Sulfonates: FAQs
- What is the mechanism of the rust prevention action of sulfonates?
- The sulfonates dissolved in the oil form an oil film on the metal surface by arranging themselves with their polar group (sulfone group) elements facing the metal surface and their lipophilic group elements, which are composed of hydrocarbons, facing the outside. This film prevents the intrusion of water, which prevents rust from occurring.
- How are petroleum sulfonates and synthetic sulfonates made?
- Petroleum sulfonates are obtained by sulfonating the petroleum lubricating oil fraction and then neutralizing, extracting and separating the result.
For synthetic sulfonates, alkyl benzene with a uniform molecular weight is extracted from heavy alkyl benzene, which is the chemical raw material. The extracted alkyl benzene is then sulfonated and the result is neutralized, extracted and separated to obtain the synthetic sulfonate. - In what ways do petroleum sulfonates and synthetic sulfonates differ?
- The raw material for petroleum sulfonates is naturally occurring mineral oil, so they have good compatibility with other additive agents. They mainly excel in emulsification and solubilization.
For synthetic sulfonates, the distribution of the base oil molecular weights is very narrow and also there are few impurities, so they have excellent rust prevention and dispersibility properties. - What are the merits of sulfonates?
- There is little variation in quality.
They have good hue and are easy to use.
MORESCO is the only manufacturer of sulfonates in Japan and a stable supply is possible.
