JPS5844117B2 - liquid detergent composition - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to concentrated heavy duty liquid detergent compositions.

Such compositions include two nonionic surfactant components;
and an anionic surfactant component.

Heavy duty liquid detergent compositions are well known in the art.

Such compositions (e.g., U.S. Patent No. 290
No. 8651, No. 2920045, No. 3272753, No. 3393154, Belgian Patent Nos. 613165 and 665532) are synthetic organic detergent ingredients (generally anionic, nonionic, or and a non-ionic mixture), an inorganic builder salt, and a solvent (usually water and/or alcohol)
Contains stucco.

These compositions often contain hydrotropes or solubilizers to allow for the addition of sufficient amounts of surfactants and builder salts to provide a reasonable ratio of usage capacity to performance. .

Although such liquid detergent compositions have been found to be effective in some types of household laundry, the presence of inorganic builder salts in such compositions may be harmful to the ecology of improperly treated sewage. undesirable from an academic point of view.

Several attempts have been made to formulate builder-free and hydrotrope-free liquid detergent compositions.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,528,925 discloses a substantially anhydrous liquid detergent composition comprising an alkylaryl sulfonic acid, a nonionic surfactant, and an alkanolamine component.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,875,153 discloses a liquid detergent composition containing a nonionic surfactant component and a Sl-IJ soap component.

US Pat. No. 2,543,744 discloses a low-foaming dishwashing composition comprising a water-soluble nonionic synthetic detergent and a water-soluble soap in the form of an alkali metal, ammonium or amine salt.

Although all of these detergent compositions are effective for certain types of cleaning tasks, commercially available compositions of this type are not suitable for pre-treatment and heavy-duty cleaning of both natural and synthetic fibers. Both cleaning agents are not very effective.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,445 relates to a liquid cleaning and degreasing composition containing a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant neutralized with an alkanolamine, and an alkanolamine.

Belgian Patent No. 794,713 relates to detergent mixtures containing a high proportion of nonionic to anionic surfactants and free alkanolamines.

A similar composition is also disclosed in Belgian Patent No. 817267.

U.S. Patent Nos. 3,709,838, 3,697,451, 3,554,916, 3,239,468, 29,477
No. 02, No. 2551634, British Patent No. 900000
No. 842,813, No. 759,877, and Canadian Patent No. 615,583 disclose various surfactants containing mixtures of nonionic and anionic surfactants, with or without alkanolamines. Detergent compositions have been published.

As can be seen from the above, considerable effort has been expended in developing liquid detergent compositions with low builder content or builder-free compositions.

Nevertheless, the compositions of the technology suffer from several problems that do not make them optimal for large scale applications.

First, many prior art compositions contain phosphorus-based builder materials.

Such builders, as well as compositions containing them, are not useful in areas where sewage is not properly treated.

Second, many prior art compositions are formulated with too low a ratio of nonionic to anionic surfactants to optimally remove oily soils from fabrics.

Third, many prior art compositions provide satisfactory through-the-wash washing of fabrics.
-wash) Although formulated to provide cleaning performance, it does not provide optimal pre-wash treatment of oily soils found on fabric collars and sleeve openings.

Most users of liquid laundry detergent compositions expect that excellent cleaning of fabrics will be obtained by applying the liquid product in full concentration directly to heavily soiled areas of fabrics prior to laundering.

Therefore, optimal pre-treatment cleaning benefits as well as optimal through-cleaning benefits are achieved.
It would be desirable to provide a liquid detergent with the wash performance.

Fourth, most compositions foam excessively when used at the concentrations necessary to match the performance of granular detergents used under European conditions (high concentration and vigorous agitation).

Finally, in the prior art (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,445), surfactant compositions containing high concentrations of ethylene oxide nonionic surfactants and alkanolamines have been developed to achieve desired product stability properties and/or ) has been published that fatty acid salts must be included to provide performance characteristics.

Because of the problems caused by fatty acids, it is desirable to provide stable, highly detersive, nonionic-anionic detergent compositions with high concentrations of ethylene oxide-based nonionic surfactants without the need for fatty acid-derived additives. desirable.

It has now been discovered that excellent overall cleaning properties can be obtained if a mixture of two certain ethylene oxide type nonionic surfactants in combination with an anionic surfactant is used at high concentrations in liquid detergent compositions. Ta.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a builder-free liquid detergent composition that provides both good prewash and through-the-wash cleaning of fabrics.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stable liquid detergent composition that is free of fatty acid stabilizers and exhibits optimal cleaning and low foaming properties at high concentrations and vigorous agitation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a fatty acid-free liquid detergent composition containing a high concentration of mixed nonionic surfactants.

These and other objects are achieved with the present invention as will be seen from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a surfactant mixture consisting essentially of the following composition: about 20 to about 70 weight φ, preferably 40 to 60 weight φ
(1) from about 7 to about 15 moles of ethylene oxide and from about 7 to about 15 moles of alcohol containing from 17 to 25 carbon atoms, based on the total amount of surfactants, from about 30 to about 80 moles; (2) about 2 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide and about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms, based on about 10 to about 60 moles of ethylene oxide, based on the total amount of surfactant; A nonionic surfactant that is a good calcium soap dispersant, selected from the group consisting of high and low foaming nonionic surfactants derived by condensation with 1 mole of alcohol containing and (3) an anionic detergent, preferably a water-soluble alkylbenzene sulfonate, of from about 10 to about 50 φ based on the total amount of surfactant. (The alkyl group contains from about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms); provided that the pH of the composition is from about 6.5 to about 10.5.

A highly preferred nonionic surfactant for use in the present invention is a condensate of an alcohol and ethylene oxide, where the alcohol contains 14 to 15 carbon atoms, and where the condensate is alcohol (lipophilic) 1 3~ per mole
Those containing 4 moles of ethylene oxide (hydrophilic) as well as condensates of tallow alcohol and 8 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide.

Generally, these materials are abbreviated as CEO~ and Tallow Alcohol 14-15 3 4 EO8-12, respectively.

Nonionic surfactant ■0 The composition of the present invention comprises the reaction of an alcohol containing 17 to 25 carbon atoms with about 7 to about 15 moles, preferably about 8 to about 12 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol. Contains as an essential ingredient a relatively water-insoluble, low-foaming nonionic detergent made by

The amount of detergent can be from 30 to 80% of the surfactant mixture depending on the nature of the other surfactants, but is preferably the majority of the surfactant mixture.

Preferably, this detergent (non-ionic detergent I) accounts for about 40-80% of the surfactant mixture.

Non-ionic detergent I is the best of the individual detergents present in the mixture with regard to the removal of natural body soils.

However, at higher pH and on certain soils containing triglycerides, free acids, etc., it is not as effective as non-ionic detergents 1, described below.

It is a particular benefit of the present invention that each detergent serves its purpose without detracting from the identity of the other detergents.

Non-ionic detergent I primarily determines the low-foaming properties of the composition and provides the main cleaning effect.

High surface concentration required to match or exceed the performance of conventional detergent granules containing large amounts of inorganic detergent builders without excessive foaming, such as during vigorous agitation in drum washers. It is important to be able to use active agents.

Individual nonionic surfactants used in the compositions of the present invention are generally believed to consist of hydrocarbyl chains (derived from alcohols) fused to alkylene oxide chains.

The hydrocarbyl portion of such materials provides the lipophilic character of such materials, while the ethylene oxide portion determines the hydrophilic character of such materials.

The overall hydrophilic-lipophilic properties of a given hydrocarbyl-ethylene oxide condensate are expressed as the balance of these two factors, the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB).

HL of ethoxylated nonionic surfactants in the present invention
B can be determined experimentally in a well-known manner or as described in Dekka, Reinhold, 1965.
(Decker), “Theory and Practice of Emulsions” (Em.
uls 1ons T heory and P ra
ct ice ) J, pages 233 and 248.

For example, the HLB of the nonionic surfactant in the present invention can be easily estimated by the following formula: HLB=E15 In the above formula, E is the weight percentage of the ethylene oxide content in the molecule.

Drop-free, the HLB varies with the amount of ethylene oxide for a given hydrocarbyl content.

Therefore, the nonionic material in the present invention ranges from C17 to about C2.
It can be described as a condensate of an alcohol having a carbon content of 5 and about 7 (on average) to about 15 (on average) moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, preferably about 9 to about 15, preferably HL within the range of about 12 to about 14
B is further characterized.

Examples of suitable nonionic detergents include bilinear combinations of primary or secondary alcohols containing about 17 to about 25 carbon atoms and ethylene oxide, and mixtures thereof, including condensates of primary alcohol mixtures. is preferred.

Alcohol mixtures containing small amounts of lower alcohols (for example those with 16 carbon atoms) are also satisfactory if the amount of lower alcohols is at most 40 wt φ, preferably at most 30 wt φ. be.

Non-limiting specific examples of non-ionic surfactants with the required carbon content of the hydrocarbyl portion of the molecule, the required ethylene oxide content and the required HLB include: n-C17H35(EO)7, nC17H35 (E
O)9,”17H35(EO)11,n”17H35
(EO)13,n”18H37(EO)9,n Cl
8H37(EO)11.2-Cl8H37(EO)13
,n C20H4□(EO) 0.2”20H41(
EO)11,n C22H45(EO)11.2-C
22H45 (EO) 13, n”25H51 (EO) 11
, and 2 C25H51(EO)13, and mixtures thereof, tallow alcohol (EO)7, tallow alcohol (EO)9, and tallow alcohol (EO)1□
.

It should be appreciated that mixtures of the above nonionic surfactants are also useful in the present invention and are readily obtained from commercially available alcohol mixtures.

Furthermore, the degree of ethoxylation may vary somewhat since an average fractional degree of ethoxylation occurs.

For example, nCl8H37(EO)9 has a small amount of nCl8H37(EO)O and n-Cl8H37(E
O) may contain 16.

Such commercially available mixtures falling within the ranges described above are useful in the detergent compositions of the present invention.

Preferred nonionic surfactants are the above-mentioned tallow alcohol (EO) substances 7 to 12, which are commercially available.

The presence of the nonionic surfactants described above in the requisite specific concentrations and proportions in the liquid detergent compositions of the present invention provides the necessary oily soil removal in both pre-treatment and through-the-wash applications of the present invention. I will provide a.

Unexpectedly, certain water-insoluble nonionic surfactants of the present invention can be formulated into single-phase liquid detergent compositions.

■Non-ionic detergent■ is responsible for providing excellent performance on soils that are fatty acid sources.

This includes triglycerides since fatty acids are produced from triglyceride stains at higher pH values.

The desirability of non-ionic detergent (2) is surprising since non-ionic detergent (2) is generally less effective than non-ionic detergent (1).

However, from about 10 to about 60% based on the total amount of surfactant.
A relatively small amount of non-ionic detergent ■, preferably from about 10 to about 40%, suspends fatty acid calcium much better than non-ionic detergent ■, even though it is less effective at removing fatty acid stains. A small amount in the mixture is desirable.

In particular, small amounts such as 10-20% based on the total surfactant amount are equally effective at both neutral and alkaline pH, whereas large amounts such as 40% and Even in amounts up to 60%, they are particularly effective in suspending fatty acid calcium at alkaline pHs, such as pHs of about 8.5-9.5.

The amount of non-ionic detergent (1) that can be used also depends on the foaming properties of the detergent and the amount of other detergents present.

High foaming detergents such as CI4-15 (EO) 6-1o,
It should not be used in large amounts, especially when large amounts of anionic detergents are present, and should preferably be less than about 25% of the total surfactant.

On the other hand, if the detergent is CI4-15 (EO)2-5 or C
If the foaming property is low, such as 9-1o (EO) 7-1o, then it is permissible to use a larger amount.

The amount, if any, is usually kept as low as possible consistent with the desired removal of fatty acid stains.

Higher degrees of fatty acid soiling require higher amounts of nonionic detergent and preferably higher pH values.

Low foaming non-ionic detergent ① is clearly preferred.

A non-limiting specific example of a non-ionic surfactant with the required carbon content of the hydrocarbyl portion of the molecule and the required ethylene oxide content is: n-Cl4H29 (EO
)3, n” 4H29(EO)4.2-C14H29(
EO)4,n” 5H31(EO)4,n-C15H
31(EO)5, n-CoH2□(EO)8, n-C1
4H29(EO)5, n-C4H2, (EO)6, n-
C14H29(EO)7,n C4H2,(EO)
1o -n C15H31(EO) 6% n
C5Hst (EO) 7.2 C15H31 (EO
)7, n c 5 H31 (EO) B, 2-C15
H3, (EO)8, n-C3H31(EO)9.2-C
15H3, (EO)0, n-C2H25(EO)4, and 2-C13H2□(EO)2° The nonionic surfactants used in the compositions of the present invention can be made by a variety of methods well known in the art. can.

Generally, such nonionic surfactants are made by condensing ethylene oxide and alcohol under acidic or basic catalytic reaction conditions.

It should be appreciated that mixtures of the nonionic surfactants described above are also useful in the present invention and are readily obtained from commercially available alcohol mixtures.

Furthermore, the degree of ethoxylation may vary somewhat since an average fractional degree of ethoxylation occurs.

For example, n-C15H31(EO)7 has a small amount of n ”1
5H31(EO)o and n”15H31(EO)14
may contain.

Such commercially available mixtures falling within the ranges described above are also useful in the detergent compositions of the present invention.

A preferred nonionic surfactant is q4-15 (EO)2
It is available as a commercially available product.

The presence of the nonionic surfactants described above in the requisite specific concentrations and proportions in the liquid detergent compositions of the present invention provides the necessary oily soil and fatty acid removal properties in both pre-treatment and through-the-wash applications of the present invention. Provides dirt removal.

Certain nonionic surfactants in the present invention also contribute to the physical stability of liquid detergent compositions.

A preferred anionic component of the detergent composition of the present invention is a water-soluble salt of an alkylbenzenesulfonic acid (preferably an alkylbenzenesulfonic acid alkanolamine).

Alkanolamine salts of alkylbenzenesulfonic acids are made by neutralizing alkylbenzenesulfonic acids with alkanolamines selected from the group consisting of ethanolamine, jetanolamine, and triethanolamine.

In the present invention, triethanolamine salts are preferred.

More particularly, preferred anionic surfactants of the present invention are mono-, di-, or triethanolamine salts of straight or branched chain alkylbenzene sulfonic acids whose alkyl group has from about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms. potassium salts can also be used.

Sodium salts should be limited for compatibility reasons, especially at higher concentrations.

Preferred surfactants of this type are those whose alkyl chains are linear and whose average chain length is about 12 carbon atoms.

Examples of alkylbenzenesulfonate alkanolamines useful in the present invention include monoethanolamine decylbenzenesulfonate, jetanolamine undecylbenzenesulfonate, triethanolamine dodecylbenzenesulfonate, monoethanolamine tridecylbenzenesulfonate, and tetradecylbenzenesulfonate monoethanolamine. Triethanolamine benzenesulfonate, and jetanolamine tetrapropylenebenzenesulfonate, and mixtures thereof.

Examples of commercially available alkylbenzene sulfonic acids useful in making the above-mentioned sulfonic acid alkanolamines in connection with the present invention include Cono, sold by Continental Oil Company.
co) SA 515.5A597 and 5A697,
and Calsoft LAS, which is marketed by Pilot Chemical Company.
There are 99.

The preferred anionic components of the detergent compositions of the present invention can be partially or completely replaced by other anionic surfactants such as: (a) Natural soaps.

Natural soaps useful in the detergent compositions of the present invention include naturally occurring plant or animal esters, such as palm oil, coconut oil, crawfish oil, fish oil, and mixtures thereof.
It is a triethanolamine salt of a higher fatty acid containing 5 carbon atoms.

Triethanolamine salts of 1:1 mixtures of coconut fatty acids and tallow fatty acids are preferred.

In particularly preferred embodiments, from about 0.1 to about 1.3%, especially from 0.3 to 0.8% by weight of the preferred anionic components described above.
% by weight is replaced by fatty acids, preferably hydrogenated fish oil having an average of 18 to 24 carbon atoms.

(b) A non-soap detergent which is triethanolamine, an organic sulfuric acid reaction product having in its molecular structure an alkyl or alkenyl containing 8 to 22 carbon atoms and a sulfonic acid ester group or a sulfuric acid ester group.

Triethanolamine salts of sulfated higher alcohols (especially those obtained by sulfating fatty alcohols containing about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms), triethanolamine salts of alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonic acids, higher Preference is given to the triethanolamine salt of the sulfuric ester of the reaction product of 1 mol of fatty alcohol (eg tallow or coconut oil alcohol) with 1 to 12 mol, preferably 3 to 6 mol, of ethylene oxide.

Jetanolamine salts and potassium salts can also be used, but monoethanolamine salts or sodium salts cannot.

This is because in the latter case either the pH of the formulation is too high for optimum cleaning properties or the composition is not single-phase.

For various reasons, including economy, ease of handling, and commercial availability, it is preferred to use anionic surfactants containing a slight excess of salt-forming base.

In particular, the anionic surfactant neutralized with di- and triethanolamine, by which the compositions of the present invention are used at essentially neutral pH, preferably contains an excess of di- or triethanolamine. Compositions of the present invention containing monoethanolamine and used at alkaline pH preferably contain an excess of monoethanolamine.

The excess salt-forming or compatible base is in the range of about 3 to about 25 weight φ, preferably 3 to 10 weight φ, calculated based on the anionic surfactant.

1 of the laundry liquid containing 6000 ppn+ of the composition of the present invention
The pH at 8°C can be between 6.5 and 9.5, preferably 6.5 when a small amount of non-ionic surfactant (I) is present.
~7.5, and 8.5-9.5 when large amounts of nonionic surfactant (II) are present.

It is surprising that improved cleaning performance is obtained with the compositions of the present invention compared to typical builder-containing granular detergent compositions when used in the above pH range, especially at 10-40<0>C.

Temperature Most modern synthetic fibers and mixtures of natural and synthetic fibers, such as polyester-cotton fabrics, nylon-wool fabrics, and treated cotton fabrics, are washed at low temperatures, such as below 60°C, often below 40°C. It is generally recommended that

Typical builder-containing granular detergent compositions are most effective for cleaning and stain removal when used at temperatures above 60°C, particularly between 85 and 99°C.

For the composition of the present invention, its cleaning performance is not only excellent in the absence of builders and despite low pH, but also cleans all types of fabrics simultaneously and at low temperatures, e.g.
It can be washed at temperatures as low as 15° C. without damaging the fabric or its finish.

Optional Ingredients Although the liquid detergent compositions of the present invention need only contain the three ingredients described above (i.e., concentrated anhydrous compositions), highly preferred compositions of the invention contain the three active ingredients described above. In addition, it contains a solvent selected from the group consisting of water and water-alcohol mixtures.

Such solvents can be used up to about 80 to 30 weight φ of the total detergent composition.

In preferred compositions, the solvent accounts for about 50-30% of the total composition.
It accounts for 0 weight buns.

There are several benefits to using such solvents in the compositions of the present invention.

First, the physical stability of detergent compositions can be improved by diluting with such solvents to the extent that the clearing point is not thereby reduced.

The diluted composition does not fog even at the low temperatures commonly encountered during shipping or storage of commercial detergent compositions.

Secondly, the addition of a solvent, especially a water-alcohol mixture, serves to control the gelling tendency that liquid detergent compositions of the type of the invention exhibit when diluted with water.

When using an alcohol-water mixture as a solvent, the weight ratio of water to alcohol is preferably maintained greater than about 1.5:1, more preferably from about 2=1 to about 5:1.

Alcohol in the water-alcohol mixture used in the present invention (
High concentrations (especially ethanol) are preferably avoided due to the flammability problems that can occur with such higher alcohol contents.

Any alcohol containing from 1 to about 5 carbon atoms can be used in the water-alcohol diluent used to make the detergent compositions of this invention.

Examples of alcohols that may be used include methanol, ethanol, furopanol, impropatol, butanol, and imbutanol, with ethanol being highly preferred for general use.

A second optional component that can be added to the detergent compositions of the present invention is an electrolyte salt.

As pointed out in US Pat. Nos. 2,580,173 and 3,440,171, electrolyte salts reduce the gel formation that tends to occur with surfactants neutralized with alkanolamines.

Such electrolytes contain about 0.5 of the electrolyte salt of the total composition.
When used in the present invention in combination with a water-alcoholic solvent in an amount of ˜5 wt.

Electrolyte salts that can be used include alkali metal chlorides, sulfates and carbonates, alkanolamines and inorganic acids (e.g. H
CI, H2S04), and formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid,
There are salts formed by reaction with organic acids such as butyric acid and citric acid.

Specific examples of such salts include sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium sulfate, sodium sulfate, triethanolamine sulfate, triethanolamine citrate, triethanolamine acetate,
These include triethanolamine formate, monoethanolamine propionate, and jetanolamine butyrate.

Of all possible electrolyte salts useful in preventing gelation of the compositions of the present invention, potassium chloride is highly effective and preferred.

Potassium chloride is preferably added to the compositions of the present invention in amounts of about 1 to 3 pounds by weight to provide its anti-gelling effect.

As mentioned above, the use of solvents and electrolytes helps control and control gel formation in the liquid detergent compositions of the present invention.

However, if gel formation is desired, it is possible to select a particular concentration of water solvent that will produce a gelling composition in the absence of alcohol and electrolyte salts.

Accordingly, a composition containing the three active ingredients at the specified concentrations and in which the water accounts for about 15 to 35 parts by weight:
A composition that is thickened or gelled in the absence of alcohol or electrolytes.

Other optional non-interfering ingredients can be added to the compositions of the present invention to provide improved performance or aesthetic appeal.

Preferred compositions of the invention are those with added color stabilizers such as citric acid.

These compositions exhibit surprising stability against the tendency of such compositions to develop reddening upon storage.

In addition, the presence of citric acid in the compositions of the present invention reduces the stains found on the outer surface of plastic bottles caused by spills, pumping, or handling bolts with hands that have previously come into contact with the compositions of the present invention. It has a beneficial effect from the perspective of preventing the occurrence of.

As with anionic surfactant acids, citric acid forms citric acid alkanolamine when added to compositions of the invention containing excess alkanolamine.

However, for convenience, the concentration of this alkanolamine citrate in a composition is expressed as the free acid form of the citrate, ie, the weight of the citric acid added to the composition.

Generally, citric acid is added in an amount up to about 1 weight percent of the composition to obtain these color benefits.

A highly preferred range of added citric acid is about 0% of the composition.
．． 05 to about o, io weight cake.

Of course, the composition must still be formulated to maintain a minimum of about 1 weight of free alkanolamine.

Other optional ingredients include brighteners, fluorescent agents, enzymes, bleaching agents, antimicrobial agents, corrosion inhibitors, and colorants.

Preferably such ingredients account for no more than about 3 weights of the total composition.

The compositions of the present invention are specifically designed to provide optimal cleaning benefits when used in either of the two modes commonly used for liquid detergent compositions.

First, the composition of the present invention can be used as a pretreatment agent that is applied in concentrated form directly to stains on fabrics before laundering the fabrics.

Second, the compositions of the present invention are also useful as detergents for conventional through-the-wash laundry operations on fabrics.

Excellent soil removal is achieved when the compositions of the present invention are dissolved in aqueous laundry liquors at concentrations of at least about 2000 ppm.

For through-the-wash laundering of fabrics, the composition of the present invention may be present at a concentration of 4000 to about 8000 ppm of the wash liquor.
It is preferable that it is within the range of .

Of course, this can be adjusted depending on the degree of soiling and the wishes of the user.

Regarding the efficacy of pretreatment, the compositions of the present invention containing each of the above-specified components in the proportions specified above provide for the removal of oily soils from polyester or polyester/cotton fabrics, which are free from conventional builder-containing anions. It outperforms similar pretreatment performance achieved by the use of detergent compositions and, in fact, in the removal of oily soils, pure non-filtering agents are known to be particularly useful in such pretreatment removal of soils. Comparable to those obtained with ionic surfactants.

On the other hand, certain compositions of the invention are suitable for through-the-wash removal of soils (particularly from cotton) under standard European domestic laundry conditions, compared to conventional non-ionic surfactant-based products. Much better than that.

The through-the-wash cleaning performance of the compositions of the invention is in fact comparable to that obtained with conventional builder-containing granular anionic detergent compositions.

The following sections describe liquid detergent compositions of the present invention.

Abbreviation for the nonionic surfactant used, e.g. C
14(EO)a is standard for such substances and describes the amount of carbon in the alcoholic lipophilic portion of the molecule and the amount of ethylene oxide in the hydrophilic portion of the molecule.

Example■ Formulate a heavy duty liquid with the following composition: The above composition is stable and 6000 ml at full concentration or for through-the-wash cleaning as a pretreatment.
Provides excellent cleaning of fabrics when used in amounts of p-.

Additionally, the above compositions provide superior cleaning of greasy cosmetic stains, such as lipstick, compared to typical granular products.

6oo of the above composition in a typical European laundry situation.
When used in the throat, composition A is satisfactory and composition B
is excessive foaming.

6oo of the above composition in a typical European laundry situation.
When used in oppm, Composition A is satisfactory and Composition B is overfoaming.

The above two compositions are stable and both 6ooo
Provides approximately equal excellent dirt and grease removal at throat concentrations and temperatures of 40°C.

The above two compositions are stable, composition B is 6000
Provides greatly improved soil/grease removal over Composition A at a concentration of pII11 and a temperature of 60°C.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A stable, builder-free, heavy duty liquid detergent composition containing an anionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant and small amounts of conventional detergent additives, characterized in that it contains the following components: (a) from about 20 to about 70 weight φ of a surfactant mixture consisting essentially of the following components: (1) from about 30 to about 80, calculated on the total amount of surfactant;
About 7 to about 15 moles of ethylene oxide and about 17 moles of ethylene oxide by weight
A nonionic surfactant made by condensation with 1 mole of alcohol containing ~25 carbon atoms; (2) from about 10 to about 60, calculated based on the total amount of surfactant.
About 2 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide and about 9 to about 9 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide by weight
A nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of high and low foaming surfactants and mixtures thereof made by condensation with 1 mole of alcohol containing about 15 carbon atoms; the nonionic surfactant is present in an amount less than about 30 wt.phi.; and (3) from about 10 to about 50 wt.
(b) (i) an aliphatic alcohol having from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms (11) in a weight ratio of water to the aliphatic alcohol of 10:1;
an alcoholic solvent selected from the group consisting of a mixture of about 80% to about 30% by weight; provided that the pH of the composition is about 6.5 to 10.5; 2 The nonionic surfactant (1) is ethylene oxide 8
The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is made by condensing ~12 moles with 1 mole of an aliphatic alcohol containing from about 17 to about 25 carbon atoms. 3 The nonionic surfactant (1) is ethylene oxide 8
A composition according to claim 2, characterized in that it is made by condensation of ~12 moles of tallow alcohol with 1 mole of tallow alcohol. 4 Low foaming nonionic surfactant (2) is a nonionic surfactant made by condensation of 2 to 5 moles of ethylene oxide and 1 mole of aliphatic alcohol containing about 14 to about 15 carbon atoms. , and a nonionic surfactant made by the condensation of 7 to 10 moles of ethylene oxide and 1 mole of an aliphatic alcohol containing from about 9 to about 11 carbon atoms. A composition according to claim 1. 5. The highly foaming nonionic surfactant (2) is made by condensation of 6 to 10 moles of ethylene oxide and an aliphatic alcohol containing about 14 to about 15 carbon atoms. A composition according to claim 1. 6. Contains about 10 to about 20 weight portions of nonionic surfactant (2) calculated based on the total amount of surfactant, and the composition has a pH of about 6.5 to 7.5. A composition according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises: 7. Contains about 40 to about 60 weight φ of nonionic surfactant (2) calculated based on the total amount of surfactant, and the composition has a pH of about 8.5 to about 9.5. The composition according to claim 4, characterized in that it has the following. 8. According to claim 5, the amount of highly foaming nonionic surfactant (2) is at most 25% by weight calculated on the total amount of surfactant. Composition. 9. The composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the total amount of nonionic surfactant (1) is 40 to 70 weight φ calculated based on the total amount of surfactant. 10 The anionic surfactant (3) is a water-soluble alkali metal salt, ammonium salt, or substituted ammonium salt of an alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, the alkyl group of which has about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms. A composition according to claim 1, characterized in: 11. The composition according to claim 10, wherein the anionic detergent is an alkylbenzenesulfonic acid alkanolamine. 12. About 0.1 to about 1.3, in particular about 0.3 to about 0.8, by weight φ of the anionic detergent is replaced by a saturated fatty acid having an average of 18 to 24 carbon atoms. The composition according to claim 10, characterized in that: 13. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the anionic detergent is a triethanolamine salt of a higher fatty acid having 8 to 24 carbon atoms. 14. The composition of claim 10, wherein the composition contains from about 3 to about 25 weight percent of the alkanolamine or salt thereof, calculated based on the amount of anionic detergent. 15. A composition according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises the following components: a surfactant mixture consisting essentially of the following components:
5 to about 60% by weight: (1) about 40 to about 70% calculated based on the total amount of surfactant
A nonionic surfactant made by condensation of 8 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide and 1 mole of tallow alcohol, of weight φ; (2) from about 10 to about 20, calculated based on the total amount of surfactant.
A nonionic surfactant of weight φ selected from the group consisting of: (a) condensation of about 2 to 5 moles of ethylene oxide with 1 mole of an aliphatic alcohol containing about 14 to about 15 carbon atoms; (b) about 7 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide and about 9 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide;
a nonionic surfactant made by condensation with 1 mole of an aliphatic alcohol containing about 11 carbon atoms; (C) about 6 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide and about 14
~Nonionic surfactants made by condensation with 1 mole of aliphatic alcohol containing about 15 carbon atoms; and mixtures thereof: (3) ~20~ calculated on the total amount of surfactant. Approximately 50
by weight of anionic detergent neutralized with di- and triethanolamine; (4) from about 3 to about 25 by weight, calculated based on the amount of anionic detergent, di- and triethanolamine and its hydrochloride; and (B) an alcoholic solvent consisting of water and an aliphatic alcohol having 2 to about 4 carbon atoms in a weight ratio of about 10:1 to about 1:1; The pH of the composition is about 6.5 to about 7.5. 16. The composition of claim 5, characterized in that it comprises the following components: (A) a mixture consisting essentially of the following components:
Approximately 60% by weight (1) Approximately 40 to 70% calculated based on the total amount of surfactant
A nonionic surfactant made by the condensation of 8 to 12 moles of ethylene oxide and 1 mole of tallow alcohol, of weight φ; (2) from about 40 to about 60, calculated based on the total amount of surfactant.
of weight φ, (a) about 2 to 5 moles of ethylene oxide and about 1
Aliphatic alcohol containing 4 to about 15 carbon atoms 1
Nonionic surfactants made by condensation with moles; (
b) about 7 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide and about 9 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide;
(C) a nonionic surfactant made by condensation of about 6 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide with 1 mole of an aliphatic alcohol containing about 14 to about 15 carbon atoms; a nonionic surfactant made by condensation with 1 mole of alcohol; and mixtures thereof; provided that the highest amount of nonionic surfactant (C) is (3) from about 10 to about 30% by weight, calculated based on the total amount of surfactant;
(4) from about 3 to about 10 weight φ, calculated based on the amount of anionic detergent, of di- and triethanolamine neutralized with di- and triethanolamine and its hydrochloride; and ( B) an alcoholic solvent of about 65 to about 40 weight φ consisting of water and an aliphatic alcohol containing 2 to about 4 carbon atoms in a weight ratio of about 10:1 to about 1:1; The pH of the composition is about 8.5 to about 9.5.