GB919249A - Liquid detergent composition - Google Patents

Abstract

A homogeneous aqueous detergent composition comprises (a) an anionic, non-ionic or amphoteric detergent, (b) potassium and ammonium polyphosphate, (c) an organic amine polyphosphate, and (d) a water-miscible organic solvent, the ratio of equivalents of potassium or ammonium present in (b) to amine present in (c) being preferably 1:4 to 4:1, and most suitably about 2:1. Suitable anionic detergents (a) are alkyl sulphates and sulphonates, alkylbenzene or naphthalene sulphonates, sulphated and sulphonated fatty acid alkanolamides, and sulphated alcohol and alkylphenol polyglycol ethers in the form of the sodium, potassium, ammonium or amine salts; suitable non-ionic detergents are ethylene and propylene oxide adducts of alkylphenols, alcohols and fatty acids, and fatty acid alkanolamides; suitable amphoteric detergents are N-alkylated and -acylated aminocarboxylic acids, N-dicarboxyl-methyl alkylamines, sulphated higher amines and the disodium salt of lauroylcycloimidino-1-ethoxyethanecarboxylic acid-2-ethanecarboxylic acid. The polyphosphates (b) and (c) are suitably prepared in situ by neutralizing a polyphosphoric acid obtained by dissolving phosphorus pentoxide in phosphoric acid with a suitable mixture of bases; the amine in (c) may be an aromatic, aliphatic or heterocyclic amine but is preferably mono-, di-, or triethanolamine. (d) may be acetone, but more generally is a C1-5- aliphatic hydroxy compound such as methanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, 1:4-dihydroxy-4-methylpentane, or, most preferably, ethanol or glycerol. The composition generally also includes as a dirt-suspending agent polyvinyl alcohol or pyrrolidone, as well as optical brighteners and perfumes. Usually (a) comprises 5-25% by weight of the total composition, (b) and (c) together 5-20%, and (d) 5-30%, preferably 10-20%, whilst the amount of protective colloid (dirt-suspending agent) if present is 0,1-1,5%.