Sulphation of Higher Alcohols

Abstract

Sulphated alcohols have found wide application in the textile industry as wetting agents in fibre preparation, dyeing, printing and finishing. They are also used in the leather industry, in degreasing and promoting the tanning and dyeing of high-quality leather. They are used, moreover, as the effective surfactant in herbicide insecticide and fungicide sprays as well as in polymerization processes and plastics coating and laminating. All kinds of laundry detergents contain alkyl sulphates as an active substance. The requirements of the market-place led to the adoption by the sulphation technology of new materials such as ethoxylates. Modern sulphation installations are equipped to sulphate alcohols and ethoxylates as well as alkylbenzenes.