GB783585A - Improvements in or relating to liquid detergent compositions - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid detergent composition in the form of a stable colloidal dispersion or coacervate comprises a synthetic surface-active agent, a complex phosphate salt, and a carboxymethyl cellulose material having a degree of substitution of at least 1.0. The surface-active agent, which may comprise from 5-30 per cent of the composition, more preferably 10-20 per cent and most desirably about 15 per cent, may suitably be an alkyl aryl sulphonate or ethylene oxide condensates with tall oil fatty acids, with alkyl phenols, with coconut oil fatty acids or with propylene oxide or be mixtures of such reactants. The concentration of the complex phosphates, preferably in the form of the sodium or potassium salts, and especially the latter, may be varied within a considerable range, but a concentration of 20-35 per cent, preferably about 28 per cent, produces the most desirable results. The term complex phosphates is here to be taken to include pyro-, meta-, and polyphosphates, but the best results are obtained with the tripolyphosphates. The carboxymethyl cellulose material is generally employed in the form of the sodium salt and has a degree of substitution usually of 1.0-2.0, preferably 1.1-1.4 and most desirably of about 1.2, and is used in concentrations of 0.6-5.0 per cent, preferably 1.25 per cent. The dispersion is suitably made up by dissolving the carboxymethyl cellulose material in water, adding the phosphate either in solution or as a solid, and finally adding the surface-active material either with or without such additives as perfumes, bleaches, and optical brighteners, and then finally passing the mixture through a homogenizer to produce the colloidally-dispersed detergent solution.