FI73733B - TVAETTMEDELKOMPOSITIONER INNEHAOLLANDE EN LOESNINGSMEDELBLANDNING OCH DERAS ANVAENDNING FOER TVAETTNING AV TYG. - Google Patents

Abstract

Alkyl benzene and olefin solvents are used to improve cleaning performance of conventional laundry detergents and hard surface cleaners. Solvent combinations comprising, for example, octyl benzene or 1-decene with a more polar solvent are disclosed for use as cleaning and degreasing solvents.

Description

This invention relates to the use of certain alkyl aromatic or olefinic solvents for improving the cleaning performance of laundry detergents, hard surface cleaners and the like. Mixtures of solvents consisting of said alkyl aromatic or olefinic solvents and a more polar solvent are also described. The solvents described herein are particularly well suited for use in laundry detergents. In addition to their excellent cleaning properties, the solvents used in accordance with the present invention have the advantage of having a mild, pleasant odor, which gives greater freedom of movement in perfuming formulations containing such solvents.

A number of solvent mixtures consisting of short-chain alkylbenzenes, which are particularly recommended for very demanding cleaning, such as degreasing engines, removing rubber stains from floors, etc., are described in U.S. Patent 3,658,708 / DE 1,942,708; U.S. Patent 3,354,093 and DE Patent 2,823,936.

A wide variety of organic solvents, including terpenes and terpenoid compounds, are known to be used in hard surface cleaners because of their degreasing ability. Such detergents often contain 10%, or more, of a solvent such as D-limonene, as well as a surfactant, especially nonionic surfactants, which are also known for their degreasing properties. Such compositions have also been proposed for cleaning carpets, GB Patent 1,603,047, 1981. EP-A-40882 relates to hard surface cleaners consisting of a mixture of benzyl alcohol, terpenes, surfactants and other cleaning ingredients.

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Citrus juices containing relatively small amounts of terpenes have been proposed for use in hand soaps and dishwashing liquids, cf. U.S. Patent 3,650,968, 1972.

5 Terpineols, for example from tall oil, have been proposed for use in wet abrasion of textiles. In particular, U.S. Patent 2,073,464, 1937, discloses clear compositions that can be prepared from tall oil terineol, such as terpineol, and fatty acid soap or free acid neutralized in situ to a basic pH.

A more recent article, Soap Perfumery Cosmetics, April 1983, pp. 174-175, states that only small amounts (3%) of terpenes can be included in high performance liquid detergents.

EP-A-0 072 488 (3.8.1982) discloses that terpenes, such as D-limonene, can be included in fabric pretreatment compositions as inhomogeneous emulsions. Such emulsions 20 are apparently intended to be packaged in relatively small volume containers that can be shaken immediately before use to restore a somewhat homogeneous shape, and applied directly to fabrics by spraying.

25 Emulsions containing clear, water, surfactant and various other solvents have been discussed by Davidsohn, 3rd International Congress of Surface Activity, Cologne, (1960).

This invention encompasses the use of certain alkyl aromatic and olefinic solvents as well as mixtures of such solvents and preferred polar co-solvents in detergents.

The solvents used according to the invention are particularly useful in laundry detergents, both for the pretreatment of fabrics and for the actual washing, and provide excellent removal of grease stains and stains and excellent maintenance of the whiteness of the fabric. Liquid laundry detergents in the form of microemulsions are a preferred embodiment of this invention.

The present invention comprises detergent compositions comprising conventional detersive ingredients and characterized in that they contain at least 0.1% by weight of a primary cleaning solvent which is an alkyl aromatic solvent having 6 to 9 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, or an olefin having a boiling point of about 100 ° C or higher.

The invention also relates to solvent mixtures which have particularly good cleaning properties and which are particularly well suited for use in detergent compositions of the above-mentioned type. Such solvent mixtures are characterized in that they consist of the above-mentioned primary cleaning solvent, which is an alkyl aromatic or olefinic hydrocarbon, and a polar co-solvent, in particular a polar liquid which is a phthalic acid ester, benzyl alcohol, n-hexanol or so-called "hexanol". type solvent (2- (2-alkoxyethoxy) ethanol), especially "butyl carbitol" or "cellosolvent".

Preferred compositions of the invention contain 1 to 30% (preferably 3 to 20%, most preferably 5 to 15%) of a primary cleaning solvent or a mixture of a primary cleaning solvent and a co-solvent, and highly preferred compositions contain n-octylbenzene, 1-decene or -dodecene as the primary cleaning solvent. In order to achieve the best possible performance of the liquid laundry detergent, such compositions also contain a co-solvent which is diethyl phthalate, benzyl alcohol or butyl carbitol.

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Detergent compositions comprising said solvents and mixtures, and methods for cleaning surfaces, and in particular fabrics, using such compositions are also within the scope of the invention.

5 All percentages and ratios used herein are by weight and unless otherwise indicated. All ingredients are available from commercial sources.

Primary cleaning solvent 10 This term is hereinafter referred to as PCS. There are two types of PCSs used according to the invention: alkyl aromatic and olefinic.

As discussed above, in the context of the art, alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons having relatively lower alkyl groups are known to be used in degreasing solvent compositions, and such short chain solvents are not intended to be used in the present invention. In fact, the liver toxicity of short-lived benzenes (e.g., toluene) and their unpleasant odor make them unsuitable for use in commonly used laundry detergent and detergent compositions. Surprisingly, it has been found that long chain alkylbenzenes (C 1-4 alkyl or larger) experience undesirable dirt reprecipitation when used in fabric washing solutions. Quite the opposite

C 8 -C 4 alkylbenzenes (especially octylbenzene) have excellent properties, do not have problems with dirt re-precipitation when used in washing solutions, and have a mild, pleasant, almond-like odor. Thus, such materials are preferred for use as PCS agents in the context of this invention.

Olefins, especially β-olefins, are another type of PCS material that can be used in the present invention. Generally speaking, the olefins used in accordance with this invention are liquids having a boiling point of at least about 100 ° C. Such olefins generally contain at least 5 carbon atoms, although chain branching can affect the boiling point in a known manner. In the context of this invention, N-olefins are particularly preferred, and 1-decene is the most preferred PCS agent. However, 1-dodecene 5 may be more preferred than 1-decene for some detergent purposes due to its excellent fragrance properties.

a co-:

It should be noted that the detergent compositions of this invention work well when only PCS is used. However, PCSs are essentially non-polar solvents. As such, they are particularly well suited for removing non-polar dirt or stains. It is particularly advantageous to mix the PCS materials with polar co-solvents to provide a wider dirt removal range.

Various polar substances such as alcohols, esters, ketones, etc. can be used as a co-solvent. However, it has now been found that particularly preferred co-solvents are benzyl alcohol, Alcohols, carbitols (i.e. ethoxyethanols) and phthalic acid diesters.

Preferred co-solvents in this context are benzyl alcohol, "butyl carbitol" (i.e. 2- (2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol); and dimethyl, diethyl, dipropyl or dibutyl phthalate, especially diethyl phthalate.

Dioctyl and di-isononyl phthalate can also be used.

The PCS co-solvent mixtures used in the context of the invention generally have a PCS: co-solvent ratio of 10: 10: 1 to 1:10. preferably 5: 1 to 1: 5. Liquid laundry detergents preferably have more PCS than co-solvent, usually in a ratio of about 5: 1 to 5: 4.

Ingredients of the formula

It should be noted that PCS agents or mixtures of PCS agents 35 and co-solvents can be added to laundry water or hard surface cleaning solutions, applied directly to stains, or otherwise used "merely" to achieve excellent stain or soil removal. However, the solvents used in the present invention are preferably in the form of fully formulated compositions containing typical cleaning ingredients such as cleaning surfactants, detergency builders, bleaches, bleach activators, enzymes, wax regulators, and the like. , all of which are known in the detergent industry.

As can be seen from the following description, such conventional detergent ingredients are used in the present invention in conventional amounts and in conventional concentrations.

Importantly, in the formulation of liquid detergents, the solvents used according to the invention can be used in combination with relatively high concentrations (15-25% or more depending on the solvent) of 20 fatty acids / soaps, which play an important role as surfactants.

Washable Surfactants: The compositions of this invention typically contain organic surfactants ("surfactants") to achieve the conventional cleaning benefits associated with the use of such agents.

Detergent surfactants useful in the present invention include the well-known synthetic anionic, nonionic, amphoteric and zwit 30 30 terionic surfactants. Typical of such substances are alkylbenzenesulfonates, alkyl and alkyl ether sulfates, paraffin sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, alkoxylated (especially ethoxylated) alcohols and alkylphenols. Such detergent surfactants generally contain a C 1-10 alkyl group; Union detergent surfactants may be used in the form of sodium, potassium or triethanolammonium-5 salts, but it should be noted that the presence of magnesium cations in the compositions usually results in at least some of the anionic surfactant being in the form of a magnesium salt; nonionic surfactants generally contain about 5-17 ethyleneoxy-10 groups. U.S. Patent Nos. 411,355 and 3,995,669 provide detailed lists of such typical detergent surfactants. C 1-4 alkylbenzenesulfonates, C 1-4 paraffin sulfonates and alkyl sulfates, and ethoxylated alcohols and alkylphenols are particularly preferred for this type of composition.

The proportion of surfactant component in the compositions according to the invention may be as low as 1%, but preferably the compositions contain 1 to 40%, preferably 10 to 40% of surfactant. Mixtures of ethoxylated nonionics and anionics such as alkylbenzenesulfonates, alkyl sulfates and paraffin sulfonates are preferred for removing a wide variety of dirt and stains from fabrics in the actual wash. The HLB values of such surfactants and compositions are typically 20 or greater.

Carriers: The solvents of this invention are preferably used in liquid compositions. However, they can be formulated as granules by spraying them on inert solid carriers such as attapulgite, sodium sulfate or the like. Alternatively, the solvents can be sprayed onto spray-dried detergent granules containing 5 to 60% of conventional solid cleaning ingredients such as sodium perborate, sodium ortho or

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* 73733 Pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate and zeolite (especially hydrogenated Zeolite Λ, 1 to 10 μm) or smectite clay fabric preservatives. The solvents can also be microencapsulated in frangible or water-soluble capsules and mixed with granular detergents.

Pölyäniinit:

Polyamine materials are potential ingredients of the compositions of the invention due to their ability to interact with a solvent to remove solid material present in many grease stains (e.g., carbon black in engine oil stains; clay and color particles in cosmetic stains). It should be noted that the term "polyamines" as used herein generally refers to alkoxylated polyamines in both amine and quaternized forms. Such materials can be easily described as molecules whose empirical structure consists of repeating units: - (- N - R Amine form 20 |

R

-f N R Quaternized 25 | the x form of alkoxy in solution R is a hydrocarbon group, usually containing 2 to 6 carbon atoms; R 'may be a hydrocarbon; the alkoxy group is polyethoxy, polypropoxy or the like, wherein the degree of polymerization of the polyethoxy group is 2 to 30, most preferably 10 to 20; x is an integer of at least 2, preferably 2 to 20, and preferably. © iisimmin 3 - 3; and x is an anion following the quaternization reaction, such as a halide or methyl sulfate. Anio-Θ niiia x is not of particular importance for the ability of polyamine to function in this context, and is mentioned in the above formula only in the work! 1 i. For a reason.

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The most preferred polyamines for use in the present invention are the so-called ethoxylated polyethyleneimines, i. a polymerized reaction product of ethylene oxide and ethyleneimine having the general formula: -f N - CH 2 - CH 2 x (E + O) y 10 wherein x is an integer from 3 to 5 and y is an integer from 10 to 20.

Preferred compositions of the invention contain at least about 0.2%, generally 0.5 to 5% polyamines.

Other possible ingredients:

The compositions of the invention may contain other ingredients which enhance their cleansing ability.

For example, it is highly preferred that the detergent compositions used in the actual wash contain a surfactant enhancer and / or a metal ion scavenger. Compounds that may be class-20 Telia surfactant enhancers, builders, and are known in the art include nitrile triacetates, polycarboxylates, citrates, water-soluble phosphates such as tripolyphosphate and sodium ortho- and pyrophosphates, and silicates thereof. . Metal ion binding agents include all of the above, as well as agents such as ethylenediamine diamine tetraacetate, aminopolyphosphonates and phosphates (DEQUEST), and a large number of other polyfunctional organic acids and salts, which are too much to detail in this context. See U.S. Patent 3,579,454, which provides typical examples of the use of such agents in various detergent compositions. The composition generally contains about 0.5 to 15% builder (a surfactant enhancer / metal ion scavenger). Citrate is one of the more preferred builders because it readily dissolves in the aqueous phase of liquid high power detergent compositions. Such ingredients are also useful in hard surface cleaners.

A magnesium ion source may be used in the compositions to promote degreasing. In addition to magnesium hydroxide, water-soluble salts such as magnesium chloride acetate, sulfate, and the like can be used.

The laundry compositions of the invention preferably also contain enzymes to improve their cleaning ability against various dirt and stains in the actual wash. Suitable amylase and protease enzymes for detergents are well known in the art and are commercially available in liquid and granular detergents. Commercial washing enzymes (preferably a mixture of amylase 15 and protease) are typically used in concentrations of 0.001% to 2 M or greater in the compositions of this invention. Ingredients such as propane diol and / or formate and potassium may be added to help stabilize the enzymes in a known manner, depending on the wishes of the manufacturer.

The compositions of the invention may contain, in addition to the ingredients already mentioned, various potential ingredients which are typically used in commercial products for aesthetic reasons or to improve the performance of the product. Typical ingredients include pH adjusters, perfumes, colorants, optical brighteners, dirt suspending agents, hydrotropes and gel regulators, freeze-thaw stabilizers, bactericides, preservatives, foam regulators, and the like. Compositions contain 0.1 to 10 such agents. substances.

Mixtures of water or water-alcohol (e.g., ethanol, isopropanol, etc.) are used as a carrier, and alkylated polysaccharides can be used to improve the stability and performance of the compositions.

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Industrial application:

The following examples illustrate various formulations that may be prepared in accordance with this invention. The examples are provided to illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In the polyamine-containing formulations shown, the terms "x" and "y" in parentheses indicate the degree of polymerization and alkoxylation of the polyamine. For some "polyamines", the term R 'is also mentioned, indicating the quaternized polyamine in question. In the case of such quaternized substances, the Θ anion x formed is not relevant for purification efficiency and has not been reported.

High-performance liquid detergents: 15 Particular attention is paid to those particularly advantageous formulations which can be used in particular as high-performance liquid detergents which are suitable for washing all types of fabrics by a typical household washing method. A variety of cleaning ingredients are used in the formulation of the liquid high performance detergents 20 below to provide an excellent cleaning result for a variety of dirt and stains and particularly significant advantages for stains caused by cosmetics and used engine oil.

It should be noted that the following formulations are in the form of emulsions in oil-in-water (in which the solvent is considered to be the "oil" phase) and are essentially clear, homogeneous and stable microemulsions. Surprisingly, when used as pretreatments, the degreasing ability of the oil-in-water microemulsions of this invention is comparable to the degreasing ability of water-in-oil emulsions with much higher solvent concentrations. The compositions also retain the whiteness of cotton fabrics excellently, apparently because the solvent reduces the accumulation of ras-35 acid soap on the surface of the fabrics. These performance benefits are particularly significant after multi-stage washing.

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The preparation of stable liquid high power detergents in their preferred oil-in-water microemulsion form is done with attention to the aqueous carrier liquid, the use of fatty acid / soap as a builder / emulsion stabilizer 5 and pH adjustment.

Fatty acids and soaps:

Fatty acids such as lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic and oleic acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids as well as their water soluble salts (i.e. "soaps") are used in the tasty compositions of the invention to provide clear, homogeneous formulations containing solvent and water. . Mixtures of fatty acids (or soaps) such as palm oleic acids, coconut oil acids, and the like containing 12 to 18 carbon atoms can be used. The content of fatty acid (or soap) is generally 5 to 50%, preferably 5 to 35%, most preferably 10 to 30%, and the weight ratio of fatty acid (or soap): solvent is generally 4: 1 to 1: 4, preferably 3: 1 to 1 2. When fatty acid soap is used, the potassium salt form is preferred, but any water-soluble salt can be used.

In addition to acting as microemulsion stabilizers, these fatty acid / soap materials play an important role as a builder in the compositions of this invention. However, it has now been found that when formulating oil-in-water emulsion compositions to a pH higher than 6.5, the presence of a fatty acid / soap can actually destabilize the system. Means to prevent this destabilization while maintaining a pH of 6.5 or above in microemulsions containing fatty acid / soap builder amounts are discussed in detail below.

Water:

The liquid compositions of the invention may suitably be characterized as "aqueous", as opposed to organic solvent-based cleaners known in the art.

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Surprisingly, water can impair the ability of solvents to remove grease stains from fabrics. For example, a fabric with engine oil stains that is moistened with water prior to treatments with a terpene solvent does not clean 5 grease very well if at all. In contrast, the compositions of this invention in which the solvents are microemulsified in water are excellent degreasers when applied directly to a dry or damp cloth.

10 In addition to being clearly environmentally friendly, safe and inexpensive compared to organic solvents, aqueous liquid high performance detergents have the advantage of ease of formulation with respect to ingredients such as most builders, disinfectants, chelating agents, dirt suspending agents, pH adjusters and corresponding, which are often water-soluble.

Thus, the compositions of this invention have the advantages of water-based formulation flexibility as well as better degreasing properties than solvent-based compositions.

As discussed in more detail below, the compositions of this invention generally contain 10 to 70%, preferably 20 to 50%, water. The weight ratio of water: solvent is generally 10: 1 to 1: 1, preferably 5: 1 to 2: 1.

25 pH / stabilizer:

As is known in the detergent art, the pH of detergent compositions is preferably close to neutral or basic, i. 6.5 or higher. There are many reasons for this. For example, many dirt is pepticized or emulsified in part by the alkalinity itself. In addition, many commercially available cleaning enzymes (e.g., "basic proteases") work best in alkaline wash solutions.

It has now been found that stable detergent compositions in the form of an oil-in-water 35 microemulsion containing 14,73733 ka of fatty acid or soap in concentrations such that it acts as a builder are destabilized when their pH is adjusted to approximately 6.5 or higher. (The pH at which instability is observed may vary slightly depending on the actual degreasing solvent used in the microemulsion and its concentration, as well as the length of the fatty acid carbon chain and its degree of unsaturation). This problem is particularly significant when using relatively non-polar, degreasing hydrocarbon solvents such as alkylbenzenes and Ύ-ο lefins.

The stability problem appears to be caused by a fatty acid with an HLB of about 2 and which is almost completely converted to a soap with an HLB of about 20, in a very narrow pH range of 15, in the range of about 6.5 to 6.9. Thus, because of the significant amounts of fatty acid present (about 5% or more), this large change in HLB swings the HLB of the emulsification system and leads to destabilization.

It should be noted that in theory a stable formula 20 could be obtained by selecting suitable surfactants with a low HLB. For example, nonionic surfactants such as c14-15 alcohols with a low degree of ethoxylation (1 to 3) would be useful. However, such low HLB surfactants do not act as good cleaning surfactants, and it is an object of the present invention not only to provide stable microemulsions but also good cleaning performance in pretreatment and actual washing.

It has now been found that the microemulsion can be stabilized either by increasing the ionic strength of the aqueous phase or by adding solvent-soluble ingredients with low HLB and increasing the polarity of the solvent to the solvent phase, or by using both methods together.

The addition of particularly water-soluble ingredients with high ionic strength, such as formates, sulfates, citrates and the like, increases stability. In contrast, the addition of water-soluble substances with low ionic strength, such as ethanol, does not appear to be stabilizing.

5 The addition of slightly polar but solvent-soluble ingredients with low HLB, such as n-hexanol, benzyl alcohol, diethyl phthalate and the like, also improves stability.

The simultaneous addition of ionic strength enhancing ingredients and solvent soluble ingredients further improves stability. The formulator may, of course, select ingredients in order not only to increase the stability of the microemulsion but also to obtain the best possible cleaning benefit. For example, a citrate which also has surfactant enhancing properties or a format which also stabilizes cleaning enzymes can be selected as an ionic strength enhancer. with a low HLB, n-hexanol, benzyl alcohol or diethyl phthalate can be selected, which also act as useful cleaning co-solvents.

The amount of ionic strength enhancing ingredient and / or solvent soluble low HLB (e.g. 2-5) ingredient used in the compositions will depend to some extent on the desired pH, fatty acid content, concentration of degreasing solvent, system of detergent surfactants. composition and other similar matters. The stability of the microemulsion can be monitored in a fairly simple way, as the actual microemulsions are clear but become cloudy and inhomogeneous, possibly with phase separation when a point of instability is reached. In addition, true oil-in-water microemulsions become cloudy upon dilution with water, while water-in-oil emulsions tend to gel 35 and oil + water model systems remain clear.

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As for adjusting the pH of the compositions, any known basic substances can be used, such as triethanolamine, alkali metal hydroxide and the like. Potassium hydroxide is more preferred than sodium hydroxide because the potassium cation greatly facilitates the formulation of stable systems.

Nitrogen stabilizers / pH adjusters:

It has now been found that quaternary ammonium compounds and amines form a very preferred group of pH adjusters and stabilizers for oil-in-water microemulsion detergent compositions of the type of this invention. It is apparent that the quaternary compound or amine in some way binds to the fatty acid or anionic surfactants to form a complex that stabilizes the oil (solvent) of the microemulsions. Although quaternary nitrogen compounds and amines do not change the pH very much in the alkaline direction (only a few tenths of a pH unit measured from the undiluted product), the resulting improvement in washing efficiency is significant.

Dioctyldimethylammonium chloride is a highly preferred quaternary compound for use as a pH adjuster in this context, but the following quaternaries may also be mentioned. compounds in ascending order of preference: coconut alkyltrimethylammonium chloride (6.66); dicocoalkyldimethylammonium chloride (6.84); coconut alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride (6.84); and dihexyldimethylammonium chloride (6.89). Figures in parentheses indicate the pH that can be achieved by adding 30 of the respective quaternary compound to a liquid oil-in-water microemulsion containing a fatty acid and formulated to a pH (measured undiluted) of 6.5. The preferred dioctyldimethylammonium chloride has a pH of 6.94.

Alkyl or cycloalkylamines such as cocoalkyldiethanolamine, cocoalkyldimethylmethyl-amine, trioctylamine and (most preferably) cyclohexylamine can be used in concentrations of 0.1 to 5% of the compositions to adjust the pH to up to 7.5. The undiluted pH of the product is measured at room temperature (23 ° C) with a commercial pH meter. The electrode is immersed in the product and the meter is allowed to stabilize before reading.

The highly preferred, fully formulated compositions of the invention are in the form of liquids which can be prepared simply by mixing the necessary and possible ingredients with an aqueous carrier. The stability of the microemulsion can be assessed visually by observing phase separation, or it can be monitored more quantitatively by conventional turbidity measurement methods.

The compositions can be used to pre-treat soiled fabrics by rubbing a few milliliters of the composition directly into and within the soiled area, followed by conventional washing. In the actual wash, the compositions are typically used at a concentration of at least 500 ppm, preferably 0.1 to 1.5% in a wash solution having a pH of 6.5 or higher, for washing fabrics. Washing can be done at a temperature from 5 ° C to the boiling point with excellent results.

When used on hard surfaces, as carpet cleaners and all-purpose cleaners, such compositions are diluted with water or used undiluted in a conventional manner.

Alternatively, the preferred PCS / co-solvent mixtures can be used as undiluted degreasers, or they can be packaged separately, for example, as laundry detergent additives, and the like.

The following examples illustrate the practice of the invention, but are not intended to limit it. Examples I to IV illustrate highly preferred liquid laundry detergents.

The oil-in-water microemulsions of the invention have the advantage that they can be packaged in polyethylene containers without adversely affecting them.

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Example I

Ingredient wt% C, O-alkylbenzenesulfonic acid 10.0 lx ,, a '

C 14-15 alkyl ethoxylate (EO 7) 10.9 5 Coconut fatty acid (broad fraction) 18.2 Oleic acid 2.3

Monomethylethanolamine 5.8 n-octylbenzene 9.1

Ethanol (95%) 2.7 10 DEQUEST (50 5) 1.09

Formic acid 0.18 K 2 -citrate.H 2 O (63.5% in water) 4.4

CaCl2.2H2O 0.05

Maxatase enzyme (protease) 0.73 15 TermamyΙ enzyme (amylase) 0.1 lo 2.

Ethoxylated polyamine * 1.73

Perfume / optical brightener / colorant 0.5

Water to I00

Product pH 6.6 20 1. Diethylenetriamine pentamethylenephosphonic acid.

2. Tetraethylenepentamine, 105 EO units / molecule

The composition of Example I is a stable oil-in-water microemulsion suitable for use as a laundry detergent.

25 Example 2

The composition of Example I is modified by replacing n-octylbenzene with the same amount (9.1% of the total formula) of 1-decene and 1-dodecene, respectively. The pH of the undiluted product is 6.6.

30 Example III

The composition of Example I is modified by replacing n-octylbenzene with each of the following solvent mixtures (percentage of total formula is given in parentheses): 1-decene (6.1%) diethyl phthalate (3.0%); 1-dodecene 35 (7.3%) / 1-dodecanol (1.8%); n-octylbenzene (6.2%) / diethyl phthalate (2.9 δ); n-octylbenzene (6.0%) / butylcarbitol (3.1 "); 1-decene (7.3%) /" hexylcello-solv "(1.8%). 6.6.

Example IV

The compositions of Examples I, II and III are modified by the addition of sufficient cyclohexylamine (preferred) or dioctyldimethylammonium chloride undiluted to adjust the measured pH from 6.6 to 7.3. The available compositions have an exceptionally good fabric cleaning performance and whiteness retention capacity.

I0 Example V

The composition of Example I is modified by replacing the ethoxylated polyvamine with each of the following alkoxylated polyamines Λ, B and C having the general formula given above: Polyamine A: x = 2; y = 2; R = ethylene; alkoxy = ethoxy Polyamine B: x = 20; y = 30; R = propylene; alkoxy = propoxy

Polyamine C: x = 3, y = 15, R = ethylene; alkoxy = ethoxy; R '= butyl.

Alkoxylated polyamines promote the clay release properties of the compositions.

Example VI

The spray-dried granular detergent is prepared in a conventional manner using the following typical ingredients in conventional concentrations:

Ingredient weight%

Zeolite Λ (1 to 10 μm; hydrogenated) 15

Sodium tripolyphosphate 18 C11-6ylbenzenesulfonate 5 30 C 1-4 ethoxylate (EO 7-9) 3

Sodium sulphate 22

Smectite clay (softener) 5

Sodium perborate 18

Tetraacetylethylenediamine 3 35 Protease / amylase mixture 0.8

Sodium silicate 1.3

Water, perfume, minor ingredients to 100 20 737 33 1.5 parts of n-octylbenzene are pre-emulsified with soap and sprayed evenly on 100 parts of granules prepared as described above to improve washing performance in household laundry.

Another preferred olefin used in the present invention is a so-called "P-4" polymer due to its relatively mild odor, which is available from many petrochemical suppliers for use in the detergent industry as a feedstock for branched alkylbenzene. P-4 10 is an isomeric mixture of condensation products obtained from 4 moles of propylene, i. branched C ^ 2_ ° lefines. P-4 is non-polar, and is preferably used in combination with a polar solvent such as benzyl alcohol, butyl carbitol and the like.

Other polar solvents useful in the present invention include "cellosolvents", for example, alkoxyl alkanols such as 2-butoxyethanol; alkanols (including benzyl alcohol) such as dodecanol, phenylethyl alcohol, diglycol ether acetates, 20 and the like.

Example VII

The following compositions containing PCS and a polar co-solvent are particularly preferred for use in liquid cleaning and stain removal compositions.

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Composition Component Percent A Octylbenzene 70

Diethyl phthalate 30 B 1-decene 70 5 Diethyl phthalate 30 C Octyl benzene 80

Benzyl alcohol 20 D n-octylbenzene 90

Butylcarbitol 10 10 E 1-decene 65

Dibutyl phthalate 35 F n-octylbenzene 30 1-dececni 40

Benzyl alcohol 10 15 Butyl carbitol 20 G 1-decene 80 n-hexanol 20 II 1-decene 6 0

Diethyl phthalate 40 2C I 1-dodecene 80

Hexylcellosolve 20 J Nonyl / hexylbenzene mixture 1: 1 35 2-dodecene 35 25 Dimethyl phthalate 30

Compositions VII (A-J) may be applied "as is" to remove dirt and stains from fabrics or added to wash water containing conventional detergent ingredients.

In a preferred method of use, the compositions of the invention are used in laundry water, preferably in a solution having a pH of 6.5 to 8.0 (measured from a mixture containing 1% of the composition in water) for washing laundry. Excellent cleaning is achieved by agitating the fabrics in such washing solutions, especially at this preferred pH of the working solution.

Claims (9)

1. A detergent composition comprising said solvent constituent of a solvent mixture, characterized in that the solvent mixture comprises (a) a primary cleaning solvent, which is a C 6 -C 6 alkylated aromatic hydrocarbon or olefin having a boiling point of at least about 100 C; and (b) a polar, cooperating solvent which is phthalic acid ester, C6-C12 alk; in a weight ratio (a): (b) = 10: 1-1: 10. Detergent composition according to Claim 1, characterized in that the alkylated ara-hydrocarbon is hydrogen Cg-C ^ alkylbenzene. Detergent composition according to claim 2, characterized in that the alkylbenzene is cctylbenzene. Detergent composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the olefin is an olefin. Detergent composition according to claim 4, characterized in that the β-olefin is 1-decene or 1-dodecene. Detergent composition according to claim 3 or 5, characterized in that the interacting phthalic acid ester solvent is diethyl phthalate or dibutyl phthalate. Detergent composition according to claim 3 or 5, characterized in that the cooperating solvent is 2- (2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol, benzyl alcohol, 2-butoxyethanol, phenethyl alcohol or dodecanol. Detergent composition according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises water and is in the form of an oil in water microemulsion. Il