What is sulfonation process?

Important sulfonation procedures include the reaction of aromatic hydrocarbons with sulfuric acid, sulfur trioxide, or chlorosulfuric acid; the reaction of organic halogen compounds with inorganic sulfites; and the oxidation of certain classes of organic sulfur compounds, particularly thiols or disulfides.

What is the purpose of sulfonation?

Today sulfuric acid sulfonation is principally used for production of hydrotropes by azeotropic reaction with benzene, toluene or xylene. In this special process, the water formed during the reaction is removed by azeotropic distillation of the water and unreacted feedstock.

What are Sulfonating agents?

Conventionally, (concentrated) sulfuric acid, fuming sulfuric acid, chlorosulfonic acid, sulfuric anhydride, adduct of. dioxane with S03, adduct of amine with S03, etc. are chiefly used as agents for sulfonating aromatic compounds by. introducing a sulfonic acid group into the aromatic ring of the compound.

What are the processes of sulfonation and sulfation?

Sulfonation and Sulfation Processes. Norman C. Foster, Ph.D., P.E. Introduction. Sulfonation and sulfation are major industrial chemical processes used to make a diverse range of products, including dyes and color intensifiers, pigments, medicinals, pesticides and organic intermediates.

How is sulfonation of linear alkyl benzene optimised?

Sulfonation of linear alkylbenzenes by reaction with sulfur trioxide is the predominant route to anionic surfactants other than soap. In the case study presented here, alkylbenzenes are contacted with sulfur trioxide in a short residence time falling film reactor following which the liquid reaction product mixture is aged.

Why is oleum sulfonation not used to make sulfation?

This stability difference in the products of reaction with SO3also has a profound impact on the choice of process used to produce sulfonates or sulfates. Some processes, such as oleum sulfonation, cannot be used to make alcohol sulfates containing a low level of inorganic sulfate.

How many sulfonation plants are there in the world?

Sulfonatio n plants are scattered around the globe in surfactants. At least 800 sulfonation plants are estimated to be currently in operation around the World. However, about 20% of the global production (2.500.000 tons/year of sulfonated Market Intelligence, 2010). Anionic surfactants are the key component in a detergent formulation.

How do you make sulfonic acid?

Sulfonic acids can be prepared by oxidation of thiols: RSH + 3⁄2 O2 → RSO3H. Such a pathway is the basis of the biosynthesis of taurine.

Why SO3 is used in Sulphonation?

The purpose of admixing the sulfur trioxide vapour with a diluent gas is to reduce the partial pressure of the sulfur trioxide, so that the chance of a single molecule of the material being sulfated or sulfonated contacting several molecules of Sulfur trioxide is reduced.

Which sulfonating agent is the most efficient?

Sulfuric acid, which may be considered as the SO,-H,O system, is a sulfonating agent employed most frequently.

Which is the strongest acid?

Fluoroantimonic acid is the strongest superacid based on the measured value of its Hammett acidity function (H0), which has been determined for different ratios of HF:SbF5.

Is sulfonation exothermic?

The liberated HCl gas is absorbed into water to make a dilute HCl solution. In operation, the alcohol or ethoxy alcohol feedstock is charged to the reactor and chlorosulfuric acid is gradually added. A good refrigeration system is required for heat removal because the reaction is exothermic.

What is sulphonic acid formula?

Sulfanilic acid

What is the action of oleum in benzene?

The sulfonation of benzene with SO3 is a trimolecular electrophilic substitution. In sulfonic acid or oleum, the trimolecular system is C6H6 + SO3 + H2SO4. H2SO4 is a catalyst. In oleum or aprotic solvent, the trimolecular system is C6H6 + 2SO3.

What is alkylation of benzene?

Alkylation means substituting an alkyl group into something – in this case into a benzene ring. A hydrogen on the ring is replaced by a group like methyl or ethyl and so on. Benzene is treated with a chloroalkane (for example, chloromethane or chloroethane) in the presence of aluminum chloride as a catalyst.

What is difference between sulfonation and sulfation?

Sulfonation and sulfation are two important chemical processes used in many industries to add a sulfur-containing group to an organic compound. The main difference between sulfonation and sulfation is that sulfonation involves the formation of a C-S bond whereas sulfation involves the formation of a C-O-S bond.

Which reagent is used for sulfonation?

Sulfonation is a reversible reaction that produces benzenesulfonic acid by adding sulfur trioxide and fuming sulfuric acid. The reaction is reversed by adding hot aqueous acid to benzenesulfonic acid to produce benzene.

Which is weakest acid?

Hydrofluoric acid
Hydrofluoric acid is the only weak acid produced by a reaction between hydrogen and halogen (HF). Acetic acid (CH3COOH), which is contained in vinegar, and oxalic acid (H2C2O4), which is present in some vegetables, are examples of weak acids.

Which is the diluting agent in the sulfonation process?

Commercially, the diluting or complexing agents (Figure 4) include ammonia (sulfamic acid), hydrochloric acid (chlorosulfuric acid), water or sulfuric acid (sulfuric acid or oleum) and dry air (air/SO3 film sulfonation).

Why is sulfonation a difficult reaction to perform?

SO3is an aggressive electrophilic reagent that rapidly reacts with any organic compound containing an electron donor group. Sulfonation is a difficult reaction to perform on an industrial scale because the reaction is rapid and highly exothermic, releasing approximately 380 kJ/kg SO3(800 BTUs per pound of SO3) reacted[2].

How is benzene sulfonated with fuming sulfuric acid?

Sulfonation with fuming sulfuric acid strongly favours formation of the product the sulfonic acid. MECHANISM FOR SULFONATION OF BENZENE Step 1: The p electrons of the aromatic C=Cact as a nucleophile, attacking the electrophilic S, pushing charge out onto an electronegative O atom.

Which is a reversible reaction in aromatic sulfonation?

Unlike the other electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions, sulfonation is reversible. Removal of water from the system favours the formation of the sulfonation product. Heating a sulfonic acid with aqueous sulfuric acid can result be the reverse reaction, desulfonation.