GB2180550A

GB2180550A - Industrial cleaning composition

Info

Publication number: GB2180550A
Application number: GB08523004A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Victor Grainger
Original assignee: TRAVIK CHEMICALS Ltd
Current assignee: TRAVIK CHEMICALS Ltd
Priority date: 1985-09-18
Filing date: 1985-09-18
Publication date: 1987-04-01
Also published as: GB8523004D0; GB2180550B

Abstract

A cleaning composition suitable for heavy industrial purposes, comprises 25 to 50 per cent by weight of phosphoric acid, 5 to 25 per cent by weight of an ethoxylate of a linear primary alcohol and from 1 to 5 per cent by weight of an amine soap. Optional additional components of the composition include a wetting agent, a glycol, a detergent dicarboxylic acid and/or a corrosion inhibitor. The compositions, diluted or undiluted, may be used for cleaning rail tankers externally.

Description

SPECIFICATION Cleaning composition The present invention is a novel cleaning composition, suitable for use for a range of purposes but of particular value for heavy industrial uses.

Among industrial cleaning problems, one of the most difficult has proved to be that of cleaning rail tankers. In general railway rolling stock tends to acquire quickly in normal use a dark film, comprising a combination of brake dust arising from cast iron brakes operating on cast iron wheels, and general grease and oil. This film is in itself difficult to remove. Since, however, rail tankers in particular tend to be decorated in the livery of the user and are therefore a form of advertising, it is important neither to leave the tanker in a dirty state nor to damage the paintwork when cleaning it. By way of example, cleaning a rail tanker with raw oxalic acid has proved fairly effective from the cleaning standpoint but tends to harm the paintwork.Moreover, the careful care necessary to clean the tanker without harming the paint has led to the operation invariably being carried out manually and therefore relatively slowly.

There is a clear need for an improved cleaning composition which, among other uses, can more effectively remove operating film from rail tankers without harming any paintwork. Such a composition might then more readily lend itself to a mechanised cleaning operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide such an improved cleaning composition.

The composition according to the present invention comprises 25 to 50 per cent by weight of phosphoric acid, 5 to 25 per cent by weight of an ethoxylate of a linear primary alchohol, from 1 to 5 per cent by weight of an amine soap, and the balance water. To avoid undue repetition, it should be understood that all parts and percentages given hereinafter are by weight.

Phosphoric acid is, as indicated, an essential ingredient of the cleaning composition. While the quantity included may range from 25 to 50 per cent of the composition as a whole, it is preferred that it should be in the range from 30 to 45 per cent, typically about 40 per cent.

The alcohol ethoxylate is described as that of a linear primary alcohol but that is not intended to imply that no chain-branching can be tolerated. Normally available fatty alcohols and oxo alcohols display chain branching to a limited extent and such alcohols are typical of those which may be used in the present composition. Thus the ethoxylate may, for example, be that of a naturally-occurring alcohol such as stearyl alcohol or of a synthetic alcohol of the oxo type. The alcohol may, for example, contain between 7 and 17 carbon atoms, for example 13 carbon atoms, in the chain. The number of ethylene oxide groups in the ethoxylate molecule may range from 7 to 1 7 such groups, preferably from 11 to 15 such groups, especially 13 ethylene oxide groups.Among suitable proprietary products which may be used are that sold under the name Empilan KA590 by Aibright & Wilson and that sold as Lutensol ON70 by BASF. The quantity of alcohol ethoxylate in the composition is from 5 to 25 per cent, for example from 10 to 20 per cent.

The amine soap may be an amine oxide such as is used in shampoos and in foaming compositions such as foam baths. For example, it may be an alkyl dimethyl amine oxide, especially one in which the alkyl group contains from 11 to 18 carbon atoms, for example a lauryl or myristyl group. A suitable proprietary product is one sold by Albright and Wilson under the Empigen 0 registered trade mark. The quantity of amine soap in the composition may be from 1 to 5 per cent and typically is about 2 per cent.

The above, with the balance made up with water, are the essential components of the improved cleaning composition according to the invention but the physical and chemical characteristics of the composition may be modified by the addition of one or more optional further ingredients. For example, the wetting properties of the composition may be enhanced by the inclusion of a wetting agent compatible with the high concentration of acid present therein.

Suitable such wetting agents include ethoxylated nonyl phenols containing from, say, 7 to 12 ethoxylate groups. A preferred such wetting agent is the product of condensation of nonyl phenol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide. The quantity of wetting agent added may usefully lie in the range from 1 to 5 per cent of the total composition, for example about 2 per cent.

The capacity of the composition according to the present invention for dissolving oil and grease may be enhanced by including a glycol therein, for example about 1 to 5 per cent thereof, especially about 2 per cent. Thus ethylene glycol or propylene glycol may be added for this purpose. A preferred such additive is the so-called butyl diglycol, more properly identified as 2 n-butoxy ethanol.

The cleaning properties of the composition may be further enhanced by including a detergent dicarboxylic acid in it. Such dicarboxylic acids include adipic, glutaric and succinic acids and mixtures thereof, including the well-known AGS acid derived as a product of nylon manufacture.

Included among suitable such mixed acids is the product sold under the trade mark Sokalan DCS by BASF. The quantity of detergent dicarboxylic acid in the total composition may conveniently lie in the range from 1 to 10 per cent, for example about 5 per cent.

Any possible tendency of the composition to cause corrosion of a metal surface being cleaned may be countered by the inclusion of a small quantity, say 1 to 5 per cent, of a corrosion inhibitor therein. A suitable such inhibitor, of which typically 2 per cent might be added, is that based on 1,4-butynediol and sold by BASF under the registered trade mark Korantin BH.

The improved cleaning composition according to the present invention may be used undiluted, and indeed is better so used if used infrequently and/or on particularly difficult cleaning tasks.

However, it may also be used in diluted form, for example at dilutions between 20:1 and 250:1, for regular cleaning and/or on easier cleaning tasks. It may be applied by hand but is particularly suitable for application by high-pressure jets and subsequent rinsing off with water.

Two preferred compositions according to the invention are given hereinafter by way of example. Of course these compositions may readily be modified in accordance with the foregoing description.

Example 1 40 parts phosphoric acid (technical grade); 20 parts ethoxylated stearyl alcohol containing 13 ethoxylate groups per molecule; 2 parts Empigen O; 2 parts ethoxylated nonyl phenol containing 9 ethoxylate groups per molecule; 2 parts butyl diglycol; 5 parts Sokalan DCS; 2 parts Korantin BH; 27 parts water.

The above composition, sprayed on undiluted from high pressure jets, successfully cleaned in 1.5 hours a number of rail tankers which previously would have taken one man four days to clean. A high quality result was achieved and the paintwork of the tankers was undamaged.

Example 2 40 parts phosphoric acid (technical grade); 20 parts Lutensol ON 70; 2 parts Empigen O; 2 parts ethoxylated nonyl phenol containing 9 ethoxylate groups per molecule; 36 parts water.

The composition was diluted with water at a dulution of 100:1 and was suitable for regular cleaning of rail tankers to prevent the build-up of the usually-encountered persistent film.

Claims

1. A cleaning composition suitable for heavy industrial purposes, comprising 25 to 50 per cent by weight of phosphoric acid, 5 to 25 per cent by weight of an ethoxylate of a linear primary alcohol and from 1 to 5 per cent by weight of an amine soap.

2. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the quantity of phosphoric acid lies in the range from 30 to 45 per cent by weight.

3. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein the quantity of phosphoric acid is about 40 per cent by weight.

4. A cleaning composition as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the ethoxylate is that of a naturally-occurring fatty alcohol or of a synthetic oxo alcohol.

5. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 4, wherein the alcohol contains between 7 and 17 carbon atoms.

6. A cleaning composition as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the ethoxylate contains between 7 and 17 ethylene oxide groups in the molecule.

7. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 6, wherein the ethoxylate contains between 11 and 15 ethylene oxide groups in the molecule.

8. A cleaning composition as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the quantity of ethoxylate lies in the range from 10 to 20 per cent by weight.

9. A cleaning composition as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the amine soap is an amine oxide.

10. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 9, wherein the amine oxide is an alkyl dimethyl amine oxide.

11. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 10, wherein the alkyl group in said amine oxide contains from 11 to 18 carbon atoms.

12. A cleaning composition as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the quantity of said amine soap is about 2 per cent by weight.

13. A cleaning composition as claimed in any of the preceding claims, containing only the foregoing components and water.

14. A cleaning composition as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12, containing also a compatible wetting agent.

15. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 14, wherein the wetting agent is an ethoxylated nonyl phenol.

16. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the quantity of wetting agent lies in the range from 1 to 5 per cent by weight.

17. A cleaning composition as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12 and 14 to 16, containing also a glycol.

18. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 17, wherein the glycol is 2 n-butoxy ethanol.

19. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 17 or claim 18, wherein the quantity of said glycol lies in the range from 1 to 5 per cent by weight.

20. A cleaning composition as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12 and 14 to 19, containing also a detergent dicarboxylic acid.

21. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 20, wherein the detergent dicarboxylic acid is adipic, glutaric or succinic acid or a mixture of two or more of these acids.

22. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the quantity of said detergent dicarboxylic acid lies in the range from 1 to 10 per cent by weight.

23. A cleaning composition as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12 and 14 to 22, containing also from 1 to 5 per cent by weight of a corrosion inhibitor.

24. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 23, wherein the corrosion inhibitor is based on 1,4-butynediol.

25. A cleaning composition substantially as hereinbefore described in either of the Examples.

26. A cleaning composition as claimed in any of claims 1 to 25, diluted with water at a dilution between 20:1 and 250:1.

27. A method of cleaning a rail tanker, comprising applying thereto a cleaning composition as claimed in any of the preceding claims.