EP0075995B1

EP0075995B1 - Detergent compositions containing mixtures of alkylpolysaccharide and nonionic surfactants

Info

Publication number: EP0075995B1
Application number: EP82201171A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ramon Aquillon Llenado
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 1981-09-28
Filing date: 1982-09-22
Publication date: 1987-05-20
Also published as: CA1200171A; EP0075995A2; IE822334L; EP0075995A3; IE53899B1; DE3276373D1; BR8205646A; GR76286B

Description

Field of the invention

This invention relates to surfactant combinations which provide good detergency in a laundry context. Such compositions can be either built or unbuilt, granular or liquid, and can contain the usual auxiliary ingredients common to such compositions.

Description of the prior art

Alkylpolyglycosides which are surfactants have been disclosed in US-A-3,598,865; 3,721,633; and 3,772,269. These patents also disclose processes for making alkylpolyglycoside surfactants and built liquid detergent compositions containing these surfactants. US-A-3,219,656 discloses alkylmonoglucosides and suggests their utility as foam stabilizers for other surfactants. Various polyglycoside surfactant structures and processes for making them are disclosed in US-A-3,640,998; 3,839,318; 3,314,936; 3,346,558; 4,011,389; 4,223,129.
Built detergent compositions containing alkylpolysaccharide surfactants are also disclosed in copending EP-A-0 075 994 and 0 075 996.
EP-A-70 074 (document within the meaning of art 54(3) EPC) discloses in one of its examples a shampoo composition containing alkylpolyglucoside and polyethylene glycol distearate.

Summary of the invention

This invention relates to the discovery of certain combinations of surfactants which provide unusually good detergency, especially in cool water, for a variety of fabric types. Specifically this invention relates to detergent compositions comprising:

A. from 1 % to 90 % by weight, of an alkylpolysaccharide detergent surfactant having the formula
where R is an alkyl, alkyl phenyl, alkyl benzyl, or mixtures thereof, said alkyl groups containing from 8 to 18 carbon atoms, being either saturated or unsaturated, and containing from 0 to 3 hydroxy groups, where each R' is an ethylene, propylene, or-CH2-CH(OH)-CH2- group, and y is from 0 to 12; and where each Z is a moiety derived from a reducing saccharide containing 5 to 6 carbon atoms, and x is a number from 1.5 to 10;
B. from 1 % to 90 % of a nonionic detergent surfactant of the formula
wherein R is a primary or secondary alkyl chain of from 8 to 22 carbon atoms and n is an average of from 2 to 12.
C. from 0 % to 90 % by weight of a detergency builder.

The weight ratio of (A) to (B) being from 1:10 to 10:1, preferably from 1:3 to 3:1.

Detailed description of the invention

The alkylpolysaccharide surfactant

It has surprisingly been found that the cosurfactants interact with the alkylpolysaccharide surfactant of this invention to provide good laundry detergency for a wide range of fabrics. The alkyl polysaccharides are those having a hydrophobic group containing from about 6 to about 30 carbon atoms, preferably from about 10 to about 16 carbon atoms and a polysaccharide, e.g., a polyglycoside, hydrophilic group containing from about l'i to about 10, preferably from about 1: to about 3, most preferably from about 1.6 to about 2.7 saccharide units. Any reducing saccharide containing 5 or 6 carbon atoms can be used, e.g. glucose, galactose and galactosyl moieties can substitute for the glucosyl moieties. (Optionally the hydrophobic group is attached at the 2, 3, 4 etc. positions thus giving a glucose or galactose as opposed to a glucoside or galactoside). The intersaccharide bonds can be, e.g., between the one position of the additional saccharide units and the 2-, 3-, 4-, and/or 6 positions on the preceding saccharide units.
Optionally, and less desirably, there can be a polyalkoxide chain joining the hydrophobic moiety and the polysaccharide moiety. The preferred alkoxide is ethylene oxide. Typical hydrophobic groups include alkyl groups, either saturated or unsaturated, branched or unbranched containing from about 8 to about 18, preferably from about 10 to about 16 carbon atoms. Preferably, the alkyl group is a straight chain saturated alkyl group. The alkyl group can contain up to 3 hydroxy groups and/or the polyalkoxide chain can contain up to about 10, preferably less than 5, most preferably 0, alkoxide moieties. Suitable alkyl polysaccharides are octyl, nonyldecyl, undecyldodecyl, tridecyl, tetradecyl, pentadecyl, hexadecyl, heptadecyl, and octadecyl, di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexaglucosides, galactosides, lactosides, glucoses, fructosides, fructoses, and/or galactoses. Suitable mixtures include coconut alkyl, di-, tri-, tetra-, and pentaglucosides and tallow alkyl tetra-, penta-, and hexaglucosides.
The preferred alkylpolyglycosides have the formula
wherein R² is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkylphenyl, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyalkylphenyl, and mixtures thereof in which said alkyl groups contain from about 10 to about 18, preferably from about 12 to about 14 carbon atoms; n is 2 or 3, preferably 2; y is from 0 to about 10, preferably 0; and x is from 12 to about 10, preferably from about
to about 3, most preferably from about 1.6 to about 2.7. The glycosyl is preferably derived from glucose. To prepare compounds the alcohol or alkylpolyethoxy alcohol is formed first and then reacted with glucose, or a source of glucose, to form the glucoside (attachment at the 1-position). The additional glycosyl units are attached between their 1-position and the preceding glycosyl units 2-, 3-, 4- and/or 6- position, preferably predominately the 2-position.
Preferably the content of alkylmonoglycoside is low, preferably less than about 60%, more preferably less than about 50%.
Surprisingly, anionic fluorescers which are normally relatively ineffective in the presence of conventional ethoxylated nonionic detergent surfactants at high levels in the absence of substantial levels of anionic detergent surfactants, are very effective when the alkylpolyglycoside surfactants are present. For brightener effectiveness, the ratio of alkylpolyglycoside detergent surfactant to nonionic detergent surfactant should be greater than about 1:4 preferably greater than about 1:3, most preferably greater than about 1:1.

The nonionic detergent surfactant

Nonionic surfactant -

The nonionic surfactants for use in the compositions of the present invention are biodegradable and have the formula
wherein R⁸ is a primary or secondary alkyl chain of from about 8 to about 22, preferably from about 10 to about 20, carbon atoms and n is an average of from about 2 to about 12, particularly from about 2 to about 9. The nonionics have an HLB (hydrophiliclipophilic balance) of from about 5 to about 17, preferably from about 6 to about 15. HLB is defined in detail in Nonionic Surfactants, by M. J. Schick, Marcel Dekker, Inc., 1966, pages 606-613. In preferred nonionic surfactants, n is from 3 to 7. Primary linear alcohol ethoxylates (e.g., alcohol ethoxylates produced from organic alcohols which contain about 20% 2-methyl branched isomers, commercially available from Shell Chemical Company under the tradename Neodol@) are preferred from a performance standpoint.
Particularly preferred nonionic surfactants for use in the compositions of the present invention include the condensation product of C₁₀ alcohol with 3 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of tallow alcohol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of coconut alcohol with 5 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of coconut alcohol with 6 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of C₁₂ alcohol with 5 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of C₁₂-₁₃ alcohol with 6.5 moles of ethylene oxide, and the same condensation product which is stripped so as to remove substantially all lower ethoxylate and nonethoxylated fractions; the condensation product of C₁₂-₁₃ alcohol with 2.3 moles of ethylene oxide, and the same condensation product which is stripped so as to remove substantially all lower ethoxylate and nonethoxylated fractions; the condensation product of C₁₂-₁₃ alcohol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of C₁₄-₁₅ alcohol with 2.25 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of C_14-15 alcohol with 4 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of C₁₄-₁₅ alcohol with 7 moles of ethylene oxide; and the condensation product of C_14-15 alcohol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide.
The compositions of the present invention may contain mixtures of the preferred alcohol ethoxylate nonionic surfactants together with other types of nonionic surfactants. One of the preferred nonionic surfactant mixtures contains at least one of the preferred alcohol ethoxylate nonionics, and has a ratio of the preferred alcohol ethoxylate surfactant (or surfactants) to the other nonionic surfactant (or surfactants) of from about 1:1 to about 5:1. Specific examples of surfactant mixtures useful in the present invention include a mixture of the condensation product of C_14-15 alcohol with 3 moles of ethylene oxide (Neodol@ 45-3) and the condensation product of C_14-15 alcohol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide (Neodol@ 45-9), in a ratio of lower ethoxylate nonionic to higher ethoxylate nonionic of from about 1:1 to about 3:1; a mixture of the condensation product of C₁₀ alcohol with 3 moles of ethylene oxide together with the condensation product of a secondary C₁₅ alcohol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide (Tergitol@ 15-S-9), in a ratio of lower ethoxylate nonionic to higher ethoxylate nonionic of from about 1:1 to about 4:1; a mixture of Neodol@ 45-3 and Tergitol@ 15-S-9, in a ratio of lower ethoxylate nonionic to higher ethoxylate nonionic of from about 1:1 to about 3:1, and a mixture of Neodol@ 45-3 with the condensation product of myristyl alcohol with 10 moles of ethylene oxide, in a ratio of lower ethoxylate to higher ethoxylate of from about 1:1 to about 3:1.
Preferred nonionic surfactant mixtures may also contain alkyl glyceryl ether compounds together with the preferred alcohol ethoxylate surfactants. Particularly preferred are glyceryl ethers having the formula
wherein R⁹is an alkyl or alkenyl group of from about 8 to about 18, preferably about 8 to 12, carbon atoms or an alkaryl group having from about 5 to 14 carbons in the alkyl chain, and n is from 0 to about 6, together with the preferred alcohol ethoxylates, described above, in a ratio of alcohol ethoxylate to glyceryl ether of from about 1:1 to about 4:1, particularly about 7:3. Glyceryl ethers of the type useful in the present invention are disclosed in US―A―4,098,713, Jones, issued July 4, 1978.
The ratio of alkylpolyglycoside detergent surfactant to nonionic detergent surfactant is from about 10:1 to about 1:10, preferably from about 3:1 to about 1:3.

The detergency builder

The detergent compositions herein also contain from 0% to about 90%, preferably from about 5% to about 50%, and more preferably from about 10% to about 35% of a detergent builder. Such builders include, by way of example, a crystalline aluminosilicate ion exchange material of the formula
wherein z and y are at least about 6, the molar ratio of z to y is from about 1.0 to about 0.5 and x is from about 10 to about 264. Amorphous hydrated aluminosilicate materials useful herein have the empirical formula
wherein M is sodium, potassium, ammonium or substituted ammonium, z is from about 0.5 to about 2 and y is 1, said material having a magnesium ion exchange capacity of at least about 50 milligram equivalents of CaC0₃ hardness per gram of anhydrous aluminosilicate.
The aluminosilicate ion exchange builder materials herein are in hydrated form and contain from about 10% to about 28% of water by weight if crystalline, and potentially even higher amounts of water if amorphous..Highly preferred crystalline aluminosilicate ion exchange materials contain from about 18% to about 22% water in their crystal matrix. The preferred crystalline aluminosilicate ion exchange materials are further characterized by a particle size diameter of from about 0.1 pm to about 10 um. Amorphous materials are often smaller, e.g., down to less than about 0.01 pm. More preferred ion exchange materials have a particle size diameter of from about 0.2 pm to about 4 pm. The term "particle size diameter" herein represents the average particle size diameter of a given ion exchange material as determined by conventional analytical techniques such as, for example, microscopic determination utilizing a scanning electron microscope. The crystalline aluminosilicate ion exchange materials herein are usually further characterized by their calcium ion exchange capacity, which is at least about 200 mg. equivalent of CaC0₃ water hardness/g. of aluminosilicate, calculated on an anhydrous basis, and which generally is in the range of from about 300 mg. eq./g. to about 352 mg. eq./g. The aluminosilicate ion exchange materials herein are still further characterized by their calcium ion exchange rate which is at least about 2 grains Ca⁺⁺/gallon/minute/gram/gallon of aluminosilicate (anhydrous basis), and generally lies within the range of from about 0.009 to 0.027 g/l/min/g/l (2 grains/gallon/minute/gram/gallon to about 6 grains/gal1on/ minute/gram/gallon), based on calcium ion hardness. Optimum aluminosilicates for builder purposes exhibit a calcium ion exchange rate of at least about 0.018 g/l/min/g/l (4 grains/gallon/minute/gram/gallon).
The amorphous aluminosilicate ion exchange materials usually have a Mg⁺⁺ exchange capacity of at least about 50 mg. eq. CaCO₃/g. (12 mg. Mg⁺⁺/g.) and a Mg⁺⁺ exchange rate of at least about 1 grain/gallon/minute/gram/gallon. Amorphous materials do not exhibit an observable diffraction pattern when examined by Cu radiation (0.154 mm).
Aluminosilicate ion exchange materials useful in the practice of this invention are commercially available. The aluminosilicates useful in this invention can be crystalline or amorphous in structure and can be naturally-occurring aluminosilicates or synthetically derived. A method for producing aluminosilicate ion exchange materials is discussed in US―A―3,985,669, Krummel, et al, issued October 12, 1976. Preferred synthetic crystallinealuminosilicate ion exchange materials useful herein are available under the designations Zeolite A, Zeolite P (B), and Zeolite X. In an especially preferred embodiment, the crystalline aluminosilicate ion exchange material has the formula
wherein x is from about 20 to about 30, especially about 27.
Other examples of detergency builders include water-soluble neutral or alkaline salts.
Other useful water-soluble salts include the compounds commonly known as detergent builder materials. Builders are generally selected from the various water-soluble, alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium phosphates, polyphosphates, phosphonates, polyphosphonates, carbonates, silicates, borates, polyhydroxysulfonates, polyacetates, carboxylates, and polycarboxylates. Preferred are the alkali metal, especially sodium, salts of the above.
Specific examples of inorganic phosphate builders are sodium and potassium tripolyphosphate, pyrophosphate, polymeric metaphate having a degree of polymerization of from about 6 to 21, and orthophosphate. Examples of polyphosphonate builders are the sodium and potassium salts of ethylene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, the sodium and potassium salts of ethane 1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonic acid and the sodium and potassium salts of ethane, 1,1,2-triphosphonic acid. Other phosphorus builder compounds are disclosed in US-A-3,159,581; 3,213,030; 3,422,021; 3,422,137; 3,400,176 and 3,400,148.
Examples of nonphosphorus, inorganic builders are sodium and potassium carbonate, bicarbonate, sesquicarbonate, tetraborate decahydrate, and silicate having a molar ratio of Si0₂ to alkali metal oxide of from about 0.5 to about 4.0, preferably from about 1.0 to about 2.4.
Water-soluble, nonphosphorus organic builders useful herein include the various alkali metal, ammonium and substituted ammonium polyacetates, carboxylates, polycarboxylates and polyhydroxysulfonates. Examples of polyacetate and polycarboxylate builders are the sodium, potassium, lithium, ammonium and substituted ammonium salts of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, oxydisuccinic acid, mellitic acid, benzene polycarboxylic acids, and citric acid.
Highly preferred polycarboxylate builders herein are set forth in USA3,308,067. Diehl, issued March 7, 1967..Such materials include the water-soluble salts of homo- and copolymers of aliphatic carboxylic acids such as maleic acid, itaconic acid, mesaconic acid, fumaric acid, aconitic acid, citraconic acid and methylenemalonic acid.
Other builders include the carboxylated carbohydrates of US―A―3,723,322, Diehl. _-
Other useful builders herein are sodium and potassium carboxymethyloxymalonate, carboxymethyloxysuccinate, cis-cyclohexanehexacarboxylate, cis-cyclopentanetetracarboxylate phloroglucinol trisulfonate, water-soluble polyacrylates (having molecular weights of from about 2,000 to about 200,000 for example), and the copolymers of maleic anhydride with vinyl methyl ether or ethylene.
Other suitable polycarboxylates for use herein are the polyacetal carboxylates described in US-A-4,144,226, issued March 13, 1979 to Crutchfield et al, and US-A-4,246,495, issued March 27, 1979 to Crutchfield et al. These polyacetal carboxylates can be prepared by bringing together under polymerization conditions an ester of glyoxylic acid and a polymerization initiator. The resulting polyacetal carboxylate ester is then attached to chemically stable end groups to stabilize the polyacetal carboxylate against rapid depolymerization in alkaline solution, converted to the corresponding salt, and added to a surfactant.
Other detergency builder materials useful herein are the "seeded builder" compositions disclosed in BE-A-798,856, issued Oct. 29, 1973. Specific examples of such seeded builder mixtures are: 3:1 wt. mixtures of sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate having 5 micron particle diameter; 2.7:1 wt. mixtures of sodium sesquicarbonate and calcium carbonate having a particle diameter of 0.5 microns; 20:1 wt. mixtures of sodium sesquicarbonate and calcium hydroxide having a particle diameter of 0.01 pm; and a 3:3:1 wt. mixture of sodium carbonate, sodium aluminate and calcium oxide having a particle diameter of 5 pm.

Optional ingredients

In addition to the essential detergent surfactants described hereinbefore, the detergent compositions herein can contain from about 1% to about 15%, preferably from about 2% to about 8%, of an organic surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic, zwitterionic, ampholytic, and cationic surfactants, and mixtures thereof. Surfactants useful herein are listed in US―A―3,664,961, Norris, issued May 23, 1972, and US―A―3,919,678, Laughlin et al, issued Dec. 30, 1975. Useful cationic surfactants also include those described in US-A-4,222,905, Cockrell, issued Sept, 16, 1980, and in U.S. Pat. 4,239,659, Murphy, issued Dec. 16, 1980. The following are representative examples of surfactants useful in the present compositions.
Water-soluble salts of the higher fatty acids, i.e., "soaps", are useful anionic surfactants in the compositions herein. This includes alkali metal soaps such as the sodium, potassium, ammonium, and alkylolammonium salts of higher fatty acids containing from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms, and preferably from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms. Soaps can be made by direct saponification of fats and oils or by the neutralization of free fatty acids. Particularly useful are the sodium and potassium salts of the mixtures of fatty acids derived from coconut oil and tallow, i.e., sodium or potassium tallow and coconut soap. The preferred soap, as discussed hereinbefore and hereinafter, especially in combination with semipolar or amide nonionic detergent surfactants, is at least partially unsaturated.
The unsaturated fatty acid soap of this invention contains from about 16 to about 22 carbon atoms, preferably in a straight chain configuration. Preferably the number of carbon atoms in the unsaturated fatty acid soap is from about 16 to about 18.
The unsaturated soap, in common with other anionic detergent and other anionic materials in the detergent compositions of this invention, has a cation which renders the soap water-soluble and/or dispersible. Suitable cations include sodium, potassium, ammonium, monoethanolammonium, diethanolammonium, triethanolammonium, tetramethylammonium, etc. cations. Sodium ions are preferred although in liquid formulations ammonium, and triethanolammonium cations are useful.
A level of at least about 1% of the unsaturated fatty acid soap is desirable to provide a noticeable reduction in sudsing and corrosion. Preferred levels of unsaturated fatty acid soap are from about 1% to about 15%, preferably from about 1% to about 10%, most preferably from about 2% to about 5%. The unsaturated fatty acid soap is preferably present at a level that will provide a level of from about 15 ppm to about 200 ppm, preferably from about 25 ppm to about 125 ppm in the wash solution at recommended U.S. usage levels and from about 30 ppm to about 1000 ppm, preferably from about 50 ppm to about 500 ppm for European usage levels.
Mono-, di-, and triunsaturated fatty acids are all essentially equivalent so it is preferred to use mostly monounsaturated soaps to minimize the risk of rancidity. Suitable sources of unsaturated fatty acids are well known. For example, see Bailey's Industrial Oil and Fat Products. Third Edition, Swern, published by interscience Publisher (1964).
Preferably, the level of saturated soaps is kept as low as possible, preferably less than about 60%, preferably less than about 50% of the total soap is saturated soap. However, low levels of saturated soaps can be used. Tallow and palm oil soaps can be used.
Useful synthetic anionic surfactants also include the water-soluble salts, preferably the alkali metal, ammonium and alkylolammonium salts, of organic sulfuric reaction products having in their molecular structure an alkyl group containing from about 10 to about 20 carbon atoms and a sulfonic acid or sulfuric acid ester group.
Such synthetic anionic detergent surfactants are desirable additives at a level of from about 1% to about 10% to increase the overall detergency effect and, if desired, increase the level of suds. (Included in the term "alkyl" is the alkyl portion of acyl groups). Examples of this group of synthetic surfactants are the sodium and potassium alkyl sulfates, especially those obtained by sulfating the higher alcohols (Cg-C_lg carbon atoms) such as those produced by reducing the glycerides of tallow or coconut oil; and the sodium and potassium alkylbenzene sulfonates in which the alkyl group contains from about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms, in straight chain or branched chain configuration, e.g., those of the type described in US-A-2,220,099 and 2,477,383. Especially valuable are linear straight chain alkylbenzene sulfonates in which the average number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group is from about 11 to 13, abbreviated as C11-13LAS-Preferred anionic detergent surfactants are the alkyl polyethoxylate sulfates, particularly those. in which the alkyl contains from about 10 to about 22 carbon atoms, preferably from about 12 to about 18 and wherein the polyethoxylate chain contains from about 1 to about 15 ethoxylate moieties preferably from about 1 to about 3 ethoxylate moieties. These anionic detergent surfactants are particularly desirable for formulating heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent compositions.
Other anionic surfactants herein are the sodium and alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonates, especially those ethers of higher alcohols derived from tallow and coconut oil; sodium coconut oil fatty acid monoglyceride sulfonates and sulfates; sodium or potassium salts of alkyl phenol ethylene oxide ether sulfates containing from about 1 to about 10 units of ethylene oxide per molecule and wherein the alkyl groups contain from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms; and sodium or potassium salts of alkyl ethylene oxide ether sulfates containing about 1 to about 10 units of ethylene oxide per molecule and wherein the alkyl group contains from about 10 to about 20 carbon atoms.
Other useful anionic surfactants herein include the water-soluble salts of esters of alpha-sulfonated fatty acids containing from about 6 to 20 carbon atoms in the fatty acid group and from about 1 to 10 carbon atoms in the ester group; water-soluble salts of 2-acyloxy-alkane-l-sulfonic acids containing from about 2 to 9 carbon atoms in the acyl group and from about 9 to about 23 carbon atoms in the alkane moiety; alkyl ether sulfates containing from about 10 to 20 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and from about 1 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide; water-soluble salts of olefin sulfonates containing from about 12 to 24 carbon atoms; and beta-alkyloxy alkane sulfonates containing from about 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and from about 8 to 20 carbon atoms in the alkane moiety.
Ampholytic surfactants include derivatives of aliphatic or aliphatic derivatives of heterocyclic secondary and tertiary amines in which the aliphatic moiety can be straight chain or branched and wherein one of the aliphatic substituents contains from about 8 to 18 carbon atoms and at least one aliphatic substituent contains an anionic water-solubilizing group.
Zwitterionic surfactants include derivatives of aliphatic quaternary ammonium, phosphonium, and sulfonium compounds in which one of the aliphatic substituents contains from about 8 to 18 carbon atoms.
Particularly preferred auxiliary surfactants herein include linear alkylbenzene sulfonates containing from about 11 to 14-carbon atoms in the alkyl group; tallowalkyl sulfates; coconutalkyl glyceryl ether sulfonates; alkyl ether sulfates wherein the alkyl moiety contains from about 14 to 18 carbon atoms and wherein the average degree of ethoxylation is from about 1 to 4; olefin or paraffin sulfonates containing from about 14 to 16 carbon atoms; and alkyldimethylammonium propane sulfonates and alkyldimethylammonium hydroxy propane sulfonates wherein the alkyl group contains from about 14 to 18 carbon atoms.
Specific preferred surfactants for use herein include: sodium, potassium, mono-, di-, and triethanolammonium C₁₄-₁₅ alkyl polyethoxylate_l-₃ sulfates; sodium linear C_11-13 alkylbenzene sulfonate; triethanolamine C_11-13 alkylbenzene sulfonate; sodium tallow alkyl sulfate; sodium coconut alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonate; the sodium salt of a sulfated condensation product of a tallow alcohol with about 4 moles of ethylene oxide; 3-(N,N-dimethyl-N-coconutalkytammonio)-2-hydroxypropane-1-sulfonate; 3-(N,N-dimethyl-N-coconutalkylammoniopropane-1-sulfonate; 6-(N-dodecylbenzyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)hexanoate; and coconut alkyldimethyl amine oxide.
Other adjunct components which may be included in the compositions of the present invention, in their conventional art-established levels for use (i.e., from 0 to about 90%), include solvents, bleaching agents, bleach activators, soil-suspending agents, corrosion inhibitors, dyes, fillers, optical brighteners, germicides, pH adjusting agents (monoethanolamine, sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, etc.), enzymes, enzyme-stabilizing agents, perfumes, fabric softening components, static control agents, and the like.
Fatty acid amide detergent surfactants useful herein include those having the formula:
wherein R⁸ is an alkyl group containing from about 7 to about 21 (preferably from about 9 to about 17) carbon atoms and each R⁷ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C_1-4 alkyl, C_'-₄ hydroxy alkyl, and ―(C₂H₄O)_xH where x varies from about 1 to about 3.
Preferred amides are C_8-20 ammonia amides, monoethanolammonium, diethanolamides; and isopropanol amides.
The compositions of the present invention can be manufactured and used in a variety of forms sucfi as solids, powders, granules, pastes, and liquids. The compositions can be used in the current U.S. laundering processes by forming aqueous solution containing from about 0.01 % to about 1 %, preferably from about 0.05% to about 0.5%, and most preferably from about 0.05% to about 0.25% of the composition in water and agitating the soiled fabrics in that aqueous solution. The fabrics are then rinsed and dried. When used in this manner the preferred compositions of the present invention yield exceptionally good detergency on a variety of fabrics.
All percentages, parts, and ratios herein are by weight unless otherwise specified.
The following examples illustrate the compositions and method of the present invention.
As can be seen from the above results, the alkylpolyglycoside surfactant has an unexpected problem with cleaning polyester. In general, the alkylpolyglycosides are considered nonionic surfactant replacements, but, surprisingly, they achieve their best laundry results in combination with nonionic surfactants, especially those that are optimized for cleaning relatively hydrophobic surfaces. The alkyl polyglycosides in these examples were derived from glucose. Similar results are obtained with the other alkyl glycosides described herein.
Same conditions as in Example I.
As can be seen from the above data, despite the generally inferior results obtained in cleaning relatively hydrophobic surfaces with an alkylpolyglycoside surfactant, the mixtures of an alkylpolyglycoside and a nonionic surfactant provides synergistic results.
The solutions were unbuilt and used the same conditions as Examples I and II, the grades being the average for the two types of soils.
As can be seen from the above data, there is a synergistic improvement in redeposition on cotton for the mixtures of surfactants.
Same test conditions as in previous Examples with unbuilt solutions.
As can be seen from the above, the unexpectedly poor showing of the alkylpolyglycoside with respect to this stain can be improved and/or synergistic improvement obtained by addition of the nonionic surfactant, depending upon the ratio used.
As can be seen from the above the mixed surfactant system of this invention provides equivalent or superior clay removal across a variety of fabric types as compared to more conventional anionic surfactants.
Test condition: 450 ppm actives, 35°C water having 0.39 g mixed hardness and a mini-washer.
Composition of the invention: C₁₂-₁₃ alkylpolyethoxylate₃/C_12-15 alkylpolyglycoside₂-₃ at a ratio of 1:1.
As can be seen from the above data, the mixtures are clearly superior. From 1 to 2 HWU are a substantial difference in this test.
Conditions: Mini-washer, Unbuilt, 0.39 g mixed hardness, 37.8°C, 300 ppm. (LSD₉₅=1.2 HWU for clay and LSD₉₅=.4 P.S.U. for facial soil).
Clearly, the above results show the improvement from mixing conventional (ethoxylated) nonionic detergent surfactants with alkylpolyglycosides. The mixtures provide a substantial improvement in detergency.

Claims

1. A detergent composition containing:

A. from 1 % to 90 % by weight, of an alkylpolysaccharide detergent surfactant having the formula

where R is an alkyl, alkyl phenyl, alkyl benzyl, or mixtures thereof, said alkyl groups containing from 8 to 18 carbon atoms, being either saturated or unsaturated, and containing from 0 to 3 hydroxy groups, where each R' is an ethylene, propylene, or ―CH₂―CH(OH)―CH₂― group, and y is from 0 to 12; and where each Z is a moiety derived from a reducing saccharide containing 5 to 6 carbon atoms, and x is a number from 1.5 to 10;

B. from 1 % to 90 % by weight of a nonionic detergent surfactant of the formula

wherein R⁸ is a primary or secondary alkyl chain of from 8 to 22 carbon atoms and n is an average of from 2 to 12.

C. from 0 % to 90 % by weight of a detergency builder.

The weight ratio of (A) to (B) being from 1:10 to 10:1.

2. The composition of Claim 1 wherein Component A has the formula

wherein R² is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkylphenyl, hydroxyalkyl, hydroxyalkylphenyl, and mixtures thereof, y is from 0 to 10, the glycosyl moiety is derived from glucose, and x is from 1.5 to 3.

3. The composition of Claim 1 and 2 wherein the weight ratio of (A) to (B) is from 1:3 to 3:1.

4. The composition of Claim 1 wherein the detergency builder is present at a level of from 10 % to 50 % by weight and is selected from the group consisting of hydrated Zeolites A, X, and P, having a particle size of from 0.01 to 10 microns, alkali metal ammonium or substituted ammonium tripolyphosphates, pyrophosphates, carbonates, silicates, borates, polymeric metaphosphates, nitrilotriacetates, citrates, and polyacetal carboxylates.

5. The process of cleaning mixed hydrophobic and hydrophilic fabrics in an aqueous detergent solution containing from 0.01 % to 1 % by weight of the detergent composition of Claim 1.