AbstractPetroleum based detergents are neither soluble nor biodegradable; they are so stable such that when they flow into the soil, sewer or surface waters, they remain unchanged, resisting conversion into less complex and more soluble substances. In this work methyl ester sulphonate (MES) was produced by transesterification followed by sulphonation of ricinoleic acid, a main constituent of castor oil. A detergent was produced from transesterification followed by sulphonation of castor oil a...
