Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to systems and processes for recovering methanesulfonic acid, in a purified form, from a composition additionally including sulfur trioxide. In accordance with one aspect, the invention provides a process that includes separating a feed stream comprised of hydrocarbons, methanesulfonic acid, sulfur trioxide, and optionally sulfuric acid to produce a light stream comprised of hydrocarbons and a heavy stream comprised of methanesulfonic acid and sulfur trioxide; contacting (e.g., by mixing) the heavy stream with a reactive additive capable of reacting with sulfur trioxide, under conditions effective to cause reaction of the reactive additive with the sulfur trioxide to produce a heavy reaction product having a boiling point higher than the boiling point of methanesulfonic acid; and separating the heavy stream using a distillation column to produce a distillate stream consisting essentially of methanesulfonic acid and a bottoms stream comprising the heavy reaction product.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a process to obtain a highly soluble linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS). Specifically it comprises the addition, prior or after sulfonation of linear alkylbenzene and/or neutralization of linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid of an hydrotropic composition. It also refers to a hydrotropic composition, to a highly soluble linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, to the use of the hydrotropic composition for making said linear alkylbenzene sulfonate highly soluble and to a cleaning composition comprising said linear alkylbenzene sulfonate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for obtaining a highly soluble linear alkylbenzene sulfonate with an adjustable 2-phenyl isomer content and an extremely low sulfonation color, in which a catalytic system based on highly stable solid catalysts and with a high selectivity for linear monoalkylated compounds is used.

Abstract: Solid aryl sulfonates are purified by preferentially dissolving impurities into an aqueous liquid phase.

Abstract: To improve color and odor characteristics of sulfonic acids and their derivatives while maintaining sludge and sulfuric acid reduction and good thermal stability, they are treated with at least one unsaturated hydrocarbon, each having at most 36 carbon atoms and having defined substitution characteristics.

Abstract: A process for recovering sulfuric acid from a mixture containing sulfuric acid and organic sulfonation products is provided. The process comprises contacting a mixture comprised of sulfuric acid and (i) a naphthalene-based material selected from the group consisting of naphthalenesulfonic acids, lower-alkyl substituted naphthalenesulfonic acids, and mixtures of two or more of such materials, or (ii) an aromatic-based carbonyl condensate (preferably a material selected from the group consisting of formaldehyde condensates of naphthalenesulfonic acids, formaldehyde condensates of lower-alkyl substituted naphthalenesulfonic acids, and mixtures of two or more of such materials), with a basic anion exchange resin in essentially the sulfate form (and preferably in the form of essentially non-porous particles) to provide a raffinate liquid phase enriched with respect to said mixture in said naphthalene-based material and depleted with respect to said mixture in sulfuric acid.

Abstract: Centrifugates obtained by centrifuging the reaction product of a process in which organic acids selected from the group consisting of higher alkyl benzene sulfonic acids, higher alkyl naphthenic acids, higher alkyl salicylic acids and higher alkyl phenols or alkali metal salts of the acids are contacted with a base acting alkaline earth metal compound to produce an alkaline earth metal salt of the selected acid are mixed with a quantity of an aqueous solution of an acid having an ionization constant greater than 1.times.10.sup.-5 sufficient to bring the pH of the centrifugate-acid mixture to a level in the range about 2 to 10 and settling the mixture to separate a lower aqueous phase and an upper liquid product phase and recovering the upper phase.

Abstract: A method for decolorizing color contaminated alkanesulfonic or arenesulfonic acids represented by Formula I:RSO.sub.3 H Icomprises mixing the color contaminated acid with an effective amount of a dialkanesulfonyl or diarenesulfonyl peroxide represented by Formula II:R.sup.1 SO.sub.2 --O--O--O.sub.2 SR.sup.1 IIand allowing the mixture to stand at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to allow the color of the acid to decrease to the desired level, wherein R in Formula I and R.sup.1 in Formula II may each represent an alkyl radical or an aryl radical, with the proviso that R in Formula I may be the same as or different from R.sup.1 in Formula II.