Sodium Petroleum Sulfonate Production

Sodium Petroleum Sulfonate Production

Sodium Petroleum Sulfonate is typically produced as a by-product of the refining process in which highly refined petroleum products (eg, white lubricating oil, mineral oil, and certain grades of trans oil) are produced. These highly refined petroleum products are produced by treating refined petroleum distillates or raffinates with fuming sulfuric acid. Fuming sulfuric acid reacts with the components of the oil to produce sulfonic acid. Some of the sulfonic acids are oil soluble and some of the sulfonic acids are water soluble, thus forming a two-phase system. The two phases separate into two layers, one of which is an oil layer containing an oil-soluble, reddish brown or mahogany sulfonic acid and the other a resinous A water-soluble layer commonly referred to as an acidic sludge layer containing the material, unreacted sulfuric acid, and water-soluble or green sulfonic acid. The layers are then separated and oil-soluble sulfonic acids are recovered from the oil layer, usually in the form of their sodium salts.