Process for sulfonation of 2-aminoethanol hydrogen sulfate ester to produce taurine

Abstract

A process comprises continuously adding a first stream and a second stream to a sulfonation vessel, wherein the first stream comprises aminoethanol sulfate ester (AES) and the second stream comprises an aqueous solution of sodium sulfite (Na2SO3). The process comprises continuously mixing the AES and the aqueous solution of Na2SO3 in the sulfonation vessel, thus producing a mixture. The process comprises continuously subjecting the mixture to heat in the presence of an inert gas, thus converting the AES to the taurine via sulfonation. In an aspect, the AES has a residence time of no more than four hours in the sulfonation vessel. In an aspect the heating step is conducted at a temperature of at least 115° C. and a pressure of at least 200 psi.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.