Alkyl Benzene Sulphonic Acid (ABSA), Dodecyl Benzene Sulphonic Acid (DBSA), or Sulphonic Acid are the various names of an organic acid that can be represented by the general formula R–SO2–OH, where ‘R’ is usually a hydrocarbon side chain. Alkyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid often called as Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid (LABSA). LABSA or sulphonic acid is the largest-volume synthetic surfactant produced because of its comparatively low cost and superb performance.
There is a distinctive tendency of Sulphonic acids to bind the proteins and carbohydrates tightly. For this reason most washable dyes are sulphonic acids or have the functional sulfonyl group in them. Sulphonic acids and their salts ‘sulphonates’ are used in a widespread way in such diverse products like detergents, anion exchange resins, sulfa drugs for purification of water, emulsifiers, dyes etc. Sulphonic acid is water-soluble and is erosive to metal and tissue.
LABSA is an anionic wetter with molecules defined by a hydrophilic as well as a hydrophobic group. Examples of commercial anionic surfactants are Alpha-olefin sulfonates (AOS), Alkyl sulfates (AS). These surfactants are nonvolatile compounds develped by sulfonation. After mixing of different alkyl chain lengths (C10 to C13 or C14) and phenyl positional isomers of two to 5-phenyl in proportions determined by the beginning materials and reaction conditions LABSA is produced. Each containing an aromatic ring sulfonated at the para position and attached to a linear alkyl chain at any position with the exception of terminal (1-phenyl).
The arrtibutes of LABSA differ in chemical and physical and properties according to the alkyl chain length which leads to articulate for different applications. The beginning material of linear alkylbenzene (LAB) is produced by the alkylation of benzene with n-paraffins in the presence of aluminium chloride (AlCl3) as a catalyst or hydrogen fluoride (HF). Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid (LABSA) is produced by the sulfonation of linear alkylbenzene (LAB) with fuming sulfuric acid in batch reactors or with SO3 in multi-tube falling film reactor.
There are also other alternative sulfonation chemical reagents which are sulfuric acid, diluted sulfur trioxide, sulfamic acid and chlorosulfonic acid on falling film reactors. Surfactants are used to a great degree in the industry needed to improve the contact between polar and non-polar media like between water and minerals or between oil and water. Linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid is mainly used to produce household detergents including laundry powders, liquids and other household cleaners as well as in industrial applications.
To get more information about alkyl benzene sulfonic acid, visit http://www.miamichemical.com/featured-products/alkyl-benzene-sulfonic-acid-ddbsa-labsa.html