Apparatus for preparing sulfates useful as surfactants

摘要

Apparatus for preparing a sulfate by reacting a starting material with sulfur trioxide gas comprises a tubular reactor for contacting a thin-film stream of starting material with a cocurrent stream of SO3; a feed zone with an overflow for supplying the starting material to the inside wall of the reactor; an inlet for SO3; and an inlet for supplying an inert gas stream to the interface between the thin-film and SO3 streams. An Independent claim is also included for the production of a sulfate by reacting a starting material with SO3 gas, comprising supplying an inert gas stream to the interface between a thin-film stream of the starting material and an SO3 stream, cocurrently contacting the thin-film stream with the SO3 stream and reacting the starting material with the SO3 in a tubular reactor, where the starting material is supplied to the inside wall of the reactor as an overflow stream from a retention zone.