GB2175003A - Rapidly dissolving detergent composition - Google Patents

Abstract

A detergent which is rapidly dissolved to form a transparent wash liquid is composed of an inorganic builder an organic builder, surfactant or hydrotrope and a solvent which is a monohydric or dihydric alcohol or ether thereof. This detergent suitable for washing filmy oil-containing contamination adhered firmly to car windscreens, by dissolving it in water.

Description

SPECIFICATION Detergent This invention relates to a detergent which is very easily dissolvable in water, having high detergency.

Conventional powdery or granular detergents are generally composed of, for instance, about 20-25 parts (in this specification "parts" means "parts by weight") of a surface-active agent such as alkyl-benzene-sulfonate, and about 65-70 parts of an inorganic builder selected from salt cake, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium carbonate, sodium meta silicate and the like, and a bit of water. These detergents are not easily dissolved without additional operations such as stirring, even when a small quantity of the detergent is added to a large quantity of water. For instance, when aqueous solutions of some detergents are used for cleaning the windscreen of a motorcar provided with a wiper, an opaque or a translucent cloud will be formed on the surface of the front glass.

A powdery or granular detergent is more easily packed, is light weight and can be conveniently stored and carried compared to detergents in the liquid or creamy state. Although solid detergents have excellent characteristics, it is furthermore desired to provide those detergents which can be readily and transparently dissolved in water of room temperature and be immediately used according to the place and object of use without further operations such as stirring.

The present invention is the culmination of extensive studies on solid detergents in a powdery or granular state to development of detergent which is excellent in resolvability and detergency and yet leaves no residue such as cloud and the like on the cleaned surface.

This invention provides a detergent containing at least one inorganic builder selected from phosphates, carbonates and sulfates; at least one organic builder selected from alkali metal salts of alkylarylsulfonic acid, sulfated alkyl ethers, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid and lower saturated fatty acids; and a solvent of monohydric or dihydric alcohol. It is excellent in resolvability and dispersibility, with its strong detergency and well draining-off power, leaving no residue or trace of cleaning.

The preferred inorganic builder salts are those having excellent resolvability such as phosphates of alkali metals such a potassium monophosphate, potassium biphosphate, potassium triphosphate, potassium pyrophosphate, sodium monophosphate, sodium biphosphate, sodium triphosphate and sodium pyrophosphate; carbonates, of alkali metal such as potassium carbonate, and sodium carbonate, magnesium sulfate and other sulfates having high solubility, which may be used singly or in a mixture of two or more kinds.

Preferred organic builder salts have excellent detergency, permeability and dispersibility, for instance, there are alkali metal salts of alkyl aryl sulfonic acid such as sodium alkyl-benzene sulfonate, sodium alkylnaphthalenesulfonate, sodium p-toluene sulfonate, alkali metal salts of sulfated alkyl ethers such as sodium alkyl ether sulfate, alkali metal salts of ethylene diaminetetraacetic acid such as disodium ethylene diamine tetraacetate, tetra-sodium ethylene diamine tetraacetate, and alkali metal salts of C2-C9 saturated fatty acid such as sodium propionate, sodium butylate, sodium caproate, sodium caprylate and sodium caprate, which may be used singly or in a mixture of two or more kinds.

For the solvent which preferably has an excellent degreasing property, for instance, there are dihydric alcohol such as hexylene glycohol, methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, diethylene glycohol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, and monohydric alcohol such as isopropyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol and the like. These solvents have the function in the detergent of dissolving and remove stains of oil film adhered together with dust. When a granular detergent is obtained, they have the function of accelerating granulation of mixed powdery material.

Blending proportions for the inorganic builder salt, organic builder salt and solvent may be suitably selected. Preferred proportions are about 10-30 parts by weight for the inorganic builder, about 1-15 parts by weight for the organic builder, and about 3 parts by weight for the solvent.

The blending material may be additionally mixed, besides the above mentioned organic and inorganic builder, with a predetermined quantity of other organic or inorganic builder, or of suitable surface-active agent and the like, whereby detergency can be considerably increased.

To prepare a granular detergent using the blending material, firstly the respective predetermined quantities of inorganic builder and organic builder are blended to make a uniform powder; secondly while the powder is stirred and mixed, the solvent is gradually added to granulate the powder so as not to lose its fluidity whereby a granular material is formed having good fluidity.

The particle size (United States Standard screen size) of the granular detergent formed is preferably that which passes through about 20 mesh and is retained at 100 mesh. Since the builder to be blended may sometimes have relatively high hygroscopicity, it is preferable in the granule-making-operation for the blending conditions of raw materials to be experimentally de cided in advance.

The resulting granular detergent has relatively high hygroscopicity, so that one batch of resolving quantity, for instance, 5g, 10g, 209,..., 1009, is respectively sealed up in a receptable such as a bag made of packing materials which is laminated with aluminium foil, having good barrier properties, for sale on the market. An example is given of a laminated material made of aluminium foil with a polyethylene film liner used to form a nearly cylindrical bag, whose folded diameter is about 2.5cm and the length thereof is about 17-18cm, into which 209 of granular detergent is filled and the open end thereof is welded. The packed detergent corresponds to one batch of dissolving quantity of liquid storage tank of 2 liter for cleaning of the windscreen on a motorcar.Since this detergent is compact, it can be carried in the driver's pocket and it is very convenient to use. Therefore, when the liquid is used up and the storage tank is empty, the tank is filled with about 2 liter of water, into which the packed detergent is added by opening the packing, then the required transparent liquid is immediately prepared without any need for stirring.

The following examples illustrate the invention. All parts are by weight unless otherwise indicated.

EXAMPLE 1 First, each of 10 parts of potassium biphosphate, magnesium sulfate, potassium carbonate and one part of sodium alkyl ether sulfate are plced in a ribbon mixer for blending to make uniform powder; second while the powder is continued to be stirred and mixed, 3 parts of ethylcellosolve are gradually added dropwise to granulate the powder without loss of fluidity. The obtained granular detergent has good fluidity with a particle size (U.S.S. screen size) passing through about 20 mesh and retaining at about 100 mesh, almost excluding powder of finer particle.

EXAMPLE 2 By the same procedure as in Example 1, and blending the following builder salts and solvent, a granular detergent having almost the same fluidity was obtained: builder salts potassium biphosphate 15 parts magnesium sulfate 5 parts potassium carbonate 5 parts tetra sodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate 2 parts sodium alkylether sulfate 1 part solvent butyl cellosolve 3 parts EXAMPLE 3 By the same procedure as in Example 1, and blending the following builder salts and solvent, a detergent having almost the same properties as in Example 1 was obtained: builder salts potassium carbonate 10 parts tetrasodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate 2 parts sodium alkyl benzene sulfonate 10 parts solvent isopropyl alcohol 3 parts EXAMPLE 4 By the same procedure as in Example 1, and blending the following builder salts and solvent, a detergent having the same properties as in Example 1 was obtained: builder salts potassium carbonate 15 parts tetrasodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate 2 parts sodium alkyl benzene sulfate 10 parts solvent ethylcellosolve 3 parts EXAMPLE 5 builder salts potassium carbonate 3 parts magnesium sulfate 1 part sodium p-toluene sulfonate 3 parts sodium propionate 2 parts solvent diethylene glycohol monomethyl ether 1 part With the same procedure in Example 1 except the blending of the above builder salts and solvent, the same result as Example 4 was obtained.

EXAMPLE 6 potassium carbonate 5 parts sodium p-toluene sulfonate 2 parts sodium propionate 2 parts By taking the same steps and-using the same solvent as in Example 5, except the blending of the above mentioned builder salts, a good granular detergent was obtained.

EXAMPLE 7 potassium carbonate 7 parts sodium p-toluene sulfonate 1 part sodium propionate 1 part With the same solvent and the same procedure as Example 5 except the blending of the above builder salts, a granular detergent having similar properties was obtained.

EXAMPLE 8 magensium sulfate 1 part potassium carbonate 3 parts disodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate 3 parts sodium p-toluene sulfate 2 parts With the same solvent and the same procedure as Example 5 except the blending of the above builder salts, a granular detergent having similar properties was obtained.

EXAMPLE 9 potassium carbonate 5 parts tetrasodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate 2 parts sodium p-toluene sulfate 2 parts With the same solvent and the same procedure as the one of Example 5, except the blending of the above builder salts, almost the same granular detergent was obtained.

EXAMPLE 10 potassium carbonate 7 parts disodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate 1 part sodium p-toluene sulfonate 1 part With the same solvent and the same procedure as Example 5, except the blending of the above builder salts, a granular detergent having very similar properties was obtained.

EXAMPLE 71 potassium pyrophosphate 2 parts potassium carbonate 5 parts disodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate 1 part sodium propionate 1 part With the same solvent and the same procedure as the one of Example 5, except the blending of the above builder salts, a detergent having very similar properties was obtained.

EXAMPLE 12 builder salts potassium biphosphate 2 parts potassium carbonate 3 parts tetrasodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate 1 part sodium p-toluene sulfonate 2 parts solvent ethylene glycohol monoethyl ether 1 part With the same procedure as Example 5, except the blending of the above builder salts and solvent, a detergent having very similar properties was obtained.

EXAMPLE 13 potassium triphosphate 2 parts potassium carbonate 3 parts sodium p-toluene sulfonate 3 parts With the same solvent and the same procedure as Example 12, except the blending of the above builder salts, a detergent having very similar properties was obtained.

To compare the detergent as shown in the Examples according to this invention with the conventional powdery or granular detergent for home use, tests were carried out with respect to its dissolving velocity in water at room temperature and its detergency when an aqueous solution of the detergent was applied to the windscreen of motorcars. The result was as follows: Method for dissolving test: (a) beakers of 300cc capacity, each including 200cc of water at room temperature were prepared, keeping the water at statioriary state, into which 2g of each detergent for testing was added at a time from the upper portion of the beaker, whereupon the dissolved state of each detergent ws observed.

(b) 29 of each detergent for testing was put into the bottom of beakers of 300cc capacity, into which 200cc of water at room temperature was poured by means of another beaker, whereupon the dissolved state of detergent put into the bottom of beakers were observed.

As the result, in case of the method (a), none of the detergents according to this invention rose to the surface of the water to become balls and the whole quantity thereof was well permeated into the water, and dissolved to provide a transparent liquid after about 3-5 minutes, wherein no bubbles were formed.

On the other hand, when the conventional detergent was added to water, a part of the detergent rose to the surface of water to become balls and part was retained on the bottom of the beaker and the detergent was not completely dissolved after more than 30 minutes.

In case of the method (b), all of the detergents according to this invention were dissolved almost immediately to form a transparent liquid, wherein no bubbles were formed.

On the other hand, when the conventional detergent was added to water, part rose to the surface of the water to become balls and another part was retained on the bottom of the beaker, and the detergent was not completely dissolved after more than 30 minutes, as in the case of the method (a). Furthermore, some bubbles were formed.

Method for washing test of windscreen: Each 20 g of the detergent was put in a liquid storage tank for the motorcar's windscreen containing 2,000cc of water at room temperature to produce 1% aqueous solution of each detergent. About 200cc of this 1% aqueous solution was poured onto the dirty surface of a windscreen through a nozzle, and was washed with the help of a wiper. Then the cleaned state of the front glass surface was inspected.

As a result, all of the detergents according to this invention were completely dissolved and formed transparent liquid, and the dirty layer adhered on the surface of the windscreen was easily removed; no water remained; and no residue adhered to the glass surface. Even after repeated operation, there was no clogging in the pump or nozzle by residues.

On the other hand, in case that the conventional detergent was used, it was not completely dissolved immediately after it was added to water. When the liquid was poured on the surface of the windscreen, and the wiper was operated for longer hours than in the case of the detergent according to this invention, the dirty layer adhered to the surface of the windscreen was not fully removed, and also water thereon was not fully drained off, leaving some cloud on the surface of the glass. When the washing was repeated, there was a danger that the pump or nozzle would be clogged with residue.

The detergent according to this invention is suitable for use on inside and outside walls, ceilings, furnitures and other vessels in addition to window glass, motorcar's windscreen and glasswares.

Claims (12)

1. A detergent comprising at least one inorganic builder selected from phosphates, carbonates and sulfates; at least one organic builder selected from alkali metal salts of alkylarylsulphonic acids, sulfated alkylethers, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid and lower saturated fatty acids; and a solvent of a monohydric or dihydric alcohol.

2. A detergent according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of the inorganic builder: the organic builder: the solvent is about 3-30:1-15:3.

3. A detergent according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic builder is potassium carbonate.

4. A detergent according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic salt is potassium phosphate.

5. A detergent according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic builder is magnesium sulfate.

6. A detergent according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the organic builder is sodium alkylaryl sulfonate.

7. A detergent according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the organic builder is sodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate.

8. A detergent according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the organic builder is sodium ptoluene sulfonate.

9. A detergent according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the organic builder is sodium propionate.

10. A detergent according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the solvent is a dihydric alcohol.

11. A detergent according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the solvent is a monohydric alcohol.

12. A detergent according to claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to any of the specific Examples.