GB732791A - Abrasive detergent compositions in particulate form - Google Patents

Abstract

Abrasive detergent compositions in particulate form are prepared by mixing a major proportion of a water-insoluble powdered siliceous abrasive material with a minor proportion of an organic sulphonic acid or acid sulphate which can be neutralized to form a water-soluble salt having cleansing and foaming properties in aqueous solution, and a minor proportion of a neutralizing agent which is in particulate form and which is capable of, and sufficient for, neutralizing all the organic sulphonic acid or acid sulphate present. Instead of using the sulphonic acid or acid sulphate alone, the sulphonation or sulphation reaction product containing the sulphonic acid or acid sulphate and excess sulphonating or sulphating agent may be used, sufficient neutralizing agent being taken to neutralize the excess sulphonating or sulphating agent as well as the sulphonic acid or acid sulphate. Alkylated aromatic sulphonic acids may be used, and these may be mono- or poly-nuclear and may have other substituents such as hydroxyl groups or one or more alkyl groups having only one or a few carbon atoms in the molecule. The alkyl substituent preferably contains 8-26 carbon atoms, is preferably saturated and may be straight or branched. Mixed alkyl groups derived from fatty materials or from cracked paraffin wax olefines or polymers of lower mono-olefines may be present. The average chain length of such mixed alkyl substituents should preferably be 9-15 carbon atoms and more particularly 12-14 carbon atoms. Other sulphonic acids and acid sulphates which may be used are, for example, sulphuric acid esters of polyhydric alcohols incompletely esterified with higher fatty acids, e.g. coconut oil monoglyceride monosulphate and tallow di-glyceride monosulphate, long-chain pure or mixed alkyl sulphates, e.g. lauryl sulphate, cetyl sulphate and higher fatty alcohol sulphates derived from coconut oil, hydroxy sulphonated higher fatty acid esters, e.g. higher fatty acid esters of 2,3-dihydroxypropane sulphonic acid or the oleic acid ester of isethionic acid, sulphonated higher fatty acid alkylolamides, e.g. ethanolamide sulphonates, and higher fatty acid amides of amino alkyl sulphonic acids, e.g. lauric acid tauride. The neutralizing agents used include alkali metal, ammonium and alkaline-earth metal bases and may be anhydrous or hydrated. Examples are sodium, potassium and magnesium carbonates and bicarbonates and sodium tetraborate (borax). The neutralizing agent may be used in such proportions as to leave an excess in the finished composition. Examples of abrasive materials are silica, tripoli, pumice, volcanic ash, pumicite, bentonite, diatomaceous earth and felspar, and these may be between 40 and 400 mesh particle size, e.g. 85-90 per cent passing a 200 mesh screen. In an example benzene alkylated with tetrapropylene and having a molecular weight of about 245 is sulphonated with 20 per cent oleum and 5.5 parts of the reaction product are sprayed into a mixture of 76 parts of ground silica, 2.5 parts of anhydrous sodium carbonate and 16 parts of trisodium phosphate in an agitating and grinding apparatus. The mixture is thoroughly agitated and ground to produce a homogeneous dry powder, and minor amounts of sawdust and perfume are then added. In another example an alkylated aromatic hydrocarbon of 250-400 DEG C. boiling range and containing principally alkylated toluene is sulphonated with 20 per cent oleum, most of the excess oleum is dissolved out by the addition of water and 4 parts of the undissolved reaction product are mixed with 10 parts of trisodium phosphate, 3.5 parts of anhydrous sodium carbonate, 82 parts of powdered felspar and about 0.5 parts of powdered magnesite. In a third example 4.3 parts of the sulphuric acid mono ester of a coconut oil fatty acid monoglyceride (obtained by reacting glycerine and coconut oil with fuming sulphuric acid) are mixed with 3.6 parts of anhydrous sodium carbonate and 92.1 parts of powdered silica. The compositions may contain adjuvants such as tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, silicates, borates, carboxymethyl cellulose, higher fatty acids and wood pulp.