Processes for making surfactants via absorptive separation and products thereof

A process for preparing a modified alkylarylsulfonic acid comprising the steps of:

• (a)(1) providing a hydrocarbon feed selected from the group consisting of olefinic feeds, paraffinic feeds and mixtures thereof, said hydrocarbon feed comprising branched aliphatic hydrocarbons having from about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms;
• (a)(2) separating said hydrocarbon feed into:
• i. at least one branched-enriched stream comprising an increased proportion of branched acyclic hydrocarbons relative to said hydrocarbon feed;
• and
• ii. optionally, one or more of the following streams:
• a. a linear-enriched stream comprising an increased proportion of linear aliphatic hydrocarbons relative to said hydrocarbon feed;
• and
• b. a reject stream comprising cyclic and/or aromatic hydrocarbons;
• wherein the step of separating comprises a step selected from the group consisting of:
• adsorptive separation using porous media;
• clathration using a clathrating compound selected from urea, thiourea, alternative clathrating amides and mixtures thereof;
• and mixtures thereof;
• wherein said step of separating comprises a simulated moving bed adsorptive means comprising:
• at least one bed holding said porous media and/or clathrating compound;
• and a device for simulating motion of said porous media and/or clathrating compound countercurrent to a hydrocarbon stream in said at least one bed;
• (b) when said hydrocarbon feed comprises less than about 5% of olefins, at least partially dehydrogenating the said at least one branched-enriched stream;
• and
• (c) reacting said at least one branched-enriched stream produced from step (a)(2) and/or said dehydrogenated branched-enriched stream from step (b), with an aromatic hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of:
• benzene, toluene and mixtures thereof, in the presence of an alkylation catalyst to produce a modified alkylaryl;
• (d) sulfonating the modified alkylaryl of step (c) to produce a modified alkylarylsulfonic acid.