Surface-active hydroxysulfonates

Claim 2

A process for the production of an aqueous solution of an alkali metal alkaline-earth or ammonium salt of a surface-active hydroxysulfonate, comprising reacting with gaseous sulfur trioxide at a temperature of 10° to about 80° C. an unsaturated fatty alkenyl or fatty alkenyl polyalkoxyl ester corresponding to formula (I) ##STR3## in which R 1 is a linear C 16 -C 22 alkenyl group or a fatty hydrocarbon group consisting essentially of an oleyl, palmitoleyl, linoleyl, gadoleyl or erucyl group, n is a number from 2 to 4, x=0 or is a number up to 30, and R 2 --CO is a C 1 -C 4 acyl group; introducing the reaction product into an aqueous solution of about 1 to about 2.5 mol of alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium hydroxide per mol of added SO 3 ; and heating the solution until the ester and sultone groups present have been hydrolyzed.

Claim 3

A process as in claim 1 wherein n=2, and x=0 or is a number up to 10.

Claim 4

A process as in claim 1 wherein R 2 --CO is a formyl, acetyl, propionyl or butyryl group.

Claim 5

A process as in claim 1 wherein the reaction with sulfur trioxide is carried out at a temperature of about 20° to about 50° C. with a mixture of SO 3 and air or an inert gas containing about 1 to about 10% by volume of SO 3 .

Claim 6

A process as in claim 1 wherein R 1 is an oleyl group or a fatty hydrocarbon radical consisting essentially of oleyl groups.

Claim 7

A process as in claim 1 including recovering a mixture of surface-active hydroxysulfonates consisting essentially of compounds corresponding to formula (II) or (III) ##STR4## in which y and z=0 or a number from 1 to 18, p=0, 1 or 2 and the sum of (y+z+p) is a number from 12 to 18 and x=0 or is a number up to 30 and n is an integer from 2 to 4, or an alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium salt thereof.

Claim 8

An aqueous solution of an alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium salt of a surface-active hydroxysulfonate prepared by the process comprising reacting with gaseous sulfur trioxide at a temperature of 10° to about 80° C. an unsaturaed fatty alkenyl or fatty alkenyl polyalkoxyl ester corresponding to formula (I) ##STR5## in which R 1 is a linear C 16 -C 22 alkenyl group or a fatty hydrocarbon group consisting essentially of an oleyl, palmitoleyl, linoleyl, gadoleyl or erucyl group, n is a number from 2 to 4, x=0 or is a number up to 30, and R 2 --CO is a C 1 -C 4 acyl group; introducing the reaction product into an aqueous solution of about 1 to about 2.5 mol of alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium hydroxide per mol of added SO 3 ; and heating the solution until the ester and sultone groups present have been hydrolyzed.

Claim 9

An aqueous solution of an alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium salt of a surface-active hydroxysulfonate prepared by the process comprising reacting with gaseous sulfur trioxide at a temperature of 10° to about 80° C. an unsaturaed fatty alkenyl or fatty alkenyl polyalkoxyl ester corresponding to formula (I) ##STR5## in which R 1 is a linear C 16 -C 22 alkenyl group or a fatty hydrocarbon group consisting essentially of an oleyl, palmitoleyl, linoleyl, gadoleyl or erucyl group, n is a number from 2 to 4, x=0 or is a number up to 30, and R 2 --CO is a C 1 -C 4 acyl group; introducing the reaction product into an aqueous solution of about 1 to about 2.5 mol of alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium hydroxide per mol of added SO 3 ; and heating the solution until the ester and sultone groups present have been hydrolyzed.

Claim 10

An aqueous solution as in claim 7 wherein n=2, and x=0 or is a number up to 10.

Claim 11

An aqueous solution as in claim 7 wherein R 2 --CO is a formyl, acetyl, propionyl or butyryl group.

Claim 12

An aqueous solution as in claim 7 wherein the reaction with sulfur trioxide is carried out at a temperature of about 20° to about 50° C. with a mixture of SO 3 and air or an inert gas containing about 1 to about 10% by volume of SO 3 .

Claim 13

An aqueous solution as in claim 7 wherein R 1 is an oleyl group or a fatty alkyl radical consisting essentially of oleyl groups.

Claim 14

An aqueous solution as in claim 7 comprising a mixture of surfaceactive hydroxysulfonates consisting essentially of compounds corresponding to formula (II) or (III) ##STR6## in which y and z=0 or a number from 1 to 18, p=0, 1 or 2 and the sum of (y+z+p) is a number from 12 to 18 and x=0 or is a number up to 30 and n is an integer from 2 to 4, or an alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium salt thereof.

Claim 15

The process of preparing a cleaning composition comprising adding thereto an alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium salt of a surface-active hydroxysulfonate prepared by the process comprising reacting with gaseous sulfur trioxide at a temperature of 10° to about 80° C. an unsaturated fatty alkenyl or fatty alkenyl polyalkoxyl ester corresponding to formula (I) ##STR7## in which R 1 is a linear C 16 -C 22 alkenyl group or a fatty hydrocarbon group consisting essentially of an oleyl, palmitoleyl, linoleyl, gadoleyl or erucyl group, n is a number from 2 to 4, x=0 or is a number up to 30, and R 2 --CO is a C 1 -C 4 acyl group; introducing the reaction product into an aqueous solution of about 1 to about 2.5 mol of alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium hydroxide per mol of added SO 3 ; and heating the solution until the ester and sultone groups present have been hydrolyzed.

Claim 16

The process of preparing a cleaning composition comprising adding thereto an alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium salt of a surface-active hydroxysulfonate prepared by the process comprising reacting with gaseous sulfur trioxide at a temperature of 10° to about 80° C. an unsaturated fatty alkenyl or fatty alkenyl polyalkoxyl ester corresponding to formula (I) ##STR7## in which R 1 is a linear C 16 -C 22 alkenyl group or a fatty hydrocarbon group consisting essentially of an oleyl, palmitoleyl, linoleyl, gadoleyl or erucyl group, n is a number from 2 to 4, x=0 or is a number up to 30, and R 2 --CO is a C 1 -C 4 acyl group; introducing the reaction product into an aqueous solution of about 1 to about 2.5 mol of alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium hydroxide per mol of added SO 3 ; and heating the solution until the ester and sultone groups present have been hydrolyzed.

Claim 17

The process as in claim 13 wherein n=2, and x=0 or is a number up to 10.

Claim 18

The process as in claim 13 wherein R 2 --CO is a formyl, acetyl, propionyl or butyryl group.

Claim 19

The process as in claim 13 wherein the reaction with sulfur trioxide is carried out at a temperature of about 20° to about 50° C. with a mixture of SO 3 and air or an inert gas containing about 1 to about 10% by volume of SO 3 .

Claim 20

The process as in claim 13 wherein R 1 is an oleyl group or a fatty hydrocarbon radical consisting essentially of oleyl groups.

Claim 21

The process as in claim 13 wherein said hydroxysulfonate comprises a mixture of surface-active hydroxysulfonates consisting essentially of compounds corresponding to formula (II) or (III) ##STR8## in which y and z=0 or a number from 1 to 18, p=0, 1 or 2 and the sum of (y+z+p) is a number from 12 to 18 and x=0 or is a number up to 30 and n is an integer from 2 to 4, or an alkali metal, alkaline-earth or ammonium salt thereof.