PROCESS FOR SULFATION/SULFONATION OF ORGANIC COMPOUND AND PRODUCTION OF SURFACTANT BY THE PROCESS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stably control the defoamation of product in the sulfation/ sulfonation of a specific organic compound with a specific sulfur compound by controlling the difference between the acid value of the product after the reaction and that of the product after the separation of gas from the reaction product under reduced pressure within a specific range. SOLUTION: A sulfated product or a sulfonated product having constant quality is produced by the continuous sulfation/sulfonation reaction of a compound selected from an organic hydroxy compound, an organic aromatic compound, an organic olefin compound and an organic higher fatty acid ester compound with a sulfur compound selected from sulfur trioxide gas and chlorosulfonic acid by measuring the acid value of the product after the above reaction and after the separation of gas from the reaction product under reduced pressure and controlling the operation condition of the separation process in such a manner as to keep the difference between both acid values within a specific range, thereby quickly seizing the variation caused by the apparatus characteristics and the external disturbance. The process is especially useful for the production of a compound such as alkylsulfate, α-olefinsulfonate, etc.