3,539,522 United States Patent Office Patented Nov. 10, 1970 2 3,539,522 dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid does not. More specifically, EMULSEER COMPOSITIONS BASED ON MIX. but only by way of illustration, if one seeks to prepare an TURES OF AMENE SALTS OF LINEAR ALKYL emulsion of 8 grams of a trichlorotrifluorethane, such as ARYL SULFONIC ACDS 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane, in 12 grams of water, Paul Lindner, Evanston, III, assignor to Witco Chemical the addition of 4 grams of the isopropyl amine salt of a Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Dela branched chain dodecyl (propylene tetramer) benzene Ware Sulfonic acid produces a satisfactory, clear emulsion. How No Drawing. Continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. ever, if one seeks to use the isopropylamine salt of a linear 587,946, Oct. 20, 1966. This application Nov. 5, 1968, dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid as the emulsifier in such an Ser. No. 773,662 O emulsion, then the emulsion which results is cloudy and Int, C. B01f 17/12, C11d 1/12, 7/50 unstable and rapidly separates. U.S. C. 252-153 19 Claims I have discovered that if an isopropylamine salt of a C11 to C16 linear alkyl benzene or toluene sulfonic acid is ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE used in admixture with a n-butylamine salt, or certain 5 other amine salts referred to below, of a C11 to C16 linear - An emulsifier composition consisting essentially of (a) alkyl benzene or toluene sulfonic acid, in certain propor at least one isopropylamine Salt selected from the group tions with respect to each other as stated below, a sur consisting of C11 to C16 linear alkyl benzene and linear prising and wholly unexpected coaction occurs with respect alkyl toluene monosulfonic acids, and (b) at least one to the functioning thereof as an emulsifier. Thus, for amine salt selected from the group consisting of C11 to C16 instance, in the aforementioned emulsion of trichlorotri linear alkylbenzene and linear alkyl toluene monosulfonic fluorethane in Water, the use of a mixture of the iso acids in which the amine is selected from the group consist propylamine and n-butylamine salts of the C1-C linear ing of n-butylamine, diisopropylamine, isobutylamine, alkyl benzene sulfonic acids, in a molar ratio of 82 of the tert-butylamine, cyclohexylamine and n-propylamine, said former to 18 of the later, results in the production of a (b) compound or compounds constituting from about 15 25 clear or transparent emulsion of excellent stability. to 35%, by weight, of the mixture of said (a) and (b) While it is particularly advantageous to use the n-butyl compounds, with the proviso that, in the case of n-propyl amine salt of the C11 to C16 linear alkylbenzene or toluene amine salts of the (b) compounds, said n-propylamine Sulfonic acid in conjunction with the isopropylamine salt salt or salts constitutes from about 40 to 60%, by weight, of said sulfonic acids, there can be used, in place of said of the mixture of said (a) and (b) compounds. 30 n-butylamine salts, the corresponding salts of diisopropyl amine, isobutylamine, tert-butylamine and cyclohexyl amine and, to a lesser extent, n-propylamine, and mixtures This application is a continuation-in-part of my applica of two or more thereof. tion Ser. No. 587,946, filed Oct. 20, 1966 and now The n-butylamine, or the diisopropylamine, the isobutyl abandoned. 35 amine, the tert-butylamine, and cyclohexylamine salt of This invention relates to novel emulsifiers and emulsion the C11 to C16 linear alkyl benzene or toluene sulfonic compositions containing the same, particularly for use in acid, in all cases, is used in amounts distinctly less than dry cleaning, degreasing, metal grinding coolants, paint the amount of the isopropylamine salt of the C1 to Cs brush cleaners, agricultural and pesticidal emulsions, linear alkyl benzene or toluene sulfonic acid and, as a aerosol compositions, and the like, wherein an oleaginous 40 practical proposition, said n-butylamine or other afore material is dispersed or emulsified in water. mentioned amine salt will constitute from about 15 to Numerous emulsifying agents and emulsifier composi 35%, better still about 20 to 30%, by weight, of the total tions are known and used commercially for a wide variety of, or the mixture of, the isopropylamine and n-butyl of emulsions. One of such types of emulsifying agents amine or said other amine salts of the C1 to Cls linear which has been utilized for certain types of emulsions is 45 alkyl benzene or toluene sulfonic acids. The optimum the amine salts of higher molecular weight alkyl benzene weight ratios of the isopropylamine and the other said Sulfonic acids, exemplified by n-propylamine, isopropyl amine salts to be used in any given emulsion will, of amine, n-butylamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine course, vary, depending, among other things, on the partic salts of C1 to C1s alkylbenzene sulfonic acids, particularly ular amine salt used in combination with the isopropyl dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid, wherein the C2 to C15 alkyl 50 amine salt, on the particular C1 to C1 linear alkyl radical radical is derived from highly branched chain olefins, the or radicals selected, and the particular emulsion into which production of such branched chain alkyl benzene sulfonic said two salts are incorporated. Simple routine tests can acids being shown, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,477,383. be made in any given case to arrive at the substantially It has also been known to utilize the isopropylamine salt optimum weight ratios. In the case where the n-propyl of dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (isopropylammonium 55 amine salt is used in conjunction with the isopropylamine dodecyl benzene sulfonate) for the preparation of water salt, the proportions of said n-propylamine salt are mate in-oil emulsions of 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane, as rially greater than where the n-butylamine salt is used, disclosed in Canadian Pat. No. 737,892. being of the order of 40 to 60%, preferably about 50%, Because of their resistance to biodegradability by by weight of the mixture thereof of the isopropylamine bacteria, the aforementioned branched chain higher 60 salt. molecular weight alkyl benzene sulfonates have been The amount or proportions of the mixture of the afore sought to be replaced by higher molecular weight alkyl said isopropylamine salt, and n-butylamine or said other benzene sulfonates in which the alkyl radical is linear amine salts, of the C1 to C1s linear alkyl benzene or in character, since such linear alkylbenzene sulfonates are toluene sulfonic acids, which are used in any given biodegradable. It has been found, however, that, for 65 emulsion is variable, being dependent, for instance, upon various purposes, the linear alkyl benzene sulfonates the particular emulsion composition involved. In general, cannot be substituted for the branched chain alkylbenzene the percentage will range from 0.5 to 15%, by weight, Sulfonates because certain properties of the one are not of the oleaginous constituent of constituents of the shared by the other. Thus, for example, in certain emul emulsion. Based on the weight of the emulsion, the sions, an amine salt of a branched chain dodecylbenzene 70 emulsifier composition will ordinarily fall within the range sulfonic acid produces a relatively stable emulsion, of about 0.2 to about 45%, more commonly about 2% whereas a generally corresponding amine salt of a linear to 20%. 3,539,522 3 4 The production of biodegradable C11 to C18 linear alkyl EXAMPLE 2 benzene and toluene sulfonic acids and the isopropyla Parts mine and n-butylamine salts thereof is well known to Isopropylamine salt of linear tridecyl benzene sulfonic the art. The linear alkyl radical can be derived from acid --------------------------------------- 78 various sources, a typical and preferred one of which is 5 n-Butylamine salt of linear tridecyl benzene sulfonic straight chain alkanes containing predominately 11 to acid --------------------------------------- 22 16 carbon atoms which may be obtained from petroleum distillates, by separating the straight chain alkanes from EXAMPLE 3 the branched chain alkanes by known means such as Parts molecular sieves or by adduction with urea, but other O Isopropylamine salt of linear dodecyl toluene sulfonic sources of C11 to C16 linear alkyl radicals can be utilized acid --------------------------------------- 82 to produce the biodegradable alkyl sulfonic acids which n-Butylamine salt of linear dodecyl benzene sulfonic may then be neutralized to produce the isopropylamine acid --------------------------------------- 18 and n-butylamine or said other amine salts. The linear EXAMPLE 4 alkyl benzene and toluene sulfonic acids which are em 5 Parts ployed will generally comprise primarily or mainly mono Isopropylamine salt of linear dodecyl benzene sulfonic alkyl monosulfonic benzenes and toluene, but dialkyl acid --------------------------------------- 75 monosulfonic acid derivatives can also be used. The iso n-Butylamine salt of linear tridecyl toluene sulfonic propylamine salts and the n-butylamine or other said acid --------------------------------------- 25 amine salts of the C1 to C1 linear alkyl benzene or 20 toluene sulfonic acids can be separately produced and EXAMPLE 5 then admixed to form the emulsifier composition; or a Parts C11 to C16 linear alkyl benzene or toluene sulfonic acid Isopropylamine salt of linear pentadecyl benzene sul can be neutralized with isopropylamine and, say, n-butyl fonic acid ---------------------------------- 73 amine, or a mixture of said amines, in proper proportions n-Butylamine salt of linear pentadecyl benzene sul to produce the mixtures described above. It is, of course, fonic acid ---------------------------------- 27 most advantageous to utilize a composition comprising EXAMPLE 6 pre-mixture of the isopropylamine and n-butylamine, or Parts said other amine salts of the C11 to C16 linear alkyl Isopropylamine salt of linear dodecyl benzene sul benzene or toluene sulfonic acids in the production of 30 fonic acid ---------------------------------- 72 the emulsions.