JPH0424400B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to a liquid detergent composition and a method for producing the same, and particularly to an anhydrous nonionic detergent composition containing a builder and a method for producing the same. For example, heavy duty cleaning compositions used in domestic washing machines are generally sold in powder form. The advantage of powdering is that it is possible to mix a wide variety of inorganic builders into the composition. That is, it is possible to use a wider variety of inorganic builders than in the case of an aqueous composition. For example, certain builders, such as sodium tripolyphosphate, are unstable in the presence of water and cannot be used in aqueous compositions, and certain bleaches, such as sodium perborate and sodium percarbonate, are unstable in the presence of water. This is problematic as an aqueous composition as it may oxidize organic components in the composition. Furthermore, it is not possible to mix a desired amount of inorganic builder with an organic surfactant to produce a homogeneous liquid aqueous composition. On the other hand, from a manufacturing standpoint,
Powder cleaning agents have the disadvantage of high production costs. Compared to equivalent aqueous compositions, powder cleaning agents require expensive drying equipment for production;
Moreover, such equipment is expensive, often difficult to operate, and sometimes even dangerous. In our Belgian Patent No. 867827, we describe a heavy surfactant containing a builder dispersed in a substantially water-free non-ionic liquid surfactant using a dispersant. The invention of a duty cleaning composition has been disclosed. Silica was used as a dispersant. However, silica is only added to the dispersion resin of the liquid cleaning composition, and is a substance that does not contribute to the cleaning action. There was a tendency for the composition to remain on the fabric and even to solidify after several weeks in the container, making removal from the container difficult. As a result of further research, the present inventors surprisingly found that when the average particle size of the solid content is 10 μm or less, the pour point is 10 °C or less.
A dispersion of solids in a substantially water-free nonionic liquid surfactant having a I discovered that. According to the invention, therefore, the cleaning action of the composition can be improved without adding additional substances which are not related to the cleaning action but are necessary only for stabilizing the dispersion of the cleaning composition. It has now become possible to obtain a composition containing only useful components. According to the invention, the liquid cleaning composition comprises at least one builder, preferably a sodium or potassium salt of tripolyphosphoric acid, and at least one bleach, preferably sodium perborate, potassium perborate, percarbonate. sodium or potassium percarbonate, in a substantially water-free non-ionic liquid surfactant having a pour point below 10° C. and having an average particle size of at most 10 μm, preferably at most 5 μm. A composition consisting of a dispersion of , which is characterized in that it does not contain a dispersant for the solids content. In particular, the compositions of the invention are silica-free. Pour point can be determined by ASTM Test Method D-97-66 (Reapproved 1971). Any builder known to be usable in cleaning compositions can be used in the cleaning compositions of the present invention. Although such builders are generally inorganic, certain organic builders can be used, particularly sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. Suitable inorganic builders include phosphates such as trisodium phosphate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate and preferably sodium tripolyphosphate; carbonates such as sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and sodium sesquicarbonate; clays such as kaolin, montmorillonite and sodium bentonite; and other salts such as sodium metasilicate and sodium citrate; nitrilotriacetic acid, and the like. Potassium compounds similar to these sodium compounds can also be used. Although there is a theory that silica is a builder, the present inventors do not consider it to be a builder, and silica is not used as a builder in the present invention. For effective dispersion of solids in a liquid nonionic surfactant, it is desirable that at least 90% of the solid particles have a particle size of 10 microns or less in diameter. The nonionic surfactant which is a component of the composition according to the invention is preferably an alkylene oxide derivative. In particular, the nonionic surfactants can be amides, alkylene oxide derivatives of alkylphenols or alkanols. The alkyl group in the alkylphenol may be straight chain or branched and may contain from 6 to 20 carbon atoms. For example paranonylphenol or paradodecylphenol. The alkanols mentioned may contain 6 to 20, especially 10 to 16, carbon atoms. Such alcohols are primary or secondary alkanols with straight-chain or monobranched alkyl groups. The composition of the present invention preferably contains two types of nonionic surfactants, one of which performs a surfactant function and the other which acts to lower the pour point of the composition along with the surfactant function. It is preferable that The former surfactants contain, for example, 12 to 16 carbon atoms alkoxylated with 5 to 15 mol of ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide.
The other surfactant is preferably a straight-chain or branched C _6-11 alcohol alkoxylate containing 2 to 8 moles of ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide per mole (in the case of branched-chain alcohols). are preferably in the range of C _{8 to 11} , and in the case of straight chain alcohols are preferably in the range of C _{6 to 8} ), or alkylphenol alkoxy having 2 to 6 moles of ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide per molecule. rate (whose alkyl group is in the para position 6-12
carbon atoms). In the composition of the present invention, there is no need to include an anionic or cationic surfactant. However, if you want to add this, you can do so. That is, if desired, an anionic or cationic surfactant can be further included in the composition of the present invention. Such anionic or cationic surfactants can be of known types, for example soaps, alkylbenzene sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, alcohol sulfates or alcohol alkoxylate sulfates can be used as anionic surfactants; As a surfactant, di-
_C14-20 (preferably di- _C16-18 )alkyl, di-lower alkyl ammonium salts or hydroxides, such as chlorides or sulphates, are suitable. The lower alkyl group is suitably a methyl group. In general, the alkylphenol or alkanol derivatives described above may contain from 2 to 20 alkenyl oxide units, although ethylene oxide units are preferred as alkenyl oxide units, but a smaller number of propylene oxide units or an even smaller number of butylene oxide units are preferred. Oxide units may also be present. The amide is preferably _C6 - _C30 ,
More preferred are mono- or di-alkanolamides (such as mono- or di-ethanolamides) of _C10 to _C20 alkanoic acids (such as coconut oil, tallow acid or stearic acid). Another nonionic surfactant for use in the compositions of the invention consists of copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide and/or butylene oxide. This copolymer consists of ethylene oxide grafted onto blocks of repeating units of propylene oxide and/or butylene oxide. The block is preferably
It contains 20 to 40 propylene oxide units, especially about 30 propylene oxide units, and 20 to 30, especially about 26 ethylene oxide units. The liquid cleaning composition of the present invention is prepared by mixing all of the components into a paste, and then milling the composition.
It can be manufactured by crushing it inside. For example, builders, bleaches, and other ingredients such as colorants, fragrances, fluorescent brighteners, carboxymethyl cellulose, etc. are mixed into the nonionic surfactant. After thorough mixing, pulverize and mix in a mill. The composition thus obtained is stable over a long period of time. One feature of the compositions of the invention is that the dispersion of solids in the nonionic surfactant is particularly stable. Even if the solids were to separate, the resulting phase is loosely cohesive and easily redispersed. Also, if the relative amounts of solids and nonionic surfactant in the composition are appropriately chosen, there will be little phase separation as the liquid fills the voids between the loosely packed solid particles. Compositions of the invention may contain 20-70 wt% builder. The composition preferably contains 30-60 wt% builder, more preferably 40-60 wt%. The composition preferably contains 1-20 wt% bleach, more preferably 2-15 wt% bleach. Preferably, the remainder is substantially nonionic surfactant. The compositions of the invention may contain additives conventionally used in cleaning compositions, such as fluorescent brighteners, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), dyes, fragrances or enzymes. The invention is further illustrated in the following examples. EXAMPLE A heavy duty type laundry detergent was prepared as follows. Sodium tripolyphosphate (40g), sodium percarbonate (5g) and other miscellaneous ingredients (coloring agent,
Fragrance, fluorescent brightener, carboxymethyl cellulose, anticorrosion agent: 5 g in total) and polyethylene glycol (molecular weight 200; 5 g) were added to the nonionic surfactant mixture (45 g). This surfactant mixture is commercially available as "Synperonic K-87" (trademark of ICI).
(36.6g) and “Alphanol6 (trademark of ICI)” (8.4g)
[The former is a _C13 - _C15 primary alcohol alkoxylated to an average of 7 moles of alkylene oxide per mole of alcohol (the alkylene oxide being 8% propylene oxide and 92% mixture with ethylene oxide),
The latter is also a _C7 - _C9 primary alcohol with an average molecular weight of 126, ethoxylated at 6 moles per mole of ethylene oxide]. All of these ingredients are mixed by hand to form a hard paste, which is manufactured by Silverson (trademark).
The particles were mixed in a mixer and then a Dyno Mill bead mill to reduce the average diameter of the particles to about 2.5 microns. The product was a stable suspension for at least 3 months, with slight sedimentation after 3 months which was reversible by shaking. This mixture had a pour point of 7°C. Tested by measuring the change in reflectance of a standard soiled cloth (Krefeld) using a Gardner reflectometer. The change in reflectance of the standard dirty cloth
10 with Terg-O-Tometer manufactured by US Testing Co.
This was done by washing at 100 rpm for minutes and then rinsing by hand. This test used water of various hardness. The table below shows the change in % reflectance for washed fabrics (comparative tests with commercially available laundry powder detergents are also shown).

Table 1 Thus, the compositions of the present invention exhibit superior washing performance on polyester/cotton and substantially the same performance on cotton as compared to commercially available powder detergents.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A nonionic liquid surface active substance containing substantially no water, consisting of at least one kind of builder and at least one kind of bleach, with an average particle size of at most 10 μm in solid content. 1. A liquid detergent composition comprising a dispersion in a liquid detergent, the composition having a pour point of 10° C. or less, and the composition being free of silica. 2. The liquid cleaning composition according to claim 1, which does not contain soap. 3. The liquid cleaning composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the solid content has an average particle size of 2.5 to 10 microns. 4. A liquid cleaning composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is produced by mixing the components together and pulverizing them. 5 consisting of at least one builder and at least one bleach, characterized in that the ingredients are mixed together and ground, and the average particle size is at most
consisting of a dispersion in a substantially water-free non-ionic liquid surfactant with a solids content of 10 μm;
A method for producing a silica-free liquid cleaning composition having a pour point of 10°C or less.