CA2026747A1 - Detergent composition - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A fabric washing composition comprises a surfactant system including an O-alkanoyl derivative of a reducing hexose sugar such as a 6-O-alkanoyl glucoside, together with a cosurfactant. The composition has advantages in terms of cost, biodegradability and performance.

Description

rl p~:TERGENT CO~POSITION

~ his invention relates to a deterges~t compositiorl, ~
espec:ially such a composition ~uitable for the washing of fabric~ .

Fabric washing compositiosls traditionally aontair~
one or more de~ergent active ma~eri211~ in addi~iorl to various o~her ingredients ~uch a~ detergency builder~, bleaches, ~luorescer~, per~ume~ etc. A nu~ber of different cla~e~ of det¢rgent active material~ have been proposed in the art, p~rticular attention having recently been given to alkylpolyglycosidesO

We have now found that a ~;pecif ~c class; o:l~ glueo~e derivative5 have par~icular advantage~; in ter~ o~E co~t and biodegradabillty, the6e can be desc:ribed a~ glucose esters and l~elong to the cla~;~ o~ O-alkanoyl derivativ~;
of reducirlg hexc)se ~ugarE;.

- 2 - c3335 0-alkanoyl glucosides are described in International Patent Application W9 88/10147 (Novo Industri A/S). In particular the surfactant~ described therain are glucose esters with the acyl group attached in the 3~ or 6-position such as 3-0-acyl-D-glucose or ~-0-acyl-D-glucose~ International Patent Application Wo 89/01480 (Novo Industri A/S) describes glucose e~ters and t~eir preparation using specific enzymes. Ethyl 6-0-alkanoyl glucosides are suggested ~or u~e as co-surfactants in a laundry detergent composikion comprising linear alkyl benzene sulphonate and a phosphate builder.

European Patent Application EP 0 380 437 ~' (Novo-Nordisk ~/S and Proc~er and Gamble Co) describe.
the use of esters o~ monosaccharides in particular bleaching detergent ompositions which optionally compris~ linear ~lkylbenzene ~ulphonate a~ a co-sur~actant.

We have now ~ound that glucose ~sters when combined with cer~ain co-surfacants give ~urprisingly good soil removal from textiles.

Thu~, according to the invention there is ~rovided a fabric washing composition comprising a surfac~ant system co~pri~ing an 0-alkanoyl derivative of a reduclng hexo~
~ugar and a co-sur~actant ~elected from the group of anicn~c detergent actives, nonionic detergent actives, ~witterionics detergent actiYes, amphoteric detergent actives, cationic detergent active~ and ~emi-polar detergent actives except where the anionio detergent active is linear alkyl benzene sulphonate.

rJ

~ 3 - C3335 In the present invention we prefer to use a 6-0-alkanoyl glucoside, e~;pecially compounds ha~ring the formula (I):

R--C - O----~ 0 (I) --ORl 1\1 /
~0 ~ '- '~

0~ :

wherein R is an alkyl or alkenyl group having rom 7 to 18 c:arbon atoms t a~nd lRl is hydrogen or an alkyl group having ~rom 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

I~ost preferred are s~ach compounds where P~ is an alkyl ~roup, uch as ethyl or i~opropyl. Alkylation in the l-position enables such compounds to be pr pared by regiospeci~ic enzymatic synth~sis as described by Bjorkling et al. (J. Che~. Soc:., Chem. Co~mum. 1989 p9'~4) the disclose o~ which is incoxporated herein by refer~nce .

While the above deæcription concern~ surfactan~
based on glucos~, it i8 envi aged that corresponding ~aterials based on other reducing hexose ~ugars, such as galacto~e and m~m~ose are ~l;o ~uitabl~.

:

, : ~ ' "'' ',' '' : , rJ

_ 4 _ C3335 The surfac~an~ ~ystem consist~ o~ the alXanoyl glucose mixed with one or more cosur*actants. When R is at least C~, it i8 particularly pre~erred to use cosurfactants with a high H~B (~uch a~ above 10.5) and which exist in the micellar phase at concen~ration~ in water up to at least 1 g/lO When R is le~s than C9, it is preferred to use a cosur~actant with an ~LB below 10.5. The cosurfactants are s~lected from anionic or nonionic materials, although the possibility is not excluded of including zwitterionic, amphoteric, cationic or semi polar surfactants.

Preferably the co-surfactants will be present in a weight ratio of from 20:1 to 1:20, most preferably from 9:1 to 1:9 relatiYe to the alkanoyl glucoside.

Example~ of suitable anionic detergent surfactants are alkyl benzene sulphonat~s ~excepting linear alkyl benzene sulphonates), alkyl eth~r sulphates, olefin.
sulphonates, alkyl sulphates, secondary alkyl sulphonates, ~atty acid e~t~r sulphonat~s, dialkyl sulphosuccinate~, alkyl orthoxylene sulphonates and other disclosed in the literatur~, esp~cially 'Surface Active Agents' Vol. I, by Schwartz & Perry, Interscience 1949 and 'Surface Active Agents~ Vol. II by Schwart~, Perry &
Berch (Interscience 1958), in the current edition of "McCutcheon'~ Emulsifiers ~ Detergent~'~ published by the Mc~utcheon division of Manufacturing Confectioners Company or in 'Tensid-Taschenbuch9, H. Stache, 2nd Edn., Carl Hanser Verlag, ~Unchen & Wien, 1981.

Speci~ic examples of alkyl benzene sulphonate~
include alkali metal, ammonium or alkylolamine salts of alkylbenzens sulphonates haYing from 10 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl group.

.

;3 ~ d~ ~

_ 5 _ C3335 Sui~able alkyl and allcylether ~ulphates include those having from 10 to 24 carbsn ~toms in the alkyl group, the alkylether ~;ulpha~e~; have from 1 to 5 ethylene oxide groups.

Suitable olef ln sulphonates are those prepared by sulphonation of C10-C24 alpha-olef ins and ~ubs~qu~nt neutralization asld hydrolysis o~ the sulphonation reaction produc:t.

Specific exampl2s o~ alkyl sulphates, or sulphated fatty alcohol sal~s, in::lude t~ose of mixed al~cyl c:hair length, in which the ratio o~ C~2 alkyl chains to C18 alkyl chains is in the ranga of from 9:~ to 1:6.
suitable material can b~ ob~ained from a mixture of synthetic lauryl and oleyl alcohol~ in approp~iate properties .

Specific ç~x~mples o~ fatty acid ester sulphonates includ~ ths~se of the general formula Rl--CH--Ct3OR2 I

wherein R1 is derived ~rom tallow, palm or coconut oil and R~ hort chain alkyl group such a~ bu~yl.

Sp~c~fic example~ of diallcyl ~3ulphnsuccinates include thos~ in which both alkyl substitll~nt contains at 1QaSt 4 carbon atoms, and tQg~th~r contain 12 to 20 carbon atoms in total, ~uch as di~C8 alkyl s~llphc)succinate .

. . ~ .
.

~ . . . . . . .
: .
. -- .

.
.. . .

Speci~ic example~ of alkyl orthoxylene sulphonates include those in which the alkyl group contains ~rom 12 to 24 carbon atoms~

Othex anionic ur~ac~ants which may be use~ include alkali me~al soaps o~ a fat~y acid, preferably ~ne containing 12 to 18 carbon ~tom~. Typical o~ ~uch acid~
are oleic acid, ricinoleic acid and fatty acids derived fro~ caster oil, rapeseed oil, groundnut oil, coconut oil, palmkernal oil or mixtures thereof. ~he sodium or potassium soaps of these acids can be used. As well as fulfilling the role of surfactants, s~ap~ can act as detergency builders or fabric cond~tioners~

Suitable nonionic surfactants which may be used are alkoxylated materials which are the reaction products of compounds having a hydrophobic group and a r~active hy~rogen atom, for example aliphatic alcohols, acide, amides or alkyl phenols with al~ylene oxide~, especially ethylene oxide either alone or with propylen~ oxid Speciic alkoxylated nonionic detergent compounds are alkyl (c6 - c22~ phenols-ethylene oxide condensate~, the cond~nsation products of aliphatic (c~ ~ c~8~ prîmary or secondary linear or branched alcohols with ethylene oxide, and products made by condensation o~ ethylene oxide with the reaction products of propylene oxide and ~thylenediamine.

Alkylene oxide adducts of ~atty ~aterial~ are preferably used as the nonionic 6urfactants. The number of alkylen~ oxide groups per ~lecule ha~ a con~id~rablQ
~fect ~pon th~ HLB oP the nonionlc ~ur~actant. ~he chain length and natur2 o~ the ~tty m~terial i~ al~o in~luential, ~nd thus the pre~erred nu~ber o~ alkylene oxide group~ per moleGule d~pend~ upon the nature and chain length of th~ ~atty material.

' ~ , .' , - , , - . ,' , _ 7 _ C3335 Alkyl glycosides may be used as the nonionic sur~actant for example Cg/ll poly glyco~ideS-The compo~i~ions o the invention will generallycontain an electrolyte, preferably pre~ent in such an amount to give a concentration o~ at least 0.01 molar, most preferably at le~t 0.05 molar, most pre~erably at least o.l molar , when the composition is added to wa~er at a concentration of 1 g/l, being approximately the lowest level at which detergent compositions are used in usual practice. More usual is usage at a level of 4 to 10 g/l a~d it is desixable to achieve an electrolyte concentration of 0.05~, most pre~erably at least O.lM, when the composition is added to water at such level~
In particular, the presence o~ ele¢trolyte i~ beneicial wh~n an anionic cosurfactant is present~ ~here no anionic cosur~actant i~ u~ed, beneficial results may be obtainable where no el~ctrolyte is pre~ent~ save perhaps that originating rro~ ~he hardness o~ the wa~er which may be as low a~ 6 x lo 4 ~ol~

The level of electrolyte in the wash liquor i~ not, in practice, a parameter over whi~h the dome~tic u~er of a $abric washing product has very much ccntrol. It is determined, ln~er al~ by th~ leYel o~ water-soluble ~alts present in th~ product and the recommended dosag~
for that product. Thus ~orms of the present ~nvention using alkyl groups with a total of 16 or ~ore carbon atoms are of partiaular v~lue in two circ~mstanoes, i.e.
i) where recommended dosag~ levels are low, as for exampl~ in North Americ~ and li~ wh~r~ th~ product contains high lev~ls of water insoluble material~ a~ ~or exa~ple wher2 khe produat contains a water-in~oluble d~tergency builder material.

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; 8 - C3335 The inven~ion al~o embraces a method of washing ~abrics by contact with a was~ liquor containing, f~r example, ~rom O.s g/l to lo ~/1 of a composition as de~cribed herein.

Pre~erred compositions according ~o the inventivn include from 2~ to 50%, such as from 4% or ~% to 30~ by ~eight of the surfactant system.

It is desirable that the compositions according to the invention be approximately neutral or preferably alkaline, that is when the composi~ion is di~olved in an amount to give surfactant concentration of 1 g/l in distilled water at 25C the pH hould desira~ly be a~
l~ast 6, pref~rably at lea~t 8 and yet more pre~erably at least 10. To thi~ ~nd the composition~ may include a water-soluble alkalin~ ~alt. This salt may be a detergency builder ~as described in more detail belo~ or a non-building alkaline material.

When the compositions of the in~ention contain a detergency builder material, this may be any material capabl~ of reducing tha level o~ ~ree calcium ion~ in the wash liquor and will preferably provide th~ cQ~pos~tions with other beneficial properkie6 such a. the generation of an alkaline pH and th~ su~pensio~ ~ soil removed from the fabric.

Examples o~ pho~phorus-containing inorganic datergency builders, when pre~ent, include the water soluble salts, e~pecially alXali ~etal pyrophosphates, orthophosphate~, polypho~phate~ and phosphonat~æ. Specific exampleæ o~ inorganic pho~phate builders l~clude sodium and potassiu~ tripol~phosphat~s, or~ho phosphates and hexa~etaphosphates.

' ,' ' ' ' ... ' ', ' :

L~. ~

_ g _ C3335 Exampleq of non-phosphorus-containing inorganic detergency builders, when present, inc~ude wa~er-soluble alkali metal carbonates, bicarbonat~s, ~ilicates and crystalline and amorphous alumino s~lica~es. Speci*ic examples include odiu~ carbona~e ~with or wit~ouk calci~e ~eeds), potas ium carbonate ~with or without calcite seeds, sodium and potassium bicarbonates and ilicates.

Examples of organic deterg~ncy builders, when present include the alkali metal, ammonium and substituted ammonium polyacetates, carboxylates, polycarboxylates, polyace~yl carboxylates and polyhydroxsulphonates. Spe~i~ic example~ include sodium, potassium, lithium, ammonium an~ ~ubstituted ammonium salts of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, oxydisuccinic acid, ~elitic acid, ben~ne polycarboxylic acids and citric acid.

Apart ~rom ~he ingredien~s already mentioned, a number o~ optional ingrdient~ may also be prese~O
Examples of other ingredi~nts which may be present in the composition are polymer~ contai~ing car~oxylic or sulphonic acid groups i~ acid form or wholly or partially neutralised to sodium or potassîum ~alts, the sodium salts being preferr d. Preferred polymers are homopolymer~ and ¢opolym2rs o~ acrylic acid and/or maleic acid or maleic anhydride. O~ e~pecial interest are polyacrylates, acrylir/maleic acid copGlymer~, and acrylic pho~phinatesO

The molecular weights oP homopoly~ers and copolymexs are generally 1000 to 150,000, preferably ~00 to lOO~OOOo The a~ount o~ any polym~r may ~ie in the range ~ro~ 0.5 to 5% ~y weight of the compo~i~ion. ~ther ~u~table polymeri~ ~aterial~ ar~ celluloqe ether~ ~uch as - -: - .: .
, - . . . .

2~ 3 7 ~ b - lo - ~3335 carboxy methyl cellulose, methyl cellulosf~, hydroxy al}cyl cellulo~es, and mixed ethers, such as methyl hydroxy ethyl cellulo~e, methyl hydroxy propyl cellulose, and methyl carboxy in~thyl cellulose. Mix~ures of di~f~rent cellulose ethers, particularly mixtures c~f carboxy methyl cellulose and me~hyl cellulose, are suitable.
Polyethylene glycol of molecular weight from 400 to 50,000, preferably ~rom 1000 to 10,000, and copolymers o~
polyethylene oxide with polypropylene oxide are suitable as also are copolymer~ of polyacrylate with polyethylene glycol. Polyvinyl pyrrolidone o~ molecular weight of 10,000 to 60,000 preferably of 30,000 to 50,000 and copolymers of polyvinyl pyrrolidone with other poly pyrrolidones are suitable. Polyacrylic phosphates and related copolymers of molecular weight 1000 to 100,000, in particular 3000 to 30,000 are also suitable.

Further examples of other ingredients which may be present in the compos~tion include fabric ~o~tening.
agents such as fatty amines, fabric softening clay materials, lather booster~ such as alkanolamides, particularly the monoethanolamides derived from palm kernel fatty acids and cocon~t fa~ty acide r lather depressants, oxygen-releasing bleaching agents such as sodium perborate and sodium percarbonate, peracid bleach precursors, chlorine-releasing bleaching agents such a~
trichloroisocyanuric ac~d, inorganic ~alt~ such as sodium sulphate, and, usually pre~ent in very ~inor amounts, fluorescent agents, per~umes including deodorant perfu~es, enzymes such a~ cellulase~, proteases, lipases and amylases, germicides and colourants.

The detergent compo ition~ ~ccording to ~he inven~ion ~nay be in any suitable for including powder~, bar;, liquid23 and paste~;~ For example ~uitable liquid compositions ~ay be nsn-agueou~ or aqueou~, the latter ~,' ' ' ' . :

~' ' ' -~ ~ s~ r~

11 ~ C3335 being either iso~ropic or lamellar structured. The compositions may be prepared by a number of different methods according to their physical form. In ~h~ ca~ of granular products they may b~ prepared ~y dry-mix$ng, coagglomeration, spray drying from an aqueou~ slurry or any combination of these method~. A preferred physical ~orm is a granule incorporating a deterg~ncy builder salt. This may be prepared by conventional granulation techniques.

~XAMP~ES

In the following example , alkyl alkanoyl glucosides of formula (I) w~re used in which R was as specified below and R was ethylO

Polyester ~abric loaded with triole~n was washed in various wash liquors and using standard techniques the percentage detergency was determin~d. The wa h conditions were 20 minutes at 40C. The wash liquor containing 1 g/l o~ the gluco~ide or its mixture with other deter~ent active ~aterials as specified below and 0.05M sodiu~ m~taborate to maintain a pH o~ 1007.

Example 1 The rQsults ~or the u~e o~ the glu¢s ide a~ ~he only detergent active material were as ~ollows:

~eter~enç~

Cll 3~

C15 . 13 coconut alkyl 21 .: ' .. . ~
.
.

' ' '' ` ' ' ,.
,.

~ f~Y~

These results show a prefer~nce for the Cg s~bstituted material~

~mple 2 When the R - Cll ~ateria~ wa~ mixed in variou~
proportions with C12 alkyl benzene ~ulphonate (LAS) the results ware:

LAS/qlucoside ratio ~wt) % Deter~ y ~00/0 36 ~0/4~ 51 40l60 47 0/1~0 42 ~ hese results show a bene~it for a hAStglucoside ratio between 4:1 and 2:3.

~xample 3 When th~ R = Cll material wa~ mixed in various proportions with Cl~ alcohol etho~ylaked with an average o~ 8 ethylene oxide group~ per ~olecule (C12E8~ the results werQ:

Ç121:8/~lucoside 2~atio lw~) % DeteFq~,cy 60/40 ~

20/8~ 7~

.
.. ~ . . .
: ~-, ~ -- 13 - c3335 These results show a benefit for a ethoxylated alcohol to glucoside ratio of 4:1 to xample 4 When the R = Cll ma~erial was mixed in various proportions with SYNPROL SULP~TE ~PAS) (a primary alcohol sulphate having a partially branched alkyl chain length o~ c~3~15, obtained ~rom ICI), the results were:

PASlalucoside ratio !wt) ~ ~eteraency ~0/~o 35 40/60 3g ~0/80 ~8 0/100 ~3 These results show that this P~5 does not improve the performance o~ the glucoside alone, except at a ratio of about 1:4.

E~P~

When R = C12 alkonyl glucoeide wa~ mixed in various propor~ions with LIAL 125 PAS (primary ~lcoh41 sulphate made ~rom a C12l15 OX0 alcohol with 59~ branchin~ and of the branched material 45% butyl or greater), the results were .
'. ` ~ ' ' - .

~3 ~ 3~ ;;i' ,~ 'J

I,IAL 125 PAS/C12 alkonyl ~ r:oside % Deterqency 100/0 23 . 96 ~0/20 28 . 25 60/40 36. 44 40/60 44 . 28 20~80 ~9 . 38 0/110 42.73 These results show that LIAL 12 5 PAS improves the pl2rformance of C12 alkanoyl gluco~id0 especially at a ratio of about 1: 4 .

~xam~le 6 When R ~ 2 alkanoyl glucoside was mixed in various proportions with APG 300 ~an alkyl poly glycoside with a Cg/ll alkyl chain and a degree of polymerisation of 1. 4 suppli~d by Horizon), the results were APG 300/-C~2 alkanoyl_qlucoside % Deteraençy 100~0 53.25 80/20 60. 14 60/40 59. 50 40/60 5~ 43 20/80 52. 9~
0llOQ 42.73 ~:xa~Ple .7 When R - C12 alkanoyl gluco~id2 waæ mixed in ~rariLou~
proportions with pure sodium laurate soap the r~sults were ' '.

~ ~ s3 -~

-- 15 - c33~5 C~2 SoapLcl2 alkanoyl ~uc:osi~ ~ peter~ency lOO/O ~. 57 80/20 2~o 66 60/40 ~ 02 40/60 49~ 32 20/80 47~ 1 0/100 3~ 24 .
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.:
.

Claims (10)

1. A fabric washing composition comprising a surfactant system comprising an O-alkanoyl derivative of a reducing hexose sugar and a co surfactant selected from the group of anionic detergent actives, nonionic detergent actives, zwitterionic detergent actives, amphoteric detergent actives, cationic detergent active and semi-polar detergent actives except where the anionic detergent active is linear alkyl benzene sulphonate.

2. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the O-alkanoyl derivative is 6-O-alkanoyl glucoside.

3. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the derivative is an O-alkanoyl glucoside having the formula (I) (I) wherein R is an alkyl or alkenyl group having from 7 to 18 carbon atoms and R1 is hydrogen or an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

4. A composition according to claim 3 wherein R1 is an ethyl group.

5. A composition according to any preceding claim wherein the weight ratio of O-alkanoyl derivative to co-surfactant in the surfactant system is from 20 to 1 to 1 to 20.

6. A composition according to any preceding claim wherein the weight ratio of O-alkanoyl derivative to co-surfactant in the surfactant system is from 9 to 1 to 1 to 9.

7. A composition according to any preceding claim wherein the co-surfactant is selected from primary alcohol sulphates, soaps, ethoxylated alcohols and alkyl polyglucosides.

8. A composition according to any preceding claim wherein the co-surfactant is a primary alcohol sulphate and the weight ratio of O-alkanoyl derivative to PAS is to 1.

9. A method of washing fabrics comprising contacting the fabric with a wash liquor containing a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The fabric washing composition as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as described herein.