Manufacturing of Detergents

Production of aikyibenzene suifonates [1, 2]. The alkylbenzene sulfonates, used as liquid surfactants in making the detergent slurry, are produced by the sulfonation of linear alkylates followed by the neutralization step with a caustic solution containing sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The process of sulfonation of alkylbenzenes with oleum takes 

The linear alkyl sulfonates can be neutralized with aqueous solutions of base such as NaOH, KOH, NH4OH, or alkanolamines. The sodium salts are used in the formulation process to produce spray-dried determents 

Fatty alcohols sulfation [1,2]. The sulfation of fatty alcohols takes place in falling film reactors but cooling water and sulfation temperatures are adjusted to lower values. The sulfonic acids obtained are neutralized immediately to minimize degradation and side reactions in storage [1, 2]. 

Atypical process for the sulfation of fatty alcohols is shown in Fig. 5.6. A posthydrolysis step includes bleaching to remove color before neutralization. The neutralization step of the sulfonic acid is similar to the case of oleum sulfonation process [1, 2]. 

The surfactant slurry, builders, and other miscellaneous additives are introduced in the crutcher. A considerable amount of water is removed, and the paste is thickened by the tripolyphosphate (used as a builder) hydration reaction  

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Industrial chemicals, including those used for the manufacture of detergents such as linear alkyl benzene (LAB) and of coatings, dyestuffs, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and explosives. 

The composition of a typical IOS system prepared by Stapersma et al. [4] is shown in Table 2, along with the analytical data of an AOS with the same chain length. Compositions containing IOS, a nonionic surfactant, glycols, and another salt-tolerant anionic surfactant which are pourable and pumpable at 20°C and can be used in the manufacturing of detergent compositions, have also been described by Stapersma et al. [36]. 

The manufacture of fertilizers was discussed in Chapter 14. Phosphate rock is digested with sulfuric acid to convert CaC03 into a more soluble form that contains a higher percentage of phosphorus. Sulfuric acid is used as a catalyst in alkylation reactions, petroleum refining, manufacture of detergents, paints, dyes, and fibers, and other processes. It is also used as the electrolyte in the lead-acid battery that is used in automobiles. Sulfuric acid is an enormously important chemical commodity that it would be hard to do without. 

Used industrially for manufacture of detergents, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. Used as a gasoline additive and solvent. 

Detal [Detergent alkylation] A process for making detergent alkylate, i.e., alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons such as linear alkyl benzenes, as intermediates for the manufacture of detergents, by reacting C10-C13 olefins with benzene in a fixed bed of an acid catalyst. Developed by UOP and CEPSA as a replacement for their Detergent Alkylate process, which uses liquid hydrogen fluoride as the catalyst. Demonstrated in a pilot plant in 1991 and first commercialized in Canada in 1996. Offered by UOP. 

This step is essential in the manufacture of detergent active ingredients as it converts the sulfonic acids or sulfuric acid esters (products produced by processes I-M) into neutral surfactants. It is a potential source of some oil and grease, but occasional leaks and spills around the pump and valves are the only expected source of wastewater contamination. A process flow diagram is shown in Figure 14. 

Barium oxide is used to remove water from alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, petroleum ether, and other organic solvents and for drying gases. It also is used in the manufacture of detergent for lubricating oil. 

Regular PIB may be used as a viscosity modifier, particularly in lube oils, as a thickener, and as a tackifier for plastic films and adhesives. PIB can also be functionalized to produce intermediates for the manufacture of detergents and dispersants for fuels and lube oils (14). 

Condensed polyphosphates such as sodium triphosphate are of great industrial importance since they arc used in large tonnages as "builders" in the manufacture of detergents. As such they function to adjust the pH and to complex water-hardening ions such as Ca2+ and Mg2+.17 Industrially, sodium triphosphate is rot made from the reaction of Eq. 16.12 but from dehydration of sodium hydrogen phosphate and sodium dihydrogen phosphate mixtures ... 

Propylene polymers are relatively stable, but the butylene polymers can be broken down under many conditions. Such a breakdown occurs when butylene polymers are charged to an alkylation unit, when the individual butylene molecules react with the isobutane. The stability of the propylene polymers is one of the reasons why they are preferred as starting materials for such reactions as the synthesis of dodecyl benzene in the manufacture of detergents. 

Liquid sulfur trioxide is used for sulfonation, especially in the manufacture of detergents. In the past, the difficulty was the instability of the sulfur trioxide. However, under the trade name Sulfans , stabilized forms of sulfur trioxide are available several patented inhibitors such as boron compounds, methane sulfonyl chloride, sulfur, tellurium, and phosphorus oxychloride inhibit crystallization or conversion to a polymer. 

Continuous operations are feasible and practical (1) where the organic compound (benzene or naphthalene) can be volatilized, (2) when reaction rates are high (as in the chlorosulfonation of paraffins and the sulfonation of alcohols), and (3) where production is large (as in the manufacture of detergents, such as alkylaryl sulfonates). 

Fats and oils are triesters of the trivalent alcohol glycerol and three (different) even-numbered aliphatic carboxylic acids, the fatty acids. Fats and oils differ in the length and the number of unsaturated bonds in the carbon chain. The shorter Cio-Ci4-fatty acids are obtained from coconut oil and palm kernel oil. These fatty acids are mostly saturated, and they are used in the manufacture of detergents. Cig-fatty acids are more widely used. Oleic acid, a Cig-fatty acid with an unsaturated bond on the ninth carbon atom, can be produced from many crops. Specific varieties or genetically modified plants, such as rape, have a content of over 90% oleic acid [4]. 

Ethanolamines are industrially valuable products whose main use is for the manufacture of detergents by reaction with fatty acids. The principal secondary products of ethanolamines are morpholine, ethylenimine and ethylenediamine. 

In applications such as the preparation of tableting feeds and the manufacture of detergent powders, the aim is to produce small agglomerates (usually 2 mm diameter and less) with improved flow, wetting, dispersing or dissolution properties. This is accomplished by superficially wetting the feed powder, often with less than 5% of bridging liquid in the form of a... 

The production of LAB involves the liquid-phase alkylation of benzene with linear monoolefins or alkyl chlorides. Liquid HF is used as catalyst for linear monoolefins. And the A1C13 is used as the catalyst for alkyl chlorides. Nowadays, acidic zeolite catalyst is used for olefin alkylation which generates less waste and reduces manufacture cost. The alkylate is then sulfonated to produce linear alkylbenzene sulfonate for biodegradable detergents. The manufacture of detergents is described in detail in Chapter 27. 

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