There is disclosed a process for producing taurine from ammonium isethionate by the ammonolysis of alkali isethionate in the presence of alkali ditaurinate or alkali tritaurinate, or their mixture, to inhibit the formation of byproducts and to continuously convert the byproducts of the ammonolysis reaction to alkali taurinate. Alkali taurinate is reacted with ammonium isethionate to obtain taurine and to regenerate alkali isethionate. The production yield is increased to from 90% to nearly quantitative. The ammonolysis reaction is catalyzed by alkali salts of hydroxide, sulfate, sulfite, phosphate, or carbonate.

There is disclosed a process for producing taurine from ammonium isethionate by the ammonolysis of alkali isethionate in the presence of alkali ditaurinate or alkali tritaurinate, or their mixture, to inhibit the formation of byproducts and to continuously convert the byproducts of the ammonolysis reaction to alkali taurinate. Alkali taurinate is reacted with ammonium isethionate to obtain taurine and to regenerate alkali isethionate. The production yield is increased to from 90% to nearly quantitative. The ammonolysis reaction is catalyzed by alkali salts of hydroxide, sulfate, sulfite, phosphate, or carbonate.

There is disclosed a process for producing taurine from ammonium isethionate by the ammonolysis of alkali isethionate in the presence of alkali ditaurinate or alkali tritaurinate, or their mixture, to inhibit the formation of byproducts and to continuously convert the byproducts of the ammonolysis reaction to alkali taurinate. Alkali taurinate is reacted with ammonium isethionate to obtain taurine and to regenerate alkali isethionate. The production yield is increased to from 90% to nearly quantitative. The ammonolysis reaction is catalyzed by alkali salts of hydroxide, sulfate, sulfite, phosphate, or carbonate.

There is disclosed a cyclic process for producing taurine from monoethanolamine comprising the steps of: (a) recovering monoethanolamine sulfate from an aqueous mother liquor solution; (b) reacting the monoethanolamine sulfate with sulfuric acid to form an aqueous solution comprised of monoethanolamine bisulfate; (c) heating the aqueous solution comprised of the monoethanolamine sulfate and optionally added monoethanolamine sulfate to yield 2-aminoethyl hydrogen sulfate ester; (d) reacting the ester with ammonium sulfite or an alkali sulfite to yield taurine and ammonium or alkali sulfate; (e) separating taurine and ammonium or alkali sulfate to give an aqueous mother liquor solution; and (f) recovering the monoethanolamine sulfate from the aqueous mother liquor solution and recycling to the monoethanolamine sulfate to step (b).

There is disclosed a cyclic process for producing taurine from monoethanolamine comprising the steps of: (a) recovering monoethanolamine sulfate from an aqueous mother liquor solution; (b) reacting the monoethanolamine sulfate with sulfuric acid to form an aqueous solution comprised of monoethanolamine bisulfate; (c) heating the aqueous solution comprised of the monoethanolamine sulfate and optionally added monoethanolamine sulfate to yield 2-aminoethyl hydrogen sulfate ester; (d) reacting the ester with ammonium sulfite or an alkali sulfite to yield taurine and ammonium or alkali sulfate; (e) separating taurine and ammonium or alkali sulfate to give an aqueous mother liquor solution; and (f) recovering the monoethanolamine sulfate from the aqueous mother liquor solution and recycling to the monoethanolamine sulfate to step (b).

There is disclosed a cyclic process for producing taurine from monoethanolamine comprising the steps of: (a) recovering monoethanolamine sulfate from an aqueous mother liquor solution; (b) reacting the monoethanolamine sulfate with sulfuric acid to form an aqueous solution comprised of monoethanolamine bisulfate; (c) heating the aqueous solution comprised of the monoethanolamine sulfate and optionally added monoethanolamine sulfate to yield 2-aminoethyl hydrogen sulfate ester; (d) reacting the ester with ammonium sulfite or an alkali sulfite to yield taurine and ammonium or alkali sulfate; (e) separating taurine and ammonium or alkali sulfate to give an aqueous mother liquor solution; and (f) recovering the monoethanolamine sulfate from the aqueous mother liquor solution and recycling to the monoethanolamine sulfate to step (b).

The present invention relates to the use of cations or compounds forming stable cations in the production of alkane sulfonic acids as well as methods to produce methane sulfonic acids employing the cations as catalyst.

The present invention relates to the use of cations or compounds forming stable cations in the production of alkane sulfonic acids as well as methods to produce methane sulfonic acids employing the cations as catalyst.

A process for manufacturing of an alkanesulfonic acid, and an alkanesulfonic acid manufactured by the process. Aspects of the process may involve manufacturing an alkanesulfonic acid by reaction of an initiator composition with an alkane and sulfur trioxide by preparing an initiator composition by reacting aqueous hydrogen peroxide with alkanesulfonic acid and/or H.sub.2SO.sub.4; and reacting the initiator composition with sulfur trioxide and alkane to form an alkanesulfonic acid, wherein an alkane with a purity of at least 98.0 mol-% is used.

A process for manufacturing of an alkanesulfonic acid, and an alkanesulfonic acid manufactured by the process. Aspects of the process may involve manufacturing an alkanesulfonic acid by reaction of an initiator composition with an alkane and sulfur trioxide by preparing an initiator composition by reacting aqueous hydrogen peroxide with alkanesulfonic acid and/or H.sub.2SO.sub.4; and reacting the initiator composition with sulfur trioxide and alkane to form an alkanesulfonic acid, wherein an alkane with a purity of at least 98.0 mol-% is used.