A method for sulfate irish of aliphatic alcohols and ether alcohols

摘要

Monohydric aliphatic alcohols having at least 8 carbon atoms or their ethylene oxide condensates are sulphated with a sulphur trioxide/inert gas mixture in two stages, in which, in the first stage, with a relatively long residence time of from one-half to two hours, the alcohols are reacted with an amount of sulphur trioxide smaller than that stoichiometrically required for complete conversion of the alcohol to ester so that a decomposition of the acid reaction mixture takes place of less than 5%, preferably less than 1%, of the acid reaction mixture, and in which, in the second stage, sulphation is completed with a relatively short residence time of from about one to 15 minutes, followed by immediate neutralization of the reaction mixture. The first stage of the process may be carried out batchwise or continuously and the second stage is preferably carried out continuously. The process is suitable for alcohols having a melting-point above 50 DEG C., e.g. tallow, lauryl, myristyl and coconut alcohols. Examples are given for the sulphation of tallow alcohol (first stage batchwise and continuous), coconut fatty alcohol (first stage batchwise and continuous), a secondary branched tridecyl alcohol (first stage continuous), lauryl alcohol which has been condensed with two moles of ethylene oxide (first stage continuous), and oleyl alcohol (first stage continuous).