CN114644961A

CN114644961A - Cleansing compositions comprising high fatty acids

Info

Publication number: CN114644961A
Application number: CN202210401104.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 汤鸣; 陈青; 秦鹏
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 2014-08-01
Filing date: 2014-08-01
Publication date: 2022-06-21
Also published as: EP3174965A1; ZA201700275B; WO2016015326A1; EP3174965A4; RU2670442C2; MX2017001451A; RU2017101342A; CN106661501A; RU2017101342A3

Abstract

The present invention provides a cleaning composition comprising high fatty acids. In particular, the present invention provides a cleaning composition, preferably a cleaning compositionA granular laundry detergent composition comprising C in a weight ratio of 3:1 to 24:1₁₀‑C₂₀Linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) and C₆‑C₁₈A relatively high content of fatty acids or salts thereof in a specific surfactant system other than alkoxylated Alkyl Sulfates (AS). Higher levels of fatty acid or salt in such surfactant systems surprisingly result in better foaming characteristics.

Description

Cleansing compositions comprising high fatty acids

Technical Field

The present invention relates to cleaning compositions, preferably granular laundry detergent compositions, having satisfactory foaming and/or cleaning properties. In particular, such cleaning compositions employ relatively high levels of fatty acids or salts thereof in a particular surfactant system to provide optimized lather characteristics.

Background

Although automatic washing machines have found wide acceptance and use in modern homes, there are still many situations where people need to resort to hand washing, for example when delicate clothing or tough stains are involved and special care is required. Indeed, in most developing countries, the washing habits of consumers for laundry are still to wash their clothes in a tub or a tub by hand, which involves the steps of washing with detergent, wringing or spinning, and rinsing with water one or more times.

Sudsing profile of detergent compositions include, but are not limited to: the speed and volume of suds generated upon dissolution of the detergent composition in the wash solution, the look and feel of the suds so generated, the retention of suds during the wash cycle, and the ease of rinsing out the suds during the rinse cycle, the sudsing profile of the detergent composition, are of particular importance to consumers who still hand wash their clothes and fabrics, as their wash experience is directly affected by this.

On the one hand, consumers often take the large amount of suds seen in the wash cycle as the main and most desirable signal of cleaning, i.e., an indication that the detergent is "working" and that adequate fabric cleaning has been achieved. Therefore, it is particularly desirable to rapidly generate high volume foam during the wash cycle. On the other hand, the high volume of foam generated during the wash cycle typically translates into more residual foam that is carried into the rinse solution. When the consumer observes residual foam during the rinse cycle, they therefore directly infer that surfactant residual on the fabric may still be present on the fabric and that the fabric is not yet "clean". Thus, consumers feel the need to rinse the fabric multiple times to ensure complete removal of the surfactant, which requires additional time, energy, and water. For areas where resources are scarce, particularly those suffering from water shortage, such excessive rinsing requirements can make detergents difficult to use or expensive.

Thus, while rapid foam generation and high volume foam are required during the wash cycle, there is a paradoxical need for rapid collapse of foam and significant reduction in foam volume during the rinse cycle.

Linear alkyl benzene sulphonate (LAS) is one of the most commonly used anionic surfactants in laundry detergents. Although adequate cleaning can be achieved by using detergent compositions having relatively low levels of LAS (e.g. 20 wt% or less), the volume of suds generated by such detergent compositions is significantly reduced, which will inevitably be perceived by the consumer as inadequate cleaning and in turn is associated with poor quality of the laundry detergent used. To avoid such negative consumer perception, one or more co-surfactants may be added to the detergent composition to increase lather volume during the wash cycle.

Has been found to have C₈-C₁₆Middle-cut alkyl sulfate (MCAS) of branched or unbranched alkyl groups acts as an effective co-surfactant for LAS with foam boosting. For example, WO2009010911 discloses the use of MCAS to enhance foam and form detergent compositions with reduced total surfactant content in LAS-based surfactant systems without significantly degrading the foaming characteristics of the detergent composition. As another example, WO2009149276 discloses detergent compositions containing a specific surfactant system formed by LAS and MCAS, which contain relatively low levels of inorganic builders such as aluminosilicates and phosphates, while such detergent compositions exhibit improved sudsing profile while maintaining the cleaning performance of the composition.

However, the foaming characteristics of such LAS and MCAS based surfactant systems are still relatively limited. Thus, there remains a need to improve the foaming profile of cleaning compositions characterized by surfactant systems based on LAS and MCAS.

Furthermore, the look and feel of the suds generated during the wash cycle also have a significant impact on the consumer's perception of the wash experience. If the foams are characterized by a smaller average bubble size, they will appear creamy and richer, providing a more comfortable wash experience for hand wash consumers. It would therefore also be advantageous to provide a cleaning composition capable of producing a foam having improved, i.e., defined by a quantitatively smaller average bubble size, thickening properties.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention uses relatively high levels (i.e., about 2 wt% or more, or preferably about 2.5 wt% or more) of fatty acids or salts thereof to improve and optimize the foaming characteristics of cleaning compositions, preferably granular laundry detergent compositions, containing a specific surfactant system having LAS and MCAS provided in a specific weight ratio.

Fatty acids or salts are known to reduce the bubble size of detergents to deliver thickening benefits. However, fatty acids or salts are also known for reducing total suds volume and have been used by conventional techniques for reducing suds generation and controlling suds in laundry detergents or other cleaning compositions (see, e.g., US 5591705). When fatty acids or salts are present in the formulation, they may react with free Ca in water²⁺The ions form Ca-Soap complexes which, when mixed with oil, have a synergistic effect to promote the well-known bridging instability of the foam film or plateau boundaries leading to significant Defoaming effects (see Zhang et al, Mechanism for Defoaming by Oils and Calcium Soap in Aqueous Systems, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 263(2003) 633-644). For this reason, fatty acids or salts are generally used only at low levels (e.g., less than 2 wt.%) so that they do not significantly reduce wash foam.

However, a surprising and unexpected discovery of the present invention is that when high levels (i.e., about 2 wt.% or more, preferably about 2.5 wt.% or more) of fatty acids or salts thereof are used in the above-described cleaning compositions (i.e., with a specific surfactant system), the fatty acids or salts thereof act to maintain or even increase lather volume during the wash cycle while reducing lather volume during the rinse cycle, indicating that such cleaning compositions with added fatty acids or salts achieve improved lather characteristics that are particularly beneficial for hand laundry detergent products. Such improvement in foaming characteristics is not observed when the fatty acid or salt is used at lower levels.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a cleaning composition comprising: (a) about 6 wt% to about 15 wt% of C10-C20 Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS); (b) from about 0.3 wt.% to about 4.0 wt.% of an Alkyl Sulfate (AS) having a branched or straight chain non-alkoxylated alkyl group containing from 6 to 18 carbon atoms; and (c) from about 2.5% to about 6.0% by weight of one or more fatty acids or salts thereof. Specifically, the LAS and AS are present in the cleaning composition at a LAS to AS weight ratio of about 3:1 to about 24: 1. Preferably, but not necessarily, the cleaning composition comprises 0 wt.% to about 1 wt.% of a linear or branched alkyl alkoxy sulfate having a weight average degree of alkoxylation in the range of about 0.1 to about 10. More preferably, the cleaning composition is a low build composition comprising from about 6% to about 25% by weight of a water soluble alkali metal carbonate such as sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the cleaning compositions of the present invention are granular laundry detergent compositions comprising from about 20% to about 60% by weight sodium chloride and/or from about 20% to about 60% by weight sodium chloride sodium sulfate and having a moisture content of no more than about 3% by weight (i.e., 0-3% by weight). More preferably, the granular laundry detergent composition contains no more than about 15 wt% (i.e., 0-15 wt%) zeolite, no more than 5 wt% (i.e., 0-5 wt%) phosphate builder, and no more than 10 wt% (i.e., 0-10 wt%) silicate builder.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to the use of one or more fatty acids or salts thereof for improving the lather profile of a cleansing composition, and such cleansing composition comprises: (a) about 6 wt% to about 15 wt% of C10-C20 Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS); and (b) from about 0.3 wt% to about 4 wt% of an Alkyl Sulfate (AS) having a branched or straight chain non-alkoxylated alkyl group containing from about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms, while the LAS and AS are present in the cleaning composition in a weight ratio of LAS to AS of from about 3:1 to about 24:1, and while the one or more fatty acids or salts thereof are provided in the cleaning composition in an amount in the range of from about 2.5 wt% to about 6.0 wt%.

Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a concentrated particulate laundry detergent composition comprising: (a) about 12 wt% to about 30 wt% of C10-C20 Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate (LAS); (b) from about 0.5% to about 8% by weight of an Alkyl Sulfate (AS) having a branched or straight chain non-alkoxylated alkyl group containing from about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms; (c) about 4% to about 12% by weight of one or more fatty acids or salts thereof; and (d)0 wt% to about 60 wt% sodium chloride and/or sodium sulfate, while the LAS and AS are present in the composition at a LAS to AS weight ratio of about 3:1 to about 24:1, and while the composition has a moisture content of no more than about 3 wt% (i.e., 0-3 wt%).

These and other aspects of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the invention.

Detailed Description

The features and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, which includes examples intended to give a broad representation of specific embodiments of the invention. Various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this description and from practicing the invention. The scope of the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, and the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Rather, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40 mm".

As used herein, articles such as "a" and "an" when used in a claim are understood to mean one or more of what is claimed or described. The terms "comprising," "including," and "including" are intended to be non-limiting.

As used herein, unless otherwise indicated, the term "cleaning composition" includes general-purpose or "heavy-duty" detergents, particularly cleaning detergents, in granular or powder form for fabrics, as well as cleaning adjuncts such as bleaching agents, rinse aid agents, additives or pretreatment types; hand dishwashing detergents or light duty dishwashing detergents, especially those of the high suds type; machine dishwashing detergent; mouthwashes, denture cleansers, car or carpet cleansers, bathroom cleansers; shampoos and hair-care lotions; shower gels and foam baths and metal cleaners; and cleaning adjuncts such as bleach additives or pretreatment types. In a preferred aspect, the cleaning composition is a solid laundry detergent composition, and more preferably a free-flowing particulate laundry detergent composition (i.e. a particulate laundry detergent product).

As used herein, the term "consisting essentially of …" means that the composition contains less than about 1%, preferably less than about 0.5%, of ingredients other than those listed.

Furthermore, the terms "substantially free", or "substantially free" mean that the material specified is present in an amount of from 0 wt% to about 0.5 wt%, or preferably from 0 wt% to about 0.1 wt%, or more preferably from 0 wt% to about 0.01 wt%, and most preferably it is not present in an analytically detectable amount. The term "substantially pure" or "substantially pure" means that the indicated material is present in an amount of about 99.5% to about 100% by weight, preferably about 99.9% to about 100% by weight, and more preferably 99.99% to about 100% by weight, and most preferably all other materials are present only as impurities below an analytically detectable level.

As used herein, the term "water soluble" refers to a solubility of greater than about 30 grams per liter (g/l) of deionized water measured at 20 ℃ and atmospheric pressure.

As used herein, "foam" refers to a non-equilibrium dispersion of gas bubbles in a relatively small volume of liquid. Within the meaning of the present invention, terms such as "creme", "foam", "lather" are used interchangeably.

As used herein, "sudsing profile" or "suds profile" refers to characteristics associated with suds profile of a detergent composition during the wash cycle and rinse cycle. Sudsing characteristics of detergent compositions include, but are not limited to, the rate of suds generation upon dissolution in the laundry liquor, the volume and retention of suds during the wash cycle, and the volume and disappearance of suds during the rinse cycle. Preferably, the sudsing profile comprises a wash suds volume and a rinse suds volume. The sudsing profile can also include additional suds related parameters, such as suds stability, etc., measured during the wash cycle.

As used herein, the term "co-surfactant" refers to one or more surfactants in the cleaning composition that are primarily used to improve the lather profile of the cleaning composition. Co-surfactants can be classified as suds boosting co-surfactants (i.e., those that increase suds volume during the wash and rinse cycles), suds suppressing co-surfactants (i.e., those that reduce suds volume during the wash and rinse cycles), and suds optimizing co-surfactants (i.e., those that "boost" suds or increase suds volume during the wash cycle, but "suppress" suds or reduce suds volume during the rinse cycle).

As used herein, all concentrations and ratios are by weight unless otherwise indicated. All temperatures herein are expressed in degrees Celsius (. degree. C.) unless otherwise specified. All conditions herein are at 20 ℃ and atmospheric pressure unless specifically stated otherwise. All polymer molecular weights are determined by weight average molecular weight unless specifically stated otherwise.

Surfactant system

The cleaning compositions of the present invention comprise a surfactant system comprised of an anionic surfactant and optionally one or more nonionic, zwitterionic and/or cationic surfactants. The fatty acids or salts described above are not considered part of the surfactant system for the purposes of the present invention.

The cleaning composition may comprise the surfactant system in an amount ranging from about 1% to about 90% by total weight of the composition. For example, the composition may comprise such surfactant systems at a level in the range of from about 2% to about 50%, typically from about 4% to about 30%, or from about 6% to about 25%, or from about 8% to about 20% by weight. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning composition has a total surfactant content of less than about 18%, more preferably less than about 15% or 12%, and most preferably less than about 10%, by total weight of the composition.

However, when the cleaning composition is in a concentrated form, particularly a concentrated powder or granule form, the total surfactant content can be significantly higher, for example from about 10% to about 40%, preferably from about 15% to about 30%, by total weight of the concentrated composition.

LAS

The surfactant system of the present invention comprises at least C₁₀-C₂₀Linear Alkylbenzene Sulphonate (LAS) first anionic surfactant. LAS anionic surfactants are known in the art and are readily obtainable by sulphonation of commercially available linear alkylbenzenes. Exemplary C that can be used in the present invention₁₀-C₂₀Linear alkyl benzene sulfonates including C₁₀-C₂₀Alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or ammonium salts of linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acids and preferably C₁₁-C₁₈Or C₁₁-C₁₄Sodium, potassium, magnesium and/or ammonium linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid salts. More preferred is C₁₂Sodium or potassium salt of linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid and most preferably C₁₂Sodium salt of linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid i.e. sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate.

The amount of LAS used in the cleaning composition may range from about 6% to about 15%, preferably from about 7% to about 13%, and more preferably from about 9% to about 12%, by total weight of the composition. In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning composition comprises from about 9 wt.% to about 12 wt.% of C₁₂Sodium, potassium or magnesium salt of linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid.

When the cleaning composition is in a concentrated form, particularly a concentrated powder or granule form, the LAS may be present in a significantly higher content, for example from about 12% to about 30%, preferably from about 15% to about 25%, and more preferably from about 18% to about 24%, by total weight of the concentrated cleaning composition.

AS

The surfactant system of the present invention further comprises at least a second anionic surfactant which is an anionic Alkyl Sulfate (AS) surfactant having a branched or straight chain non-alkoxylated alkyl group containing from about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms. Preferably, AS has the formula R-O-SO₃ ^-M⁺And R is a branched or straight chain non-alkoxylated C₆-C₁₈An alkyl group, and M is a cation of an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, or ammonium. More preferably, the R group of the AS surfactant contains from about 6 to about 16 carbon atoms, and more preferably from about 6 to about 14 carbon atoms. R may be substituted or unsubstituted, and is preferably unsubstituted. R is substantially free of any alkoxylation. M is preferably a cation of sodium, potassium or magnesium, and more preferably M is a sodium cation. Such AS surfactants are used AS co-surfactants for LAS to increase foam volume during washing.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the surfactant system of the present invention comprises C₆-C₁₈Mixtures of AS surfactants, wherein C₆-C₁₄The AS surfactant is present in an amount ranging from about 85% to about 100% by total weight of the mixture. This mixture may be referred to as "C-rich₆-C₁₄AS mixture of (a). More preferably, such C-rich₆-C₁₄The AS mixture of (a) contains from about 90 wt% to about 100 wt%, or from 92 wt% to about 98 wt%, or from about 94 wt% to about 96 wt%, or 100 wt% (i.e., pure) C₆-C₁₄ AS。

In particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention, the surfactant system in the cleaning composition comprises a surfactant having from about 30 wt.% to about 100 wt.% or from about 50 wt.% to about 99 wt.%, preferably from about 60 wt.% to about 95 wt.%, more preferably from about 65 wt.% to about 90 wt.%, and most preferably from about 70 wt.% to about 80 wt.%Amount% of C₁₂C of AS₆-C₁₈A mixture of AS surfactants. Furthermore, C₆-C₁₈Such mixtures of AS surfactants may contain from about 10 wt% to about 100 wt%, preferably from 15 wt% to about 50 wt%, and more preferably from 20 wt% to about 30 wt% C₁₄And (6) the AS. This mixture may be referred to as "C-rich₁₂-C₁₄AS mixture of (a).

In the most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the surfactant system of the cleaning composition comprises a surfactant consisting essentially of C₁₂And/or C₁₄AS surfactant a mixture of AS surfactants. For example, such mixtures of AS surfactants may consist essentially of from about 70% to about 80% by weight of C₁₂AS and 20 to about 30 wt.% of C₁₄AS composition with little or no other AS surfactant. Such mixtures may also be prepared from substantially pure C₁₂AS or substantially pure C₁₄And (3) the AS.

Commercially available AS mixtures which are particularly suitable for carrying out the invention are those from Cognis (Monheim, Germany)

V95 G。

Furthermore, the surfactant system of the present invention may comprise a linear AS surfactant having an even number of carbon atoms, including, for example, C, containing greater than about 50 wt%, preferably greater than about 60 wt%, more preferably greater than 70 wt% or 80 wt% and most preferably greater than 90 wt% or even 100 wt% (i.e., substantially pure) of a linear AS surfactant having an even number of carbon atoms, including, for example, C₆，C₈，C₁₀，C₁₂，C₁₄，C₁₆And C₁₈C of AS surfactant₆-C₁₈A mixture of AS surfactants.

As described for C₆-C₁₈Mixtures of AS surfactants can be readily obtained by sulfonation of alcohols having the corresponding number of carbon atoms. The desired carbon chain length distribution can be obtained by using alcohols having a corresponding chain length distribution, synthesis of alcohols having a corresponding chain length distribution or extraction/purification from natural raw materialsPrepared or formed by mixing the respective pure starting materials. E.g. C₆-C₁₈Mixtures of AS surfactants may be derived from naturally occurring triglycerides, such AS those contained in palm kernel oil or coconut oil, by chemically treating such triglycerides to form a mixture of long chain alcohols, and then sulfonating these alcohols to form AS surfactants. Mixtures of alcohols derived from naturally occurring triglycerides typically contain greater than about 20 wt.% C₁₆-C₁₈An alcohol. Before the sulfonation step, a mixture containing a lower proportion of C₁₆-C₁₈Mixture of alcohols to form the desired C as described above₆-C₁₈A mixture of AS surfactants. Alternatively, the desired C can be easily obtained by separating and purifying the AS mixture already formed₆-C₁₈A mixture of AS surfactants. Suitable methods of isolation and purification include, but are not limited to: distillation, centrifugation, recrystallization and chromatographic separation.

The amount of AS surfactant used in the cleaning compositions of the present invention may range from about 0.3 wt% to about 4.0 wt%, preferably from about 0.5 wt% to about 3 wt%, based on the total weight of the composition. In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning composition contains from about 0.5 wt.% to about 3 wt.% of the AS mixture consisting essentially of from about 70 wt.% to about 80 wt.% of C₁₂AS and 20 to about 30 wt.% of C₁₄And (3) the AS.

When the cleaning composition is in a concentrated form, particularly a concentrated powder or granule form, AS may be present in a significantly higher content, for example from about 0.5% to about 8%, preferably from about 1% to about 5%, and more preferably from about 2% to about 4%, by total weight of the concentrated cleaning composition.

LAS: AS ratio

AS a co-surfactant for LAS, AS is most effective if provided in the cleaning composition in an amount sufficient to provide a weight ratio of LAS to AS in the range of from about 3:1 to about 24:1, preferably from about 3.5:1 to about 20:1, more preferably from about 4:1 to about 15:1, and most preferably from about 5:1 to about 10: 1. The ratio of LAS to AS is unchanged when the cleaning composition is changed from the standard form to the concentrated form.

Cleaning compositions of the present invention having such a weight ratio of LAS to AS exhibit a suitable balance between the amount of wash and rinse foam produced. This also helps to maintain good foaming characteristics in different areas with different dosing habits.

Alkoxylated alkyl sulfates

The cleaning compositions of the present invention employ alkyl sulfates or AS AS co-surfactants rather than alkyl alkoxy sulfates to promote LAS foaming. AS co-surfactants have significantly better rinse lather characteristics (i.e., reduced rinse lather volume) than alkyl alkoxy sulfates and are therefore particularly useful for imparting the benefit of easy rinsing to the cleaning compositions so formed. Thus, the cleaning compositions of the present invention are substantially free of alkyl alkoxy sulfates, particularly Alkyl Ethoxy Sulfates (AES). In other words, the cleaning compositions of the present invention contain alkyl alkoxy sulfates or more specifically AES in an amount in the range of 0 wt.% to about 1 wt.%, preferably 0 wt.% to about 0.8 wt.%, or more preferably 0 wt.% to about 0.5 wt.%, and most preferably in an amount that is not analytically detectable. Alkyl alkoxy sulfate, as used herein, refers to any straight or branched alkyl alkoxy sulfate having a weight average degree of alkoxylation in the range of about 0.1 to about 10.

When the cleaning composition is in a concentrated form, particularly a concentrated powder or granule form, the alkyl alkoxy sulfate is preferably present in an amount of from 0% to about 2%, preferably from about 0% to about 1.5%, and more preferably from about 0% to about 1%, by total weight of the concentrated cleaning composition.

Other surfactants in the surfactant System

In addition to the LAS and AS described above, the surfactant system employed in the cleaning compositions of the present invention may comprise one or more additional surfactants selected from other anionic surfactants (other than LAS, AS and AES AS described above), nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, semi-polar nonionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof.

The cleaning compositions of the present invention may comprise an additional anionic surfactant comprising one or more moieties selected from the group consisting of carbonate, phosphate, phosphonate, sulphate, sulphonate, carboxylate and mixtures thereof and not belonging to the LAS, AS and AES surfactants described above.

The cleaning compositions of the present invention may comprise one or more nonionic surfactants in an amount of from about 0.5 wt% to about 20 wt%, and preferably from 2 wt% to about 4 wt%, based on the total weight of the composition. Suitable nonionic surfactants may be selected from: alkyl polyglycosides and/or alkyl alkoxylated alcohols; c₁₂-C₁₈Alkyl ethoxylates, such as those from Shell

A nonionic surfactant; c₆-C₁₂An alkylphenol alkoxylate wherein the alkoxylated unit is an ethyleneoxy unit, a propyleneoxy unit, or a mixture thereof; c₁₂-C₁₈Alcohol and C₆-C₁₂Condensates of alkylphenols with ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block polymers, such as from BASF

C₁₄-C₂₂Mid-chain branched alcohols BA, as described in more detail in US 6,150,322; c₁₄-C₂₂Mid-chain branched alkyl alkoxylate BAEx, wherein x ═ 1 to 35; alkylcelluloses, in particular alkylpolyglycosides; polyhydroxy fatty acid amides; ether-terminated poly (alkoxylated) alcohol surfactants; and mixtures thereof.

The cleaning compositions of the present invention may comprise a cationic surfactant. When present, the compositions typically comprise from about 0.05% to about 5% or from about 0.1% to about 2% by weight of such cationic surfactants. Suitable cationic surfactants are alkylpyridinium compounds, alkyl quaternary ammoniumPhosphonium compounds, and alkyl ternary sulfur compounds. The cationic surfactant may be selected from: an Alkoxylate Quaternary Ammonium (AQA) surfactant; a dimethyl hydroxyethyl quaternary ammonium surfactant; a polyamine cationic surfactant; a cationic ester surfactant; an amino surfactant, specifically amidopropyl dimethylamine; and mixtures thereof. Highly preferred cationic surfactants are mono-C_8-10Alkyl-hydroxyethyl dimethyl Quaternary ammonium chloride, mono-C_10-12Alkyl-hydroxyethyl dimethyl quaternary ammonium chloride and mono-C₁₀Alkyl mono hydroxyethyl dimethyl quaternary ammonium chloride. Cationic surfactants such as Praepagen HY (trade name Clariant) may be useful and may be used as suds boosters.

Fatty acids or salts thereof

The cleaning compositions of the present invention employ relatively high levels, i.e., from about 2% to about 6%, preferably from about 2.5% to about 4%, by weight of one or more fatty acids or salts thereof, to help increase wash foam volume and improve the foaming performance of the cleaning compositions.

As noted above, fatty acids or salts thereof have been conventionally employed to reduce foam volume and control foam generation in cleansing compositions. However, the inventors of the present invention have found that when used at relatively high levels in combination with the specific surfactant systems described above (i.e. LAS and AS in a specific weight ratio with little or no AES), the fatty acid or salt thereof acts to increase (rather than decrease) the foam volume in the wash cycle, but does not significantly increase the foam volume in the rinse cycle. Accordingly, improved sudsing profile can be achieved, which is particularly desirable/beneficial for hand laundry detergent products.

Suitable fatty acids or salts thereof useful in the present invention include one or more C₁₀-C₂₂Fatty acids or alkali metal salts thereof. Such alkali metal salts include monovalent or divalent alkali metal salts, such as sodium, potassium, lithium and/or magnesium salts of fatty acids, and ammonium and/or alkylammonium salts of fatty acids, preferably sodium salts. Preferred fatty acids or salts thereof for use herein contain 10 to 20 carbon atoms, and more preferably 12 to 18 carbonsAn atom. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning compositions of the present invention contain from about 2.5% to about 4% by weight of a fatty acid or salt having from about 10 to about 20 carbon atoms, more preferably from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms.

Exemplary fatty acids that may be used may be selected from caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, myristoleic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, myristic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, vaccenic acid, linoleic acid, trans linolenic acid, alpha-trans linolenic acid, arachidic acid, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, behenic acid, erucic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid, and mixtures thereof.

Saturated fatty acids such as caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, and mixtures thereof are preferred, but not required, for the practice of the present invention. Among these saturated fatty acids, lauric acid, myristic acid, and palmitic acid are particularly preferable.

When the cleaning composition is in a concentrated form, particularly a concentrated powder or granule form, the fatty acid or salt thereof may be present in a significantly higher amount, for example, from about 4% to about 12%, preferably from about 5% to about 8%, by total weight of the concentrated cleaning composition.

Water soluble alkali metal carbonate

When the cleaning composition of the present invention is in the form of powder or particles, the cleaning composition of the present invention may further contain a water-soluble alkali metal carbonate. Suitable alkali metal carbonates that can be used in the practice of the present invention include, but are not limited to, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and potassium bicarbonate (hereinafter collectively referred to as "carbonates"). Sodium carbonate is particularly preferred. Potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate may also be used. Such water soluble alkali metal carbonates can be present in the cleaning composition in an amount of about 5 wt.% to about 50 wt.%.

In cleaning compositions containing a surfactant system formed from LAS and MCAS anionic surfactants as described above, carbonate is used in relatively high concentrations (e.g. 25 wt% or more) to provide sufficient foaming during the wash cycle. However, high carbonate concentrations in cleaning compositions inevitably increase the pH of the wash liquor, making it more severe and more damaging to the skin surface of hand-wash consumers. In the present invention, higher levels of fatty acids or salts thereof are employed to promote or maintain wash foam, which enables the carbonate level in cleaning compositions to be reduced without compromising the overall lather profile of such compositions, thereby providing milder formulations that are more suitable for handwash consumers.

Accordingly, the cleaning composition preferably contains a relatively low amount such as, for example, from about 6% to about 25%, preferably from about 8% to about 20%, by weight of a water soluble alkali metal carbonate. In a most preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning composition of the present invention comprises from about 10% to about 15% by weight sodium carbonate or bicarbonate.

When the cleaning composition is in a concentrated form, particularly a concentrated powder or granule form, the water soluble alkali metal carbonate will be present at a significantly lower level (i.e., to accommodate a higher surfactant or active level), which may range from about 9% to about 12% by total weight of the concentrated cleaning composition.

Alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine collapsing agents

In a preferred, but not required, embodiment of the invention, the cleaning composition comprises a suds collator which is an alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine which collapses suds at predetermined times, typically during the rinse cycle, but not throughout the wash and rinse. Preferably, the foam collapse is triggered by an event or condition, such as a pH change, causing the foam in the laundry wash liquid to collapse, break and/or otherwise sensorially remove them at a faster rate than if the foam collapsing agent were not present or activated.

In particular, the alkoxylated polyalkyleneimines may be prepared by reacting polyalkyleneoxy units, i.e. - (C)_nH_2nO)_xA polyalkyleneimine backbone modified by replacing one or more hydrogen atoms bonded to nitrogen atoms in such backbone or core with H orA core, and n is an integer in the range of from about 1 to about 10, preferably from about 1 to about 5, and more preferably from about 2 to about 4, and x is an integer in the range of from 1 to 200, preferably from about 2 to about 100, and more preferably from about 5 to about 50. The polyalkyleneimine backbone or core typically has a pre-modification average number average molecular weight (Mwn) in the range of from about 100 to about 100,000, preferably from about 200 to about 5000, and more preferably from about 500 to about 1000. Suitable alkoxylated polyalkyleneimines are described by WO98/20102A and US 8097579B.

More preferably, the alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine foam collapsing agent of the present invention has a polyethyleneimine core comprising an inner polyethylene oxide block and an outer polypropylene oxide block. In particular, such alkoxylated polyalkyleneimines have the empirical formula (PEI)_a(CH₂CH₂O)_b(CH₂CH₂CH₂O)_cAnd PEI represents a polyethyleneimine core, and a is the pre-modification average number average molecular weight (Mwn) in the range of about 100 to about 100,000 daltons; b is ethylene oxide (CH) per nitrogen atom in the PEI core₂CH₂O) a weight average number of units that is an integer from about 0 to about 60; and c is propylene oxide (CH) per nitrogen atom in the PEI core₂CH₂CH₂O) a weight average number of units that is an integer from about 0 to about 60. Preferably, a is in the range of about 200 to about 5000 daltons, and more preferably about 500 to about 1000 daltons; preferably b is in the range of from about 10 to about 50, and more preferably from about 20 to about 40; and preferably c is in the range of from about 0 to about 60, preferably from about 1 to about 20, and more preferably from about 2 to about 10. Note that empirical formulas show only the relative amounts of the components and are not intended to indicate the structural order of the different parts.

The suds collapser is typically present in the cleaning composition in an amount ranging from about 0.05 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, preferably from about 0.2 wt.% to about 3 wt.%, more preferably from about 0.3 wt.% to about 2 wt.%, and most preferably from about 0.35 wt.% to about 1 wt.%. Without intending to be limited by theory, it is believed that the suds collapsitors herein can reduce initial suds in a rinse by at least about 25%, or from about 25% to about 100%, or from about 50% to about 100%, or from about 60% to about 100%, as compared to when no suds collapsitors are present.

Amphiphilic graft copolymers

The amphiphilic graft copolymers employed in the present invention are characterized by a polyalkylene oxide (also referred to as polyalkylene glycol) having a backbone grafted with one or more side chains.

The polyalkylene oxide backbone of the amphiphilic graft copolymers of the present invention may comprise C₂-C₁₀Preferably C₂-C₆And more preferably C₂-C₄Repeating units of polyalkylene oxide. For example, the polyalkylene oxide backbone may be a polyethylene oxide (PEO) backbone, a polypropylene oxide (PPO) backbone, a polybutylene oxide (PBO) backbone or a polymer backbone of a linear block copolymer of PEO, PPO and/or PBO, with a PEO backbone being preferred. Such polyalkylene oxide backbones preferably have a number average molecular weight of from about 2,000 to about 100,000 daltons, more preferably from about 4,000 to about 50,000 daltons, and most preferably from about 5,000 to about 10,000 daltons.

One or more side chains of the amphiphilic graft copolymers of the present invention pass through C₂-C₁₀Preferably C₂-C₆And more preferably C₂-C₄Polymerization of vinyl esters of carboxylic acids. For example, one or more side chains can be selected from polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl propionate, polyvinyl butyrate, and combinations thereof, with polyvinyl acetate being preferred. The polyvinyl ester side chains may be partially saponified, for example, to the extent of up to 15%. The amphiphilic graft copolymer is preferably characterized by an average of no more than 1 graft site per 50 alkylene oxide units on the backbone (i.e., the site on the polymer backbone to which the polyvinyl ester side chains are grafted).

The amphiphilic graft copolymers of the present invention can have a total average molar mass (M) of from about 3000 to about 100,000 daltons, preferably from about 10,000 to about 50,000 daltons, and more preferably from about 20,000 to about 40,000 daltons_w)。

Particularly preferred amphiphilic graft copolymers of the present invention have a polyethylene oxide backbone with one or more side chains of polyvinyl acetate grafted thereto. More preferably, the polyethylene oxide backbone is pendant to the polyvinyl acetate side chainThe weight ratio is in the range of about 1:0.2 to about 1:10, or about 1:0.5 to about 1:6, and most preferably about 1:1 to about 1: 5. An example of such a preferred amphiphilic graft copolymer is Sokalan^TMHP22 polymer, commercially available from BASF Corporation. The polymer has a polyethylene oxide backbone grafted with polyvinyl acetate side chains. The polyethylene oxide backbone of the polymer has a number average molecular weight of about 6,000 daltons (equivalent to about 136 ethylene oxide units) and the weight ratio of the polyethylene oxide backbone to the polyvinyl acetate side chains is about 1: 3. The number average molecular weight of the polymer itself is about 24,000 daltons.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the amphiphilic graft copolymer of the present invention has the following characteristics: (i) a surface tension of 39ppm by weight of the distilled aqueous solution of the polymer, as measured using a tensiometer at 25 ℃, is from about 40mN/m to about 65 mN/m; and (ii) a viscosity of 500ppm by weight of the distilled aqueous polymer solution, as measured using a rheometer at 25 ℃, is from about 0.0009 to about 0.003Pa · S. The surface tension of the polymer solution can be measured under the specified conditions with any known tensiometer. Non-limiting tensiometers useful herein include the Kruss K12 tensiometer available from Kruss, Thermo DSCA322 tensiometer from Thermo Cahn or Sigma 700 tensiometer from KSV Instrument Ltd. Similarly, the viscosity of the polymer solution can be measured under specified conditions using any known rheometer. The most common rheometer is one using a rotary method, which is also known as a stress/strain rheometer. Non-limiting rheometers useful herein include the Hakke Mars rheometer from Thermo, the Physica 2000 rheometer from Anton Paar.

Selected embodiments of the amphiphilic graft copolymers used in the present invention and methods of making them are described in detail in PCT patent application No. WO 2007/138054, U.S. patent application No. 2011/0152161, U.S. patent application No. 2009/0023625, U.S. patent No. 8143209, and U.S. patent application No. 2013/025874.

The amphiphilic graft copolymer may be present in the cleaning compositions of the present invention in an amount of from about 0.3 wt% to about 3 wt%, or from about 0.35 wt% to about 2 wt%, based on the total weight of the composition. It was found that they provide excellent hydrophobic soil suspension even in the presence of cationic aggregate polymers.

Silicone-containing particles

In a preferred, but not required, embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning composition is a granular or powder laundry detergent composition containing from about 0 wt.% to about 1 wt.% of silicone-containing particles for suds or suds control. Such silicone-containing particles are typically formed by mixing or combining a silicone-derived anti-foaming agent with a particulate carrier material.

The siloxane-derived defoamer can be any suitable organosiloxane, including, but not limited to: (a) non-functionalized siloxanes such as Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS); and (b) a functionalized siloxane such as a siloxane having one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of: amino, amido, alkoxy, alkyl, phenyl, polyether, acrylate, siloxane hydride, mercaptopropyl, carboxylate, sulfate, phosphate, quaternized nitrogen, and combinations thereof. In typical embodiments, the organosiloxanes suitable for use herein have a viscosity of from about 10 to about 700,000CSt (centistokes) at 20 ℃. In other embodiments, suitable organosiloxanes have a viscosity of from about 10 to about 100,000 CSt.

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) may be a linear, branched, cyclic, grafted or crosslinked, or cyclic structure. In some embodiments, the detergent composition comprises PDMS having a viscosity of from about 100 to about 700,000 centistokes at 20 ℃.

Exemplary functionalized silicones include, but are not limited to, aminosilicones, amido silicones, silicone polyethers, alkyl silicones, phenyl silicones, and quaternary silicones. The functionalized silicones suitable for use in the present invention have the following general formula:

wherein m is from 4 to 50,000, preferably from 10 to 20,000; k is 1 to 25,000, preferably 3 to 12,000; each R is H or a C1-C8 alkyl or aryl group, preferably a C1-C4 alkyl group, and more preferably a methyl group.

X is a linking group having the formula:

(i) - (CH2) p-, wherein p is 2 to 6, preferably 2 to 3;

ii)

wherein q is 0 to 4, preferably 1 to 2; or

(iii)

Q has the formula:

(i) -NH2, -NH- (CH2) r-NH2, wherein r is 1 to 4, preferably 2 to 3; or

(ii) - (O-CHR2- -CH2) s-Z wherein s is from 1 to 100, preferably from 3 to 30;

wherein R2 is H or C1-C3 alkyl, preferably H or CH 3; and Z is selected from the group consisting of-OR 3, -OC (O) R3, -CO-R4COOH, -SO3, PO (OH)2, and mixtures thereof; further wherein R3 is a H, C1-C26 alkyl or substituted alkyl, C6-C26 aryl or substituted aryl, C7-C26 alkylaryl or substituted alkylaryl group, preferably R3 is a H, methyl, ethyl, propyl or benzyl group; r4 is a CH 2-or CH2CH 2-group; and

(iii)

(iv)

wherein each n is independently 1 to 4, preferably 2 to 3; and R5 is C1-C4 alkyl, preferably methyl.

Another preferred class of organosiloxanes comprises modified polyalkylene oxide polysiloxanes having the general formula:

wherein Q is NH2 or-NHCH 2CH2NH 2; r is H or C1-C6 alkyl; r is 0 to 1000; m is 4 to 40,000; n is 3 to 35,000; and p and q are integers independently selected from 2 to 30.

Non-limiting examples of such polysiloxanes containing polyalkylene oxides when r is 0 are available from GE Silicones, Wilton, CT

L-7622、

L-7602、

L-7604、

L-7500、

TLC; available from Noveon Inc. of Cleveland OH

SW-12 and

DW-18 siloxane; and DC-5097 from Dow Corning, Midland, MI,

Further examples are all available from Shin Etsu Silicones, Tokyo, Japan

And

non-limiting examples of such organosiloxanes when r is from 1 to 1000 are available from Noveon, Inc. of Cleveland, OH

A21 and

a-23; available from Dow Corning Toray Ltd., Japan

And from Shin Etsu Corporation, Tokyo Japan

A third class of preferred organosiloxanes includes modified polyalkylene oxide polysiloxanes of the general formula:

and wherein m is 4 to 40,000; n is 3 to 35,000; and p and q are integers independently selected from 2 to 30.

Z is selected from:

(i) -C (o) -R7, wherein R7 is a C1-C24 alkyl group;

(ii) -c (o) -R4-c (o) -OH, wherein R4 is CH2 or CH2CH 2;

(iii)–SO3；

(iv)–P(O)OH2；

(V)

wherein R8 is C1-C22 alkyl and A-is a suitable anion, preferably Cl-.

(vi)

Wherein R8 is C1-C22 alkyl, and A-is a suitable anion, preferably Cl-.

Another preferred class of silicones comprises cationic silicones. These are generally prepared by reacting diamines with epoxides. They are described in WO 02/18528 and WO 04/041983 (both assigned to P)&G) WO 04/056908 (assigned to Wacker Chemie) and us patent No. 5,981,681 and us patent No. 5,807,956 (assigned to OSi Specialties). These may be trademarked

Prime、

HSSD、

A-858 (both from GE Silicones) and Wacker

Are commercially available.

Organosiloxane emulsions comprising organosiloxanes dispersed in a suitable carrier, typically water, in the presence of an emulsifier, typically an anionic surfactant, may also be used as defoamers in the present invention. In another embodiment, the organosiloxane is in the form of a microemulsion. The organosiloxane microemulsion may have an average particle size in the range of from about 1nm to about 150nm, or from about 10nm to about 100nm, or from about 20nm to about 50 nm. Microemulsions are more stable than conventional macroemulsions (average particle size of about 1-20 microns) and when incorporated into products, the resulting products have a preferred transparent appearance. More importantly, when the composition is used in a typical aqueous washing environment, the emulsifier in the composition is diluted such that the microemulsion is no longer retained and the organosiloxane coalesces to form significantly larger droplets having an average particle size greater than about 1 micron.

Suitable particulate carrier materials that may be used to form the aforementioned silicone-containing particles include, but are not limited to: silica, zeolites, bentonite, clays, ammonium silicates, phosphates, perborates, polymers (preferably cationic polymers), polysaccharides, polypeptides, waxes, and the like.

In a preferred, but not required, embodiment of the invention, the silicone-containing particles used herein comprise polydimethylsiloxane or polydiorganosiloxane polymers, hydrophobic silica particles, polycarboxylate copolymer binder, organic surfactant and zeolite carrier. Suitable silicone-containing particles commercially available include those under the trade name Dow

Antifoam is available from Dow Corning Corporation (Midland, Minnesota).

Cationic polymers

The cleaning compositions of the present invention may comprise one or more cationic polymers having a cationic charge density of from about 0.005 to about 23, from about 0.01 to about 12, or from about 0.1 to about 7 milliequivalents per gram at the pH of intended use of the composition. For amine-containing polymers in which the charge density depends on the pH of the composition, the charge density is measured at the pH of intended use of the product. Such pH is typically in the range of about 2 to about 11, more typically about 2.5 to about 9.5. The charge density is calculated by dividing the net charge per repeat unit by the molecular weight of the repeat unit. The positive charge may be located on the polymer backbone and/or on the polymer side chains.

Suitable cationic polymers for use in the practice of the present invention may be synthetic polymers prepared by the polymerization of one or more cationic monomers selected from the group consisting of N, N-dialkylaminoalkyl acrylate, N-dialkylaminoalkyl methacrylate, N-dialkylaminoalkylacrylamide, N-dialkylaminoalkylmethacrylamide, quaternized N, N-dialkylaminoalkyl acrylate, quaternized N, N-dialkylaminoalkyl methacrylate, quaternized N, N-dialkylaminoalkylacrylamide, quaternizedN, N-dialkylaminoalkylmethacrylamides, methacrylamidopropyl-pentamethyl-1, 3-propen-2-ol-ammonium dichloride, N, N, N ', N', N '-heptamethyl-N' -3- (1-oxo-2-methyl-2-propenyl) aminopropyl-9-oxo-8-azodecane-1, 4, 10-triammonium trichloride, vinylamines, allylamines, vinylimidazoles, quaternized vinylimidazoles, diallyldialkylammonium chlorides and their derivatives, or combinations thereof, nonionic monomers selected from the group consisting of acrylamide, N, N-dialkylacrylamides, methacrylamides, N, N-dialkylmethacrylamides, N-allyldi-alkylammonium chlorides, and derivatives thereof, or combinations thereof, Acrylic acid C₁-C₁₂Alkyl esters, acrylic acid C₁-C₁₂Hydroxyalkyl ester, polyalkylene glycol acrylate, and methacrylic acid C₁-C₁₂Alkyl esters, methacrylic acid C₁-C₁₂Hydroxyalkyl esters, polyalkylene glycol methacrylates, vinyl acetate, vinyl alcohol, vinyl formamide, vinyl acetamide, vinyl alkyl ethers, vinyl pyridine, vinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl imidazole, vinyl caprolactam and derivatives, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, vinyl sulfonic acid, styrene sulfonic acid, acrylamidopropyl methane sulfonic Acid (AMPS) and derivatives, and combinations thereof. The cationic polymer may optionally be branched or crosslinked by the use of branching and crosslinking monomers.

In another aspect, the cationic polymer may be selected from cationic polysaccharides, polyethyleneimine and derivatives thereof, poly (acrylamide-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly (acrylamide-co-methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride), poly (acrylamide-co-N, N-dimethylaminoethyl acrylate) and quaternized derivatives thereof, poly (acrylamide-co-N, N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) and quaternized derivatives thereof, poly (hydroxyethyl acrylate-co-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), poly (hydroxypropyl acrylate-co-methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride), poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), poly (hydroxypropyl acrylate-co-N, N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), poly (hydroxypropyl acrylate-co-methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride), poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly (co-methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride), poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate, poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly (hydroxyethyl methacrylate), poly (allyl (meth) and poly (allyl (meth) amide) salts, Poly (acrylamide-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride-co-acrylic acid), poly (acrylamide-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride-co-vinylpyrrolidone), poly (acrylamide-methacrylamidopropyltrimethylammonium chloride-co-acrylic acid), poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride), poly (vinylpyrrolidone-co-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), poly (ethyl methacrylate-co-quaternized dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), poly (ethyl methacrylate-co-oleyl methacrylate-co-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate), poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride-co-acrylic acid), poly (ethylene methacrylate-co-quaternized dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), poly (ethylene methacrylate-co-oleyl methacrylate-co-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate), poly (ethylene methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate-co-acrylic acid), poly (ethylene glycol-co-methyl methacrylate), poly (ethylene glycol-co-propylene glycol, and propylene glycol, Poly (vinylpyrrolidone-co-quaternized vinylimidazole), and poly (acrylamide-co-methacrylamidopropylpentamethyl-1, 3-propen-2-ol-ammonium dichloride). Suitable cationic polymers may in particular be selected from polyquaternium-1, polyquaternium-5, polyquaternium-6, polyquaternium-7, polyquaternium-8, polyquaternium-11, polyquaternium-14, polyquaternium-22, polyquaternium-28, polyquaternium-30, polyquaternium-32 and polyquaternium-33, which are named according to the international nomenclature for cosmetic ingredients. A particularly preferred cationic polymer for use in the practice of the present invention is polyquaternium-7.

The cationic polymer may comprise anions that neutralize charge, such that the overall polymer is neutral at ambient conditions. Non-limiting examples of suitable counterions (in addition to anionic species generated during use) include chloride, bromide, sulfate, methosulfate, sulfonate, methanesulfonate, carbonate, bicarbonate, formate, acetate, citrate, nitrate, and mixtures thereof.

The cationic polymer can have a weight average molecular weight of about 500 to about 5,000,000, or about 1,000 to about 2,000,000, or about 2,500 to about 1,500,000 daltons, as measured by size exclusion chromatography relative to polyoxyethylene standards with RI detection. In one aspect, the cationic polymer can have a MW of about 500 to about 300,000 daltons.

Such cationic polymers may be provided in an amount of from about 0.01 wt.% to about 15 wt.%, preferably from about 0.05 wt.% to about 10 wt.%, and more preferably from about 0.1 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, based on the total weight of the cleaning composition.

Adjuvant component

The cleaning compositions of the present invention may comprise one or more additional adjunct components. The exact nature of these additional adjunct components and the amounts added will depend on the physical form of the composition and the nature of the operations in which it is used. Suitable adjunct materials include, but are not limited to, builders, carriers, structurants, flocculation aids, chelating agents, dye transfer inhibiting agents, enzymes, enzyme stabilizers, catalyst materials, bleach activators, hydrogen peroxide, sources of hydrogen peroxide, preformed peracids, polymeric dispersing agents, clay soil removal/anti-redeposition agents, brighteners, suds suppressors, dyes, perfumes, structure elasticizing agents, fabric softeners, hydrotropes, processing aids, and/or pigments.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning compositions of the present invention are granular laundry detergent compositions comprising one or more builders (excluding carbonates as described above) in an amount from about 1 wt% to about 40 wt%, typically from 2 wt% to 25 wt%, or even from about 5 wt% to about 20 wt%, or from 8 wt% to 15 wt%, based on the total weight of such compositions. Builder, as used herein, refers to any ingredient or component that is capable of enhancing or improving the cleaning efficiency of a surfactant, for example by removing or reducing "free" calcium/magnesium ions in the wash solution to "soften" or reduce the hardness of the wash liquor.

It is particularly desirable that such granular laundry detergent compositions have relatively low levels of phosphate builder, zeolite builder and silicate builder. Preferably, it comprises a total of up to 15 wt% of phosphate builder, zeolite builder and silicate builder. More preferably, such granular laundry detergent compositions comprise from 0 wt% to about 5 wt% phosphate builder, from 0 wt% to about 5 wt% zeolite builder, and from 0 wt% to about 10 wt% silicate builder, with the total amount of these builders totaling no more than 10 wt% of the total weight of the composition. Still more preferably, the granular laundry detergent composition comprises from 0 wt% to about 2 wt% phosphate builder, from 0 wt% to about 2 wt% zeolite builder, and from 0 wt% to about 2 wt% silicate builder, with the total of these buildersIn total, the amount does not exceed 5% by weight of the total weight of the composition. Most preferably, the granular laundry detergent composition comprises from 0 wt% to about 1 wt% phosphate builder, from 0 wt% to about 1 wt% zeolite builder, and from 0 wt% to about 1 wt% silicate builder, with the total amount of these builders totaling no more than 2 wt% of the total weight of the composition. The composition may also comprise any other supplementary builder, chelating agent, or generally any substance that removes calcium ions from solution by, for example, chelation, complexation, precipitation, or ion exchange. In particular, the composition can comprise a calcium binding capacity of at least 50mg/g at a temperature of 25 ℃ and an ionic strength of 0.1M and a calcium binding constant log K Ca²⁺Is at least 3.50.

The granular laundry detergent composition of the present invention may comprise one or more solid carriers selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium sulfate and potassium sulfate. In a preferred, but not required, embodiment, such particulate laundry detergent compositions comprise from about 20 wt% to about 60 wt% sodium chloride and/or from about 20 wt% to about 60 wt% sodium sulfate. When the particulate laundry detergent composition is in concentrated form, the total amount of sodium chloride and/or sodium sulfate in such compositions can amount to a total amount of, for example, from about 0 wt% to about 60 wt%.

The cleaning compositions of the present invention may also comprise one or more suitable detergent ingredients, such as transition metal catalysts; an imine bleach booster; enzymes such as amylases, carbohydrases, cellulases, laccases, lipases, bleaching enzymes such as oxidases and peroxidases, proteases, pectate lyases and mannanases; a peroxygen source, such as percarbonate salts and/or perborate salts, preferably sodium percarbonate, preferably at least partially coated, preferably completely coated, with a coating ingredient, such as a carbonate salt, a sulphate salt, a silicate salt, a borosilicate salt, or mixtures thereof, including mixed salts thereof; bleach activators such as tetraacetylethylenediamine, oxybenzene sulphonate bleach activators such as nonanoyl oxybenzene sulphonate, caprolactam bleach activators, imide bleach activators such as N-nonanoyl-N-methylacetamide, preformed peracids such as N, N-phthalamido peroxycaproic acid, nonyl amidoperoxyadipic acid or dibenzoyl peroxide; suds suppressing systems, such as silicone-based suds suppressors; a whitening agent; a toner; a photo-bleaching agent; fabric softeners, such as clays, silicones, and/or quaternary ammonium compounds; flocculants such as polyethylene oxide; dye transfer inhibitors, such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly-4-vinylpyridine N-oxide and/or (co) polymers of vinylpyrrolidone and vinylimidazole; fabric integrity components such as oligomers produced by the condensation of imidazole and epichlorohydrin; soil dispersants and soil antiredeposition aids such as alkoxylated polyamines and ethoxylated ethyleneimine polymers; antiredeposition components such as polyester and/or terephthalate polymers, polyethylene glycols (including polyethylene glycols substituted with vinyl alcohol and/or vinyl acetate side groups); perfumes such as perfume microcapsules, polymer assisted perfume delivery systems (including schiff base perfume/polymer complexes), starch encapsulated perfume accords; a soap ring; aesthetic particles, including colored stripes and/or pins; a dye; copolyesters of dicarboxylic acids and diols; cellulosic polymers such as methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethoxy cellulose, or other alkyl or alkylalkoxy celluloses, and hydrophobically modified celluloses; carboxylic acids and/or salts thereof, including citric acid and/or sodium citrate; and any combination thereof.

Cleaning composition

The detergent composition is typically a laundry detergent composition or a dishwashing detergent composition. The composition is typically a laundry detergent composition.

The laundry detergent composition may be in the form of a liquid, gel, paste, dispersion, typically a colloidal dispersion or any combination thereof. When at ambient conditions (20 ℃ and 1 atm) and for 20s^-1The liquid composition typically has a viscosity of from 500 to 3,000mpa.s, when measured at shear rate, and typically has a density of from 800 to 1300 g/l. If the composition is in the form of a dispersion, it will typically have a volume average particle size of from 1 micron to 5,000 microns, typically from 1 micron to 50 microns. The volume average particle size of the dispersion is typically measured using a Coulter Multisizer. Preferably, the first and second liquid crystal display panels are,laundry detergent compositions are in the form of liquids containing cleaning actives dissolved or dispersed in a solvent. Suitable solvents include water and other solvents such as lipophilic fluids. Examples of suitable lipophilic fluids include silicones, other silicones, hydrocarbons, glycol ethers, glycerol derivatives such as glycerol ethers, perfluoroamines, perfluorinated and hydrofluoroether solvents, low-volatility fluorine-free organic solvents, glycol solvents, other environmentally friendly solvents, and mixtures thereof. The detergent composition may also be.

The laundry detergent composition may also be, and preferably is, in solid or particulate form, typically in free-flowing particulate form. The composition in solid form may be in the form of: agglomerates, granules, flakes, extrudates, bars, tablets, or any combination thereof. The solid composition may be prepared by methods such as dry blending, agglomeration, pressing, spray drying, pan granulation, spheronization or any combination thereof. The solid compositions generally have a bulk density of from 300g/l to 1,500g/l, usually from 500g/l to 1,000 g/l.

Laundry detergent compositions may be in unit dosage form, including not only tablets, but also unit dose pouches, wherein the composition is at least partially enclosed, typically completely enclosed, by a film, such as a polyvinyl alcohol film.

The laundry detergent composition may also be in the form of an insoluble substrate, such as a nonwoven sheet impregnated with detergent active.

Laundry detergent compositions are capable of cleaning and/or softening fabrics during the laundering process. Typically, the compositions are formulated for use in an automatic washing machine, or for hand washing use, and preferably for hand washing.

Method of using a cleaning or laundry detergent composition

The compositions are generally used for cleaning and/or treating a situs, especially a surface or fabric. As used herein, "surface" may include surfaces such as dishes, glass, and other cooking surfaces, hard surfaces, hair, or skin. Such methods include the steps of: embodiments of laundry detergents or cleaning compositions (in pure form or diluted in the wash liquor) are contacted with at least a portion of a surface or fabric, and such surface or fabric is then optionally rinsed. The surface or fabric may be subjected to a washing step prior to the above-described rinsing step. For purposes of the present invention, "washing" includes, but is not limited to, scrubbing, wiping, and mechanical agitation.

The composition solution pH is selected to be most suitable for the target surface to be cleaned, among a wide range of pH spanning from about 5 to about 11. The pH of such compositions preferably has a pH of from about 5 to about 8 for personal care such as skin and hair cleansing, and from about 8 to about 10 for laundry cleaning compositions. The composition is preferably employed at a concentration of about 200ppm to about 10,000ppm in solution. The water temperature is preferably in the range of about 5 ℃ to about 100 ℃.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the laundry detergents of the present invention are ideally suited for use in laundry applications. Accordingly, the present invention includes a method for laundering fabrics. The method may comprise the step of contacting the fabric to be laundered with a laundry detergent comprising a polymer containing carboxyl groups. The fabric may comprise most any fabric capable of being laundered under normal consumer use conditions. The solution preferably has a pH of about 8 to about 10.5. Laundry detergents may be employed at concentrations of from about 500ppm to about 15,000ppm in solution, and optionally using more dilute wash conditions. The water temperature is typically in the range of about 5 ℃ to about 90 ℃. The water to fabric ratio is typically from about 1:1 to about 30: 1.

The method of washing fabrics may be implemented in a top-loading or front-loading automatic washing machine, or may be used in a hand-washing laundry application. In these applications, the concentration of the formed wash liquor and of the laundry detergent composition in the wash liquor are those in the main wash cycle. Any added water is not included when determining the volume of wash liquor during any optional rinse step or steps.

The wash liquor may comprise 40 litres or less of water, or 30 litres or less, or 20 litres or less, or 10 litres or less, or 8 litres or less, or even 6 litres or less of water. The wash liquor may comprise from above 0 litres to 15 litres, or 2 litres, and to 12 litres, or even to 8 litres of water. In the case of dilute wash conditions, the wash liquor may comprise 150 liters or less of water, 100 liters or less of water, 60 liters or less of water, or 50 liters or less of water, especially for hand wash conditions, and may depend on the number of rinses.

Usually 0.01Kg to 2Kg of fabric per litre of washing liquor is added to the washing liquor. Usually 0.01Kg, or 0.05Kg, or 0.07Kg, or 0.10Kg, or 0.15Kg, or 0.20Kg, or 0.25Kg of fabric per litre of washing liquor is added to the washing liquor.

Optionally contacting 50g or less, or 45g or less, or 40g or less, or 35g or less, or 30g or less, or 25g or less, or 20g or less, or even 15g or less, or even 10g or less of the composition with water to form a wash liquor.

Examples

The following examples are given by way of illustration only and therefore should not be construed to limit the scope of the present invention.

Example 1: comparative test showing foaming Properties of the inventive compositions

Seven (7) exemplary granular laundry detergent formulations with varying levels of fatty acid sodium salt were prepared to demonstrate the effect of fatty acid content on the sudsing performance of the laundry detergent composition. These exemplary formulations include: (1)1 control formulation C1 containing 0% of fatty acid sodium salt; (2)1 comparative formulation C1 comprising a relatively low content of 1.5 wt% of fatty acid sodium salt; (2)5 inventive formulations E1, E2, E3, E4 and E5, comprising a fatty acid sodium salt content of about 2% by weight or more. The compositional breakdown of these formulations is shown in table I:

TABLE I

Ingredient (wt%)	C	C1	E1	E2	E3	E4	E5
								LAS	8	8	8	8	8	8	8
MCAS	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
								Fatty acid (Na)	0	1.5	2	2.5	3	3.5	4
Carbonate salt	20	20	20	20	20	20	20
								Silicates of acid or alkali	4.9	4.9	4.9	4.9	4.9	4.9	4.9
PAA/PMA	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
								Sodium sulfate	Balance of	Allowance of	Balance of	Balance of	Balance of	Balance of	Balance of

To demonstrate the improved sudsing profile obtained by the examples of the invention below containing higher levels of fatty acid, compared to the comparative examples containing lower levels of fatty acid, the suds height of the wash of each example formulation was measured using a Sudsing Cylinder Tester (SCT). To achieve standard test conditions, reverse osmosis water ("RO water") was used, and standardized water hardness was achieved by adding sodium bicarbonate to appropriate levels to achieve the appropriate representative water hardness. For the purposes of this test, the target water hardness was 10 gpg.

Wash foam height was measured by comparing the foam volume generated by the exemplary granular laundry detergent formulation during the wash phase. The higher the wash foam height, the better the result.

The lather volume of the corresponding laundry detergent composition can be measured by using a lather cylinder tester (SCT). The SCT has a set of 8 cylinders. Each cylinder was a cylindrical plastic cylinder, about 66cm in height and 50mm in diameter, with a rubber stopper for sealing, rotating independently at a rate of 21-25 revolutions per minute (rpm). The outer wall of each cylinder contains an indicia of height, starting at 0mm from the top surface of the bottom of the cylinder and ending at 620mm as the maximum measurable height.

For each foam volume measurement, the test solution was first poured into one cylinder of the SCT added to the soap particles at the test level, then the cylinder was rotated by the number of revolutions as indicated below and then stopped. The foam height of the test solution inside the cylinder is read at about 1 minute after the rotation of the SCT is stopped. The foam height was calculated as the height of the top layer of foam minus the height of the test solution in the cylinder. The height of the top layer of foam is determined by an imaginary line at the highest point of the column of foam passing only through the foam and not intersecting the air and perpendicular to the cylinder wall. The dispersed foam adhering to the inner surface of the cylinder wall is not taken into account in the foam height reading.

The wash foam height is the average of 3 measurements taken after four SCT revolutions. Wash foam height was obtained by dissolving 3000ppm of laundry detergent composition in 300ml of RO water adjusted to 10gpg hardness (60ppm sodium bicarbonate) in SCT cylinder. The first set of SCT rotations is 80 rotations. After 80 revolutions, SCT was stopped and 1/64 pieces of WFK soil (from Equest) were allowed to be added. After 40 revolutions, the SCT was stopped and 1/64 pieces of WFK soil and 0.4g of Beijing clay were added. After an additional 80 revolutions, the SCT was stopped and 1/64 pieces of WFK soil and 0.4g of Beijing clay were allowed to be added. After another 40 revolutions, the SCT was stopped to read and record the data as the end of the bubble height (240 revolutions total). After a further 40 revolutions, the SCT was stopped and prepared for rinse foam measurements.

The same procedure as described above was repeated for each of the seven (7) test samples listed in table I to obtain wash foam heights, either sequentially or simultaneously.

The wash foam height measured according to the test method described above for each of the seven (7) test samples mentioned above is shown below:

TABLE II

	C	C1	E1	E2	E3	E4	E5
								Height of washing foam (cm)	9.4	8.9	9.2	9.4	9.3	10.0	10.0

It is clear from the above results that 1.5% fatty acid in comparative granular laundry detergent formulation C1 acts to significantly reduce wash suds volume, i.e. from 9.4cm to 8.9cm for the control formulation (with 0% fatty acid). However, it is surprising and unexpected that when the fatty acid content is increased to about 2%, the wash foam volume begins to increase rather than decrease. Such a tendency to increase in wash foam volume is more pronounced at higher fatty acid contents, i.e., 2.5% or higher.

Example 2: exemplary particulate laundry detergent compositions

Example 3: exemplary concentrated particulate laundry detergent compositions

Unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited, each document cited herein, including any cross-referenced or related patent or patent application and any patent application or patent to which this application claims priority or its benefits, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with any disclosure or claims herein or that it alone, or in combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A cleaning composition, comprising:

(a)6 to 15% by weight of C₁₀-C₂₀Linear alkyl benzene sulphonate (LAS);

(b)0.3 to 4% by weight of an Alkyl Sulphate (AS) having a branched or straight chain non-alkoxylated alkyl group comprising 6 to 18 carbon atoms; and

(c)2 to 6% by weight of one or more fatty acids or salts thereof;

wherein the LAS and AS are present in the cleaning composition at a LAS to AS weight ratio of from 3:1 to 24: 1.

2. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the cleaning composition comprises 0 wt.% to 1 wt.% of a linear or branched alkyl alkoxy sulfate having a weight average degree of alkoxylation of from 0.1 to 10.

3. The cleaning composition according to claim 1 or 2, comprising from 6 to 25 wt.%, preferably from 8 to 20 wt.%, of a water-soluble alkali metal carbonate, which is preferably sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate.

4. The cleaning composition of any preceding claim, wherein the weight ratio of LAS to AS is in the range of from 3.5:1 to 20:1, preferably from 4:1 to 15:1, and more preferably from 5:1 to 10: 1.

5. The cleaning composition of any preceding claim, comprising from 7 wt% to 13 wt% LAS.

6. The cleaning composition of any preceding claim, comprising from 0.5 wt% to 3 wt% AS.

7. The cleaning composition of any preceding claim, comprising from 2.5 wt% to 4 wt% of the one or more fatty acids or salts thereof, wherein the fatty acid or salt thereof is preferably characterized by from 10 to 20 carbon atoms, more preferably from 12 to 18 carbon atoms.

8. The cleaning composition of any preceding claim, further comprising from 0.3 wt% to 2 wt%, preferably from 0.35 wt% to 1 wt%, of a suds collator which is an alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine.

9. The cleaning composition of claim 8, wherein the alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine has the empirical formula (PEI)_a(CH₂CH₂O)_b(CH₂CH₂CH₂O)_cWherein the PEI is a Polyethyleneimine (PEI) core; wherein a is the average number average molecular weight (MWn) of the PEI core before modification, which is in the range of 100 to 100,000, preferably 200 to 5000, and more preferably 500 to 1000; wherein b is ethylene oxide (CH) for each nitrogen atom in the PEI core₂CH₂O) a weight average number of units which is an integer ranging from 0 to 60, preferably from 10 to 50, and more preferably from 20 to 40; and wherein c is propylene oxide (CH) for each nitrogen atom in the PEI core₂CH₂CH₂O) weight average number of units of 0 to 60, preferably 1 to 20, and morePreferably an integer from 2 to 10.

10. The cleaning composition of any preceding claim, further comprising from 0.3 wt% to 3 wt%, preferably from 0.35 wt% to 2 wt%, of an amphiphilic graft copolymer comprising a polyalkylene oxide backbone grafted with one or more side chains selected from polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl propionate, polyvinyl butyrate, and combinations thereof, wherein the weight ratio of the polyalkylene oxide backbone to the one or more of the chains is in the range of from 1:0.2 to 1: 10.

11. The cleaning composition of claim 10, wherein the graft copolymer preferably has a polyethylene oxide backbone grafted with polyvinyl acetate side chains.

12. The cleaning composition of any preceding claim, further comprising from 0.1 wt% to 1 wt% of silicone-containing particles comprising a silicone-derived defoamer and a particulate carrier material.

13. The cleaning composition according to any preceding claims, further comprising from 0.01 wt% to 15 wt%, preferably from 0.05 wt% to 10 wt%, and more preferably from 0.1 wt% to 5 wt% of a cationic polymer comprising at least one nonionic monomer and at least one cationic monomer, wherein the at least one nonionic monomer is selected from acrylamide, N-dialkylacrylamide, methacrylamide, N-dialkylmethacrylamide, acrylic acid C₁-C₁₂Alkyl esters, acrylic acid C₁-C₁₂Hydroxyalkyl ester, polyalkylene glycol acrylate, and methacrylic acid C₁-C₁₂Alkyl esters, methacrylic acid C₁-C₁₂Hydroxyalkyl esters, polyalkylene glycol methacrylates, vinyl acetate, vinyl alcohol, vinyl formamide, vinyl acetamide, vinyl alkyl ethers, vinyl pyridine, vinyl acetate, vinyl formamide, vinyl acetamide, vinyl acetate, vinyl,Vinylpyrrolidone, vinylimidazole, vinylcaprolactam, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, vinylsulfonic acid, styrenesulfonic acid, acrylamidopropylmethanesulfonic acid and derivatives, and combinations thereof, and wherein said at least one cationic monomer is selected from the group consisting of N, N-dialkylaminoalkyl acrylates, N-dialkylaminoalkyl methacrylates, N-dialkylaminoalkylacrylamides, N-dialkylaminoalkyl methacrylamides, quaternized N, N-dialkylaminoalkyl acrylates, quaternized N, N-dialkylaminoalkyl methacrylates, quaternized N, N-dialkylaminoalkylacrylamides, quaternized N, N-dialkylaminoalkyl methacrylamidoylamido, quaternized N, N-dialkylaminoalkyl methacrylamidopropyl-pentamethyl-1, 3-propen-2-ol-ammonium dichloride, N', N "-heptamethyl-N" -3- (1-oxo-2-methyl-2-propenyl) aminopropyl-9-oxo-8-azodecane-1, 4, 10-triammonium trichloride, vinylamine, allylamine, vinylimidazole, quaternized vinylimidazole, diallyldialkylammonium chloride and derivatives, and combinations thereof.

14. The cleaning composition according to any preceding claims, wherein the cleaning composition is a granular laundry detergent composition comprising from 20 wt% to 65 wt% sodium chloride and/or from 20 wt% to 65 wt% sodium sulfate, and wherein the granular laundry detergent composition is characterized by a moisture content of less than 3 wt%.

15. The cleaning composition of claim 14, wherein the granular laundry detergent composition comprises from 0 wt% to 15 wt% zeolite builder, from 0 wt% to 5 wt% phosphate builder, and from 0 wt% to 10 wt% silicate builder.

16. Use of one or more fatty acids or salts thereof to improve the lather profile of a cleansing composition comprising: (a)6 to 15% by weight of C₁₀-C₂₀Linear alkyl benzene sulphonate (LAS); and (b) 0.3% to4 wt% of an alkyl sulfate salt (AS) having a branched or straight chain non-alkoxylated alkyl group comprising from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, wherein the LAS and AS are present in the cleaning composition at a LAS to AS weight ratio of from 3:1 to 24:1, wherein the one or more fatty acids or salts thereof are provided in the cleaning composition in an amount of from 2.5 wt% to 6.0 wt%.

17. Use according to claim 16, wherein the cleaning composition comprises from 0 wt% to 0.5 wt% of a linear or branched alkyl alkoxy sulphate having a weight average degree of alkoxylation of from 0.1 to 10, and preferably the cleaning composition comprises from 6 wt% to 25 wt% of a water soluble alkali metal carbonate.

18. Use of a cleaning composition according to any of claims 1-15 for hand washing of fabrics.

19. A concentrated particulate laundry detergent composition comprising:

(a)12 to 30% by weight of C₁₀-C₂₀Linear alkyl benzene sulphonate (LAS);

(b)0.5 to 8 wt. -% of an Alkyl Sulphate (AS) having a branched or straight chain non-alkoxylated alkyl group comprising 6 to 18 carbon atoms;

(c)4 to 12% by weight of one or more fatty acids or salts thereof; and

(d)0 to 60% by weight of sodium chloride and/or sodium sulphate,

wherein the LAS and AS are present in the composition at a LAS to AS weight ratio of from 3:1 to 24:1, and wherein the composition has a moisture content of no more than 3% by weight.

20. The concentrated particulate laundry detergent composition according to claim 19, wherein the composition comprises from 0 wt% to 2 wt% of a linear or branched alkyl alkoxy sulphate having an average degree of alkoxylation in the range of from 0.1 to 10, and preferably the composition comprises from 9 wt% to 12 wt% of a water soluble alkali metal carbonate, preferably sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate.