Some Alkyl-Aryl Sodium Sulphonates as Standard Substances in Detergent Chemistry

Abstract

IN the course of work on the behaviour of commercial detergents of the anionic type, we needed some standard substances with which to compare the commercial products. The sodium sulphonates of the straight-chain substituted benzene hydrocarbons appeared to be likely compounds. The required hydrocarbons from butyl benzene to tetradecyl benzene were synthesized from the fatty acids with even numbers of carbon atoms. The branched-chain compound α-dimethyldecyl benzene was also synthesized. From the hydrocarbons the sodium sulphonates were prepared and purified. The behaviour of these compounds in solution was studied by means of the methylene blue method of Longwell and Maniece¹ and by paper chromatography.