tubes with downward annular two-phase flow to effect sulfonation and sulfation of said compound, which process comprises: introducing said liquid reactant circumferentially into said tubes, introducing said gaseous reactant centrally into said tubes immediately beyond the introducing openings for said liquid reactant, introducing to said tubes further inert gas from a further separated single space through said introducing openings and in contact with said liquid reactant, the flow rate of said further inert gas being in the range of 8-19 percent of the overall inert gas flow rate in each tube, the pressure drops of said further inert gas at the entrance of said tubes being in the range of 0.5-8 percent of the pressure drop in the distribution means of said gaseous reactant, so that said further inert gas actually distributes to said tubes producing an overall gas flow rate in each tube which is a decreasing function of the resistance therein to the gas flow, thereby substantially to equalize the pressure downstream of all the distribution means for the liquid and gaseous reactants in order to provide for uniform distribution of the reactants to said reaction tubes without limiting the pressure drop therein, which is utilized as an energy factor for increasing liquid reactant flow rate, promoting heat removal and interphase mass transfer and reducing liquid phase residence time.