Abstract: Granular secondary alkanesulfonate, essentially comprising finely divided, solid sec. alkanesulfonate and an additive. This granular sec. alkanesulfonate is obtained by grinding and mixing coarse sec. alkanesulfonate with an additive. The resulting alkanesulfonate can be used in solid detergent and cleaning product compositions or directly for producing extrudates, pressed articles or compacts.

Abstract: The process for the preparation of acyloxybenzenesulfonic acids of the general formula ##STR1## in which R denotes a (C.sub.1 -C.sub.17)-alkyl or (C.sub.2 -C.sub.17)-alkenyl radical, or alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or ammonium salts thereof, is carried out in the following stages: (a) sulfonation of phenol, (b) heat treatment of the phenolsulfonic acid formed as the intermediate product, (c) esterification of the phenolsulfonic acid and, if appropriate, (d) neutralization of the resulting (C.sub.2 -C.sub.18)-acyloxybenzenesulfonic acid. As a result of the incorporation of stage (b), the process affords products in which the proportion of the 1,4-isomer compared with the 1,2-isomer is markedly increased, as a result of which these products can be used, in particular, as perborate activators in detergents.