CA2306397A1

CA2306397A1 - An abrasive cleaner containing microcapsules

Info

Publication number: CA2306397A1
Application number: CA 2306397
Authority: CA
Inventors: Hermann Jonke; Daniela Poethkow; Alexander Ditze
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Henkel AG and Co KGaA
Priority date: 1999-04-22
Filing date: 2000-04-20
Publication date: 2000-10-22
Also published as: AR023551A1; DE19918265A1; WO2000065019A1; AU5210100A; CO5231231A1

Abstract

A thickened liquid water-based abrasive cleaner for hard surfaces containing surfactant, abrasive, thickener and microcapsules in which one or more ingredients are completely or partly encapsulated.

Description

An Abrasive Cleaner Containing Microcapsules Field of the Invention This invention relates to thickened surfactant- and abrasive-containing liquid cleaners incorporating microcapsules for cleaning hard surfaces.
Background of the Invention Abrasive cleaners are powder-form, liquid or paste-form cleaners with a high content of generally water-insoluble abrasive components, such as finely ground silica flour, marble powder and occasionally chalk, feldspar and pumice stone. In order not to damage the surfaces to be treated, the abrasive must have a very fine and uniform particle size. In order to improve cleaning performance, most abrasive cleaners contain surfactants, phosphates, soda and, optionally, bleaching, disinfecting and deodorizing agents.
Abrasive cleaners are suitable for cleaning hard surfaces, such as wood, metals, stoneware, enamel and stone in the domestic and institutional sectors. Commercially available liquid abrasive cleaners generally contain marble powder as their abrasive component. By virtue of its minimal hardness, marble powder does not leave any scratch marks behind, even on mechanically sensitive surfaces, for example tiles, glass and enamel.
After storage and transportation, the abrasive cleaner is supposed to develop its optimal effect on the object to be cleaned at the particular time of application. This means that the ingredients should not have settled, decomposed or vaporized beforehand. Elaborate and correspondingly expensive packs are able to counteract the loss of volatile components and to protect the abrasive cleaner against penetrating moisture. Chemically incompatible components can be preserved, for example, by complicated making-up in separate preparations which then have to be combined for application which involves an additional step. Light-sensitive ingredients cannot be packaged in transparent packs which enable the consumer to see both the appearance and quantity of the abrasive cleaner.
An elegant method of incorporating sensitive, chemically or physi-cally incompatible and volatile ingredients is to use microcapsules in which these ingredients are encapsulated in a storage-stable and transportable form and from which they are mechanically, chemically, thermally or enzymatically released for application or during application.
Microcapsules are finely dispersed liquid or solid phases which are coated with film-forming polymers and in the production of which the polymers are deposited onto the material to be encapsulated after emulsification and coacervation or interfacial polymerization. The micro-scopically small capsules, also known as nanocapsules, can be dried like powders. In this way, spirit, water, alcohol, pharmaceuticals, solvents, vitamins, enzymes, liquid crystals, food flavors and perfumes for example can be converted into a dry material which is unable to dry out.
Microencapsulation is used, for example, for perfume powders which, as microcapsules, are more convenient to handle and have a longer-lasting effect.
EP 0 763 595 relates to surfactant-containing structured liquid detergents which contain a sufficient quantity of salting-out electrolyte to structure the surfactants and in which "needle-like" solid particles measuring 3 to 25 pm in at least one direction are said to enable relatively large particles 200 to 1000 Nm in diameter, for example encapsulated bleach activators or enzymes, to be converted into a stable suspension.
The total surfactant content is preferably above 20% by weight and electrolyte is preferably present in quantities of 7 to 45% by weight. The solid particles, for example calcium citrate, the dihydrate of calcium sulfate and calcium or magnesium chloride, are not abrasives.
EP 0 328176 relates to surfactant- and electrolyte-containing struc-tured water-based cleaners containing a suspended phase of surfactant-containing solid particles and/or non-encapsulated drops which may contain mineral abrasive particles as another suspended phase. The sus-pended phase has a higher concentration by weight of surfactant than the aqueous phase. The total surfactant content is preferably at least 15% by weight and the viscosity is preferably below 2500 mPa~s and more preferably 1000 mPa~s at a shear rate of 21 s-'.
EP 0 397 246 describes a powder-form abrasive cleaner containing 85% by weight of abrasives in which perfume capsules up to 100 Nm in diameter with a water-insoluble brittle shell are present.
The problem addressed by the present invention was to provide high-performance liquid abrasive cleaners in which the physically or chemically incompatible or sensitive ingredients would be incorporated in a temperature-, storage- and transportation-stable, easy-to-handle and visu-ally attractive form.
Description of the Invention The present invention relates to a thickened liquid abrasive cleaner for hard surfaces containing surfactant, abrasive, thickener and microcapsules in which one or more ingredients are completely or partly encapsulated.
Quantities expressed as percentages by weight (% by weight) are always based on the abrasive cleaner as a whole, unless otherwise indicated.
The microcapsules are chemically and physically stable, more particularly spatially stable, in the abrasive cleaners according to the invention, i.e. the microcapsules do not decompose or settle in the abrasive cleaner.
The microcapsules contain at least one solid or liquid core which is surrounded by at least one continuous membrane or coating. Accordingly, in multiple-core microcapsules, also known as microspheres, two or more cores are distributed in the continuous coating material and single- or multiple-core microcapsules may be surrounded by an additional second, third etc. coating. Single-core microcapsules with one continuous coating are preferred.

The coating may consist of natural, semisynthetic or synthetic materials. Natural coating materials are, for example, gum arabic, agar, agarose, maltodextrins, alginic acid or alginic acid salts, for example sodium or calcium alginate, fats and fatty acids, cetyl alcohol, gelatine, albumin, shellac, polysaccharides, such as starch or dextran, sucrose and waxes. Semisynthetic coating materials are inter alia chemically modified celluloses, more particularly cellulose esters and ethers, for example cellulose acetate, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose, and starch derivatives, more particularly starch ethers and esters. Synthetic coating materials are, for example, polymers, such as polyacrylates, polyamides, polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinyl pyrrolidone.
The cores of the microcapsules may be solids or liquids in the form of solutions or emulsions or suspensions and preferably contain one or more active substances. Preferred active substances in the context of the invention are essential oils, for example perfumes, limonene, geraniol or nerol, components of bleaching systems, for example bleach activator, enzymes and also care components and protective components for the hard surface such as, for example, cationic polymers, silicone oils (for the care of Ceran~ surfaces) or stearyl mercaptan for protecting silver. Other active substances in the context of the invention are antibacterial agents such as, for example, benzoic acid, lactic acids, salicylic acid, sorbic acid or mixtures or salts thereof. Active substances according to the invention for improving appearance include dyes, pigments and pearlizing components.
Other active substances in the context of the invention are other ingredients typically encountered in detergents and cosmetics, including inter alia dermatologically active substances, such as vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E, D-panthenol, sericerin, collagen partial hydrolyzate, various vegetable protein partial hydrolyzates, protein hydrolyzate/fatty acid condensates, liposomes, cholesterol, vegetable and animal oils such as, for example, lecithin, soya oil, etc., plant extracts such as, for example, aloe vera, azulene, hamamelis extracts, algal extracts, etc., allantoin, A.H.A. complexes.
The microcapsules may have any shape within production-related limits, but are preferably egg-shaped or ellipsoidal or substantially 5 spherical. Their diameter along their largest spatial dimension is normally between 10 nm (visually not discernible as a capsule) and 10 mm or even larger, depending on the active substance and the application envisaged.
Visible microcapsules with a diameter of 0.01 to 6 mm are preferred, those with a diameter of 0.05 to 4 mm being particularly preferred and those with a diameter of 0.1 to 2 mm being most particularly preferred. Microcapsules invisible to the naked eye preferably have a diameter of 20 to 500 nm and more preferably in the range from 50 to 200 nm.
The microcapsules may be obtained by known methods, of which coacervation and interfacial polymerization are the most important.
Any commercially available surfactant-stable microcapsules may be used as the microcapsules, including for example the commercial products Hallcrest Microcapsules (coating material: gelatine, gum arabic) from Hallcrest, Inc. (US), Colefica Thalaspheres (coating material: maritime collagen) from Coletica (FR), Lipofec Millicapsules (coating material: alginic acid, agar agar) from Lipotec S.A. (ES), Induchem Unispheres (coating material: lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose) and Unicerin C30 (coating material: lactose, microcrystalline cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose) from Induchem AG (CH), Kobo Glycospheres (coating material: modified starch, fatty acid esters, phospho-lipids) and Softspheres (coating material: modified agar agar) from Kobo (US) and Kuhs Probiol Nanospheres (coating material: phospholipids) from Kuhs (DE).
The active substances are released from the microcapsules for or during application by mechanical, thermal, chemical or enzymatic destruction of the coating. In the case of the abrasive cleaners normally used in undiluted form, they are preferably released by mechanical action, more particularly by mechanical forces to which the microcapsules are exposed for this purpose as they leave the pack, for example in a dispensing or spray valve, for example in the form of shear forces which crush the microcapsules or - with capsule diameters beyond about 1 mm -blades which cut through the capsules, and by frictional forces to which the microcapsules are exposed in the application of the abrasive cleaner.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the abrasive cleaners contain the same or different microcapsules in quantities of 0.1 to 10% by weight, more preferably in quantities of 0.2 to 8% by weight and most preferably in quantities of 0.5 to 6% by weight.
Surfactants in the context of the teaching according to the invention are understood to be one or more anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants and amphoteric surfactants, more particularly one or more anionic and/or nonionic surfactants. The total surfactant content of the abrasive cleaners according to the invention is normally not more than 35% by weight, preferably from 0.1 to 25% by weight, more preferably from 0.2 to 20% by weight and most preferably from 0.4 to 15% by weight.
Suitable anionic surfactants are, for example, C6_22 carboxylic acids and salts thereof, Cg_~6 alkyl benzenesulfonates or alkyl benzenesulfonic acids, C~22 alkyl sulfates and C6_22 alkyl ether sulfates containing 1 to 20 (average degree of alkoxylation) ethyleneoxy and/or propyleneoxy units.
Preferred anionic surfactants are unbranched or branched, saturated or mono- or polyunsaturated Cs_22 carboxylic acids (fatty acids) and salts thereof, for example alkali metal and alkaline earth metal salts, more particularly sodium and potassium salts, and ammonium and mono-, di-and trialkylammonium salts thereof, such as monoethanolammonium salts.
Preferred fatty acids are oleic acid (9-octadecenoic acid), palmitic acid (hexadecanoic acid), stearic acid (octadecanoic acid) and mixtures thereof, more particularly palmitic/stearic acid mixtures, preferably in a molar ratio of about 1:1.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the abrasive cleaners contain one or more anionic surfactants, more particularly fatty acids and/or salts thereof, in quantities of 0.1 to 10% by weight, more preferably in quantities of 0.2 to 8% by weight and most preferably in quantities of 1 to 6% by weight.
Suitable nonionic surfactants are, for example, C6_22 fatty alcohols and oxoalcohols and products of the addition of ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide onto fatty alcohols or oxoalcohols or Cs_22 alkyl polyglycosides, more particularly alkyl polyglucosides, with a degree of oligomerization of 1 to 10 and preferably 1.1 to 2.5.
Preferred nonionic surfactants according to the invention are C~22 alkyl polyglycol ethers, more particularly alkoxylated C$_~8 fatty alcohols containing 1 to 20, preferably 2 to 14 and more preferably 3 to 10 (average degree of alkoxylation) of ethyleneoxy units (EO) and/or propyleneoxy units (PO), for example C~0-14 fatty alcohol + 1.2P0 + 6.4E0, C~2_~4 coconut alcohol + 6E0 or C~2_~4 coconut alcohol + 4E0.
In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the abrasive cleaners contain one or more nonionic surfactants, more particularly alkyl polyglycol ethers, in quantities of 0.1 to 10% by weight, more preferably in quantities of 0.2 to 7% by weight and most preferably in quantities of 0.5 to 5% by weight.
Suitable amphoteric surfactants are, for example, betaines corre-sponding to the formula (R~)(R2)(R3)N+CH2C00~, in which R' is a C8_25 and preferably C~0.2~ alkyl group optionally interrupted by hetero atoms or groups of hetero atoms and R2 and R3 may be the same or different and represent alkyl groups containing 1 to 3 carbon atoms, more particularly Coo-~s alkyl dimethyl carboxymethyl betaine and C»_» alkylamidopropyl dimethyl carboxymethyl betaine.
Suitable cationic surfactants are, for example, quaternary ammo-nium compounds with the general formula (R4N+)X- more particularly those in which the nitrogen group is substituted by too long and too short alkyl groups, for example dimethyl distearyl ammonium chloride.

The abrasive cleaners according to the invention contain one or more abrasives. The abrasive is preferably a fine-particle material with a mean particle size of about 5 Nm to 100 Nm, at most 10% of the particles having a particle size of more than 150 Nm. The mean particle size of the particles forming the solid phase is preferably 10 Nm to 80 Nm and more preferably 10 Nm to 60 Nm, the maximum particle size being below 200 pm and more particularly below 150 Nm. The mean particle size is based on the volume distribution of the particles which may be determined by known methods (for example by the Coulter Counter method).
A water-insoluble, a substantially water-insoluble or a water-soluble material may be used as the abrasive. The water-insoluble abrasives which may be used for the purposes of the present invention include, for example, silica flour, aluminium oxide, marble powder, chalk, pumice stone, layer silicates and/or feldspar.
Substantially water-insoluble abrasives are, for example, poorly soluble salts, such as anhydrite, anhydrous CaS04. Anhydrite is distin-guished in particular by the fact that it is particularly easy to rinse off or wash off after application of the abrasive cleaner. Preferred anhydrite is colorless, i.e. is not visibly colored by impurities, and has a mean particle size as determined by sieve analysis of about 26 pm, about 10% having a particle size of up to 3.5 Nm and 90% a particle size of up to 61 Nm. One such anhydrite is commercially available as Calciumanhydrit 8~ from Siidharzer Gipsvverke.
Water-soluble abrasives are generally water-soluble salts selected from the group of chlorides, carbonates, hydrogen carbonates, sulfates, phosphates, borates and silicates. The salts are preferably alkali metal salts and, more preferably, sodium and/or potassium salts.
Water-soluble abrasives are preferably used where the abrasive cleaner has a low water content because the use of water-soluble abrasives in water-containing abrasive cleaners requires that the quantity of abrasive added exceed the abrasive-based dissolving capacity of the water. Accordingly, the use of water-soluble abrasives with increasing water content of the abrasive cleaner or increasing abrasive-based dissolving power is increasingly less preferred.
The abrasive cleaner according to the invention preferably contains one or more water-soluble and/or water-insoluble abrasives, more particularly from the group of calcium carbonate (for example Durcal~ 15 of Omya Gmbl-rJ, aluminium oxide (for example Poliertonerde~ P 730 of Alcoa Chemie) and silica with a ratio by weight of quartz to kaolinite of 74:26 (for example Sillitin~ Z 86 of Hoffmann & Sohne).
The abrasives are preferably present in the abrasive cleaners according to the invention in quantities of 5 to 80% by weight; more preferably in quantities of 10 to 70% by weight, most preferably in quantities of 15 to 60% by weight and, in one particularly preferred embodiment, in quantities of 20 to 50% by weight.
To adjust their viscosity, the abrasive cleaners according to the invention contain one or more thickeners.
Thickeners in the context of the present invention are organic natural thickeners (agar agar, carragheen, tragacanth, gum arabic, alginates, pectins, polyoses, guar gum, locust bean gum, starch, dextrins, gelatine, casein), organic modified natural substances (carboxymethyl cellulose and cellulose ether, hydroxyethyl and hydroxypropyl cellulose and the like, gum ethers), organic fully synthetic thickeners (polyacrylic and polymethacrylic compounds, vinyl polymers, polycarboxylic acids, polyethers, polyimines, polyamides) and inorganic thickeners (polysilicic acids, clay minerals, such as montmorillonites, zeolites, silicas).
Preferred thickeners according to the invention are xanthan gum (for example Keltrol~ RD of Kelco, Rhodopol~ 50 MD of Rhone Poulenc), anionic methacrylic acid/ethyl acrylate copolymer (for example Rohagit~
SD 15 of Rohm Gmbl~ and swelling-retarded hydroxyethyl cellulose (for example Tylose ~ H 60000 YP 2 of Clariant).
The thickener content of the abrasive cleaners according to the invention is preferably from 0.01 to 10% by weight, more preferably from 0.05 to 6% by weight and most preferably from 0.1 to 3% by weight.
The abrasive cleaners according to the invention may additionally contain one or more builder components, preferably citric acid (for example 5 citric acid~1 H20) or alkali, more particularly monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine and/or ammonia, in quantities of 0.01 to 10% by weight and, more particularly, in quantities of 0.1 to 5% by weight.
Depending on the application envisaged, the abrasive cleaners according to the invention may advantageously contain one or more foam 10 inhibitors, for example natural fats and oils or fatty alcohols, long-chain soaps (for example sodium behenate), silicone-based defoamers and symmetrical or asymmetrical dialkyl ethers (for example fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers etherified with (fatty)alcohols). Preferred foam inhibitors according to the invention are dimethyl polysiloxane mixtures (for example Dove Coming~ DB 31 EU of Dow Coming) and carboxylic acid esters (for example Degressal~ SD 30 of BASF AG). The foam inhibitor content of the abrasive cleaners according to the invention is preferably not more than 5% by weight and, more preferably, in the range from 0.0001 to 3% by weight.
The liquid phase of the abrasive cleaners according to the invention is normally based on water, in which case their water content is in the range from about 15 to 90% by weight, preferably in the range from 20 to 80% by weight and more preferably in the range from 30 to 70% by weight.
However, their water content may also be less than 15% by weight, preferably between 0.1 and 10% by weight and more preferably between 0.2 and 5% by weight, particularly in cases where the abrasive cleaners have a relatively high surfactant content and/or contain water-soluble abrasives.
The water-based abrasive cleaners according to the invention may additionally contain one or more non-aqueous solvents, for example alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanols, butanols, octanols, cyclohexanol), glycols (ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol), ethers and glycol ethers (diethyl ether, dibutyl ether, mono-, di-, tri-, polyethylene glycol ether, propylene glycol monobutyl ether). A preferred solvent is ethanol. These solvents are preferably present in the abrasive cleaners according to the invention in quantities of 0.01 to 20% by weight, more preferably in quantities of 0.1 to 12% by weight and most preferably in quantities of 0.5 to 8% by weight.
The viscosity of the abrasive cleaners according to the invention at a temperature of 22°C and at a shear rate of 20 min-' is preferably in the range from 500 to 20,000 mPa~s, more preferably in the range from 1000 to 15,000 mPa~s and most preferably in the range from 1500 to 10,000 mPa~s.
In addition, the abrasive cleaners according to the invention may contain other typical additives, for example dyes and perfumes, preservatives, corrosion inhibitors, antistatic agents and microbicides.
The pH value of the abrasive cleaners according to the invention should be selected according to the particular application envisaged.
Accordingly, the abrasive cleaners may be acidic, preferably with a pH
value of 1 to 6 and more preferably in the range from 1.5 to 4, neutral, preferably with a pH value of 6 to 8 and more preferably in the range from 6.5 to 7.5, or alkaline, preferably with a pH value of 8 to 12 and more preferably in the range from 9 to 11. If the required pH value cannot be established solely by combining the ingredients, it is adjusted by addition of acid or alkali, for example citric acid or sodium hydroxide.
To produce the abrasive cleaners according to the invention, the thickener is first thickened in water, after which surfactants and optionally others of the ingredients mentioned above except for the abrasive component are stirred in. If perfume and/or dye are used, they are added last. The abrasive component is then added, the pH value is then optionally adjusted as described above and finally the microcapsules are mixed in.

Specific embodiments of the invention are described in the following examples which are not to be construed as limiting.
Examples Abrasive cleaners E1 to E3 according to the invention were prepared and their pH value and viscosity were determined.
The compositions of abrasive cleaners E1 to E3 in % by weight and the properties determined are shown below. The pH value of abrasive cleaners E1 to E4 according to the invention was adjusted to the indicated values of 2.5 and 10 with citric acid and sodium hydroxide, respectively.
The viscosity was measured with a Brookfield RVT series 3227 rotational viscosimeter using spindle 4 at a shear rate of 20 min'' and a temperature of 22°C.
In abrasive cleaners E1 to E4, the capsules were stable over 3 months at 40°C. There was no sign of any change in the shape of the capsules or in their spatial distribution in the abrasive cleaner.
In the manual application of abrasive cleaners E1 to E4, the microcapsules were readily destroyed to release the active substances by the abrasive frictional forces.
Example 1 Abrasive cleaner E1 for hard surfaces in the home Composition of in % by weight (a) C~2_~4 coconut alcohol + 6E0 2 (b) C~o_~4 fatty alcohol + 1.2P0 + 6.4E0 1 (c) Calcium carbonate 41 (d) Methacrylic acid/ethylacrylate copolymer,0.3 anionic (e) Monoethanolamine 0.2 (f) Dimethyl polysiloxane/emulsifier mixture0.0003 (g) Perfume +

(h) Green microcapsules with perfume Lipotec~5 (i) Water to 100 pH value 10 Viscosity [mPa~s] 4,000 The Lipotec~ microcapsules had a mean diameter of 2 mm and contained a perfume in aqueous polyethylene glycol- and glycerol-containing medium in a coating of alginic acid and agar.
After storage for three months, the perfume was still clearly noticeable to the user in practical application whereas a comparison abrasive cleaner which contained the perfume in the liquid phase instead of perfume capsules had considerably less perfume after the same time.
Example 2 Abrasive cleaner E2 for Ceran~ hobs Composition of E2 in % by weight (a) C~2_~4 coconut alcohol + 4E0 3 (b) Aluminium oxide Alcoa~ P 730 32.5 (c) Xanthan gum 0.25 (d) Magnesium aluminium silicate, hydrated 1 (e) Ethanol 5 (f) Carboxylic acid ester 1 (g) Citric acid ~ 1 H20 4.25 (h) Perfume +

(i) Blue microcapsules Hallcrest~ DlHC 188 4 with silicone oil (j) Water to 100 pH value 2.5 Viscosity [mPa~s] 2,500 The Hallcrest type D/HC 188 microcapsules had a diameter of 50 to 100 Nm and contained about 38% by weight of water and as a care component for Ceran hobs about 58% by weight of silicone oil in the form of a dimethyl cyclosiloxane pentamer/polydimethyl siloxanol mixture of the type marketed by Dow Corning as Dow Corning~ 1401 Fluid in a coating of about 4% by weight of gelatine and gum arabic.
Whereas the incorporation of the silicone oil in the liquid phase of the abrasive cleaner would have involved the additional use of an emulsifier to prevent the silicone oil from sedimenting, the introduction of the silicone oil component in the form of microcapsules was possible without any problems.
Example 3 Abrasive cleaner E3 for metal surfaces in the home Composition of E3 in % by weight (a) Oleic acid 4.8 (b) Palmitic acid/stearic acid mixture 0.2 (molar ratio 1:1 ) (c) Silica (quartz: kaolinite = 74:26) Sillitin~22.5 (d) Hydroxyethyl cellulose, Tylose~ H 60000 swelling-retarded (e) Ethanol 1 (f) Citric acid ~ 1 H20 2 (g) Ammonia 1.5 (h) Red microcapsules containing stearyl 3.5 mercaptan (i) Blue microcapsules containing perfume 2.5 Lipotec~

(j) Water to 100 pH value 10 Viscosity 2,500 [mPa~s]

The microcapsules (h) had a mean diameter of 1 mm and contained about 35% by weight of water and about 60% by weight of stearyl mercaptan as silver protectors in a coating of about 5% by weight of gelatine and gum arabic.

The Lipotec~ microcapsules (i) had a mean diameter of 0.8 mm and contained a perfume in aqueous glycerol-containing medium in a coating of alginic acid and agar.
After storage for 3 months, the perfume was distinctly noticeable to 5 the user in practical application whereas a comparison abrasive cleaner which contained the perfume in the liquid phase instead of perfume capsules had a far weaker perfume after the same period.

Claims

1. A thickened liquid water-based abrasive cleaner for hard surfaces containing surfactant, abrasive, thickener and microcapsules in which one or more ingredients are completely or partly encapsulated.

2. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in claim 1, containing microcapsules in quantities of 0.1 to 10% by weight.

3. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in claim 1 or 2, containing microcapsules with a diameter along their largest dimension of 10 nm to 10 mm.

4. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the diameter of said microcapsules is 0.05 to 4 mm along their largest dimension.

5. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, containing one or more anionic and/or nonionic surfactants.

6. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, containing nonionic surfactants in quantities of 0.1 to 10% by weight.

7. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in claim 6, wherein said nonionic surfactants are selected from the group consisting of one or more C6-22 alkyl polyglycol ethers containing 1 to 20 ethyleneoxy and/or propyleneoxy units.

8. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, containing anionic surfactants in quantities of 0.1 to 10% by weight.

9. An abrasive cleaner as claim in claim 8, wherein said anionic surfactants are selected from the group consisting of one or more C6-22 carboxylic acids and/or salts thereof.

10. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, containing one or more water-soluble and/or water-insoluble abrasives in quantities of 5 to 80% by weight.

11. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in claim 10, wherein said water-soluble and/or water-insoluble abrasives are selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, aluminium oxide and silica.

12. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 11, containing one or more thickeners selected from the group consisting of organic natural thickeners, organic modified natural substances, organic fully synthetic thickeners and inorganic thickeners.

13. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in claim 12, wherein said thickeners are present in quantities of 0.01 to 10% by weight.

14. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 13, additionally containing one or more solvents.

15. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in claim 14, wherein said solvent(s) is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, glycols, ethers, glycol ethers.

16. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in claim 15, wherein said solvent is ethanol.

17. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in any of claims 14 to 16, wherein said solvent(s) is present in quantities of 0.01 to 20% by weight.

18. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 17, additionally containing one or more builder components in quantities of 0.01 to 10% by weight.

19. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 18, having a viscosity, as measured at a temperature of 22°C and a shear rate of 20 min-1, of 500 to 20,000 mPa~s.

20. An abrasive cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 19, having a pH
value of 1 to 6 or a pH value of 8 to 12.