EP1592768A2

EP1592768A2 - Use of cellulose derivatives as foam regulators

Info

Publication number: EP1592768A2
Application number: EP04707149A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Josef Penninger; Erik BRÜCKNER
Original assignee: Henkel AG and Co KGaA
Current assignee: Henkel AG and Co KGaA
Priority date: 2003-02-10
Filing date: 2004-01-31
Publication date: 2005-11-09
Also published as: JP2006517245A; WO2004069976A2; US20060035804A1; WO2004069976A3

Abstract

The invention relates to cellulose derivatives, obtained by the alkylation and hydroxyalkylation of cellulose, which contribute to a reduction of the foaming properties of cleaning agents or detergents when used in aqueous cleaning or detergent solutions.

Description

"Use of cellulose derivatives as foam regulators"

The invention relates to the use of certain cellulose derivatives as foam regulators in detergents or cleaning agents, and to a fuel which can be stoked and poured, in particulate form, comprising a water-soluble or water-dispersible carrier material and a cellulose derivative adsorbed thereon.

In aqueous cleaning liquors, such as occur in the usual washing treatment in washing machines, especially in household washing machines, the regulation of the foam development is essential, since both too much foaming and the complete absence of foam are not conducive to the desired washing success. There is therefore no shortage of proposals to solve the problem of excessive foaming of detergents. So far, the silicone defoamers, which consist of usually liquid polysiloxanes with alkyl or aryl substituents and finely divided silica, have become known as the most effective foam regulators, based on the amount used. Polysiloxanes, however, are known to be comparatively complex to produce with a known good defoaming action and have the disadvantage that, particularly in more recent times, they are often perceived as not entirely satisfactory in terms of their biodegradability. Silicone-free foam regulators are also known. For example, European Patent EP 87233 describes a process for producing a low-foaming detergent in which mixtures of an oily or waxy substance and bisamides are applied to a carrier powder, in particular a spray-dried detergent containing surfactants. The oily or waxy substance can consist, for example, of petroleum jelly with a melting point of 20 ° C to 120 ° C. With this type of packaging, namely the spraying of the agent onto the spray-dried detergent-containing detergent, there is a risk that the production process will have an adverse effect on the shelf life of the foam regulating component, with the result that its activity decreases with increasing storage time. In order to increase their effectiveness and at the same time reduce the required application concentration, further foam inhibitors are often added to these defoamers, in particular the known polysiloxanes or polysiloxane-silica mixtures. Further foam-controlled detergents are known from European patents EP 75 433 and EP 94 250. However, foam regulating agents described there also contain silicones and are out of the question for the reasons mentioned. From the German published patent application DT 28 57 155, detergents with a foam regulating agent are known which contain hydrophobic silicon dioxide and a mixture of solid and liquid hydrocarbons, optionally in a mixture with fatty acid esters. Due to the high content of hydrocarbon which is liquid at room temperature, from 22.5% by weight to about 98% by weight, there is a risk of clumping in such foam regulating agents. Foam regulating agents containing perfume wax mixtures and hydrophobized silica, optionally in combination with branched-chain alcohols, are known from German published patent application DE 34 00 008. Powdered defoamers, which contain a liquid mixture of higher molecular weight, branched-chain alcohols with hydrophobized silica in combination with a water-insoluble wax on a water-soluble, powdery carrier, are known from German published patent application DE 31 15 644. European patent application EP 0 309 931 describes foam control agents which contain a relatively complex mixture of paraffin wax and microcrystalline paraffin wax.

In the case of machine washing in the low temperature range, which is becoming increasingly important in recent times, such agents in some cases have a defoamer performance which is perceived as inadequate and cannot always be incorporated satisfactorily in a stable manner in powdered detergents or cleaning agents. In addition, both silicones and paraffins are comparable to oily soiling with regard to the cleaning performance required in the washing process; They should therefore only be present in the detergent or cleaning agent in as small a quantity as possible, so that they do not impair the effect of the detergent or detergent ingredients necessary for the removal of soiling.

The task was therefore to provide a foam regulator that can be assembled in the form of a free-flowing foam regulator and is effective in detergents and cleaning agents over a wide temperature range means in the cold wash area, at medium wash temperatures and also in the hot wash area, a disturbing foam development is suppressed. Furthermore, both the foam regulator and the foam regulating agent containing it should remain stable in storage and effect in a mixture with conventional detergent components and should have no adverse effects on the material to be treated and the environment.

Surprisingly, it has now been found that this problem can be solved by certain cellulose derivatives.

The invention thus relates to the use of cellulose derivatives which can be obtained by alkylation and hydroxyalkylation of cellulose to reduce the foaming of detergents or cleaning agents when they are used in aqueous washing or cleaning solutions.

Preferred cellulose derivatives are those which are alkylated with ci to do groups, in particular d to C ₃ groups, and additionally carry C ₂ to do-hydroxyalkyl groups, in particular C ₂ to C ₃ hydroxyalkyl groups. These can be obtained in a known manner by reacting cellulose with appropriate alkylating agents, for example alkyl halides or alkyl sulfates, and then reacting with corresponding alkylene oxides, such as ethylene oxide and / or propylene oxide. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cellulose derivative contains on average 0.5 to 2.5, in particular 1 to 2, alkyl groups and 0.02 to 0.5, in particular 0.05 to 0.3, hydroxyalkyl groups per anhydroglycosomer monomer unit. The average molar mass of the cellulose derivatives used according to the invention is preferably in the range from 10,000 D to 150,000 D, in particular from 40,000 D to 120,000 D and particularly preferably in the range from 80,000 D to 110,000 D. The degree of polymerization or the molecular weight is determined of the dirt-releasing cellulose derivative is based on the determination of the intrinsic viscosity of sufficiently dilute aqueous solutions using an Ubbelohde capillary viscometer (capillary 0c). Using a constant [H Staudinger and F. Reinecke, "About molecular weight determination on Ceüuloseethern", Liebigs Annalen der Chemie 535, 47 (1938)] and a correction factor [F. Rodriguez and L. AGoettler, "The Flow of Moderately Concentrated Polymer Solutions in Water", Transactions of the Society of Rheology VIII, 3 17 (1964)], the degree of polymerization and the corresponding molecular weight, including the degrees of substitution (DS and MS), can be calculated from this.

Such cellulose derivatives have dirt-removing properties, so that they do not impair the performance of detergents or cleaning agents, but on the contrary, in addition to their foam-regulating action, also contribute to the washing or cleaning result.

When using cellulose derivatives as foam inhibitors in the machine washing of textiles, especially when using very foam-intensive surfactants, for example branched-chain nonionic surfactants, it has also been observed that not only in the actual washing cycle machine washing processes, but also in the rinsing cycles, are carried over into the foam can, so that foam residues may even remain on the laundry, a reduction in the foam is achieved. Another object of the invention is therefore the use of cellulose derivatives, which are obtainable by alkylation and hydroxyalkylation of cellulose, for reducing the foam in the rinse cycles when machine washing textiles.

Finally, the invention furthermore relates to a granular, free-flowing foam regulating agent which adsorbs 0.5% by weight to 30% by weight of a cellulose derivative to be used according to the invention to 70% by weight to 99.5% by weight of a water-soluble or contains water-dispersible, inorganic and / or organic carrier material.

The preferably phosphate-free carrier material has a granular structure and consists of water-soluble or water-dispersible compounds, primarily of inorganic and / or organic salts, which are suitable for use in detergents and cleaning agents. The water-soluble inorganic carrier materials include in particular alkali carbonate, alkali borate, alkali alumosilicate and / or alkali sulfate, optionally with additions of alkali silicate, the latter being able to contribute to good grain stabilities of the agents according to the invention. With the alkali Kat is preferably a compound with a molar ratio of alkali oxide to SiO ₂ of 1: 1.5 to 1: 3.5. The use of such silicates results in particularly good grain properties, in particular high abrasion stability and nevertheless high dissolution rate in water. The inorganic materials which can additionally be used include, in particular, zeolites and layered silicates, for example bentonite. The zeolites which can be used in the carrier material for the foam control agents according to the invention include in particular zeolite A, zeolite P and zeolite X.

Examples of suitable organic carrier materials are the acetates, tartrates, succinates, citrates, carboxymethylsuccinates and the alkali metal salts of aminopolycarboxylic acids, such as EDTA, hydroxyalkanephosphonates and aminoalkane polyphosphonates, such as 1-hydroxyethane-1, l-diphosphonate and ethylenediaminodiaminotetramino-di-aminophonate-tri-ethylenediamine-tri-aminophonate-ethylenediaminophenate. It is also possible to use water-soluble salts of polymeric or copolymeric carboxylic acids, for example copolymers of acrylic acid and maleic acid, and the polycarboxylic acids known, for example, from international patent application WO 93/08251, which are obtained by oxidation of polysaccharides. The preferred alkali metal in the alkali salts mentioned is sodium in all cases. Organic substances that are not in salt form, such as starch or starch hydrolysates, can also be used as carrier material components. Mixtures of inorganic and organic salts can often be used with advantage.

The carrier material can moreover be film-forming polymers, for example polyethylene glycols, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinylpyrrolidones, polyacrylates and cellulose ethers which do not correspond to the cellulose derivatives which are essential to the invention, in particular alkali carboxymethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose and mixtures thereof. Mixtures of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and methyl cellulose are preferably used, the carboxymethyl cellulose usually having a degree of substitution of 0.5 to 0.8 carboxymethyl groups per anhydroglucose unit and the methyl cellulose having a degree of substitution of 1.2 to 2 methyl groups per anhydroglucose unit. The mixtures preferably contain alkali carboxymethyl cellulose and nonionic cellulose ethers in weight ratios from 80:20 to 40:60, in particular from 75:25 to 50:50. Such cellulose ether mixtures can be used in solid form or as aqueous solutions, which can be pre-swollen in the usual way. Such film-forming polymers are preferably not contained in the carrier material in excess of 5% by weight, in particular from 0.5% by weight to 2% by weight, based on the total carrier material.

In a preferred embodiment, the carrier material component of the foam regulating agent according to the invention contains up to 99% by weight, in particular 60% by weight to 95% by weight, of alkali carbonate and / or alkali sulfate, in particular sodium carbonate and / or sodium sulfate, up to 35% by weight , in particular from 0.5% by weight to 30% by weight of alkali silicate, in particular sodium silicate and up to 5% by weight, in particular 0.5% by weight to 2% by weight of water-soluble or water-swellable polymer, especially anionic cellulose ethers.

In addition to the cellulose derivative used according to the invention, conventional foam regulators can also be used in all aspects of the invention, for example long-chain soaps, in particular beef soap, fatty acid amides, paraffins, waxes, microcrystalline waxes, organopolysiloxanes and mixtures thereof, which moreover have microfine, optionally silanized or otherwise hydrophobized Silicic acid can include. For use in particulate compositions, such foam inhibitors are preferably bound to granular, water-soluble carrier substances, as described, for example, in German patent application DE 34 36 194, European patent applications EP 262 588, EP 301 414, EP 309 931 or European patent EP 150386. The cellulose derivative to be used according to the invention can be incorporated into the particles known from the documents mentioned.

Preference is given to an additional paraffin-based defoamer mixture which comprises (a) 70% by weight to 95% by weight of a paraffin wax or paraffin wax mixture and (b) 5% by weight to 30% by weight of one of C ₂ -7-diamines and saturated C12-22 carboxylic acid derived bisamide. In the case of silicone and paraffin foam regulators in particular, it has been found that their defoaming action can be further enhanced by the use of the cellulose derivatives mentioned. The paraffin wax (component a) contained in the optionally preferred additional defoamer mixture generally represents a complex mixture of substances without a sharp melting point. For characterization, its melting range is usually determined by differential thermal analysis (DTA), as described in "The Analyst" 87 ( 1962), 420, and / or its freezing point. This is the temperature at which the wax changes from the liquid to the solid state by slow cooling. Paraffins with less than 17 carbon atoms are not usable according to the invention, their proportion in the paraffin wax mixture should therefore be as low as possible and is preferably below the limit which is significantly measurable with conventional analytical methods, for example gas chromatography. Waxes which solidify in the range from 20 ° C. to 70 ° C. are preferably used. It should be noted that paraffin wax mixtures which appear solid at room temperature can contain different proportions of liquid paraffin. In the paraffin waxes which can be used according to the invention, the liquid fraction is as high as possible at 40 ° C. without already being 100% at this temperature. Preferred paraffin wax mixtures have a liquid fraction of at least 50% by weight, in particular from 55% by weight to 80% by weight, at 40 ° C. and a liquid fraction of at least 90% by weight at 60 ° C. The consequence of this is that the paraffins are flowable and pumpable at temperatures down to at least 70 ° C., preferably down to at least 60 ° C. It is also important to ensure that the paraffins do not contain any volatile components. Preferred paraffin waxes contain less than 1% by weight, in particular less than 0.5% by weight, of parts which can be evaporated at 110 ° C. and normal pressure. Paraffin waxes which can be used according to the invention can be obtained, for example, under the trade names Lunaflex® from Füller and Deawax® from DEA Mineralöl AG.

Component (b) of the optional additional defoamer mixture consists of bisamides which are derived from saturated fatty acids with 12 to 22, preferably 14 to 18 C atoms and from alkylenediamines with 2 to 7 C atoms. Suitable fatty acids are lauric acid, myristic acid, stearic acid, arachic acid and behenic acid and mixtures thereof, as can be obtained from natural fats or hydrogenated oils, such as tallow or hydrogenated palm oil. Suitable diamines are, for example, ethylenediamine 1,3-propylene diamine, tetramethylene diamine, pentamethylene diamine, hexamethylene diamine, p-phenylene diamine and tolylene diamine. Preferred diamines are ethylenediamine and hexamethylenediamine. Particularly preferred bisamides are bis-myristoyl-ethylenediamine, bis-palmitoyl-ethylenediamine, bis-stearoyl-ethylenediamine and mixtures thereof, and the corresponding derivatives of hexamethylenediamine. As described in European patent application EP 309 931, the bisamides are preferably in finely divided form and in particular have an average grain size of less than 50 μm. The maximum particle size of the particles is preferably less than 20 μm, with at least 50%, in particular at least 75%, of the particles being smaller than 10 μm. This information regarding the particle size relates to the known determination method with the "Coulter Counter".

The above-mentioned additional defoamer mixture can be produced by introducing the finely divided bisamide (component b) into a melt of the constituent (a) and homogenizing it by intensive mixing. For this purpose, the melt should have a temperature of at least 90 ° C and at most 200 ° C. The temperature is preferably 100 ° to 150 ° C. What is essential for good effectiveness of these additional defoamers is the provision of a stable dispersion of the bisamide particles in the paraffin matrix, which can be brought about by a particle size corresponding to the definition mentioned. To achieve this state of dispersion, a bisamide can be used and dispersed that has the appropriate particle size from the outset, or a more coarse starting material is used and the melt is subjected to intensive stirring treatment or grinding treatment by means of coil mills, tooth mills or ball mills until the desired particle size is reached. A complete melting of the bisamides in the paraffin melt and subsequent rapid cooling to temperatures below the solidification point of the bisamides with simultaneous homogenization of the melt can also result in a correspondingly fine particle size distribution of the bisamides.

A foam regulating agent according to the invention can be produced in a simple manner by spray drying an aqueous composition of its ingredients or by applying the liquid or by heating or dissolving Liquefied Ceululose derivative, optionally also the melted additional defoamer mixture described above, on the granular carrier material, for example by successive admixing, in particular as a spray, to the carrier grain. The carrier grain, which can be produced in the customary manner by spray drying an aqueous slurry of the carrier salts, is kept in motion by mixing elements or by fluidization in order to ensure a uniform loading of the carrier material. The spray mixers used for this can be operated continuously or discontinuously. A particle-shaped foam regulating agent according to the invention preferably consists of particles with particle sizes not more than 2 mm, in particular from 0.1 mm to 1.6 mm. It preferably contains not more than 20% by weight, in particular not more than 5% by weight, of particles with a grain size of more than 1.6 mm, and not more than 20% by weight, in particular not more than 5% by weight. Particles with a grain size below 0.1 mm. The tissue-shaped foam control agent preferably has a bulk density in the range from 500 grams per liter to 1000 grams per liter. It is preferably used for the production of detergent or cleaning agents in the form of tissues, a further advantage of the foam control agents according to the invention being their low amount of use with good defoamer performance.

Detergents which contain a cellulose derivative to be used according to the invention can contain all the usual other constituents of such compositions. The cellulose derivative is preferably incorporated into detergent in amounts of 0.1% by weight to 5% by weight, in particular 0.5% by weight to 2.5% by weight.

Surprisingly, it was found that the cellulose derivative used according to the invention has a positive effect on the action of certain other detergent and cleaning agent ingredients and that, conversely, the action of the cellulose derivative used according to the invention is enhanced by certain other detergent ingredients. These effects occur in particular in the case of enzymatic active substances, in particular proteases and lipases, in water-insoluble inorganic builders, in water-soluble inorganic and organic builders, in particular based on oxidized carbohydrates, in the case of peroxygen-based bleaching agents, in particular in the case of alkali percarbonate, in the case of synthetic anionic surfactants of the sulfate and sulfonate type and in Graying inhibitors, for example other, in particular anionic, cueulose ethers such as carboxymethyl cellulose, which is why the use of at least one of the other ingredients mentioned together with the cueulose derivative to be used according to the invention is preferred.

In a preferred embodiment, such an agent contains nonionic surfactant, selected from fatty alkyl polyglycosides, fatty alkyl polyalkoxylates, in particular ethoxylates and / or propoxylates, fatty acid polyhydroxyamides and / or ethoxylation and / or propoxylation products of fatty alkylamines, vicinal diols, fatty acid alkyl esters and / or Fatty acid amides and mixtures thereof, in particular in an amount in the range from 2% by weight to 25% by weight.

A further embodiment of such agents comprises the presence of synthetic anionic surfactants of the sulfate and / or sulfonate type, in particular fatty alkyl sulfate, fatty alkyl ether sulfate, sulfofatty acid esters and / or sulfofatty acid disalts, in particular in an amount in the range from 2% by weight to 25% by weight. The anionic surfactant is preferably selected from the alkyl or alkenyl sulfates and / or the alkyl or alkenyl ether sulfates in which the alkyl or alkenyl group has 8 to 22, in particular 12 to 18, carbon atoms.

The nonionic surfactants in question include the alkoxylates, in particular the ethoxylates and / or propoxylates of saturated or mono- to polyunsaturated linear or branched chain alcohols having 10 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 18 carbon atoms. The degree of alkoxylation of the alcohols is generally between 1 and 20, preferably between 3 and 10. They can be prepared in a known manner by reacting the corresponding alcohols with the corresponding alkylene oxides. The derivatives of fatty alcohols are particularly suitable, although their branched chain isomers, in particular so-called oxo alcohols, can also be used to prepare alkoxylates which can be used. Accordingly, the alkoxylates, in particular the ethoxylates, of primary alcohols with linear, in particular dodecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl or octadecyl radicals, and mixtures thereof, can be used. In addition, corresponding alkoxylation products of alkylamines, vicinal diols and carboxamides are those mentioned with regard to the alkyl part Correspond to alcohols, usable. In addition, there are the ethylene oxide and / or propylene oxide insertion products of fatty acid alkyl esters, as can be prepared in accordance with the process specified in international patent application WO 90/13533, and fatty acid polyhydroxyamides, as in accordance with the processes in US Pat. No. 1,985,424. US 2 016 962 and US 2 703 798 and international patent application WO 92/06984 can be considered. So-called alkyl polyglycosides suitable for incorporation into the agents according to the invention are compounds of the general formula (G) _n -OR ¹² , in which R ^{12 is} an alkyl or alkenyl radical having 8 to 22 C atoms, G is a glycose unit and n is a number between 1 and 10 mean. Such compounds and their production are described, for example, in European patent applications EP 92 355, EP 301 298, EP 357 969 and EP 362 671 or US Pat. No. 3,547,828. The glycoside component (G) _n is an oligomer or polymer from naturally occurring aldose or ketose monomers, in particular glucose, mannose, fructose, galactose, talose, gulose, altrose, AUose, idose, ribose, Include arabinose, xylose and lyxose. The ougomers consisting of such glycosidically linked monomers are characterized not only by the type of sugar they contain, but also by their number, the so-called degree of oligomerization. The degree of ougomerization n generally assumes fractional numerical values as the quantity to be determined analytically; it is between 1 and 10, for the glycosides preferably used below 1.5, in particular between 1.2 and 1.4. The preferred monomer building block is glucose because of its good availability. The alkyl or alkenyl part R ^{12 of} the glycosides preferably also originates from easily accessible derivatives of renewable raw materials, in particular from fatty alcohols, although their branched chain isomers, in particular so-called oxo alcohols, can also be used to produce usable glycosides. Accordingly, the primary alcohols with linear octyl, decyl, dodecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl or octadecyl radicals and mixtures thereof are particularly useful. Particularly preferred alkyl glycosides contain a coconut fatty alkyl radical, ie mixtures with essentially R ¹² = dodecyl and R ¹² = tetradecyl. Nonionic surfactant is contained in agents which contain a Ceululose derivative used according to the invention, preferably in amounts of 1% by weight to 30% by weight, in particular from 1% by weight to 25% by weight, with amounts in the upper part thereof The range is more likely to be found in liquid detergents and detergent-shaped detergents preferably contain smaller amounts of up to 5% by weight. In a preferred embodiment, the nonionic surfactant is at least partially an alkoxylate, preferably an ethoxylate, of a branched chain fatty alcohol, such as isotridecanol.

Instead or in addition, the agents can contain further surfactants, preferably synthetic anionic surfactants of the sulfate or sulfonate type, such as, for example, alkylbenzenesulfonates, in amounts of preferably not more than 20% by weight, in particular from 0.1% by weight to 18% by weight. %, each based on the total mean. Synthetic anionic surfactants which are particularly suitable for use in agents of this type are the alkyl and / or alkenyl sulfates having 8 to 22 carbon atoms and carrying an alkali metal, ammonium or alkyl or hydroxyalkyl-substituted ammonium ion as countercation. The derivatives of fatty alcohols with in particular 12 to 18 carbon atoms and their branched-chain analogs, the so-called oxo alcohols, are preferred. The alkyl and alkenyl sulfates can be prepared in a known manner by reacting the corresponding alcohol component with a conventional sulfating reagent, in particular sulfur trioxide or chlorosulfonic acid, and then neutralizing with alkali, ammonium or alkyl or hydroxyalkyl-substituted ammonium bases. Such alkyl and / or alkenyl sulfates are in the compositions which contain a urethane-based polymer according to the invention, preferably in amounts from 0.1% by weight to 15% by weight, in particular from 0.5% by weight to Contain 10% by weight.

The sulfate-type surfactants that can be used also include the sulfated alkoxylation products of the alcohols mentioned, so-called ether sulfates. Such ether sulfates preferably contain 2 to 30, in particular 4 to 10, ethylene glycol groups per molecule. Suitable anionic surfactants of the sulfonate type include the .alpha.-sulfoesters which can be obtained by reacting fatty acid esters with sulfur trioxide and then re-neutering, in particular those derived from fatty acids having 8 to 22 carbon atoms. preferably 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and linear alcohols with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms, sulfonation products, and the sulfofatty acids resulting from these by formal saponification.

Soaps can be considered as further optional surfactant ingredients, whereby saturated fatty acid soaps, such as the salts of lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid or stearic acid, as well as soaps derived from natural fatty acid mixtures, for example coconut, palm kernel or tallow fatty acids, are suitable. In particular, those soap mixtures are preferred which are 50% to 100% saturated by weight Fatty acid soaps and up to 50% by weight are composed of oleic acid soap. Soap is preferably contained in amounts of 0.1% by weight to 5% by weight. However, in particular in liquid compositions which contain a polymer used according to the invention, higher amounts of soap, as a rule up to 20% by weight, can also be present.

If desired, the agents can also contain betaines and / or cationic surfactants which - if present - are preferably used in amounts of 0.5% by weight to 7% by weight. Among these, the ester quats, that is, quaternized esters of carboxylic acid and amino alcohol, are particularly preferred. These are known substances that can be obtained using the relevant methods of preparative organic chemistry. In this connection, reference is made to international patent application WO 91/01295, according to which triethanolamine is partially esterified with fatty acids in the presence of hypophosphorous acid, air is passed through and then quaternized with dimethyl sulfate or ethylene oxide. German patent DE 43 08 794 also discloses a process for the production of solid ester quats, in which the quaternization of triethanolamine esters is carried out in the presence of suitable dispersants, preferably fatty alcohols. Overviews on this topic are, for example, by RPuchta et al. in Tens.Surf.Det, 30, 186 (1993), M.Brock in Tens.Surf.Det. 30: 394 (1993) R Lagerman et al. in J.Am.Oil.Chem.Soc, 71, 97 (1994) and I.Shapiro in Cosm.Toü. 109, 77 (1994) appeared.

In a further embodiment, an agent which contains a cellulose derivative to be used according to the invention contains water-soluble and / or water-insoluble broths, in particular selected from alkali alumosilicate, crystalline alkali silicate Module over 1, monomeric polycarboxylate, polymeric polycarboxylate and their mixtures, in particular in amounts in the range from 2.5% by weight to 60% by weight.

An agent which contains a cellulose derivative to be used according to the invention preferably contains 20% by weight to 55% by weight of water-soluble and / or water-insoluble, organic and / or inorganic broths. The water-soluble organic builder substances include, in particular, those from the class of the polycarbonic acids, in particular citric acid and sugar acids, and also the polymeric (poly) carboxylic acids, in particular the polycarboxylates of the international patent application WO 93/16110, polymer acrylic, which are accessible by oxidation of polysaccharides - Acids, methacrylic acids, maleic acids and copolymers of these, which can also contain small amounts of polymerizable substances in copolymerized form without a carboxylic acid functionality. The relative molecular weight of the homopolymers of unsaturated carboxylic acids is generally between 5000 and 200000, that of the copolymers between 2000 and 200000, preferably 50,000 to 120,000, based on free acid. A particularly preferred acrylic acid-maleic acid copolymer has a relative molecular weight of 50,000 to 100,000. Suitable, albeit less preferred, compounds of this class are copolymers of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid with vinyl ethers, such as vinyl methyl ethers, vinyl esters, ethylene, propylene and styrene, in which the acid content is at least 50% by weight. Terpolymers which contain two carboxylic acids and / or their salts as monomers and vinyl alcohol and / or a vinyl alcohol derivative or a carbohydrate as monomers can also be used as water-soluble organic building substances. The first acidic monomer or its salt is derived from a monoethylenically unsaturated C ₃ -C ₈ carboxylic acid and preferably from a C ₃ -C ₄ monocarboxylic acid, in particular from (meth) acrylic acid. The second acidic monomer or its salt can be a derivative of a C -C ₈ dicarboxylic acid, maleic acid being particularly preferred. In this case, the third monomeric unit is formed from vinyl alcohol and / or preferably an esterified vinyl alcohol. In particular, vinyl alcohol derivatives are preferred which represent an ester of short-chain carboxylic acids, for example of dC-carboxylic acids, with vinyl alcohol. Preferred terpolymers contain 60% by weight to 95% by weight, in particular 70% by weight to 90% by weight of (meth) acrylic acid or (meth) acrylate, particularly preferably acrylic acid or acrylate, and maleic acid or maleinate and 5% by weight to 40% by weight, preferably 10% by weight to 30% by weight of vinyl alcohol and / or vinyl acetate. Terpolymers in which the weight ratio (meth) acrylic acid or (meth) acrylate to maleic acid or maleate is between 1: 1 and 4: 1, preferably between 2: 1 and 3: 1 and in particular 2: 1 and 2, are very particularly preferred. 5: 1. Both the amounts and the weight ratios are based on the acids. The second acidic monomer or its salt can also be a derivative of an allylsulfonic acid, which is substituted in 2-control with an alkyl radical, preferably with a C 1 -C 4 -alkyl radical, or an aromatic radical, which is preferably derived from benzene or benzene derivatives is. Preferred terpolymers contain 40% by weight to 60% by weight, in particular 45 to 55% by weight of (meth) acrylic acid or (meth) acrylate, particularly preferably acrylic acid or acrylate, 10% by weight to 30% by weight. %, preferably 15% by weight to 25% by weight of methyl sulfonic acid or methallylsulfonate and as the third monomer 15% by weight to 40% by weight, preferably 20% by weight to 40% by weight of a carbohydrate. This carbohydrate can be, for example, a mono-, di-, ougosaccharide or polysaccharide, mono-, di- or ougosaccharides being preferred, sucrose being particularly preferred. The use of the third monomer presumably means that breakage units are installed in the polymer which are responsible for the good biodegradability of the polymer. These terpolymers can be prepared in particular by processes which are described in German patent specification DE 4221 381 and German patent application DE 43 00 772 and generally have a relative molecular weight between 1000 and 200000, preferably between 200 and 50000 and in particular between 3000 and 10,000 on. They can be used, in particular for the production of liquid agents, in the form of aqueous solutions, preferably in the form of 30 to 50 percent by weight aqueous solutions. All polycarboxylic acids mentioned are generally used in the form of their water-soluble salts, in particular their alkali metal salts.

Organic builder substances of this type are preferably present in amounts of up to 40% by weight, in particular up to 25% by weight and particularly preferably from 1% by weight to 5% by weight contain. Amounts close to the upper limit mentioned are preferably used in paste-like or liquid, in particular water-containing, agents.

Crystalline or amorphous alkali alumosilicates, in particular in amounts of up to 50% by weight, preferably not more than 40% by weight, and in liquid compositions in particular of 1% by weight to 5% by weight, are used as water-insoluble, water-dispersible inorganic powder materials. used. Among these, the crystalline detergent-quality aluminum silicates, in particular zeolite NaA and optionally NaX, are preferred. Amounts close to the upper limit mentioned are preferably used in solid, particle-shaped agents. Suitable aluminum silicates in particular have no tissues with a grain size of more than 30 mm and preferably consist of at least 80% by weight of tissues with a size of less than 10 mm. Their calcium binding capacity, which can be determined according to the information in German patent DE 24 12 837, is in the range from 100 to 200 mg CaO per gram. Suitable substitutes or tea substitutes for the alumosilicate mentioned are crystalline alkali silicates which can be present either in or in a mixture with amorphous suicates. The alkali silicates which can be used as builders in the compositions preferably have a molar ratio of alkali oxide to SiO ₂ below 0.95, in particular from 1: 1.1 to 1:12, and can be amorphous or crystalline. Preferred alkali silicates are the sodium silicates, in particular the amorphous sodium silicates, with a molar Na ₂ O: SiO ₂ ratio of 1: 2 to 1: 2.8. Such amorphous Alkaüsüikate are commercially available for example under the name Portü®. Those with a molar Na ₂ O: SiO ₂ ratio of 1: 1.9 to 1: 2.8 can be prepared by the process of European patent application EP 0425 427. As part of the production process, they are preferably added as a solid and not in the form of a solution. Crystalline sheet silicates of the formula Na ₂ Si _x θ _{2X +} ι 'yH ₂ O, in which x, the so-called modulus, a number of 1, are preferably used as crystalline silicates, which can be present in or in a mixture with amorphous suicates. 9 to 4 and y is a number from 0 to 20 and preferred values for x are 2, 3 or 4. Crystalline layered silicates which come under this general formula are described, for example, in European patent application EP 0 164 514. Preferred crystalline layered silicates are those in which x in the general formula mentioned assumes the values 2 or 3. In particular, both 13- and δ-Na- triumdisüikate (Na ₂ Si ₂ θ ₅ -yH ₂ O) is preferred, wherein β-sodium disuicate can be obtained, for example, by the process described in international patent application WO 91/08171. δ-sodium silicates with a modulus between 1.9 and 3.2 can be prepared according to Japanese patent applications JP 04/238 809 or JP 04/260 610. Also practically anhydrous crystalline AlkaüsMikate made of amorphous alkali silicates of the above general formula, in which x is a number from 1.9 to 2.1, can be prepared as described in European patent applications EP 0 548 599, EP 0 502 325 and EP 0425 428 , can be used in agents which contain a cellulose derivative used according to the invention. In a further preferred embodiment of the agent, a crystal sodium silicate with a modulus of 2 to 3 is used, as can be made from sand and soda according to the method of European patent application EP 0436 835. Crystalline sodium silicates with a modulus in the range from 1.9 to 3.5, as can be obtained by the processes of European patent EP 0 164 552 and / or European patent application EP 0294753, are used in a further preferred embodiment of detergents or cleaning agents , which contain a cellulose derivative used according to the invention. Their alkali silicate content is preferably 1% by weight to 50% by weight and in particular 5% by weight to 35% by weight, based on the anhydrous active substance. If alkali alumosilicate, in particular Zeoüth, is also present as an additional builder substance, the alkali silicate content is preferably 1% by weight to 15% by weight and in particular 2% by weight to 8% by weight, based on anhydrous active substance. The weight ratio of aluminum silicate to sweet, based in each case on anhydrous active substances, is then preferably 4: 1 to 10: 1. In compositions which contain both amorphous and crystalline alkali silicates, the weight ratio of amorphous alkali silicate to crystalline alkali silicate is preferably 1: 2 to 2: 1 and in particular 1: 1 to 2: 1.

In addition to the inorganic builder mentioned, other water-soluble or water-insoluble inorganic substances can be used in the compositions which contain a Ceululose derivative to be used according to the invention. In this context, the alkali carbonates, alkali hydrogen carbonates and alkali sulfates are suitable their mixtures. Such additional inorganic material can be present in amounts up to 70% by weight.

In addition, the agents can contain other ingredients that are customary in washing and cleaning agents. These optional Bestandteüen include ren particular enzymes, enzyme stabilizers, bleaching agents, bleach activators, complexing agents for heavy metals, for example aminopolycarboxylic acids, Aminohydroxypolycarbonsäu-, polyphosphonic acids and / or aminopolyphosphonic acids, Farbfixierwirkstoffe, dye transfer inhibitors, for example Polyvinylpyrroüdon or Polyvinylpyrdin- N-oxide, solvents, and optical Aufheüer, for example, pulp disulfonic acid derivatives. Agents containing a combination used according to the invention preferably contain up to 1% by weight, in particular 0.01% by weight to 0.5% by weight, of optical brighteners, in particular compounds from the class of the substituted 4,4 ' -Bis (2,4,6-triamino-s-triazinyl) -stüben-2,2'-disulfonic acids, up to 5% by weight, in particular 0.1% by weight to 2% by weight, of complexing agent for Heavy metals, in particular aminoalkylenephosphonic acids and their salts, up to 3% by weight, in particular 0.5% by weight to 2% by weight, of graying inhibitors and up to 2% by weight, in particular 0.1% by weight to 1 % By weight of foam inhibitors, the weight percentages based on total mean.

In addition to water, solvents which are used in particular in liquid compositions are preferably those which are water-miscible. These include the lower alcohols, for example ethanol, propanol, iso-propanol, and the isomeric butanols, glycerol, lower glycols, for example ethylene and propylene glycol, and the ethers which can be derived from the classes of compounds mentioned. In such liquid compositions, the cululose derivatives used according to the invention are usually present in solution or in suspended form.

Any enzymes present are preferably selected from the group comprising protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase, hemicellulase, oxidase, peroxidase or mixtures of these. Protease obtained from microorganisms, such as bacteria or puddles, is primarily suitable. It can be obtained in a known manner from suitable microorganisms by fermentation processes, which play in the German patent applications DE 1940 488, DE 20 44 161, DE 21 01 803 and DE 21 21 397, the US patents US 3 623 957 and US 4 264738, the European patent application EP 006 638 and the international patent application WO 91 / 02792. Proteases are commercially available, for example, under the names BLAP®, Savinase®, Esperase®, Maxatase®, Optimase®, Alcalase®, Durazym® or Maxapem®. The lipase that can be used can be obtained from Humicola lanuginosa, as described, for example, in European patent applications EP 258 068, EP 305 216 and EP 341 947, from Bacülus species, as described, for example, in international patent application WO 91/16422 or European patent application EP 384717. from Pseudomonas species, such as, for example, in European patent applications EP 468 102, EP 385 401, EP 375 102, EP 334462, EP 331 376, EP 330 641, EP 214761, EP 218 272 or EP 204 284 or international patent application WO 90 / 10695, from Fusarium species, as described for example in the European patent application EP 130 064, from Rhizopus species, as described for example in the European patent application EP 117 553, or from Aspergülus species, as for example in the European patent application EP 167 309 described can be obtained. Suitable lipases are commercially available, for example, under the names Lipolase®, Lipozym®, Lipomax®, Lipex®, Amano® lipase, Toyo-Jozo® lipase, Meito® lipase and Diosynth® lipase. Suitable amylases are commercially available, for example, under the names Maxamyl®, Termamyl®, Duramyl® and Purafect® OxAm. The Ceüulase that can be used can be an enzyme that can be obtained from bacteria or peaches and that has a pH optimum, preferably in the weakly acidic to weakly alkaline range from 6 to 9.5. Such cellulases are known, for example, from German patent applications DE 31 17 250, DE 32 07 825, DE 32 07 847, DE 33 22950 or European patent applications EP 265 832, EP 269 977, EP 270 974, EP 273 125 and EP 339 550 and known from international patent applications WO 95/02675 and WO 97/14804 and commercially available under the names Ceüuzyme®, Carezyme® and Ecostone®.

The usual enzyme stabilizers which may be present, in particular in liquid agents, include amino alcohols, for example mono-, di-, triethanol- and propanolamine and mixtures thereof, lower carboxylic acids, for example from the European European patent applications EP 376 705 and EP 378 261 known, boric acid or alkali borates, boric acid-carboxylic acid combinations, as known, for example, from European patent application EP 451 921, boric acid esters, such as from international patent application WO 93/11215 or European patent application EP 511 456 known, boronic acid derivatives, such as known from European patent application EP 583 536, calcium salts, for example the Ca-formic acid combination known from European patent EP 28 865, magnesium salts, such as known from European patent application EP 378 262, and / or sulfur-containing reducing agents, as known, for example, from European patent applications EP 080 748 or EP 080 223.

A further embodiment of such an agent, which contains a cellulose derivative to be used according to the invention, contains bleaching agents based on peroxygen, in particular in amounts in the range from 5% by weight to 70% by weight, and optionally bleach activator, in particular in amounts in the range of 2% by weight .-% to 10 wt .-%. These bleaching agents that can be considered are the per compounds that are generally used in detergents, such as hydrogen peroxide, perborate, which can be present as tetra- or monohydrate, percarbonate, perpyrophosphate and persilicate, which are generally present as alkali metal salts, in particular as sodium salts. Such bleaching agents are in detergents which contain a cellulose derivative used according to the invention, preferably in amounts of up to 25% by weight, in particular up to 15% by weight and particularly preferably from 5% by weight to 15% by weight on the entire medium, with percarbonate in particular being used. The optional component of the bleach activators comprises the commonly used N- or O-acyl compounds, for example multiply acylated alkylenediamines, in particular tettacetylethylenediamine, acylated glycolurils, in particular tetraacetylglycol uru, N-acylated hydantoins, hydrazides, triazoles, urazoles, diketopiperazines, cyanuryl amides, sulfuryl amides also carboxylic anhydrides, especially phthalic anhydride, carboxylic acid esters, especially sodium isononanoyl phenol sulfonate, and acylated sugar derivatives, especially pentaacetyl glucose, and cationic nitric acid derivatives such as trimethylammonium acetonitrile salts. The bleach activators can be used to avoid interaction with the per compounds in the Storage has been coated or granulated with known substances in a known manner, granulated tetraacetylethylenediamine with average grain sizes of 0.01 mm to 0.8 mm, as produced for example by the process described in European Patent EP 37 026, using carboxymethyl cellulose can be granulated l, 5-diacetyl-2,4-dioxohexahydro-l, 3,5-triazine, as can be prepared by the method described in German Patent DD 255 884, and / or according to the international patent applications WO 00/50553, WO 00/50556, WO 02/12425, WO 02/12426 or WO 02/26927 processes in trial form ready-made trialkylammonium acetonitrile are particularly preferred. Such bleach activators are preferably contained in detergents in amounts of up to 8% by weight, in particular from 2% by weight to 6% by weight, in each case based on the total agent.

In a preferred embodiment, an agent into which the cellulose derivative to be used according to the invention is incorporated is tissue-shaped and contains 20% by weight to 55% by weight of inorganic builder, up to 10% by weight, in particular 2% by weight to 8 % By weight of water-soluble organic builder, 10% by weight to 25% by weight of synthetic anionic surfactant, 1% by weight to 5% by weight of nonionic surfactant, up to 25% by weight, in particular 5% by weight up to 20% by weight of bleach, in particular alkali percarbonate, up to 15% by weight, in particular 1% by weight to 10% by weight of bleach activator and up to 25% by weight, in particular 0.1% by weight of 25% by weight of inorganic salts, in particular alkali carbonate and / or bicarbonate.

In a further preferred embodiment, an agent into which the cellulose derivative to be used according to the invention is incorporated is liquid and contains 10% by weight to 25% by weight, in particular 12% by weight to 22.5% by weight, of nonionic surfactant, 2% by weight to 10% by weight, in particular 2.5% by weight to 8% by weight of synthetic anionic surfactant, 3% by weight to 15% by weight, in particular 4.5% by weight to 12.5% by weight of soap, 0.5% by weight to 5% by weight, in particular 1% by weight to 4% by weight of organic builder, in particular polycarboxylate such as citrate, up to 1.5% by weight. %, in particular 0.1% by weight to 1% by weight, of complexing agents for heavy metals, such as phosphonate, and optionally enzyme, enzyme stabilizer, coloring and / or fragrance and water and / or water-miscible solvent.

Claims

claims

1. Use of cellulose derivatives, which are obtainable by alkylation and hydroxyalkylation of cellulose, to reduce the foaming of washing or cleaning agents when they are used in aqueous washing or cleaning solutions.

2. Use of cellulose derivatives, which are obtainable by alkylation and hydroxyalkylation of cellulose, as foam inhibitors in the machine washing of textiles.

3. Use of cellulose derivatives, which are obtainable by alkylation and hydroxyalkylation of cellulose, to reduce the foam in the rinse cycles when washing textiles by machine.

4. Use according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the Ceüulosederivat is alkylated with d- to Cio groups, in particular d- to C ₃ groups and additionally D to Cio-hydroxyalkyl groups, in particular - to C ₃ - Hydroxyalkyl groups.

5. Use according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that in the Ceululose derivative averaged 0.5 to 2.5, in particular 1 to 2 alkyl groups and 0.02 to 0.5, in particular 0.05 to 0.3, hydroxyalkyl groups per Anhydroglycose monomer unit are included.

6. Use according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the average molecular weight of the Ceüulosederivat is in the range of 10,000 D to 150,000 D.

7. Use according to claim 6, characterized in that the average molecular weight of the Ceüulosederivates in the range from 40,000 D to 120,000 D, in particular from 80,000 D to 110,000 D.

8. Use according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the Ceüulosederivat is used as a constituent of a detergent which, in addition to the Ceüulosederivat, at least one other ingredient selected from enzymatic active ingredients, in particular proteases and lipases, water-insoluble inorganic booths, water-soluble inorganic and contains organic broths, in particular based on oxidized carbohydrates, bleaching agents based on peroxygen, in particular alkali percarbonate, nonionic surfactants, in particular alkoxylates of long-chain alcohols, synthetic anionic surfactants of the sulfate and sulfonate type, and graying inhibitors, in particular anionic cueulose ethers.

9. Kömiges, free-flowing foam control agent containing 0.5 wt .-% to 30 wt .-% Ceüulosivativat, which is obtained by alkylation and

1

Hydroxyalkylation of cellulose, adsorbed on 70 wt .-% to 99.5 wt .-% of a water-soluble or water-dispersible, inorganic and / or organic carrier material.