JP2024049106A - Liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers that has good fluidity even with a small amount of water. [Solution] A liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers that contains the following components (a), (b), (c), and (d) under specified conditions. Component (a): Water; Component (b): Nonionic surfactant containing a specific nonionic surfactant; Component (c): Anionic surfactant containing a specific anionic surfactant; Component (d): At least (d1) an organic solvent having a hydroxyl group, including diethylene glycol monobutyl ether [Selected Figure] None

Description

The present invention relates to a liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers.

Liquid detergents are generally easy to dissolve and disperse in water, and so in recent years have come to be widely used for clothing and other purposes. The market is also expanding for washing machines equipped with an automatic dispenser tank that automatically measures and dispenses the liquid detergent according to the user's requirements, such as the amount of laundry.

For example, in the case of liquid detergent for home use, the amount of liquid detergent used per use is measured out. Also, as described above, the liquid detergent is filled into the automatic dispenser provided in the washing machine before use.

Patent Document 1 discloses that a liquid detergent composition having a total surfactant concentration of at least 25% by weight is modified with an "external structuring agent" such as a hydroxy-containing crystalline substance or polyacrylate to change the rheological properties of the liquid detergent composition and stabilize the automatic dosage in an automatic washing machine.

Patent Document 2 also discloses a liquid detergent composition that contains a nonionic surfactant (A) whose hydrophobic group has 10 to 16 carbon atoms and an average number of moles of ethylene oxide added of 2 to 6, and a nonionic surfactant (B) whose hydrophobic group has 10 to 16 carbon atoms and an average number of moles of ethylene oxide added of 10 to 25, in a total amount of (A) and (B) of 30 to 60 mass% based on the mass of the liquid detergent composition, in a ratio of (A)/(B) = 7/3 to 3/7, and further contains polyethylene glycol (C) with a mass average molecular weight of 400 to 5000.

Patent document 3 also discloses a liquid detergent composition that includes a) a detersive surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof, b) a zwitterion, and c) less than 2% by weight of an organic non-amino functional solvent.

Patent Document 4 discloses a liquid detergent composition that contains, under specified conditions, a) a detersive surfactant selected under specified conditions from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof, b) a zwitterionic polyamine, and c) a specified organic non-amino functional solvent.

Patent Document 5 discloses a liquid cleaner that contains water, a specific anionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, and a specific antibacterial agent, and also states that it can contain a solvent.

Patent Document 6 discloses a biofilm formation inhibitor composition that contains a specific antibacterial agent, a specific group of enzymes, and a water-miscible organic solvent under specified conditions, and further describes that the composition can contain surfactants such as nonionic surfactants and anionic surfactants, and can be used in liquid detergent compositions.

JP 2020-527383 A JP 2001-3100 A JP 2018-518580 A JP 2020-41148 A JP 2018-203923 A JP 2020-33473 A

When a liquid detergent is filled in an automatic dispenser container of a washing machine equipped with an automatic dispenser and used, the liquid will evaporate due to temperature changes and the like, causing the liquid to solidify in the automatic dispenser container. Therefore, in order to prevent the liquid from solidifying in the automatic dispenser container, it is desirable for the liquid to have appropriate fluidity even when the amount of water is small. The present invention provides a liquid detergent composition for an automatic dispenser container that has good fluidity even when the amount of water is small. The automatic dispenser container in the present invention can be, for example, an automatic detergent tank.
The container may be a detergent storage unit in a washing machine equipped with an automatic dispenser. Depending on the type of washing machine, there may be multiple storage units, for example, a container for storing a large amount of detergent and a container for storing a small amount of detergent connected to the washing tub.

The present invention comprises the following components (a), (b), (c), and (d),
The content of the component (a) is more than 0 mass% and 20 mass% or less,
The total content of the (b) component and the (c) component is 50% by mass or more,
The ratio of the content of the (b) component to the total content of the (b) component and the (c) component is 30% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass,
The present invention relates to a liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers.
Component (a): Water; Component (b): A nonionic surfactant containing a nonionic surfactant represented by the following general formula (b1): R ¹ -O-[(EO) _p /(PO) _q ]-H (b1).
[In the formula, ^R1 is an alkyl group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, EO is an ethyleneoxy group, PO is a propyleneoxy group, / is a symbol indicating that the bonding order of EO and PO does not matter, p and q are the average number of moles added, p is 1 to 40, and q is 0 to 6.]
Component (c): Anionic surfactant containing an anionic surfactant represented by the following general formula (c1): R ² -O-[(EO) _m /(PO) _n ]-SO ₃ M (c1)
[In the formula, ^R2 is an alkyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, PO is a propyleneoxy group, EO is an ethyleneoxy group, / is a symbol indicating that the bonding order of PO and EO does not matter, m and n are the average number of moles added, m is 1 to 10, n is 0 to 5, and M is a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal (1/2 atom), ammonium, or an organic ammonium.]
Component (d): an organic solvent having a hydroxyl group, comprising at least (d1), in which the proportion of (d1) in (d) is 20 mass% or more. Component (d1): diethylene glycol monobutyl ether. The liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser of the present invention is used in washing machines and the like equipped with a device for automatically dispensing detergent.

The present invention provides a liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers that has good fluidity even when the amount of water is small.

<Component (a)>
The liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers of the present invention contains water as the component (a). From the viewpoint of fluidity, water that does not contain impurities and is appropriately purified is preferably used, but well water and industrial water can also be used. From the viewpoint of fluidity, tap water, purified water, and ion-exchanged water are preferred.

The content of component (a) in the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers of the present invention is more than 0% by mass and not more than 20% by mass from the viewpoint of fluidity (meaning the fluidity of the liquid detergent composition of the present invention, the same applies below). The content of component (a) in the liquid detergent composition of the present invention is preferably 0.5% by mass or more, more preferably 1% by mass or more, and preferably 18% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or less, even more preferably 10% by mass or less, and even more preferably 5% by mass or less from the viewpoint of fluidity.

<Component (b)>
The component (b) is a nonionic surfactant containing a nonionic surfactant represented by the following general formula (b1): The nonionic surfactant represented by the general formula (b1) can be used alone or in combination of two or more.
R ¹ -O-[(EO) _p /(PO) _q ]-H (b1)
[In the formula, ^R1 is an alkyl group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, EO is an ethyleneoxy group, PO is a propyleneoxy group, / is a symbol indicating that the bonding order of EO and PO does not matter, p and q are the average number of moles added, p is 1 to 40, and q is 0 to 6.]

In general formula (b1), ^R1 is an alkyl group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, and the alkyl group may be a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group. From the viewpoint of flowability, the number of carbon atoms in ^R1 is preferably 12 or more, more preferably 14 or more, and is preferably 20 or less, more preferably 18 or less.

In general formula (b1), p is the average number of moles of EO added, and from the viewpoint of flowability, is 1 or more, preferably 7 or more, more preferably 10 or more, and is 40 or less, preferably 20 or less, more preferably 18 or less.

In general formula (b1), q is the average number of moles of PO added, and from the viewpoint of flowability, is 0 or more, preferably 1 or more, more preferably 2 or more, and 8 or less, preferably 6 or less, more preferably 4 or less.

When q in general formula (b1) is not 0, i.e., when it has both EO and PO, EO and PO may be either block bonds or random bonds.

The nonionic surfactant of component (b) may contain one or more nonionic surfactants other than those of general formula (b1). From the viewpoint of fluidity, specific examples include alkyl monoglyceryl ethers, polyoxyalkylene fatty acid esters, sorbitan-based nonionic surfactants, fatty alkanolamides, fatty acid monoglycerides, and sucrose fatty acid esters.

The content of the nonionic surfactant of general formula (b1) in component (b) is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, even more preferably 30% by mass or more, and preferably 100% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less.

<Component (c)>
The component (c) is an anionic surfactant containing an anionic surfactant represented by the following general formula (c1): The anionic surfactant represented by the general formula (c1) can be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.
R ² -O-[(PO) _m /(EO) _n ]-SO ₃ M (c1)
[In the formula, ^R2 is an alkyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, PO is a propyleneoxy group, EO is an ethyleneoxy group, / is a symbol indicating that the bonding order of PO and EO does not matter, m and n are the average number of moles added, m is 0.5 to 5, n is 0 to 10, and M is a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal (1/2 atom), ammonium, or an organic ammonium.]

In general formula (c1), ^R2 is an alkyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, and the alkyl group may be a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl group. From the viewpoint of fluidity, the number of carbon atoms in ^R2 is preferably 10 or more, more preferably 12 or more, and preferably 18 or less, more preferably 16 or less.

In general formula (c1), m is the average number of moles of PO added, and from the viewpoint of flowability, it is 0 or more, preferably 1 or more, more preferably 2 or more, and 5 or less, preferably 4 or less, more preferably 3 or less.

In general formula (c1), n is the average number of moles of EO added, and from the viewpoint of flowability, it is 1 or more, preferably 1.5 or more, more preferably 2 or more, and 10 or less, preferably 6 or less, more preferably 4 or less.

When m in general formula (c1) is not 0, i.e., when both PO and EO are present, the PO and EO may be either block bonds or random bonds.

In general formula (c1), examples of alkali metals for M include lithium, sodium, and potassium. Examples of alkaline earth metals for M include magnesium and calcium. Examples of organic ammonium for M include ammonium having an alkanol group with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, such as monoethanolammonium (2-hydroxyethylammonium). From the viewpoint of fluidity, organic ammonium is preferable for M.

The anionic surfactant of the component (c) may contain one or more anionic surfactants other than those represented by the general formula (c1). From the viewpoint of fluidity, specifically, internal olefin sulfonates having 10 to 18 carbon atoms, sulfate salts having an alkyl or alkenyl group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, polyoxyethylene alkyl or alkenyl ether sulfate salts having an alkyl or alkenyl group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms (excluding the component (c1)), alkylbenzene sulfonates having an alkyl group having 8 to 18 carbon atoms (an alkyl group having 8 to 18 carbon atoms means an alkyl group substituted on a benzene ring, not including a benzene skeleton), sulfonates having an alkyl or alkenyl group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms (excluding internal olefin sulfonates having 10 to 18 carbon atoms), and fatty acids having 10 to 24 carbon atoms or salts thereof, may be selected from the group consisting of one or more anionic surfactants. From the viewpoint of fluidity, examples of the salt form of these anionic surfactants include alkali metal salts such as sodium and potassium; alkaline earth metal salts such as magnesium; and alkanolamine salts such as monoethanolammonium and diethanolammonium.

The content of the anionic surfactant of general formula (c1) in component (c) is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 20% by mass or more, even more preferably 30% by mass or more, and preferably 100% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less.

From the viewpoint of fluidity, the total content of components (b) and (c) in the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers of the present invention is 50% by mass or more, preferably 60% by mass or more, more preferably 70% by mass or more, and preferably less than 100% by mass, more preferably 90% by mass or less, and even more preferably 85% by mass or less.

From the viewpoint of fluidity, the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers of the present invention has a ratio of the content of component (b) to the total content of components (b) and (c) in the composition of 30% by mass or more, preferably 35% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, even more preferably 50% by mass or more, and less than 100% by mass, preferably 90% by mass or less, more preferably 80% by mass or less, even more preferably 75% by mass or less. This ratio is calculated by the content of component (b) / [content of component (b) + content of component (c)] x 100 (% by mass).

With the above total content and ratio being satisfied, the content of component (b) in the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers of the present invention may be, for example, 25% by mass or more, further 30% by mass or more, and 80% by mass or less, further 70% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of fluidity.

With the above total content and ratio being satisfied, the content of component (c) in the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers of the present invention may be, for example, 10% by mass or more, further 12% by mass or more, and 50% by mass or less, further 45% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of fluidity.

<Component (d)>
The component (d) is an organic solvent having a hydroxyl group selected from the following component (d1). The liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers of the present invention contains at least diethylene glycol monobutyl ether as the component (d1).

Examples of organic solvents having a hydroxyl group other than component (d1) include alcohols such as ethanol, propanol, isopropyl alcohol, and butanol; diols and triols such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, and glycerin; and monoalkyl ethers of diols and triols such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, propylene glycol monomethyl ether, propylene glycol monoethyl ether, propylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, glycerin monomethyl ether, glycerin dimethyl ether, glycerin monoethyl ether, and glycerin diethyl ether. From the viewpoint of fluidity, propylene glycol is preferred.

From the viewpoint of fluidity, the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers of the present invention has a ratio of the content of component (d1) to the total content of component (d) in the composition of 20% by mass or more, preferably 25% by mass or more, more preferably 30% by mass or more, even more preferably 50% by mass or more, and 100% by mass or less, preferably 90% by mass or less, more preferably 80% by mass or less. This ratio is calculated by the content of component (d1) / the total content of components (d) × 100 (% by mass).

With the above ratio satisfied, the content of component (d) in the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers of the present invention may be, for example, 1% by mass or more, 5% by mass or more, 10% by mass or more, or even 12% by mass or more, and 40% by mass or less, or even 30% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of fluidity.

<Other ingredients, physical properties, etc.>
The liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser of the present invention may contain other optional components within the range that does not impair the effects of the present invention. The optional components may include components that are commonly used in liquid detergents for clothing, etc., and examples thereof include the following.

<Surfactants other than components (b) and (c)>
From the viewpoint of fluidity, the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser of the present invention may contain a surfactant other than the components (b) and (c) (hereinafter, also referred to as "other surfactant"). Examples of the other surfactant include an amphoteric surfactant and a cationic surfactant.

From the viewpoint of fluidity, examples of amphoteric surfactants include acetate betaine type surfactants such as lauryl dimethylamino acetate betaine and stearyl dimethylamino acetate betaine; amine oxide type surfactants such as lauryl dimethylamine oxide; imidazolinium betaine type surfactants such as 2-alkyl-N-carboxymethyl-N-hydroxyethyl imidazolinium betaine; amidobetaine type surfactants such as lauric acid amidopropyl betaine and coconut oil fatty acid amidopropyl betaine; and sulfobetaine type surfactants such as lauryl hydroxysulfobetaine.

From the viewpoint of fluidity, examples of cationic surfactants include compounds represented by the following general formula (n1):

[In the formula, R ¹ⁿ is a chain hydrocarbon group having from 8 to 24 carbon atoms, R ²ⁿ is a chain hydrocarbon group having from 8 to 24 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a hydroxyalkyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, R ³ⁿ and R ⁴ⁿ are each independently an alkyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a hydroxyalkyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and X ⁻ is an alkyl sulfate ion having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a halide ion.]

In general formula (n1), the number of carbon atoms in the chain hydrocarbon group of R ¹ⁿ is preferably 9 or more, more preferably 10 or more, and is preferably 18 or less, more preferably 14 or less, and even more preferably 12 or less, from the viewpoint of fluidity.

R ²ⁿ is a chain hydrocarbon group having from 8 to 24 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a hydroxyalkyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms. From the viewpoint of fluidity, the number of carbon atoms of the chain hydrocarbon group of R ²ⁿ is preferably 9 or more, more preferably 10 or more, and is preferably 18 or less, more preferably 14 or less, and even more preferably 12 or less.
From the viewpoint of fluidity, the chain hydrocarbon group for R ²ⁿ is preferably an alkyl group or an alkenyl group, more preferably an alkyl group.

R ³ⁿ and R ⁴ⁿ each independently represent a methyl group, an ethyl group, or a hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms.

Specific examples of the chain hydrocarbon group of R ¹ⁿ and R ²ⁿ are an octyl group, a nonyl group, a decyl group, a dodecyl group, a tetradecyl group, and a hexadecyl group, and from the viewpoint of flowability, a nonyl group and a decyl group are preferred, with a decyl group being more preferred.

Specific examples of the hydroxyalkyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms include a hydroxymethyl group, a hydroxyethyl group, and a hydroxypropyl group. X ^- is CH ₃ SO ₄ ^- , CH ₃ CH ₂ SO ₄ ^- , or a halide ion.

More specific examples of the compound represented by the general formula (n1) include, from the viewpoint of fluidity, one or more compounds selected from N-ethyl-N,N-dimethyltetradecylammonium salt, trimethylhexadecylammonium salt, N,N-dioctyl-N,N-dimethylammonium salt, N,N-dinonyl-N,N-dimethylammonium salt, N,N-didecyl-N,N-dimethylammonium salt, N,N-dioctyl-N-ethyl-N-methylammonium salt, N,N-dinonyl-N-ethyl-N-methylammonium salt, and N,N-didecyl-N-ethyl-N-methylammonium salt, and it is also possible to use mono-long chain ammonium salts and di-long chain ammonium salts in combination. The counter ion for these salts is CH ₃ SO ₄ ^- , CH ₃ CH ₂ SO ₄ ^- , or a halide ion such as a chloride ion.

From the viewpoint of fluidity, the cationic surfactant may also be a bispyridinium compound. Examples of the bispyridinium compound include those described in British Patent Specification No. 1533952, Japanese Patent Publication No. 52-105228, and International Publication No. 2014/100807. Specific examples of the bispyridinium compound include a compound represented by the following general formula (n2) and a compound represented by the following general formula (n3).

(wherein Y is an alkylene or alkenylene group having 4 to 18 carbon atoms, ^R5n each represents an alkyl group having 6 to 18 carbon atoms or a cycloalkyl group having 5 to 7 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group with or without halogen substitution, and A is an anion. q is 1 or 2, r is 1 or 2, and q x r = 2.)

A can be a monovalent or divalent anion, such as an anion from a compound such as chloride, bromide, phosphate, orthosilicate, an organic acid, such as an organic acid having the formula R ⁶ⁿ -COO-, or an alkyl (1 to 40 carbon atoms) sulfonic acid, where R ⁶ⁿ is hydrogen, hydroxyl, or an alkyl group having from 1 to 40 carbon atoms.

From the viewpoint of fluidity, examples of organic acids that correspond to the anion of A include acetic acid, propionic acid, phosphoric acid, glycolic acid, pyruvic acid, oxalic acid, maleic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, mandelic acid, methanesulfonic acid, ethanesulfonic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, glycyrrhizic acid, salicylic acid, stearic acid, phosphonic acid, trifluoroacetic acid, cyanoacetic acid, 4-cyanobenzoic acid, 2-chlorobenzoic acid, 2-nitrobenzoic acid, phenoxyacetic acid, and benzenesulfonic acid.

From the viewpoint of fluidity, preferred bispyridinium compounds are the compounds of general formula (n3), and further octenidine dihydrochloride (a compound in which, in general formula (n3), R ⁵ⁿ is an n-octyl group, Y is an n-decenyl group, A is Cl, q is 1, and r is 2, CAS No. 70775-75-6).

In the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers of the present invention, the amphoteric surfactant and cationic surfactant may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

In the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers of the present invention, the ratio of the total content of components (b) and (c) to the total content of surfactants in the composition may be, for example, 60% by mass or more, further 70% by mass or more, and 100% by mass or less, further 90% by mass or less, or may be 100% by mass.

<Antibacterial Agent>
The antibacterial agent includes a phenol-based antibacterial agent.
From the viewpoint of fluidity, specific examples of the phenol-based antibacterial agent include 5-chloro-2-(4-chlorophenoxy)phenol (diclosan) and 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol (triclosan). From the viewpoint of fluidity, diclosan is preferred. From the viewpoint of fluidity, the content of the antibacterial agent in the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers of the present invention may be, for example, 0.01% by mass or more, further 0.1% by mass or more, and 5% by mass or less, further 3% by mass or less.

<pH Adjuster>
The liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers of the present invention may have a pH at 25°C of, for example, 3 or more, further 4 or more, and 11 or less, further 10 or less, from the viewpoint of fluidity. In order to adjust the pH to such a range, a pH adjuster such as an alkaline agent or an acid agent can be used. Examples of the alkaline agent include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonia and its derivatives, amine salts such as monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, and triethanolamine, and alkaline agents such as sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate. Examples of the acid agent include inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid, and organic acids such as cumene sulfonic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, (o-, m-, and p-)xylenesulfonic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, tartaric acid, malonic acid, and maleic acid. One or more types of pH adjusters can be used.
<Method of measuring pH>
A pH electrode (type 6367) in a Horiba, Ltd. pH meter D-52 is calibrated in advance with a phthalate buffer solution (pH 4.01), a phosphate standard solution (pH 6.84), and a borate standard solution (pH 9.18), and is thoroughly rinsed with ion-exchanged water. The pH electrode calibrated and washed as described above is placed in a liquid detergent composition whose temperature has been adjusted to 25° C., and the pH is measured using the AUTO HOLD mode of the pH meter until the measured value becomes constant.

In addition to the above components, the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensing containers of the present invention may contain the following components (f1) to (f7) from the viewpoint of fluidity.
(f1) Anti-redeposition agents and dispersants such as polyacrylic acid, polymaleic acid, carboxymethyl cellulose, etc. (f2) Bleaching agents such as hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate, or sodium perborate, etc. (f3) Bleaching activators such as tetraacetylethylenediamine and bleaching activators represented by general formulas (I-2) to (I-7) of JP-A-6-316700, etc. (f4) One or more enzymes selected from cellulase, amylase, pectinase, protease, and lipase, etc. (f5) Fluorescent dyes, for example, fluorescent dyes commercially available as Tinopal CBS (trade name, manufactured by Ciba Specialty Chemicals) and Whitex SA (trade name, manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.), etc. (f6) Antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene, distyrenated cresol, sodium sulfite, and sodium hydrogen sulfite, etc. (f7) Antifoaming agents such as colorants, fragrances, preservatives, and silicones, etc.

There are no particular limitations on the manufacturing method of the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers of the present invention, and it can be manufactured by appropriately mixing components (a), (b), (c), (d) and optional components.

From the standpoint of fluidity, the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensing containers of the present invention may have a viscosity at 25°C of, for example, 20 mPa·s or more, and even 60 mPa·s or more, and 600 mPa·s or less, and even 400 mPa·s or less.
<Method of measuring viscosity>
The viscosity is measured using a Brookfield viscometer (manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.). A rotor suitable for the viscosity is selected. The rotor is rotated at 60 rpm, and the viscosity measured 60 seconds after the start of rotation is regarded as the viscosity of the liquid detergent composition.

The liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers of the present invention is suitable for use on textile products such as clothing and bedding, and on hard surfaces such as tableware, bathrooms, floors, and medical equipment. The clothing is used to wash clothing such as clothes, towels, bedding, and textile products for bedding (sheets, pillowcases, etc.). Other washable textile products can also be used as clothing to be washed in the present invention. In the present invention, textile products refer to fabrics such as woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, and nonwoven fabrics using these various fibers, and textile products obtained using them, such as undershirts, T-shirts, dress shirts, hats, handkerchiefs, towels, and masks. Preferred textile products are woven fabrics such as woven fabrics and knitted fabrics, and woven textile products.

The liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers of the present invention has excellent fluidity even when the amount of water is small, and therefore can suppress adhesion to the automatic dispenser due to evaporation of the liquid caused by temperature changes, etc., and is therefore suitable for use, for example, in washing machines equipped with an automatic dispenser for the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers. An example of the automatic dispenser in the present invention is an automatic detergent tank.

<Examples and Comparative Examples>
The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples and comparative examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following descriptions.

<Ingredients>
The compositions of the examples and comparative examples were prepared using the following ingredients.
[Component (a)]
Ion-exchanged water [component (b)]
b-1: polyoxypropylene (3.7) polyoxyethylene (16.5) alkyl (carbon number 12 to 14) ether (number in parentheses is average number of moles added) (nonionic surfactant in which in general formula (b) R ¹ is a linear alkyl group having 12 to 14 carbon atoms, p is 16.5, q is 3.7, and a PO block and an EO block are bonded to R ¹ -O- in that order)
[Component (c)]
c-1: polyoxypropylene (2) polyoxyethylene (2) alkyl (having 12 to 14 carbon atoms) ether sulfate monoethanolamine salt (the number in parentheses is the average number of moles added) (an anionic surfactant in which, in general formula (c), R ² is a straight-chain alkyl group having 12 to 14 carbon atoms, m is 2, n is 2, M is monoethanolammonium, and a PO block and an EO block are bonded to R ² -O- in that order).
[Component (d)]
(d1) BDG: diethylene glycol monobutyl ether (manufactured by Kyowa Hakko Chemical Co., Ltd., product name "Butycenol 20-P")
(d2) PG: Propylene glycol (manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., product name "Propylene Glycol")
[Antibacterial Agents]
Diclosan: 5-chloro-2-(4-chlorophenoxy)phenol

Method for preparing liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser
A 1 cm long Teflon (registered trademark) stirrer piece was placed in a 20 mL glass container, and the mass was measured. Next, in the composition shown in Table 1, components (a), (b), (c), (d1), and (d2) were added, and monoethanolamine was added so that the pH of the composition at 25° C. was 8, and the mixture was stirred at 100 rpm until it became uniform.

<Method of evaluating liquidity>
30 μL of the liquid detergent composition shown in Table 1 was dropped onto a 1.0 mm × 10 mm × 70 mm PP test panel (manufactured by Nippon Test Panel Co., Ltd.), which was then immediately stood vertically for 5 seconds. The distance traveled by the liquid detergent composition was then measured. The distance traveled by the liquid detergent composition was evaluated as follows: × for 0 cm or more and less than 2.0 cm, ◯ for 2.0 cm or more and less than 2.5 cm, and ⊚ for 2.5 cm or more. The results are shown in Table 1.

In the table, (b)+(c) (mass %) is the total content of components (b) and (c) in the composition.
In the table, (b)/[(b)+(c)]×100 (mass %) is the ratio of the content of the component (b) to the total content of the components (b) and (c).
In the table, (d1)/(d)×100 (mass %) is the ratio of the content of the (d1) component to the total content of the (d) components.

As shown in Table 1, the liquid detergent compositions for automatic dispenser containers of Examples 1 to 8 have good fluidity. On the other hand, Comparative Examples 1, 5, and 6, which contain a high amount of water, Comparative Example 2, which does not contain component (c), Comparative Example 3, which contains a small ratio of the content of component (b) to the total content of components (b and (c), and Comparative Example 4, which contains a small ratio of the content of component (d1) to the total content of component (d), all have poor fluidity.

The liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers of the present invention has excellent fluidity even when the amount of water is small, and therefore can suppress adhesion to the inside of the automatic dispenser due to evaporation of the liquid caused by temperature change, etc., and is therefore suitable for use, for example, in a washing machine equipped with an automatic dispenser for the liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers. An example of the automatic dispenser in the present invention is an automatic detergent tank.

Claims (4)

Contains the following components (a), (b), (c), and (d),
The content of the component (a) is more than 0 mass% and 20 mass% or less,
The total content of the (b) component and the (c) component is 50% by mass or more,
The ratio of the content of the (b) component to the total content of the (b) component and the (c) component is 30% by mass or more and less than 100% by mass.
A liquid detergent composition for automatic dispensers.
Component (a): Water; Component (b): A nonionic surfactant containing a nonionic surfactant represented by the following general formula (b1): R ¹ -O-[(EO) _p /(PO) _q ]-H (b1).
[In the formula, ^R1 is an alkyl group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms, EO is an ethyleneoxy group, PO is a propyleneoxy group, / is a symbol indicating that the bonding order of EO and PO does not matter, p and q are the average number of moles added, p is 1 to 40, and q is 0 to 6.]
Component (c): An anionic surfactant containing an anionic surfactant represented by the following general formula (c1): R ² -O-[(EO) _m /(PO) _n ]-SO ₃ M (c1)
[In the formula, ^R2 is an alkyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, PO is a propyleneoxy group, EO is an ethyleneoxy group, / is a symbol indicating that the bonding order of PO and EO does not matter, m and n are the average number of moles added, m is 1 to 10, n is 0 to 5, and M is a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal (1/2 atom), ammonium, or an organic ammonium.]
Component (d): an organic solvent having a hydroxyl group, the organic solvent containing at least (d1), the proportion of (d1) in (d) being 20 mass% or more Component (d1): diethylene glycol monobutyl ether The liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the content of the component (b) to the total content of the components (b) and (c) is 50% by mass or more and 75% by mass or less. The liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ratio of the content of component (d1) to the total content of component (d) is 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. The liquid detergent composition for automatic dispenser containers according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a phenol-based antibacterial agent.