GB705658A - Improvements in or relating to detergents and process for making the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An oily liquid or semi-liquid ethylene-oxide condensation product of a compound containing an active hydrogen atom is mixed with an anhydrous or partly hydrated alkali metal salt in a weight ratio of salt to condensation product of from 1 : 1 to 10 : 1, and the alkali metal salt is hydrated in the presence of the condensation product. Preferably the condensation product is used in an amount of 10 to 20 per cent. by weight of the weight of the salt. Condensation products which may be used include the water-soluble or dispersible products obtained by reacting ethylene oxide with saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having at least 8 carbon atoms, alicyclic acids such as abietic acid, straight or branched chain saturated or unsaturated fatty alcohols having at least 8 carbon atoms, alicyclic alcohols such as abietyl alcohol, saturated or unsaturated fatty amines having at least 8 carbon atoms, fatty amides derived from fatty acids having at least 8 carbon atoms, and alkylated phenols having from 6 to 10 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. The preferred condensation products are those obtained by reacting 5 to 40 mols of ethylene oxide with organic compounds containing at least 6 carbon atoms and at least one mercapto group, such as aliphatic, cyclo-aliphatic, aromatic or mixed aromatic-aliphatic mercaptans. The mercaptan may be substituted by halogen atoms or by nitro, sulphonic, carboxyl, ether or ester groups. Specified mercaptans include hexyl, heptyl, octyl, decyl, dodecyl, cetyl and octadecyl mercaptans, 7-18-octadecane dimercaptan, cyclohexyl mercaptan, methyl cyclohexyl mercaptan, thiophenols, thionaphthols, thiosalicylic acid, p-nitro-thiophenol and benzyl mercaptan. The condensation products of ethylene oxide with tertiary mercaptans having 6 to 18 carbon atoms in the molecule are especially preferred. The product obtained by passing 0.5 to 2.3 parts by weight of gaseous or liquid ethylene oxide into 1 part by weight of tall oil is also especially suitable. Suitable alkali metal salts include sodium carbonate (Na2CO3, Na2CO3.H2O, and Na2CO3.7H2O), sodium sulphate (Na2SO4 and Na2SO4.H2O), sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium sequicarbonate and mixtures of normal and acid sodium carbonates ranging from 2NaHCO3 : Na2CO3 to NaHCO3 : 2Na2CO3, disodium orthophosphate (Na2HPO4 and Na2HPO4.7H2O) trisodium orthophosphate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate. Sodium acid pyrophosphate (Na2H2P4O7) may be reacted in the presence of water with sodium carbonate, bicarbonate or sesquicarbonate to form trisodium hydrogen pyrophosphate or tetrasodium pyrophosphate, and this reaction may be carried out in the presence of the ethylene oxide condensation product. The hydration may be carried out by addition of water or of aqueous solutions of salts such as sodium silicate. Sodium silicates containing 46 to 63 per cent. of water, 9 to 18 per cent. Na2O and 29 to 36 per cent. SiO2 are suitable. The compositions may contain carboxymethyl cellulose in a proportion of 0.5-5 per cent. In an example 100 parts by weight of anhydrous tetrasodium pyrophosphate is mixed with 40 parts by weight of the condensation product obtained by reacting 100 parts of tertiary dodecyl mercaptan with 228 parts of ethylene oxide, and sufficient water is added to hydrate the tetrasodium pyrophosphate to the decahydrate. Specifications 469,334 and 675,993, and U.S.A. Specification 2,392,555 are referred to.