PRODUCTION OF LINEAR ALKYL BENZENE SULFONIC ACID (LABSA) FROM

LINEAR ALKYL BENZENE (LAB) VIA SULFUR TRIOXIDE TECHNIQUE

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonic Acid, popularly known by its acronym ASA or

LABSA, is an anionic surfactant widely used in the formulation of all ranges of domestic
detergents powder, cake & dish wash cleaners. Due to its high active matter, miscibility
with water and low salt content, it is also used in formulation of Industrial & Household
liquid cleaners as well as in numerous industrial applications.
ASA or LABSA is the largest-volume synthetic surfactant because of its relatively
low cost, good performance, the fact that it can be dried to a stable powder and the
biodegradable environmental friendliness as it has straight chain.
Physical Properties
Appearance Viscous Liquid
Color Light Yellow-Brown
Odor Characteristic acidic odor
Chemical Properties [2]
Melting Point 10°C
Boiling Point 315°C
Density 1.2 g/cm3
Solubility Readily miscible in water

USES OF LINEAR ALKYL BENZENE SULFONIC ACID

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid is mainly used as:
 Raw material for household detergents
o Laundry powders
o Laundry liquids
o Dishwashing liquids
  Coupling agent and as an emulsifier for agricultural herbicides and in emulsion
polymerization.
 Washing and mercerizing agent in the textile industries
 Surface area enhancers for distemper paint

MARKET IN THE PHILIPPINES

About 82–87% of LABSA is used in household detergents, including laundry powders,
laundry liquids, dishwashing liquids, and other household cleaners.
This figure shows the top ten industries that generated the highest value of output for all
manufacturing establishments in 2015.

EXISTING MANUFACTURERS IN PHILIPPINES

 Ilyon Industrial Corporation
 Located in Bagbaguin, Valenzuela
 Ilyon Industrial Corporation is an importer, wholesaler and retailer company
that serves as colossus partner of industrial companies. The company also
provides raw materials particularly industrial chemicals used by various
sectors of industries like paints, cosmetics, soap, detergents, food and
 beverages, pulp and paper, salts, pharmaceuticals, rubber, steel and
others.
 Pepmaco Manufacturing Corporation
 Headquarters is located at 30th Floor, LKG Tower. 6801 Ayala Ave., Makati
City. The plant is in Canlubang, Laguna.
 Pepmaco Manufacturing Corporation is a Filipino corporation which was
established in 2004. Presently, the company is supplying major local soap
and detergent manufacturers.

EXISTING SUPPLIERS IN PHILIPPINES

 Manila Global Chemi
 Located at 7114 Kundiman Street, Sampaloc, Manila.
 Established in 2002 as an export-import house manufacturer and supplier
of food additives, industrial chemicals, plastics, and textile and rubber
 Universal Chemical Laboratory
 Located at 28-31 Lot 49-51 Faith cor. Innovative Sts. Subic Bay Gateway
Park Phase 1, Subic Bay Freeport Zone
 This company is engaged in the business of manufacturing, trading,
converting, assembling and installing, importing, buying and selling from
and to international markets or otherwise; dealing in on wholesale/retail
basis for products such as high-quality and environment-friendly cellulose
insulation and soil erosion materials.
 Innovative FIbre Industries, Inc.
 The company has main markets in America, Europe, and Asia. The
company produces and supplies the latest automatic SSD solution,
universal chemicals, activating powders.
 Dalisay Philippines Corporation
 Located at 112 J. L. Escoda Street, San Rafael Village, Navotas City
 This company mostly supplies Calcium Carbonate Light Precipitated and
Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonic Acid.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF PRODUCT

The production of LABSA increased to 3211.81 MT in 2016 from 2756.30 MT in 2012 with
average growth rate of 3.90%. Global LABSA capacity utilization rate remained at around
73% in 2016. Global Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid market size will increase to 4420
Million US$ by 2025, from 3360Million US$ in 2019, at a CAGR (compound annual growth
rate) of 3.5% during the forecast period.
Demand in the North American household segment fell sharply in 2000–2011, as a result
of several developments, including reformulations away from LAS to alternative
surfactants because of cost considerations, the greater use of enzymes, and adverse
economic conditions that resulted in lower overall surfactant levels in detergents.
However, consumption stabilized during 2011–2017.
Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonic Acid (LABSA) 90% is the largest-volume synthetic
surfactant because of its relatively low cost, good performance, the fact that it can be
dried to a stable powder and the biodegradable environmental friendliness.

AVAILABILITY OF RAW MATERIALS IN THE PHILIPPINES

The raw materials needed to produce ASA or LABSA are solid sulfur and Linear
Alkylbenzene, also known as LAB.
For LAB, there is no known manufacturer in the Philippines, which is why most
LABSA producing companies rely on importing LAB from nearby Asian countries, such
as India, China, and South Korea.
As for the solid sulfur, companies such as Chemphil Manufacturing Corporation
located at Bo Kalawaan, Pasig City, specializes in the production of sulfur flakes. Other
sources of sulfur solids may include pyrites (which contains approximately 50% Sulfur).
Deposits of sulfur are found in Camiguin Island; Bacon, Sorsogon; Tiwi, Albay; and Biliran
Island Deposits of pyrite are found in Hinabangan (Bagacay), Samar; Mankayan and
Tuba, Benguet; Dupax, Nueva Vizcaya; Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte; Sibalom,
Antique; and Toledo City, Cebu.
PROCESS 1
Sulfur Trioxide Technique
The manufacturing of LABSA is a continuous process. An interval of 1 day after a period
of 20-21 days for the purpose of shutdown and start-up is essential for maintenance
purposes.

Air Drying
The air taken from outside is compressed and dehumidified. The cooling has the purpose
to remove the humidity from the air, up to a saturation humidity of 2 degree Celsius & also
to convey low temperature air to the dehumidifying tower, thus favoring the water
absorption in the silica gel. The silica gel air drying has the object to reduce to very low
values (dew point -60 approx.) the moisture content of air intended for the sulfur
combustion, & then for conversion.
In order to remove the compression heat and to condense the moisture, the air is first
cooled by cooling water and then by a glycol solution in the glycol tower. The air flow is
then conveyed at a constant temperature (less than 5℃) to the silica gel dryers.

Sulfur Melting
The solid sulfur is melted and filtered to avoid the pump valves clogging and then fed to
the sulfur burner by a proportioning pump. The viscosity of molten sulfur is minimum
between 135℃ to 140 ℃. Molten sulfur is fed under mass control by means of a mass
flow meter. The pump and the relevant piping are steam heated in order to keep the
temperature constant and to minimize sulfur viscosity.

The oxidation reaction of sulfur dioxide and trioxide is exothermic and heat produced by
it is quite sufficient to keep the catalyst layers at the required at the required temperature
to obtain a good conversion progress.

The sulfur combustion furnace has been designed for this special purpose. In the furnace,
the sulfur is fed through a pipe and falls on a surface of refractory balls, while the
combustion air is supplied in counter current, thus obtaining the complete combustion of
sulfur without its spraying through a nozzle; which might often clog owing to sulfur
impurities.
S(l) + O2 (g)  SO2 (g)
2SO2 (g) + O2 (g)  2SO3 (g)
Thereafter, a heat exchanger cools the gas so that it reaches the conversion tower at the
required temperature. The conversion tower is composed of three layers of vanadium
pentoxide (V2O5) catalyst.

Sulfonation Process
The sulfonation gas is automatically fed on the reactor top and distributed in part strictly
equal on each of the pipes composing the reactor. The raw material to be sulfonated is
fed in co-current with the gas. Outside the reaction tubes in the reactor jacket the cooling
water circulates in co-current with the film, thus allowing a control of the reaction
temperature by heat removing.
This SO3 is sent to the reactor where it reacts with Linear Alkyl Benzene. Due to presence
of some water vapors in air some oleum is also formed. This should be avoided as it can
cause blockage. The reactor has small tubes in which the SO3 passes and the LAB
passes through its sides. The main reaction takes place at bottom of these tubes and
during maintenance these tubes are thoroughly cleaned because if the LAB leaks to the
center part then the reaction will take place there only and no SO3 will pass through.

Separation
Then this mixture of LABSA (desired product), LAB, SO3 and a mixture of other waste
materials including oleum is sent to a separator. The liquid product is sent to the aging
vessel and the gases are sent to cyclone.
PROCESS 2

This process begins with the extraction of alkanes – which is the precursor of LAB,
the raw material for LABSA – from the Kerosene fraction of petroleum via adsorption on
zeolites. These alkanes then enter the dehydrogenation reactor to form the alkenes. The
alkenes produced undergo benzene alkylation, usually with the aide of a Hydrogen
Fluoride or Aluminum Chloride catalyst, to form Linear Alkylbenzene (LAB). The
alkylbenzene sulfonate is produced via sulfonation reaction of LAB with a sulfonating
agent, which is a dilute solution of SO3 in air – typically 10% SO3. The result of sulfonating
LAB is the formation of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonic Acid or LABSA.
PROCESS 3
First of all LAB (Linear Alkyl Benzene) will be pumped from its storage tank to dosing tank
in which we can measure to required quantity and then after measuring the required
quantity it will be dropped into stirrer and after it we will pump H2SO4 (Sulfuric Acid) into
dosing tank to measure its quantity after measuring it we will drop it in the stirrer which is
already mixing LAB, we will mix it for nearly 3-4 hours after completion of mixing we will
add little amount of water and the whole batch will be drop in the separator.

Raw materials used are:

 LAB
 Sulfuric Acid
 Water
REFERENCES

https://ihsmarkit.com/products/linear-alkylate-chemical-economics-handbook.html
https://psa.gov.ph/content/2015-annual-survey-philippine-business-and-industry-aspbi-
manufacturing-final-results
https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/linear-alkyl-benzene-market
https://www.industryresearch.co/global-labsa-market-insights-forecast-to-2025-
13914995
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/global-linear-alkyl-benzene-sulphonic-acid-
market-2019-with-top-countries-data-impact-analysis-of-industry-trends-drivers-
restraints-opportunities-to-2025-2019-03-18
https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/linear-alkyl-benzene-sulphonic-acid-
1953883030.html
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labsa/
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https://www.solverchem.com/articles/detergent-ingredients-and-properties/linear-
alkylbenzene-sulfonic-acid-labsa-msds-applications/details
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263876219302643
https://www.chemphil.com.ph/main_cmc.htm