Characteristics of Alpha Olefin Sulfonate

Alpha olefin sulfonate is a formaldehyde-free solution of sodium c14-c16 that preserved by mCi/MI. It has excellent viscosity, hard water stability, detergency, foam characteristics and pH stability in wide pH range, so it can be used in many applications. Compared with lauryl sulfate, alpha olefin sulfonate is a mild surfactant, which can be used in high performance sulfate free, shampoo, shower gel, hand sanitizer and pet care formula. It is very effective in unloading poor fluids and particles from gas producing wells. It has excellent thermal stability at temperatures up to 400 ° F. The product is easily biodegradable.

Ordinary alpha olefins are excellent intermediates for the production of alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) surfactants. These surfactants have excellent detergency, high compatibility with hard water, good wetting and foaming properties. AOS does not contain skin irritants and sensitizers, and it can be rapidly biodegraded. It is used in high quality shampoo, light liquid detergent, bath foam and heavy liquid and powder detergents. It is also used in emulsion polymerization. C14-c16 AOS mixture is commonly used in hand sanitizers.

In order to prepare AOS, the common alpha olefins were sulfonated in a continuous membrane reactor to produce a mixture of olefin sulfonic acid and sulfonactone (cyclic sulfonate). The mixture was neutralized with sodium hydroxide aqueous solution, and then hydrolyzed at elevated temperature to convert the remaining sulfolactone into alkene sulfonate and hydroxysulfonate. This produces an aqueous solution of alpha olefin sulfonate. (if solid anhydrous products are required, the solution can be easily obtained by neutralizing and hydrolyzing isopropanol instead of water).