LOW pH METHOD FOR PREPARING WATER CLEAR SURFACTANT PASTES

摘要

The present invention provides to a process for producing sulfate and sulfonate surfactant pastes suitable for use in surfactant containing compositions, especially clear, translucent surfactant containing compositions wherein color formation and yellowing of the composition is undesirable. The present process involves treatment of crude sulfate and sulfonate containing surfactant pastes with a source of hydrogen peroxide at a pH of from about 0.1 to about 5. A further aspect of the present invention relates to the rapid decolorization provided by the present process which alleviates the need to contact crude surfactant pastes with hydrogen peroxide for up to 48 hours to form colorless pastes. The present process further alleviates the need to add bleaching agents or chelants to the final product formulation to ameliorate the formation of unwanted color.