GB2071688A

GB2071688A - Liquid Cleaning and Descaling Compositions

Info

Publication number: GB2071688A
Application number: GB8107976A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Jeyes Group Ltd
Current assignee: Jeyes Group Ltd
Priority date: 1980-03-13
Filing date: 1981-03-13
Publication date: 1981-09-23
Also published as: GB2071688B

Abstract

A liquid cleansing and descaling composition, suitable for cleaning lavatory bowls, comprises a thickened aqueous solution of an inorganic acid, particularly hydrochloric acid, or an acid salt of a strong inorganic acid, containing as thickening agent a mixture of (a) a substantially acid-insoluble amine or amine oxide of the formula: <IMAGE> or <IMAGE> in which R is a long chain alkyl or alkenyl group, preferably containing from 8 to 24 carbon atoms; and R<1> and R<2> are each a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, aryl, aralkyl or alkaryl group, preferably a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group; and (b) a substantially acid-soluble cationic or nonionic surface active agent. Components (a) and (b) are each suitably present in the composition in amounts of from 0.1 to 10% by weight.

Description

SPECIFICATION Liquid Cleaning and Descaling Compositions This invention is concerned with improvements in and relating to cleaning and descaling compositions, particularly to compositions suitable for the cleaning of lavatory bowls.

Aqueous solutions of inorganic acids, especially hydrochloric acid, having long been used for the cleaning of sanitary installations such as lavatory bowls. In order to increase the contact time between the composition and vertical or inclined surfaces to which it is to be applied it has been proposed to thicken (i.e. increase the viscosity of) the acid solution. As will be appreciated, some materials capable of thickening aqueous liquids are not suitable for use as thickening agents for acidic solutions since they are unstable in an acid environment.

It has now been found, in accordance with the present invention, that certain amines or amine oxides, as hereinafter defined, may be used in admixture with cationic or nonionic surface active agents to thicken acidic aqueous solutions.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a cleaning composition comprising a thickened aqueous solution of an inorganic acid or an acid salt of a strong inorganic acid containing as thickening agent a mixture of: (a) a substantially acid-insoluble amine or amine oxide of tife formula:

in which R is a long chain alkyl or alkenyl group e.g. containing at least 6 carbon atoms, preferably containing from 8 to 24 carbon atoms or an aryl, aralkyl or alkaryl group and R1 and R2 are each a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, preferably a lower alkyl group (e.g. containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms especially a methyl group), or an aryl, aralkyl or alkaryl group; and (b) a substantially acid-soluble cationic or nonionic surface active agent.

Preferred cationic surface active agents for use in the composition of the invention are those represented by the formula:

in which R, R1 and R2 have the meanings defined above; and R3 is an alkyl group, preferably a lower alkyl group (e.g. containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, especially a methyl group), or an aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl group; and X is an anion, such as a chloride ion.

Preferred nonionic surface active agents for use in the compositions of the invention are polyalkoxylated (e.g. polyethoxylated or polypropoxylated) surface active agents; i.e. surface active agents consisting a hydrophobic radical connected to a polyalkyleneoxy chain.

Examples of such alkoxylated surface agents include alkoxylated fatty alcohols, alkoxylated fatty acids, alkoxylated alkylphenols, and alkoxylated fatty amines and amine oxides.

In order to confer sufficient water-solubility, such alkoxylated surface agents will generally contain at least 6 alkylene oxide units per mole, preferably at least 12 alkylene oxide units per mole.

It is essential that both components (a) and (b) be present in the compositions since it has been found that when the components (a) or (b) are each added alone to an aqueous acidic solution, they have substantially no thickening effect. Components (a) and (b) are each suitably present In the composition in an amount of from 0.1 to 10%, preferably from 0.4 to 5% by weight (based on the total weight of the composition).

The inorganic acid present in the composition is preferably hydrochloric acid but other acids, such as sulphuric acid or acid salts of strong inorganic acids, such as sodium L'rl"--'- be employed.

The cleaning compositions of the invention may also contain other al ,ch as perfumes, germicides and colouring agents (i.e. dyestuffs or pigments). Where the composition contains a perfume it may be desirable to also include a solubilising or suspending agent therefor.

The composition may also contain corrosion inhibitors but it may be noted that certain of the amines employed as component (a) in accordance with the invention also possess corrosion inhibiting properties.

In order that the invention may be well understood, the following examples are given by way of illustration only. In the examples the percentages are given by weight unless otherwise stated.

Thickened acid compositions were made up by adding the ingredients listed in Table 1 below to 8.5% hydrochloric acid, in the amounts given in Table 1.

Table 1 Example Component (a) % Component (61 % 1 Genamin SO 302D (Soya 0.6 Arquad S-50 (aqueous 1.5 dimethyl amine) alcoholic solution containing 50% by weight oley trimethyl ammonium chloride) 2 Genamin SO 302D 2.0 Ethomeen T 25 0.6 (Ethoxylated tallow amine oxide containing an average of 1 5 ethylene oxide units per mole) 3 Aromox DM 1 6D (Aqueous 1.5 Arquad S-50 1.5 solution containing 39% by weight of dimethyl hexadecyl amine oxide) 4 Emplgen OH (Aqueous 4.0 Arquad S-50 3.2 solution containing 30% by weight of dimethyl myristyl amine oxide) 5 Gemanin 01 00D (Oleyl 0.8 Arquad S-50 4.0 amine) 6 Genamin SO 302D 0.6 Synperonic ASO 0.3 (ethoxylated Cr3 (67%) alcohol containing an average of 50 ethylene oxide units per mole) 7 Genamin SO 302D 0.6 Synperonic Al 1/85 0.3 (ethoxylated C,3(6796)/C,6(33%) alcohol containing an average of 11 ethylene oxide units per mole) 8 Genamin SO 302D 0.6 Empilan KM-9 (ethoxylated 0.3 alcohol containing an average of 9 ethylene oxide units per mole) 9 Genamino 302D (tallow 0.75 Arquad S.50 1.4 dimethyl amine) Each of the compositions was a thick composition, stable at room temperature. The viscosity of each composition was determined using a glass flow cup, similar to a Ford cup No. 4, and the flow times through the cup are given in Table 2 below together with, by way of comparison, the flow time for 8.5% hydrochloric acid containing no additive.

Table 2 Flow Time Liquid (seconds) 8.5% hydrochloric acid 40 Composition of Example 1 105 Composition of Example 2 116 Composition of Example 3 193 Composition of Example 4 155 Composition of Example 5 300 TshlaZ(cont.) Flow Time Liauid (secondsJ Composition of Example 6 T62 Composition of Example 7 72 Composition of Example 8 92 Composition of Example 9 95

Claims

1. A thickened aqueous solution of an inorganic acid or an acid salt of a strong inorganic acid containing as thickening agent a mixture of (a) a substantially acid-insoluble amine or amine oxide of the formula:

in which: R is a long chain alkyl or alkenyl group: and R1 and R2 are each a hydrogen atom or an alkyl, aryl, aralkyl or alkaryl group; and (b) a substantially acid-soluble cationic or nonionic surface active agent.

2. A composition as claimed in claim 1 in which R is an alkyl or alkenyl group containing from 8 to 24 carbon atoms.

3. A composition as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which R' or R2 are each a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group.

4. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the catlonic surface active agent is one of the formula:

in which R, R1 and R2 have the meanings defined in claim 1 and Ra is an alkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl group and X is an anion.

5. A composition as claimed in claim 4 in which, in formula (III), R is an alkyl group containing from 8 to 24 carbon atoms, R1 and R2 are each a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group and R3 is a lower alkyl group.

6. A composition as claimed in any one of claims 1-3 in which the nonionic surface active agent is a polyalkoxylated fatty alcohol, a polyalkoxylated fatty acid, a polyalkoxylated phenol, a polyalkoxylated fatty amine or a polyalkoxylated amine oxide.

7. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which components (a) and (b) are present in the composition in an amount of from 0.1 to 10% by weight.

8. A composition as claimed in claim 7 in which components (a) and (b) are each present in the block in an amount of from 0.4 to 5% by weight.

9. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the inorganic acid is hydrochloric acid.

10. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims also containing one or more of perfumes, germicides, colouring agents and corrosion inhibitors.