Manufacturing of sulphated and sulphonated prouducts

Claim 1

A METHOD OF SULPHATING AND SULPHONATNG RESPECTIVELY A DETERGENT RAW MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SATURATED FATTY ALCOHOLS AND MONONUCLEAR ALKARYL HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES: CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING A LIQUID MASS CONTAINING SAID MATERIAL THROUGH A PARTITIONED REACTION VESSEL HAVING AT LEAST TWO INTERCONNECTING REACTION ZONES ESTABLISHED IN THE FLOW PATH OF THE LIQUID, INTRODUCING INTO EACH OF SAID ZONES A MIXTURE OF SULPHUR TRIOXIDE AND A DILUENT WHICH IS INERT AND GASEOUS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE REACTION, SAID ZONES BEING CONTROLLED AT A TEMPERATURE JUST ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF THE REACTANTS WHEREBY THE LIQUID FLOWS FREELY THROUGHT THE RESPECTIVE ZONES, AND INTIMATELY MIXING SAID GAS MIXTURE WITH SAID LIQUID TO REACT SAID SULPHUR TRIOXIDE AND SAID MATERIAL, SAID GAS MIXTURE BEING INTRODUCED INTO SAID LIQUID SUCH THAT THE MOLECULAR RATIO OF SULPHUR TRIOXIDE TO SAID MATERIAL IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN 1 IN THE FIRST OF SAID ZONES AND GREATER THAN 1 IN THE LATER OF SAID ZONES, THE VOLUME OF SAID GAS MIXTURE BEING AT LEAST 400 TIMES THE VOLUME OF SAID LIQUID IN THE REACTOR, THE MEAN GAS-LIQUID RESIDENCE TIME IN SAID LATER ZONE BEING LESS THAN ABOUT 1 SECOND, AND DEGASSING THE REACTION MIXTURE IN A ROTATING BOWL TYPE OF CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF SULPHATING AND SULPHONATNG RESPECTIVELY A DETERGENT RAW MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SATURATED FATTY ALCOHOLS AND MONONUCLEAR ALKARYL HYDROCARBONS WHICH COMPRISES: CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING A LIQUID MASS CONTAINING SAID MATERIAL THROUGH A PARTITIONED REACTION VESSEL HAVING AT LEAST TWO INTERCONNECTING REACTION ZONES ESTABLISHED IN THE FLOW PATH OF THE LIQUID, INTRODUCING INTO EACH OF SAID ZONES A MIXTURE OF SULPHUR TRIOXIDE AND A DILUENT WHICH IS INERT AND GASEOUS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF THE REACTION, SAID ZONES BEING CONTROLLED AT A TEMPERATURE JUST ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF THE REACTANTS WHEREBY THE LIQUID FLOWS FREELY THROUGHT THE RESPECTIVE ZONES, AND INTIMATELY MIXING SAID GAS MIXTURE WITH SAID LIQUID TO REACT SAID SULPHUR TRIOXIDE AND SAID MATERIAL, SAID GAS MIXTURE BEING INTRODUCED INTO SAID LIQUID SUCH THAT THE MOLECULAR RATIO OF SULPHUR TRIOXIDE TO SAID MATERIAL IS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN 1 IN THE FIRST OF SAID ZONES AND GREATER THAN 1 IN THE LATER OF SAID ZONES, THE VOLUME OF SAID GAS MIXTURE BEING AT LEAST 400 TIMES THE VOLUME OF SAID LIQUID IN THE REACTOR, THE MEAN GAS-LIQUID RESIDENCE TIME IN SAID LATER ZONE BEING LESS THAN ABOUT 1 SECOND, AND DEGASSING THE REACTION MIXTURE IN A ROTATING BOWL TYPE OF CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.