JPS60212499A - Stabilized oil-in-water cleaning microemulsion - Google Patents

Abstract

Solvent-containing liquid detergent compositions containing degreasing solvents such as n-octyl benzene, terpenes or olefins are prepared with high levels of fatty acid/soap at a pH of ca. 6.5. The compositions are pH-adjusted to neutrality or the alkaline pH range using various amines, amine oxides or quaternary ammonium salts.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention uses various nitrogen-functional components such as amines, quaternary ammonium salts, and amine oxides to adjust the pH of carboxylic acid-containing oil-in-water microemulsions to the alkaline range. Regarding the method.

Liquid laundry detergent compositions, liquid hard surface cleaners, etc. are thereby provided.

BACKGROUND Various organic solvents, such as terpenes and terpene-like compounds, are well known for use in hard surface cleaners due to their degreasing abilities. Such leaners often contain 10% or more of a solvent, e.g. Such compositions have also been suggested for cleaning/cleaning carpets. British Patent No. 1.6
Specification No. 03.047. EPO application no. 81200540
No. 3 discloses a hard surface cleaner consisting of a mixture of benzyl alcohol, terpenes, surfactants and other detergent ingredients.

European Patent Application No. 0072488 is filed by Chilpea,
For example, it is suggested that d-IJ resin can be incorporated into fabric pretreatment compositions as a heterogeneous emulsion. Such emulsions are obviously designed to be placed in relatively small volume containers. The container is shaken immediately before use to restore some uniformity and can then be dispensed directly onto the fabric by spraying.

Clear emulsions consisting of water, surfactants and various other solvents are disclosed by Davidso/3rd International Conference on Surface Activities, Kel 7 (1960).

For example, terpineol from /e-ine oil has been disclosed for use in wet polishing of fabrics. In particular, 1
In 937, U.S. Pat. No. 2,073,464 described
A transparent composition that can be prepared from a free acid that is neutralized to

More recently, 5oap Perfumery Cosme
Literature in tics, April 1983, p. 174,
Page 175 suggests that only small amounts of terpenes (3%) can be incorporated into heavy duty liquid detergents.

Citrus juices containing relatively small amounts of terpe
It has been suggested for use in hand soaps and dishwashing liquids. U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,968, Me'moire description No. 87
No. 3.051 (Brevet Anglais No. 534
72/77).

The use of relatively high concentrations of solvents in heavy duty liquid laundry detergents offers many advantages. The liquid form of such products allows them to be used as pretreatment agents. Through the Otsunoyu
When used in detergent surfactants, solvents such as terpenes, alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons, and olefinic hydrocarbon solvents have higher cleaning benefits than those provided by detergent surfactants. It has now been discovered that V) provides additional cleaning benefits. Unfortunately, most heavy-duty liquid detergents are packaged in relatively large containers that are difficult for the user to shake thoroughly, so EPO No. 0072488
The non-uniformity of compositions such as those disclosed in that patent makes them inconvenient for use as general purpose laundry detergents.

The present invention provides as much as 20 wt. A well-formulated heavy-duty liquid detergent composition containing a greater amount of an essentially water-insoluble solvent is provided.

Importantly, a means of formulating such formulations as stable microemulsions at a pH greater than the "as is" formulation pH of about 6.5 is disclosed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention typically comprises water (10%-70%), a degreasing solvent or solvent mixture (5%-35%), a fatty acid or a fatty acid/soap mixture (5%-35%) and a detergent interface. The pH of an oil-in-water microemulsion consisting of a mixture of activators (1% to 40%) and optional detergent ingredients (generally 0.1% to 15%) is adjusted between them and nitrogen-functional substances such as amines, quaternary ammonium salt, or amine oxide, thereby reducing the "as is" content of the microemulsion.
H ranges from an original pH of about 6.5 to a neutral or alkaline pH
H, thereby improving the cleaning performance of the microemulsion, especially the enzymatic cleaning action.

The present invention also includes compositions prepared by the method, as well as methods of cleaning fabrics and hard surfaces using the composition.

3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The essential solvent/fatty acid (or soap)/water emulsion systems, detergent surfactant components, and formulations used in the practice of the invention are stabilized at pH greater than 6.5. The means and various other ingredients that may be included are described in more detail below. All percentages and ratios herein are by weight unless otherwise specified.

Solvents The solvents used in the present invention can be any of the well-known "degreasing" solvents commonly known for use in, for example, the commercial laundry and dry cleaning industry, the hard surface cleaner industry, and the metalworking industry. Typically, such solvents consist of hydrocarbon or halogenated hydrocarbon moieties of the alkyl or fucroalkyl type and have boiling points significantly above room temperature.

The formulator of the compositions of the present invention will select the solvent partly due to the need to provide good degreasability and partly due to aesthetic considerations.

For example, soluble hydrocarbons work perfectly well in V) in this composition, but may have a bad odor. Solvent oils can be used in commercial laundry. For domestic applications, where malodors are not tolerated, formulators are likely to select solvents with relatively pleasant odors that can be reasonably modified by the use of perfumes.

Such solvents are, for example, terpene and terpenoid solvents obtained from citrus fruits, especially orange terpene and d-limonene. Benzyl alcohol is another solvent with a relatively pleasant odor for use in the present invention. A mixture of orange terpene and benzyl alcohol is particularly suitable for removing a variety of stains, such as marker ink, shoe polish, and dirty motor oil.

Accordingly, one preferred class of solvents for use in the present invention is fluid-free roughfins, especially ``in'' C1゜crafins, and monocyclic and bicyclic monoterpenes, i.e. of the hydrocarbon type, e.g. , limonene and pinene, and mixtures thereof. A highly preferred material of this latter type is d-limonene and a mixture of terpene hydrocarbons obtained from orange processing (eg, cold pressed orange terpenes from fruit juice and orange terpene oil phase). Also useful, for example, are terpenes extracted from lemon and rape fruit, such as dipentene, alpha-pyrobinone, beta-biune, and mixtures of terpene hydrocarbons.

Another preferred class of solvents are C6-C9 alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons, especially C6-C9 alkylbenzenes, especially octylbenzenes. Short-chain alkylbenzenes (e.g.
Toluene) is not preferred in this invention due to toxicity and odor issues, and longer chain alkylbenzenes have undesirable soil redeposition problems, especially when used to launder fabrics.

Yet another preferred class of solvents has a boiling point of at least about 10
The temperature is 0°C. It has now been found that α-olefins have excellent lean properties and a low rather pleasant odor. The compounds l-decene and l-dodecene are particularly preferred olefinic solvents for laundry detergent applications.

Highly preferred in process V), said relatively non-polar solvents, such as paraffinic, olefinic, terpene or alkylbenzene solvents, are further combined with polar solvents, such as benzyl alcohol, n-hexanol, phthalic esters, such as phthalic acid. dimethyl, diethyl phthalate (preferred), dipropyl phthalate or dimethyl phthalate,
or [Carbitol J solvent, e.g. Butyl Carb
It is used in combination with ITOS (trademark for 2-(2-cytoquinethoquino)ethanol) to provide broad spectrum cleaning of a variety of polar and non-polar soils.

Such a mixture has a ratio of non-polar to polar solvent of 10
:1 to l:10, preferably 5:1 to 1:5, most preferably a slightly higher proportion of non-polar solvents than polar solvents, especially in the case of fabric washing, generally 5=1 to 5
: Has a Higa of 4.

The examples below describe various other solvents that can be used in the present compositions.

As will be seen from the disclosure below, a variety of conventional detergent ingredients are used in the present invention in conventional amounts and concentrations.

Importantly, in liquid detergent formulations, the solvents of the present invention are present in relatively large amounts (15% to b% and more than 3% depending on the solvent) which provide important detergency builder functions.
may be used in combination with other fatty acids/soaps.

Detergent Surfactants The compositions of the present invention typically contain an organic surfactant (Surfactant J) to provide the usual cleaning benefits associated with the use of such materials. Dew.

Detergent surfactants useful in the present invention include, for example, the well-known synthetic anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, and zwitterionic surfactants. Typical examples of these are alkylbenzene sulfonates, well known from cleaning technology;
Alkyl sulfates and alkyl ether sulfates, halafine sulfonates, olefin sulfonates
alcokylated (particularly etkylated) alcohols and alkylphenols, amine oxides, α-sulfonates of fatty acids, α-sulfonates of fatty acid esters, and the like. Generally, such detergent surfactants are C8-
Contains an alkyl group within the C□8 range. Although anionic detergent surfactants may be used in the form of their sodium, potassium or triethanolammonium salts, the presence of magnesium anion in the composition usually means that at least some portion of the anionic surfactant is It should be understood to mean that it will be in the form of a magnesium salt. The nonionic surfactant generally has a concentration of about 5 to about 1
7 Contains an ethylene oxide group.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,111.855 and 3.9
No. 95.669 contains a detailed listing of such typical detergent surfactants. C31-C□, alkylbenzene sulfonates, C12\C18 nozorafuin sulfonates and alkyl sulfates, and ethoxylated alcohols and ethoxylated alkylphenols are particularly preferred in the compositions of the invention.

The surfactant component can be as much as 1% of the composition, but preferably the composition contains 1% to 4% surfactant.
0%, preferably 10% to 40%.

Ethoquinated nonionic surfactants and anionic surfactants (
For example, mixtures with alkyl 4-nozene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates and graphene sulfonates are preferred for through-the-wash cleaning of a broad spectrum of stains and smears from fabrics. Such surfactants and mixtures typically have an HLB of 20 or higher.

Polyamines Polyamine materials contribute to the present composition by their ability to synergize with solvents to remove solid materials present in many greasy stains (e.g., carbon black in motor oil stains, clay and color bodies in cosmetic stains). It is an ingredient that is added depending on the case.

It should be understood that the term "polyamine" as used herein generally refers to alkokynated polyamines, both in their amine form and in their quaternized form. Such substances are molecules of the experimental structure with repeating units (-N-R+ eamine form ■ alkoxy - f member ■ -R + Hydrocarpyl group; R' can be C□~C2o hydrocarbon; alkoxylic acid is polyethquine, polypropoxy, etc.;
Polyethoxylic acid 7 has a degree of polymerization of 2 to 30. Most preferably 10~
20; X is at least 2, preferably from 2 to 20;
Most preferably it is an integer from 3 to 5, and Xe can be conveniently expressed as an anion resulting from a quaternization reaction, such as a halide or methyl sulfate. The anion Xe is
It is not particularly important to the performance of the polyamine in this invention and is described only for the completion of the above formula.

The most highly preferred V1 polyamine for use in the present invention is the so-called ethoquinated polyethyleneimine, i.e., having the general formula ) is a polymerization reaction product of ethylene oxide and ethyleneimine.

The polyamine will typically constitute at least about 2%, generally 5% to 5%, of the preferred compositions of the present invention.

Other Optionally Ingredients The present compositions can contain other ingredients that enhance their cleaning performance. For example, it is highly preferred that through-the-wash detergent compositions contain detergent builders and/or sequestering agents. Compounds that can be classified as detergent builders and are well known in the art include, for example, nitrilotriacetates, polycarboxylate, citrates, water-soluble phosphates such as tripolyphosphate and sodium orthophosphate and birophosphate, silicates, and their like. It is a mixture. Ion sequestering agents include, for example, all of the above, and substances such as ethylenediaminetetraacetate, aminopolyphosphonates and phosphates.
, ) and various other polyfunctional organic acids and salts (too numerous to be detailed here). See US Pat. No. 3,579,454 for typical examples of the use of such materials in various cleaning compositions. Generally, the builder/sequestering agent will constitute about 5% to 15% of the composition. Citrate is one of the most preferred builders because it is readily soluble in the aqueous phase of heavy duty liquid detergent compositions.

Such ingredients are also useful in hard surface cleaners.

A source of magnesium ions may be used in the composition to aid in grease removal. In addition to magnesium hydroxide, water-soluble salts such as magnesium chloride, magnesium acetate, magnesium sulfate, etc. may be used.

The laundry compositions of the present invention preferably also include enzymes to enhance through-the-wash cleaning performance against various soils and stains. Amylase and protease enzymes suitable for use in detergents are well known in the art and in commercially available liquid and granular detergents. Commercial detergent enzymes (preferably mixtures of amylase and protease) typically function best at a pH greater than about 7, and in the present composition 0.0
Amounts of 0.01% to 2% and higher are typically used. Ingredients such as propanediol and/or formate and calcium can be added to stabilize the enzyme by methods well known to the formulator as desired.

Additionally, in addition to the ingredients described above, the composition may contain a variety of other ingredients typically optionally used in commercial products to provide aesthetic or additional product performance benefits. I can do it. Typical ingredients include, for example, pH adjusters, fragrances,
Dyes, optical brighteners, stain suspending agents, hydrotropes and gel control agents, freeze-thaw stabilizers, bactericides, preservatives, control agents, etc. Such ingredients typically make up 1% of the formulation.
~10%.

Water or water/alcohol mixtures (eg, ethanol, isozolonol, etc.) are used as carrier vehicles, and alkylated polysaccharides can be used to enhance the stability and performance properties of the composition.

Industrial Applicability The following examples describe various formulations that can be prepared with the method of the invention. The examples are given by way of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention V).

In the following polyamine-containing processes, the symbols "x" and "y" are written in parentheses to represent the degree of polymerization and alkoxyquination of the polyamine. In the case of some polyamines, the designation R' is also included, thereby indicating a quaternized polyamine. In the case of such quaternized materials, the resulting X-anion is not important to cleaning performance and may not be visible.

Heavy Duty Liquid Detergents Special attention is directed to highly preferred formulations that are particularly useful as heavy duty liquid detergents suitable for washing all fabrics in a typical home laundry operation. The heavy-duty liquid detergents described below are formulated using a variety of detergent ingredients to provide excellent cleaning of a variety of soils and stains, with particularly significant benefits with respect to cosmetic and dirty motor oil stains.

It should be understood that the following formulations are in the form of oil-in-water emulsions (the solvent is considered to be the "oil" phase) and are substantially clear, homogeneous, stable microemulsions. . Surprisingly, when used in pre-treatment methods, the oil-in-water microemulsions of the present invention are comparable in degreasing performance to water-in-oil emulsions with significantly higher concentrations of solvent. The composition also exhibits excellent whiteness maintenance on cotton fabrics, apparently because the solvent reduces the build-up of fatty acid soaps on the fabric surface, and the pH of the composition exhibits enzymatic cleaning performance. These performance benefits are particularly significant after multiple cleaning cycles.

Preparation of stable heavy-duty liquid detergents in the form of preferred oil-in-water microemulsions requires attention to the use of water carrier liquids, fatty acids/soaps as detergency builders/emulsion stabilizers, and suitable formulations. Care is taken to adjust the pH.

Transparent homogeneous formulations containing fatty acids and soapy acids, such as lauric acid, myristic acid, ξ-lumitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as their water-soluble salts (i.e. soap, solvent and water) Mixtures of fatty acids (soaps) with carbon chain length, such as ξ-mu oil acids, coconut oil acids, etc., are used in the present composition to give Generally, the concentration of fatty acid (or soap) is between 5% and 50%, preferably between 5% and 35%, most preferably between 10% and 30%, and the weight ratio of fatty acid (or) soap is between ,
Generally within the range 4=1 to 1=4, preferably 3:1 to 1:2. When using fatty soaps, the potassium and sodium salt forms are preferred, although any convenient water-soluble salt can also be used.

Apart from their function as microemulsion stabilizers, these fatty acids/soap materials provide important detergency builder functions in the present compositions.

However, it has now been discovered that when formulating oil-in-water microemulsion compositions with a pH higher than about 6.5, the presence of fatty acids/soaps can actually destabilize the system. Means to overcome this destabilization while maintaining a pH above 6.5 in microemulsions containing builder amounts of fatty acids/soaps are disclosed in detail below.

Water The liquid compositions of the present invention may be suitably characterized as "water-based," in contrast to organic solvent-based cleaners known in the art.

Surprisingly, water can interfere with the ability of solvents to remove greasy smudges from fabrics.

For example, fabrics soiled with motor oil and wetted with water prior to treatment with a terpene solvent will not be degreased very well, if at all. In contrast, the present compositions in which the solvent is microemulsified in water are excellent greasy stain removers when used directly on dry or wet fabrics.

Apart from the obvious environmental and safety advantages and lower cost of water as opposed to organic solvents, water-based heavy-duty liquid detergents usually contain ingredients that are water-soluble, e.g. V) Advantages of ease of formulation for detergency builders, disinfectants, chelating agents, soil suspending agents, pH control agents, etc.

Thus, the present compositions exhibit the advantages of the flexibility of water-based formulations along with the superior degreasing properties of solvent-based compositions.

As described in more detail below, the composition generally contains 10% to 70% water, preferably 1% to 50% water. The weight ratio of water to solvent is generally from 10:1 to 1:1,
Preferably the ratio is from 5:1 to 2:1.

pH Stabilizers As is well known in the cleaning art, it is preferred that the detergent composition be used within the pH range from near neutral to alkaline, ie, at a pH of 6.5 or higher. This is for various reasons. For example, many soils are partially peptized or emulsified by alkalinity itself. And many commercially available detergent enzymes (eg, "alkaline proteases") function optimally in alkaline wash liquors.

It has now been discovered that stable oil-in-water microemulsion detergent compositions containing builder amounts of fatty acids/sec are destabilized when their "as is" pH is adjusted to above about 6.5. (The pH at which instability is observed can vary slightly depending on the actual degreasing solvent used in the microemulsion, its amount, and the chain length and degree of unsaturation of the fatty acids). This problem is particularly acute with substantially non-polar hydrocarbon degreasing solvents, such as alkylbenzene oil alpha-olefins, and liquid paraffinic solvents.

The problem of stability is that the pH range is very narrow, roughly 6.5-6.
．． It appears to be caused by a fatty acid with an HLB of about 2 that is almost completely transferred over 9 to 70% of the HLB of about 20. Thus, since fatty acids are present in substantial amounts (approximately 5% or more), major shifts in HLB disrupt the HLB of the emulsifying system and result in destabilization.

It should be understood that formulation stability can theoretically be achieved by appropriate selection of surfactants (described below) with low V=HLB. For example, nonionic surfactants such as 0□4-15 alcohols with low V) ethoxylate numbers (1-3) could be used. However, such low HLB surfactants do not perform well as detergent surfactants, and the aim of the present invention is not only to provide stable microemulsions, but also to provide good pre-treatment and through-the-wake 7 units of cleaning power.

Microemulsions can be stabilized by increasing the ionic strength of the aqueous phase, or by adding bath-soluble components of low 1AHLB to the solvent phase that increase solvent polarity, or by using both means simultaneously. It has now been discovered that

In particular, the addition of water-soluble high ionic strength components such as formates, sulfates, citrates, etc. increases stability. In contrast, adding water-soluble low ionic strength substances, such as ethanol, has no stabilizing effect.

It also has low I(LB), which is slightly polar but soluble in solvents.
The addition of components such as n-hexanol, benzyl alcohol, diethyl phthalate, etc. increases the stability.

Combining ionic strength components and solvent soluble components further enhances stability. Of course, the formulator can select ingredients not only to increase the stability of the microemulsion, but also to provide optimal cleaning benefits. For example, formulators use citrate as an ionic strength agent that also has detergency builder properties, formate as an ionic strength agent that also stabilizes detergent enzymes, and useful cosolvents that also serve cleaning functions. n-hexibunol or benzyl alcohol or diethyl phthalate can be selected as the low HLB component.

The amount of ionic strength components or low (e.g. 2-5) HLB solvent soluble components, or both, used in the composition will depend on the desired concentration of pH 1 fatty acids, the amount of degreasing solvent, the composition of the detergent surfactant system, etc. It will depend somewhat. Microemulsion (0 stability) can be monitored rather easily, since true microemulsions are clear but cloudy and heterogeneous and phase separate at the end at the point of instability.

Furthermore, true oil-in-water microemulsions become cloudy when diluted with water, whereas water-in-oil emulsions tend to gel, and micellar oil-in-water systems remain clear.

For adjusting the pH of the composition to about pH 6.5-6.6, any of the well-known basic substances can be used, such as triethanolamine, alkali metal hydroxides, and the like. Potassium hydroxide is preferred over sodium hydroxide because the ease of formulating a stable system is thereby substantially increased by the potassium cation.

Imperial Functional Stabilizers/pH Adjusters Various alkylamines and chloroalkylamines, quaternary ammonium compounds and amine oxides constitute a highly preferred class of pH adjusters and stabilizers in the oil-in-water microemulsion detergent compositions of the present invention. It has now been discovered that it consists of: Apparently, such substances, in some association with fatty acids or anionic surfactants, form a complex that stabilizes the microporous oil (solvent). Imperial functional compound is p
Although the H is too high (V) towards the alkaline range (only about 4.5 pH units as measured in the "as is" formulated product), the increase in cleaning performance obtained is substantial. .

Although dioctyldimethylammonium chloride is a highly preferred quaternary compound for use in the present invention as a pH adjusting agent, the following quaternary compounds in order of preference for use are: coconut trimethylammonium chloride (6,66), coconut dimethylammonium chloride (6,84), coconut 4-nodyldimethylammonium chloride (6,84), and dioctyldimethylammonium chloride (6,89) can also be mentioned. The numbers in parentheses indicate each quaternary compound,
Figure 2 shows the pH that can be achieved by addition to a liquid oil-in-water microemulsion containing fatty acids and formulated at an "as is" pH of 6.5. In the case of the preferred dioctyldimethylammonium chloride, the pH number is
It is 6.94.

Suitable alkylamino and nochloroalkylamines (concomitant pH) useful in the present invention include, for example, coconut alkylgetanolamine (6,65), coconut alkylzmethylamine (6,75),) lyoctylamine (
7,0) and nclohexylamine (7-5).

Amine oxides 7F suitable for the present invention are, for example, coconut alkyldimethylamine oxide (6,7) and dioctylmethylamine oxide 7F (approximately 7).

It should be understood that the nitrogen compound is added to the composition until the desired pH is obtained.

0.5% to 5% of the compound is typically used in the composition to achieve the indicated pH. /chlorhekifluamine (1-5%) is most preferred for use in the present invention.

A highly preferred fully formulated composition is a liquid form, which can be prepared by simply blending the essential and optional ingredients in an aqueous carrier. The stability of microemulsions can be assessed visually by observing phase separation, or further monitored stationary by standard turbidity measurement techniques.

In one process aspect, the composition can be used to pre-treat soiled fabrics by rubbing a small amount of the composition directly onto or into the soiled area, which is then laundered using standard methods. In the through-the-water method, the composition is typically at least 500 ppm in an aqueous wash bath with a pH of 6.5 or higher for washing fabrics.
, preferably at a concentration of 0.1% to 1.5%.

Washing can be carried out over a range from 5°C to boiling,
Get excellent results.

For use on hard surfaces as rug cleaners and as general purpose cleaners, such compositions are usually diluted with water.

The following examples provide a detailed illustration of the invention, but are not intended to be limiting.

Example I Ingredients 1% by weight C1□, 8 alkylbe/zenesulfo7 acid 10.0C14
/15 Alkylethoxylate (EO7) 10.9 Coconut fatty acid (broad cut) 18.2 Oleic acid 2.3 Monomethylethanolamine 5.8 0-octylbenzene 9.1 Ethanol (95%) 2.7 Taeyuk, (50%) 1) l, 09 Formic acid 0.18 CaCI 2 ・2 H2O0-05 Maxatase enzyme (Protease) 0.73 Term amyl enzyme (Amylase) 0.10 Ethoquinated polyamide/2) 1.73 Fragrance /Gengaku whitening agent/dye 0.5 Water Balance "as is" product pH 6.6 Dioctyldimethylammonium chloride to pH 6.9
Adjusted to 4 1)) Ethylene triamine/he/tamethylene phosphonic acid 2) Tetraethylene pentamine y105EO441 position/Molecular example The composition of ■ is a stable oil-in-water microemulsion suitable for use as a laundry detergent. .

Examples ■ The composition of fM I is modified by substituting the same amount (L1% of total formulation) of 1-decene in place of n-octylbenzene. Product pH “as is” is 6.6
It is. The pH is adjusted to 6.94 with dioctyldimethylammonium chloride.

Examples ■ The composition of Example I may be prepared by substituting n-octylbenzene with one of the following solvent mixtures (% of total formulation is specified in parentheses): l-decene (6.1% )/
Diethyl phthalate (3,0%), 1-F decene (7,3
%)/henozyl alcohol (1,8%), n-octylbenzene (6,2%)/diethyl phthalate (2,9%)
, modified by using octylbenzene (6,0%)/butylcarpitol (3,1%). The as-is product pH is 6.6. In each case, the product p
H is dioctyldimethylammonium chloride6.
Adjusted to 9.

Example (1) The composition of Example (2) containing a solvent mixture is adjusted to pH 7.0 with trioctylamine and 1)H7.1 with dioctylmethylamine oxide, respectively, and a stable microemulsion is obtained.

As can be seen from the foregoing, the present invention provides mono- and di-C6-C18 tri- and dimethylammonium salts;
or C4-C8 alkyl amines or nochloroalkyl amines; or epsilon chloemulshore containing high amounts of fatty acids/soaps using mono- and di-C6-C□8 alkyldimethylamine oxides and monomethylamine oxides are preferred. Provides an effective means for adjusting the pH range from 6.65 to 7.3.

Still other examples of the composition are as follows.

EXAMPLE V The composition of Example I comprises the following alkokynated polyamine A1 having the general formula in place of the ethoxylated polyamine:
Corrected by using either B or C V) deviation.

Polyamine A: x=2, Y=2, R-ethylene, alkoxy-ethquine polyamine B: X-added, y=30, R-propylene, alkoxy-7disolopoquine polyamine C: x=3, y=15, R = ethylene, alkoxyfethoxy, R' = f-thyl Alkoquinated polyamines contribute to the clay stain removal performance of the present invention.

EXAMPLE ■ The pH of the composition of example v is adjusted to 7.3 by the addition of 4 parts of cyclohequinosif (based on the weight of the composition).

EXAMPLES ■ The composition of Example I is modified by substituting ■-decene with a mixture of 6% di-ethyl 7-talate/2% fluid inno-ξ-rafuino/2% orange terpene. The product contains approximately 2 dioctyldimethylammonium chloride.
．． Stable at DH 6.94 when present in an amount of 5%.

Another olefinic solvent preferred in this invention due to its relatively low odor is the so-called RP, which is available to the detergent industry as a feedstock for branched alkylbenzenes from a number of petrochemical companies.
-4J polymer. P-4 is an isomer mixture of a condensate of 4 moles of propylene, ie a C1° branched olefin. P-4 is non-polar and is preferably used in combination with polar solvents such as benzyl alcohol, diethyl phthalate, butyl carpitol and the like.

Other polar solvents useful in the present invention include, for example, "Cellosolve"
, such as alkoxyfuralkanols such as 2-butoquinoethanol; C6-C□2 alkanols (including benzyl alcohol) such as dodecanol, phenethyl alcohol, and diglycol ether acetate.

Example　■ Other solvent mixtures useful in the present invention are:

A Octylbenzene 70% Diethyl phthalate 30% B 1-Decene 70% Diethyl phthalate 30% C Octylbenzene 80% Pe/Dyl alcohol 20% D n-Octylbenzene 90% Butylcalpitol 10% El-Decene 65% Phthal Dibutyl acid 35% F n-octylpenzea 30% l-dece7 40% Benzyl alcohol 10% Butylcarpitol 20% G 1-decene 80% n-hexanol 20% Month 1-decene 60% Noethyl phthalate 40% 1-Dodecene 80% Hequinorceronlube 20% 2-Dodecene 35% Dibutyl phthalate 30% In terms of preferred usage, the composition is preferably used for washing fabrics with a liquid pH of 6.5 to 8.0. (measured as 1% composition in water) in aqueous laundry solutions. Excellent leanness is achieved by agitating the fabric in a wash liquor, particularly at the pH range during this preferred use.

Examples ■ Highly preferred W due to its degreasing solvent system's low V) odor properties, stability in microemulsion form, and its enzymatic cleaning activity (depending on its pH)
i. The body washing detergent is as follows.

Ingredients Parts by weight Alkyl (C 1.8) Benzene sulfonic acid 11.0 Toppings Total cutlet coconut fatty acid (112 (L5C1)
o~11 Imparaffin 4.0 7 Diethyl talate 6.0 Cyclohexfluamine 2+0 Monomethylethanol ξ]+21 4.3 Duquest 2060 S 1.7 Etkin f Hypolyan (x=5, y=15) 1. 5
Ethanol 3.0 Potassium hydroxide (50% in water 21 3.0 Formic acid 0
．． 2 cacl□2H200,05 Optical brightener (anionic/) 0.18 Maxatase enzyme (3) 0.71 Termamyl 300L enzyme (4) 0.10 Dye 2
0ppm Fragrance 0.5 Water up to 110 parts Product pH 6, 9 (1) Chain length mixture: C1o (5%), C1° (55%)
, C14 (22%), Cl8 (2%), oleic acid (1
0%) [2) Adjust p)l to 6.6 (3) KNGS (4) The composition of Example ■ from NOV□ was used in an aqueous laundry bath at a concentration of 100 mt /10 t. and gives an in-use pH of about 7.2 (varies with hydraulic dust).

As can be seen from the foregoing, primary amines are preferred pH adjusting agents in the present invention. Generally, low molecular weight amino/
C4-C18 alkyl amines are used because they tend to be too malodorous. Other examples of amines useful in the present invention are dibutylamine and diisoditylamine. For typical use in detergent compositions intended for domestic use, amines with boiling points above 100°C are preferred.

The pH of the product as it is can be measured at room temperature (
23°C). The electrode is immersed into the product and the pH meter is allowed to stabilize before reading.

Applicant's agent Kiyoshi Inomata

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. Typically 10% to 70% water, 5% to m% degreasing solvent or solvent mixture, 5% to 35% fatty acid or fatty acid/soap mixture, 1% to m detergent surfactant. 40%
, and a detergent component that may be added as the case requires, 6
．． A liquid oil-in-water microemulsion characterized by containing an amount of an amine, quaternary ammonium salt or amine oxide sufficient to give a pH of the composition (undiluted) higher than 5. A detergent composition in the form of a non-polar or polar "greasing" solvent as described above. 2. The amine is selected from an alkyl amine or a cycloalkyl amine, and the pH is in the range of 6.65 to 7.5. A composition according to claim 1, wherein 3.7ε7 is selected from coconut jetanolamine, coconut alkyldimethylamine, trioctylamine, dibutylamine, diisobutylamine and cyclohexylamine. , the composition according to claim 2. 4. The quaternary ammonium salt comprises mono- and di-C8-
A composition according to claim 1, selected from C□8tree and di-methylammonium salts. 5. The composition according to claim 4, wherein the quaternary ammonium salt is selected from coconut alkyltrimethylammonium chloride, dicoconut alkyldimethylammonium chloride, dioctyldimethylammonium chloride and dioctyldimethylammonium chloride. . 6. Amine oxide is mono- and di-C6-C,
A composition according to claim 1 selected from alkyldimethyl and monomethylamine oxide. 7. 7. A composition according to claim 6, wherein the amine oxide is selected from coconut alkyl dimethyl amine oxide and dioctyl methyl amine oxide. 8. The detergent surfactant is an alkylbenzene sulfoate, a nolamafinosulfonate, an alkyl sulfate,
8. A composition according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the ethquinated alcohol is selected from ethquinated alkylphenones or mixtures thereof. 9. The IW agent is selected from C6-C, alkylbenzenes, liquid olefins with a boiling point of at least 100°C, terpene hydrocarbons, C6-C1□ alcohols, ξ roughy/, and mixtures thereof. The composition according to any one of items 1 to 8. The lO solvent is (a) low octylbenzene, l-decene, 1-dodecene, fluid C□. A mixture of roughin or terpene and (b) hensyl alcohol, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, or 2-(2-butoxyethoxy7)ethanol (in a weight ratio of (a) to (b) from 10:1 to 1 :
A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, selected from io). 11. Contains 5% to 5% of cyclohexylamine,
A composition according to claim 10. 12. The composition according to any one of claims 1 to 11, which also contains a detergent enzyme. 13. A method of washing a fabric by stirring the fabric in an aqueous solution containing the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 12 at a pH of 6-5 to 8.0.