Abstract: An oral detergent composition comprising a nonionic surface active agent comprising a fatty acid ester of a hexose sugar or an alkyl glycoside thereof, wherein the content of monoester is from 93 to 99.0% by weight, the content of diester is from 0.1 to 7% by weight and the content of tri- and higher polyesters is from 0 to 1% by weight in the fatty acid ester.

Abstract: An emulsified composition comprises an oily substance and an emulsifying agent which emulsifies said oily substance in water, characterized in that at least one selected from glucose fatty acid monoesters and alkyl glucoside fatty acid monoesters having 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl group is used as the emulsifying agent.

Abstract: A nonionic surface active agent comprising a fatty acid ester of a hexose sugar or an alkyl glycoside thereof, wherein the content of monoester is from 93 to 99.9% by weight, the content of diester is from 0.1 to 7% by weight and the content of tri- and higher polyesters is from 0 to 1% by weight in the fatty acid ester.

Abstract: A mixture of a saturated fatty acid ester sulfonate and an unsaturated fatty acid ester sulfonate, which is useful as an active ingredient of a detergent, is prepared at a stroke by sulfonating a mixture of a saturated fatty acid ester and an unsaturated fatty acid ester by using as a sulfonating agent a saturated fatty acid ester having SO.sub.3 adsorbed therein in an amount larger than the equimolar amount, and then neutralizing the sulfonation product.

Abstract: A process for producing the salt of an alpha-sulfo fatty acid alkyl ester having the general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, R.sub.2 is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and M is an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, ammonium, or an organic base comprising the steps of:sulfonating a fatty acid alkyl ester having the general formula (II):R.sub.1 CH.sub.2 COOR.sub.2 (II)wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same as defined above;neutralizing the sulfonated product; anddecomposing a sulfonic acid anhydride having the general formula (III): ##STR2## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the same as defined above, contained in the reaction mixture. Thus, the desired salt of an alpha-sulfo fatty acid alkyl ester can be produced at a high yield from a fatty acid alkyl ester having an ester-bonded alkyl group with 2 or more carbon atoms.

Abstract: A surfactant composition comprising: (A) a sulfonic acid salt of a lower alkyl ester of a C.sub.8 to C.sub.22 saturated fatty acid; and (B) a sulfonic acid salt of a lower alkyl ester of a C.sub.8 to C.sub.22 unsaturated fatty acid, wherein the weight ratio (A/B) of the component (A) to the component (B) is 95/5 to 5/95.This surfactant composition has improved rinsing properties without reduced detergency characteristics.

Abstract: A process for producing a sulfonate of an unsaturated fatty acid lower alkyl ester comprising the steps of:(i) sulfonating a mixture of (A) a lower alkyl ester of an unsaturated C.sub.8 to C.sub.22 fatty acid and (B) a lower alkyl ester of a saturated C.sub.8 to C.sub.22 fatty acid in a weight ratio of (A)/(B)=90/10 to 5/95 with a sulfonating agent in such a manner that the amount of the unreacted component (A) in the total unreacted components in the mixture is at least 0.3% by weight; and(ii) neutralizing and hydrolyzing the sulfonated product.This process provides the desired sulfonate of unsaturated fatty acid ester having a pale tone color at a high conversion. When the sulfonated product is separated by using (a) a polyol (or polyhydric alcohol) having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, (b) an alkylene glycol in a liquid state at an ambient temperature, or (c) an olefin having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, the desired sulfonate can be separated at a high recovery efficiency and with good workability.

Abstract: A high concentration aqueous solution of the salt of an alpha-sulfo fatty acid ester is produced by (a) neutralizing the sulfonated product of a fatty acid ester with an aqueous caustic alkali solution having a concentration of 15 through 50% by weight, in the presence of an alcohol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms in an amount of 5 through 20% by weight based on the weight of the sulfonated product, to form an acidic neutralized product having a pH of 2.5 through 4 and; then, (b) adding an aqueous caustic alkali solution having a concentration of 1 through 5% by weight to the acidic neutralized product to adjust the pH of the acidic neutralized product to 6 through 7. The aqueous solution of the salt of the alpha-sulfo fatty acid ester thus obtained includes only small amounts of the undesired alpha-sulfo fatty acid salt.

Abstract: Light colored homogeneous and aqueous alpha olefin sulfonate solutions wherein about 10 to about 30 wt. % of the sulfonate contained in said alpha olefin sulfonate solutions is 4-hydroxyalkane sulfonate.

Abstract: Clear and homogeneous aqueous olefin sulfonate solutions having no turbidity and suitable for use, as an active ingredient, in synthetic detergents. These solutions contains (i) 20 through 45% by weight of olefin sulfonate, (ii) 0.1 through 5 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the olefin sulfonate, of component A selected from the group consisting of (a) aliphatic polycarboxylates having carbon atoms of 2 through 6, (b) benzoates and (c) benzene carboxylates having at least one substituent selected from hydroxyl group and sulfonic group, and (iii) 1 through 10 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the olefin sulfonate, of component B selected from the group consisting of monocarboxylate having carbon atoms of 1 through 3 and gluconates.

Abstract: A homogeneous aqueous alpha-olefin sulfonate composition, which does not form "liquid crystal" due to temperature change and/or with the lapse of time, is presented. This composition contains, as a "liquid crystal" formation inhibitor, approximately 1 to approximately 10 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the alpha-olefin sulfonate, of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of allyl sulfonic acid, methallyl sulfonic acid, sorbic acid, gluconic acid, malic acid and the salts of said acids.

Abstract: Process for the production of light-colored internal olefin sulfonates substantially free from unreacted olefins comprises sulfonating an internal olefin with gaseous SO.sub.3 to produce a sulfonation reaction mixture, neutralizing said sulfonation reaction mixture with caustic alkali without hydrolysis of sulton contained in the mixture, adding to the neutralized sulfonation reaction mixture an extracting reagent selected from halogenated hydrocarbons to form an extract phase containing unreacted olefin and a raffinate phase containing internal olefin sulfonates and sultons, and hydrolyzing the resulting raffinate phase in the presence of caustic alkali.

Abstract: A method of bleaching olefin sulfonates, which comprises adding more than 0.1% by weight of hydrogen peroxide, with more than 0.1% by weight of phosphate alone or silicate alone or a mixture of the two, to an olefin sulfonate having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and treating at a temperature in the range of from 30.degree. to 130.degree. C.

Abstract: A method of preparing a light-colored internal olefin sulfonate at a high yield, which comprises sulfonating an internal olefin with SO.sub.3 gas under 1.3 moles per 1 mole of said olefin thereby producing a sulfonation mixture which still contains 10 to 20% by weight of unreacted olefin, adding anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated sulfuric acid to this sulfonation mixture thereby further sulfonating said unreacted olefin, neutralizing the resulting sulfonation product with caustic alkali and then hydrolyzing the thus neutralized product.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing .alpha.-sulfo fatty acid ester salt which comprises the steps of sulfonating a mixture of 100 parts by weight of saturated fatty acid alkyl ester having 9 to 26 carbon atoms and less than 10 parts by weight of inorganic sulfate by sulfonating gas containing 1.0 to 2.0 mols of SO.sub.3 per mol of said fatty acid ester and diluted to a concentration of 3 to 20% by volume by inert gas at a higher reaction temperature than the solidification point of said fatty acid ester, followed by neutralization by caustic alkali. According to this method, an amount of by-product yielded by breakage of an ester linkage is decreased with the resultant lowered coloration of the product. .alpha.-sulfo fatty acid ester salt is used preferably as an active component for a detergent composition.