Abstract: Saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons are converted to color-stable aliphatic sulfonic acids in a single step without any initiator but in the presence of a low molecular weight acyl oxide and under anhydrous conditions by the rapid removal of the products as they are being formed, followed immediately by cooling and degassing to remove sulphur dioxide, then by immediate neutralization and complete hydrolysis at the boiling point of the unstable acid precursors present in the neutralized sulphonates by boiling at constant volume at a pH of about 8-10. The alkali metal salts of the sulfonic acids prepared by this process are color and pH-stable and useful as biodegradable detergents.

Abstract: Sulfuric acid is substantially completely removed from mixtures in which it occurs together with sulfonic acids by extraction with concentrated hydrochloric acid. The extraction can be carried out counter-current wise with from 50 to 150 volume percent of hydrochloric acid, depending on the number of stages used. This process is particularly useful for removing sulfuric acid from the heavy product phase resulting from the sulfoxidation of paraffins.