Process for preparing benzothiazole sulfenimides using an aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent

In the process of producing N-alkyl- or N-cycloalkyl-2-benzothiazole sulfenimides by the reaction of the corresponding N-alkyl- or N-cycloalkyl-2-benzothiazole sulfenamide with an acid having an ionization constant, K.sub.a, which is greater than 0.001 at 25.degree. C., the improvement wherein the reaction is performed in a reaction medium consisting essentially of aliphatic hydrocarbons, in which reaction medium neither the starting sulfenamide material nor the sulfenimide product is more than slightly soluble.