CA2116320A1

CA2116320A1 - Compositions for textile material washing

Info

Publication number: CA2116320A1
Application number: CA002116320A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Annick Du Vosel; Giuseppe Muratori; Paolo Colombo; Edoardo Faccetti; Santina Verzellino
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Enichem SpA
Priority date: 1993-02-24
Filing date: 1994-02-23
Publication date: 1994-08-25
Also published as: ZA941145B; IT1263963B; BR9400654A; ITMI930350A0; NZ250923A; PL302324A1; HU9400532D0; AU5527394A; CN1094086A; HUT66420A; MXPA94001356A; EP0612842A3; ITMI930350A1; KR940019849A; EP0612842A2; JPH06299192A

Abstract

"COMPOSITIONS FOR TEXTILE MATERIAL WASHING"
A b s t r a c t Compositions for washing textile materials in automatic washing cycles characterized in that they contain, as builder additives, one or more polyamino acid(s) at a level of less than 5% by weight.

Description

21163~
1.

"COMPOSITIONS FOR TEXTILE MATERIAL ~ASHING"
The present invention re~ates to conpositions for ~ash;ng texti~e materia~s in automatic cyc~es characterized in that the bui~der additives contained in said compositions are constituted by, or co~prise, in mixture with conventiona~ bui~ders, one or more po~yaminoacid~s) at a leve~ of Less than SX by ~eight.
~ y the term "textile materia~s", ~ithin the context of the instant invention, ~oven materiaLs or texti~e fibres either of natura~ origin or man-made, are meant.
8y the terms "composition", "formu~ation" or "formulate", those products are meant ~ithin the context of the present invention, ~hich are designed for use in texti~e materia~s washing.
It is ~ide~y kno~n that the detergency products are among the causes of the presence of phosphorus in waters: among a~ of them, the effect of sodium tripolyphosphate ~STPP), used as a detergency builder, ~as evidenced.
Also kno~n are the efforts aiming at searching for a~ternatives to po~yphosphates, but the solutions tried from time to time not aLways supplied satisfactory resu~ts because, ~hen STPP is either re~oved or its content in formu~ates is reduced, the negative effect on the ~ashing process is greater than as expected from the simp~e decrease in se~uestering capabi~ities of the detergent matrix.
This unsatisfactory situation results from the impossibi~ity of ~ocat;ng a product ~hich disp~ays the 21~320 sane character;stics as of SPTT, i.e., bes;des contro~ing ~ater hardness, acting as a buffer, and acting as a soi~ re~ease and soi~ suspending agent, as ~e~ as perforning soi~ anti-redeposition actions.
The most wide~y used compound in order to rep~ace STPP in such formulates, is Zeolite A ~sodium alu~ino si~icate).
At present, Zeolite A is used both in powder and in ~iquid compositions 1û As regards the negative effects on the environment, this product is acceptab~e: it does not constitute a risk for ~ater bodies and, by being inorganic and insolub~e, it does not increase the aoD
~oad to ~aste ~aters treating facilities.
From the vie~ point of detergency, Zeolite A
disp~ays good adsorption capabi~ities for dyes and pigments re~eased by fabrics and its ion-exchange capability increases ~ith increasing temperature.
Dra~backs are its s~ow exchange kinetics, in 2û particu~ar as regards magnesium, its absence of buffering action, and its having to be dispersed.
Therefore, Zeo~ite A is a~ays used in association ~ith other components (referred to as "bui~der additives" or "co-bui~ders").
The presently used products for such a purpose, in association ~ith Zeo~ite A, are sodium salts of poLymeric po~ycarboxy acids.
Among those po~yneric po~ycarboxy acids ~hich ~ere eva~uated for that purpose, acryLic acid-ma~eic anhydride copo-ymers are those ~hich proved to be the ~ost efficient ones.
These products are good co~p-exing agents, disp-ay good soi- dispersing and anti-redeposition capabi~ities, i~prove the texture of ~aundry detergents, preventing c-umps from getting formed.
O~ing to the fact that, as ~el~ kno~n, the po-ymeric po~ycarboxy acids, by being provided with a ~ -C-C- backbone, are rather s~o~y biodegraded, intense efforts ~ere carried out aiming at deve~oping a~ternative compounds displaying simi-ar performance characteristics, additiona~y ~ith improved biodegradabi~ity.
The improvement in biodegradabi~ity was the starting point for the definition of bui~ders ~hich might prove to be a va~uab~e rep~acement for those bui~ders ~hich are used at present. Thus, copo~ymers of ma-eic anhydride and/or acry~ic acid ~ith natura-substances, as starch or dextrins, copo~ymers of ma~eic anhydride and substances capab~e of contributing a~y- and viny~ moieties, ma~eic anhydridelethy-ene oxide copo~ymers, g~yoxy-ic acid/forma-dehyde copo-ymers, and so forth, ~ere studied, unfortunate-y ~ith resu~ts ~hich are far from the desired outGomes.
At present, most ~aundry detergents contain from 2 to 4% of po-y~ers, usua--y acry~ic-ma~eic copo-ymers, a-so combined uith other bui~ders.
It is kno~n as we~ ritish patent No.
1,404,814) that functiona~ized po~yaminoacids can be used as surfactants, by being obtained by reacting 4. 2116320 po~yimidic derivatives ~ith ~ong-chain al;phatic amines; from the control of the type of chain of the ~atter, or fro~ the poly~erization degree of the po~yimide, the possibilities of se~ecting the end characteristics of the interesting po~ya~inoacid arise.
Ho~ever, the products disclosed in said 8ritish patent do not seem to possess, at the h;ghest level, that desired bat-ance ~f-properties ~hich cou~ a~-~o~
them to be more genera~ly used in other app~ications than as suggested, i.e., just to briefly ~ist them, such characteristics as biodegradability, ~ack of toxicity, Lack of irritant effects, high ~ater soLubi~ity, ~hich -- besides detergent properties --deter m ine the app~icability and use versatility inconsequent formu~ations.
From European Patent Application Public. No. 454 126 it is kno~n as ~e~ that po~yaminoacids, or their derivatives, can be used as builders or co-builders in detergent fornu~ations, because they disp~ay extreme~y good ca~cium comp~exing capabi~ities and inhibit the formation of CaC03 crysta~ germs, provided that they are used at concentrations of not Less than 5Z.
The products set forth in the above said app~ication disp~ay good effectiveness as comp~exing agents, high heat and pH stabi~ity, are not toxic, not irritating and are tota~y biodegradab~e, ~hich ~ou~d enab~e them to be used without causing environmenta~
prob~ems to arise.
Ho~ever, the use of such concentrations as 5. 211~32~

disc~osed in the above said paten~ appl;cat;on might lead to prob~ems of excessive organ;c ~oadings ;n the ~aste ~aters.
The present App~;cant has found no~, ~hat is the object of the present ;nvention, that the above said dra~back can be complete~y eliminated ;f detergent formu~ations are used ~hich comprise, as buiLders or co-bu;lders, po~yaminoac;ds at concentrations comprised ~ithin the range of from 0.5 to SX by ~eight; part;cu~ar advantages ~ere atta;ned ~hen po~yaspartates ~ere used.
Th;s resu~t is alL the more so surprising, because it ;s kno~n that a~though they display good trans;t;on meta~ complexing capabi~ities, such am;no acids as L-aspartic acid and L-glutamic acid are unab~e to form stab~e comp~exes ~ith alkaline or a~ka~;-earth metals CAnge~. Chem. Ind. Engl;sh Ed., 29 ~1990) 1090-1103~.
Therefore, in its ~idest form, the present Zû invention re~ates to su;tabLe compositions for textile mater;a~ ~ash;ng, character;zed ;n that they conta;n surfactants and other sa~ts.
As an;on;c surfactants, ~e may remind here, for exemp~;fy;ng purposes, sod;um, potass;um or ammon;um salts of ~;near-cha;n C10-C20 fatty acids, aLky~
su-fates, a~ky~benzene su~fonates, alkane su~fonates, hydroxya~kane su~fonates, a~kene sulfonates and a~ky~
ethoxy sulfates; ~e furthermore ~;sh to cite various su-fonates, such as alkyL su~fosuccinates and a~ka~i-meta~ and/or ammonium N-acy~-N-methy~ taurinates, and so forth, or ~ixtures thereof.
As non;onic surfactants ~e ~ou~d mention, for exemp~ifying purposes, the products of condensation of ethy-ene oxide ~ith substances containing active hydrogen atons, such as C10-C~ fatty acids; as ~e~ as amides, fatty alcohols and amines, sucrose esters and alkyl phenols ~ith C6-C12 alkyl chains; as nonionic surfactants, aLso amino oxides may be cited.
As ampholytic surfactants, may we cite in genera~
those compounds ~hich derive from aliphatic amines, characterized by the presence of at least one C8-Cl8 chain and at least one chain containing a hydrophy~ic anionic moiety, e.g., a carboxy or sulfonic acid group.
Those agents ~hich complex alkali-earth cations according to the present invention, are common~y defined as "builders" and, as a~ready said, perform severa~ positive actions for the purposes of good textile ~ashing results. One of most important among these actions, consists in sequestering meta~ ions, in particular aLka~i-earth meta~ ions, ~hich constitute the ~ater hardness (Ca~, Mg~). For use as "builders", the prior art suggests severa~ inorganic compounds such as, e.g., ~ater-so~ub~e a~kaLine sa~ts, such as carbonates, silicates, etc., or ~ater inso~ub~e compounds, such as alumino si~icates, e.g., natural or ; synthetic zeo~ites; furthermore, ~ater so~ub~e organic compounds such as a~ka~i-meta~ or ammonium salts of po~ycarboxy acids ~citric acid, carboxy-methyloxy succinic acid, oxydisuccinic acid, and so on), are 7.

suggested.
Among most suitab~e optical brighteners for simu~taneous texti~e ~ashing and br;ghtening, the opticaL brighteners from DAA ~aminostilbene-disulfonic S derivatives~, DP tpyrazolinic~ and AC (a~ino-coumarinic~ series may be nentioned here.
~ henever so required, said formulations may contain, as bleaching agents, oxidixing or reducing compounds, such as, e.g., hydrogen peroxide, alkali-metal perborate, preferably sodium perborate, sodiumpercarbonate, hypochLorites, ch~orites, phosphites, hydrosulfites.
In the event of use of persalts or hydrogen peroxide in formulations for ~o~-temperature textile ~ashing, the use is suggested of bleach activators, such as, e.g., tetraacetylenediamine, TAGU, pentaacetyl glucose, nonanoyl phenol sulfonate tsodium salt), and so forth.
As an alternative, for lo~-temperature wash requirements, the use is possible of organic peroxides, such as peracetic acid, dodecanediperdioic acid, phthalimino caproic acid, and so forth.
Uesides the already mentioned ingredients, the formu~ates according to the present invention may obviously contain other common ingredients, such as, e.g., perfumes, antifoaming agents, stabilizers, - anticaking agents, buffering agents, through-the-~ash co-our protecting agents, and, final~y, extenders, such as, e.g., sodium sulfate.
Furthermore, the formulates according to the , _ ,,,,, , . , , . , .. , . ., . . . . ... , . .. .. . . ... . . , .. , .. .. . ... _ 8. 2116320 present invent;on also contain at least one poly-amino acid, ~hich can a~so be in partial~y solidified form~
at a concentration comprised ~ithin the range of from 0.5 to 5X by ~eight and, possibly, a conventiona~ co-bui~der se~ected fro~ the copolymers of ma~e;canhydride and/or acry-ic acid w;th such natura~
substances as starch or dextrins or gLucose, copolymers of maleic anhydride and compounds bearing a~lyl or v;ny~ moieties, ma~eic anhydride/ eehyt-ene oxide copolymers, glyoxylic acid/formaLdehyde copolymer, and stil~ other polyelectrolytes.
The molecu~ar ~eight of useable polyaminoacids can be comprised within the range of from 1,000 to 300,000, preferably of from 10,000 to 100,000, ~ith a sa~ification degree preferably comprised ~ithin the range of from 70 to 85%.
In the formulations according to the present invention, al~ those aminoacids can be used ~hich are disclosed in above cited European Patent Application Public.
No. 454 126, including polyaspartic actd and its salts. ;~ ~-An exemplifying, ho~ever non-limitative, composition for the detergent formulations according to the present invention, can be as follo~s:
25 * Surfactants 5-40% by ~eight * 4A Zeo~ite 5-50X by veight * Po~ymer 0.5-5X by ~eight * Sodium perborate tetrahydrate 0-30X by ~eight * Tetraacetyl ethylene diamine 0-5X by ~eight 30 * Sodium disilicate 0-10X by ~eight * Sodium carbonate 5-25X by ~eight 9.

* CMC 0-2X by ~eight * Enzy~es 0-1X
* Perfume, ant;foa~ers, etc. 0-2X
* Sodium su~fate + H20 ~.s. to 100%
The fol~owing examp~e is supp~ied in order to further i~Lustrate the invention. The effectiveness of the present products is aLso evidenced.
ExamDle ~ash tests ~ere carried out by using formu~ations which contained either sodium salts of po~yaminoacids as co-bui~ders, or, as reference, 85%-sa~ified 1:2 maleic-acrylic copo~ymers ~ith an average molecu~ar ~eight of 75,000, as ~ell as mixtures thereof.
The test conditions ~ere as fo~lo~s:
15 * Tested fabrics EMPA 103 (combined strips) ~hite ~fK cloth * ~ash temperature 90C
* ~ater hardness 40fH
20 * Washing liquor pH 10.5 * Detergent concentration 10 g/l The composition ~va~ues as X by ~eight) of the detergent used ~as the fol~o~ing:
* C11-C13 alky~benzene suLfonate 7.0 ZS * C12-C22 soap 2.0 * Lialet-145-7 E0 ~oxo C14ls a~coho~ ~ 7.0 mo~ of E0) 5.0 * Po~ymer 0 - 4 * 4A Zeo~ite 27.0 30 * Sodiun perborate tetrahydrate 20.0 * Tetraacety~ ethy~enediamine 4.0 10.

* Sodium disilicate 3.0 * Sodium carbonate 10.0 * Enzy~e 0.4 * Sodiu~ suLfate + H20 q.s. to 100 No carboxr~ethyLceLLuLose tCMC) ~as added in order to better evidence the perfor~ance of the poCymers; furthermore, optical brighteners ~ere aLso excluded.
The tests ~ere carried out ~ithout po~y~sr; in the presence of acry~ic/maLeic copoLymer; in the presence of t~o different sampLes of po~yaspartic acid; and in the presence of a bLend of acryLic/maLeic copo~ymers and poLyaspartic acid.
The resu~ts are summarized in foLLo~ing TabLes 1 and 2.
TabLe 1 ~Detergent capabilities) _____________---------------- .~ . ~:
Oily soil 23.7 25.1 26.6 26.126.3 Prote~nic soll 55.2 57.2 57.7 55;5~ 56.8 Oxidizable soil 48.2 53.5 52.1 52.452.8 Average value 42.4 45.3 45.5 44.745.3 ~
Remarks ~ i 1 = No po~ymers 2 = Sodium saLt ~85X) of acryLic-maleic copoLymer ~moLecu~ar ~eight C~] = 75,000) ~4X) 3 = Sodium saLt t80X) of poLyaspartic acid tm~ =
; 12,000) t4X) 4 = Sodium saLt ~80X) of poLyaspartic acid tm~ =
70,000) ~4X) L ?~

11 .

5 = Sodium sa~t of acrr~ic-maleic copolymer ~Z%) sod;um sa~t of po~yaspart;c acid (m~ = 70,000) (2X).
Fron the data reported in Tab~e 1, one may infer that polyaspartate supplies detergency performances ~hich are at ~east comparab~e to those offered by the commercia~ copo~ymers.
In Tab~e 2, the data are reported ~h;ch relate to the va~ues of residual incrustations on o~ after different numbers of ~ash cycLes, ~hich ~ere obtained ~ith the above cited formu~ates.
Table 2 (Ash content) ______________ :
155 cycles 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.5 10 cycles 1.1 0.6 1.0 0.7 0.7 15 cycles 1.4 0.7 1.1 0.8 0.8 The data reported in Tab~e 2 confirm that po~yaspartic ac;d disp~ays pr;mary and secondary Z0 detergency performance3 ~h;ch are perfect~y acceptable and any~ay are equ;va~ent to those as offered by the commerc;a~ly availab~e copo~ymers.

' 25

Claims

1. Powder and liquid compositions suitable for textile material washing, comprising from 5 to 40% by weight of one or more surfactant(s), from 5 to 50% by weight of Zeolite A, from 0.5 to 70% by weight of one or more additive(s) selected from bleaches, bleach activators, builders, enzymes, stabilizers, antifoaming agents, perfumes and from 0.5 to 5% by weight of at least one polyaminoacid, either as such or partially salified, and possibly from 0.2%
to 2.5% of a conventional co-builder selected from the copolymers of maleic anhydride and/or acrylic acid with such natural substances as starch of dextrins or glucose, maleic anhydride/acrylic acid copolymers, maleic anhydride copolymers with compounds bearing allyl or vinyl groups, maleic anhydride/ethylene oxide copolymers, glyoxylic acid/formaldehyde copolymer.

2. Detergent compositions according to the preceding claim, in which said polyaminoacid is polyaspartic acid.

3. Detergent compositions according to claim 1, in which said polyaminoacid is present in salt form, which a salification degree ranging from 0 to 100%.

4. Detergent compositions according to the preceding claim, in which said polyaminoacid is present as sodium, potassium or ammonium salt.

5. Detergent compositions according to claims 2 and 3, in which said polyaminoacid is present at concentrations of 4%.