Acesulfame Potassium Compositions and Processes for Producing Same

A process for producing a finished acesulfame potassium composition, the process comprising the steps of:

• reacting sulfamic acid and triethylamine to form an amidosulfamic acid salt;
• reacting the amidosulfamic acid salt and diketene to form the acetoacetamide salt;
• contacting dichloromethane and a sulfur trioxide to form a cyclizing agent composition;
• reacting the acetoacetamide salt with the sulfur trioxide in the cyclizing agent composition to form a cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct;
• hydrolyzing the cyclic sulfur trioxide adduct to form an acesulfame-H composition;
• and neutralizing the acesulfame-H in the acesulfame-H composition to form crude acesulfame potassium composition comprising non-chlorinated acesulfame potassium and less than 35 wppm 5-chloro-acesulfame potassium;
• and
• forming from crude acesulfame potassium composition the finished acesulfame potassium composition comprising non-chlorinated acesulfame potassium and less than 10 wppm 5-chloro-acesulfame potassium,
• wherein contact time from the beginning of step (a) to the beginning of step (b) is less than 10 minutes.