Sulphuric esters obtained by treating olefines, which contain at least nine carbon atoms, but no free or combined carboxy group, or non-primary monohydric alcohols derived therefrom, or mixtures thereof, with sulphonating agents until the products are soluble but are saponified by heating with a 10 per cent aqueous hydrochloric acid solution are used as dispersing and cleansing agents. In examples (1) pentatriacontanol obtained by reducing stearone is sulphonated with oleum: (2) a mixture of olefines, mainly cetene, obtained by distilling a wax, such as spermaceti, is sulphonated with sulphuric acid: (3) tetradecene, octadecene and dodecene are similarly sulphonated, but at a lower temperature: (4) a mixture of olefines obtained by splitting off water from the oxidation products of naphthenes, after freeing from acids and unoxidized material, is sulphonated with sulphuric acid. The following starting materials for the sulphonation are also specified: tertiary alcohols and ketones and ethers containing at least one non-primary hydroxy group, and/or a double linkage. The sulphuric esters may be used alone or in association with other wetting or emulsifying agents such as soaps, turkey red oils, sulphonic acids, especially polynuclear aromatic sulphonic acids, protective colloids, e.g. glue, gelatine, vegetable mucilages or gums, salts, e.g. soda, sodium bicarbonate, waterglass, common salt, normal or acid sodium sulphate, organic solvents, e.g. ethylene glycol monocresyl ether, cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone or trichlorethylene, bleaching agents, e.g. perborates, percarbonates, sodium p-toluenesulphonic chloramide.ALSO:Sulphuric esters are obtained by treating olefines which contain at least nine carbon atoms, but no free or combined carboxy group, or non-primary monohydric alcohols derived therefrom, or mixtures thereof, with sulphonating agents at a temperature of 35 DEG C. or below. The products are soluble in water, but are saponified by heating with a 10 per cent aqueous hydrochloric acid solution. The sulphonation may be effected in the presence of diluents, e.g. carbon tetrachloride, ether, trichlorethylene nitrobenzene or acetic acid. The esters are stated to be wetting, cleansing, dispersing and emulsifying agents and in general as assistants in the treatment of single fibres, yarns, and animal, vegetable and synthetic fabrics and textiles. They may also be used as emulsifying and dispersing agents in the production of inks, emulsions for oiling fabrics and coating preparations, and mixed with normal or basic salts of the alkalies or of ammonia or amines, e.g. sodium sulphate, bisulphate, carbonate, phosphate, chloride, acetate, tartrate or benzoate, they form agents for washing and fulling. Sizes are improved by the addition of the esters or their salts, the treated materials, e.g. organsin silk being rendered soft and supple and at the same time weighted. Wool dyed with metal compounds of dyestuffs is also softened by addition of the esters to the treatment baths. The esters are effective in neutral, acid and alkaline baths and wool may be degreased in a neutral bath containing the esters, in the absence of alkali. In dyeing mixed fabrics of cotton or artificial silk and wool or silk with substantive dyestuffs, dyeing of the latter is avoided by the addition of the esters, without the dyeing of the cotton or cellulose derivatives, e.g. viscose or cellulose esters, e.g. nitrocellulose being affected. In examples: (1) pentatriacontanol obtained by reducing stearone is sulphonated with oleum: (2) a mixture of olefines, mainly cetene, obtained by distilling a wax, such as spermaceti, is sulphonated with sulphuric acid: (3) tetradecene, octadecene and dodecene (obtained by splitting off water from dodecyl alcohol) are similarly sulphonated, but at a lower temperature: (4) a mixture of olefines obtained by splitting off water from the oxidation products of naphthenes, after freeing from acids and unoxidized material, is sulphonated with sulphuric acid. The product may be used in carbonizing processes: (5) wool is scoured by means of an aqueous solution of the product of example 4, a pure wool fat is obtained as a bye-product: (6) an oiling preparation, suitable for oiling fibrous material before spinning, for oiling shoddy and impregnating and reviving dyed fabrics is obtained by emulsifying paraffin or other oil by means of the product of example 4; a protective colloid, e.g. glue and a saponaceous material may be added: (7) the product of example 3 is added to the dye-bath for dyeing woollen cheviot when using the bad levelling dyes Anthraquinone Blue SR and wool fast yellow 3G in the presence of sulphuric acid: (8) the product of example 4 is added to the dye-bath, which may contain bast soap when dyeing silk: (9) hanks of viscose silk are treated with an aqueous solution of the product of example 2 in order to render them soft and supple: (10) the triethanolamine salt of the product of example 3 is added to a magnesium sulphate bath used for weighting cotton: a mixed fabric containing wool and viscose silk is dyed first with an acid bath of Orange II, and then in a bath containing the product of example 3, Glauber's salt and Oxamine Pure. The latter does not affect the wool: (12) a sulphuric ester is added to a solution of aniline salt and the whole then introduced into a solution of potassium chromate acidified with sulphuric acid or a mixture of sulphuric and hydrochloric acids. Hanks dyed with aniline black, by means of such a bath, are resistant to rubbing: (13) impurities such as waxes, fats and hemicellulose are removed from cotton yarn, piece goods, &c., by means of an aqueous solution of the product of example 3: (14) the product of example 3 is added to a mercerizing bath: (15) wool is washed with an aqueous solution of the sodium salt of the sulphuric esters obtained from the mixed of non-primary alcohols which result on oxidizing naphthenes. The washing liquor may be acid in reaction. The following starting materials are also specified: tertiary alcohols and ketones and ethers containing at least one non-primary hydroxy group, and/or a double linkage. The sulphuric esters may be used alone or in association with other wetting or emulsifying agents, such as soaps, turkey-red oils, sulphonic acids, especially polynuclear aromatic sulphonic acids, protective colloids, e.g. glue, gelatine, vegetable mucilages or gums, salts, e.g. soda, sodium bicarbonate, waterglass, common salt, normal or acid sodium sulphate, organic solvents, e.g. ethylene, glycol monocresyl ether (obtained from glycolchlorhydrin and sodium cresolate), cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone or trichlorethylene, bleaching agents, e.g. perborates, percarbonates, sodium p-toluenesulphonic chloramide. Specifications 247,714, 267,924, 279,990, 294,572, 303,281, 303,917, 307,709, 308,824, 317,039, 318,610, [all in Class 2 (iii), Dyes &c.], and 343,098 are referred to.ALSO:Sulphuric esters obtained by treating olefines, which contain at least nine carbon atoms, but no free or combined carboxy group, or non-primary monohydric alcohols derived therefrom, or mixtures thereof, with sulphonating agents until the products are soluble but are saponified by heating with a 10 per cent aqueous hydrochloric acid solution are used as a constituent of sizes. In examples: (1) pentatriacontanol obtained by reducing stearone is sulphonated with oleum; (2) a mixture of olefines, mainly cetene, obtained by distilling a wax, such as spermaceti, is sulphonated with sulphuric acid; (3) tetradecene, octadecene and dodecene are similarly sulphonated, but at a lower temperature; (4) a mixture of olefines obtained by splitting off water from the oxidation products of naphthenes, after freeing from acids and unoxidized material, is sulphonated with sulphuric acid. The following starting materials for the sulphonation are also specified: tertiary alcohols and ketones and ethers containing at least one non-primary hydroxy group, and/or a double linkage. The sulphuric esters may be used alone or in association with other wetting or emulsifying agents such as soaps, turkey red oils, sulphonic acids, especially polynuclear aromatic sulphonic acids, protective colloids, e.g. glue, gelatine, vegetable mucilages or gums, salts, e.g. soda, sodium bicarbonate, waterglass, common salt, normal or acid sodium sulphate, organic solvents, e.g. ethylene glycol monocresyl ether (obtained from glycolchlorhydrin and sodium cresolate), cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone or trichlorethylene, bleaching agents, e.g. perborates, percarbonates, or sodium p-toluenesulphonic chloramide.