Reaction Principle of Alcohol Ether Sulfonates by Sulfonated Alkylation Method – A Review

Abstract As a new type of high effective surfactant, aliphatic alcohol ether sulfonatehas widely application prospects in the process of tertiary oil recovery. So, the theoretical analysis of synthesis of aliphatic alcohol ether sulfonatehas played a very important role in the process of its development. After the first patent about the preparation of a fatty alcohol ether sulfonatesurfactant was reported in 1938, there were several methods to synthesize alcohol ether sulfonatesurfactants with different structure. Sulfonatedalkylation, one of the synthesis methods, is introduced in this paper. The synthesis principle of alcohol ethersodium sulfonatewas analyzed by three step reactions – synthesis of PTGE, ring opening reaction and sulfonationreaction. Synthesis principle of PTGE includes acid catalysis, phase-transfer catalysis, side reactionof the synthesis of glycerol etherand reaction of PTGE outcome. Ring opening reaction includes two reactions of acid catalysisand alkali catalysis.