Abstract: A process for producing powder, flakes, or pellets containing ?-sulfo fatty acid alkylester salt in high concentrations, the process including: (1) a step of preparing a paste containing ?-sulfo fatty acid alkylester salt; (2) a step of aging the thus obtained paste; (3) a step of making the aged paste into flakes or pellets containing equal to or less than 10 wt % of water and then optionally crushing the resulting flakes or pellets into a powder having an average particle diameter of 100-1500 ?m; and (4) a step of aging The powder, flakes, or pellets.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the preparation of alkanoate esters of hydroxybenzenesulfonic acids and salts thereof by the steps of (1) contacting or reacting phenol with an alkanoic acid in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) to produce a aryl alkanoate ester and (2) contacting the reaction mixture of step (1) with a sulfonating agent to convert the aryl alkanoate ester to an alkanoate ester of hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid. The process provides the economic advantage inherent in using the product of esterification of step (1) without Disolation in the sulfonation of step (2).

Abstract: Process for the preparation of a tenside mixture, wherein a starting mixture containing an alkali metal salt of an alkyl sulfonic acid is treated with a concentrated sulfuric acid solution in an amount in excess of the amount needed for converting the salts to organic acids with stirring and cooling such that the temperature of the mixture does not exceed about 35.degree. C., the reaction mixture being allowed to separate into two layers, one layer containing the organic acids, wherein the one layer containing the organic acids is separated and neutralized with di- or triethanolamine in order to prepare di- or triethanolamine salts of the said acids.