Sulfonates are popular as emulsifiers but have generally been in short supply in recent years due to changes in oil refining technology. The Allied Petrochem sulfonates are synthetic but, according to Kimes, are manufactured through a process similar to that used to produce the natural sulfonates preferred by many metalworking fluid formulators.

We think this step is important, both in terms of quantity and quality, Vice President Julie Kimes Ecker said. Supply has been tight and youre not going to see any new natural sources come on line. Our process mimics natural sulfonates more closely than existing synthetic operations.

Used in metalworking fluids to improve additive solubility, sodium sulfonates typically constitute between 5 and 20 percent of a soluble oil, making it the largest ingredient other than the base stock, itself. In years past, they were plentiful and cheap, being a by-product of the acid-treatment process used by most refiners during production of process oils and white oils.

The supply diminished in recent years, however, as more and more refiners converted to hydrotreating, which improves process and white oil yields but does not produce sulfonate. Equilon and Penreco are the only remaining U.S. companies producing neutral sodium sulfonate through acid-treatment, referred to as the natural process. Other suppliers, including Pilot Chemical, have used a variety of methods to produce synthetic sulfonates, but they usually cost more and are generally considered less forgiving to work with.

Allied Petrochem uses the same oleum sulfonation process to produce natural sulfonates but employs different feedstocks. Kimes, which already markets 12 million pounds of sulfonates annually, does not identify any of its suppliers, including the owners of Allied Petrochem.