LU86227A1 - DETERGENT AND LIQUID DETERGENT COMPOSITION SOFTENING FABRICS FOR LARGE WASHES CONTAINING BENTONITE - Google Patents

Description

κ The present invention relates to a liquid detergent composition for softening fabrics, for heavy washes. More particularly, it relates to such a liquid detergent which comprises, as components, the synthetic organic detergents and the detergency builders described as well as a swelling bentonite and a low molecular weight polyacrylate in an aqueous medium. The product of the invention has an improved stable viscosity or thickness even after storage for 10 months, it can be easily poured and constitutes a satisfactory laundry detergent and fabric softener.

Liquid detergents for heavy washing, useful for washing laundry in the machine, have been marketed and described in various patents and in the literature. Bentonite has been included in particulate detergent compositions as fabric softeners and has been used in aqueous compositions. as a thickener, which can help keep insoluble particulate matter, such as abrasives, suspended in a liquid medium. According to the patent of E. ü. A. 4,469,605, bentonite has been used with success in the manufacture of what was then considered to be a stable and acceptable liquid fabric-softening detergent for heavy washing, in which bentonite was the component of softening of tissues. It has now been learned that the detergent compositions described in this patent, while being stable and of relatively constant viscosity during storage when made in the laboratory and in a pilot plant, often thicken in storage when they were manufactured with industrial production equipment.

According to the present invention, a liquid detergent fabric softener for heavy washing fabrics having a density in the range of 1.15 to 1.35 g / ml at room temperature, a pH in the range of 2 ' »9.5 to 11 and a viscosity in the range of 1000 to 5000 - iuPa.s, mistletoe does not increase beyond 5000 or 6000 mPa.s after storage at rest for 30 days at room temperature - comprises 5 to 15% of an alkali metal (linear or branched higher alkyl-05) benzene sulfonate in which the upper alkyl group contains 10 · to 16 carbon atoms, 1.5 to 5 % of alkali metal alkyl-polyethoxy sulphate in which the alkyl group contains 10 to 16 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy unit contains 2 to 11 10 ethylene oxide groups, 5 to 25% of water-soluble detergency builder salt, 5 to 20% of a swelling bentonite, 0.05 to 0.5% of water-soluble polyacrylate having a molecular weight of 1000 to 5000, and 40 to 75% of water. The liquid detergent described is a commercially acceptable bleaching detergent for heavy washing, capable of properly cleaning laundry containing both greasy and particulate soiling, and simultaneously depositing on this linen a sufficient quantity of bento-nite to soften it. to an appreciable extent. The <• 20 compositions described can also be used, · for the pretreatment of very dirty parts, for example the collars and the wrists, of articles to be washed, treatment in which the presence of bentonite in the liquid, which can to be applied directly to the soiled parts, by rubbing a little, is considered useful for favoring by mechanical action the detachment and / or the elimination of soiling.

The mixture of synthetic anionic organic detergents present in the liquid detergents of the present invention is a mixture of (linear or branched higher alkyl (preferably linear)) - benzene sulfonate and alkylpolyethoxy sulfate. Although others (linear higher al-kyle) water-soluble benzene sulfonates. may also be present in the present formulations, for example potassium salts and, in some cases, ammonium and / or alkanolammonium salts, where appropriate, it has been found that the 4- salt 3 - sodium is highly preferable, this mistletoe is also the case when it concerns the detergent component alkyl-poly-ethoxy-sulfate. The alkyl benzene sulfonate is an alkyl benzene sulfonate in which the upper alkyl group 05 contains 12 to 16. carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 15, better still 12 or 13, and most advantageously 13 atoms. carbon. The alkyl polyethoxy sulphate, which can also be designated as a polyethoxylated higher linear alcohol or a sulphate condensation product of a higher fatty alcohol and of ethylene oxide or of polyethylene glycol, is a compound of this type in leguel the alkyl group contains 10 to 16 carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 15 carbon atoms, for example about 13 carbon atoms, and which includes 2 to 11 gr-15 pes ethylene oxide, preferably 2 to 7, better still 3 to 5, and most preferably 3 or about 3 ethylene oxide groups. In appropriate cases, other anionic detergents, such as fatty alcohol sulfates, paraffin sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, monoglyceride sulfates, sarcosinates, sulfosuccinates and detergents with an analogous function, preferably in the form of alkali metal salts, for example sodium, may be present, sometimes to partially replace the synthetic organic detergents previously mentioned, but in general, their possible presence is added to that of such detergents. Typically, these other detergents are sulfated or sulfonated products (usually in the form of sodium salts) and contain long chain fatty or linear alkyl groups (8 to 20 carbon atoms). In addition to any such other or additional synthetic organic detergents, there may also be the presence of nonionic and amphoteric materials, - eg Neools, sold by Shell Chemical Company, which are products of condensation of ethylene oxide and higher fatty alcohols, for example Neodol 23-6.5, which is a condensation product of a 4 "higher fatty alcohol of approximately 12 or 13 carbon atoms with approximately 6, 5 moles of ethylene oxide. Illustrative examples of the various detergents and classes of detergents mentioned can be found in Sur-05 face Active Agents, Vol. II, of Schartz, Perry and Berch (Interscience Publishers, 1958), and a series of annual publications entitled McCutcheon's Detergents and Emulsifiers, for example the one published in 1969, the descriptions of which are incorporated here for reference.

The combination of adjuvant detergent salts of the present invention, which has been found to improve the detergency of the mixture of synthetic anionic organic detergents, which produces the desired pH in the liquid detergent and in water, in a satisfactory manner. washing, and which cooperates with the detergent and the; bentonite in the washing and softening process, is a mixture of sodium tripolyphosphate and! sodium carbonate. Although incompletely neutralized tripolyphosphate may be used in some cases, the phosphate used can normally be considered to be pentasodium tripolyphosphate, Na ^ io ^ Naturally, in some cases / as in the presence of potassium salts of other materials, mutual ion exchange in an aqueous medium may result in the formation of salts other than sodium tripolyphosphate, but for the purposes of this specification, sodium tripolyphosphate, as the pentasodium salt, is considered to be the material which is normally introduced into the mixer. to make the present liquid detergent, is the tripolyphosphate used.

Other preferred detergency builder salts which may be used in place of or in addition to sodium tripolyphos- = - sodium bicarbonate include sodium citrate and potassium citrate, and sodium nitrilotriacetate (NTA).

The corresponding potassium salts can also be used to partially replace these other detergency builder salts. Naturally, various mixtures of the mentioned water-soluble detergent builder salts can be used. The tripolyphosphate-carbonate mixture 05 described has been found to be particularly preferable, although the other detergency builders, and mixtures thereof, are also effective. Still other detergency builders can be used as supplements, in addition to the proportions of the above-mentioned detergency builders, which will be described later in this specification. Thus, other phosphates, such as tetrasodium pyrophosphate or tetrapotassium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium gluconate, borax, sodium silicate and sodium sesquisilicate, can be used. Also useful are detergency builders of the po-lyacetal-carboxylate type, which are described in the US patent. A. No. 4,144,226 and other related patents of Monsanto Company, which are available under the trade name 20 Builder ü. Among the water-insoluble detergency builders that can be used are zeolites, such as Zeolite A, generally in the form of its crystalline hydrate, although amorphous zeolites may also be useful. A feature of the present invention is that sodium silicate is not required to make a detergent-softening composition effective for heavy washes and therefore this silicate will generally be omitted from the present formulas, and all pro-30 unwanted properties that it may present will therefore be avoided. For example, any tendency of the silicate to react with the other components of the liquid detergent, for example zeolite, sodium carbonate or the like; - detergency builder, by producing an insoluble material which may tend to adhere to the linen and thus adversely affect the desired luster of this linen, will be avoided. The absence of silicate in the 6 hr detergent medium also prevents the formation of insoluble siliceous decomposition products of the silicate, which could tend to adversely affect the appearance of the liquid detergent and the laundry, should they become visible. in liquid detergent or if they get on the laundry.

The bentonite used is a colloidal clay (aluminum silicate) containing montmoril-lonite. The type of bentonite mistletoe most useful for making the basic pearls of the invention is that known as sodium bentonite (or bentonite from Wyoming or West), which is normally light to cream in color. or may be an impalpable tan-like powder which, in water, can form a colloidal suspension having strongly thixotropic properties. In many cases it can be replaced with potassium bentonite or mixed sodium and potassium bentonite. In water, the swelling power of such a clay is generally 3 to 15 or 20 ml / 20 grams, preferably 7 to 15 ml / g, and its viscosity,> at a concentration of 6% in l water, is generally from 3 to 30 mPa.s, preferably from 8 to 30 mPa.s. Preferred swelling benitites of this type are sold under the trade name Ore Colloid, as industrial ben-tonites, by Benton Clay Company, a primary supplier of clays for industry. These materials, which are the same as those previously sold under the trade name THIXO-JEL, are selectively mined and enriched bentonites, and those which are considered to be the most useful are available under the designation Ore Colloid Nu 101, etc. ., corresponding to THIXO-JEL ND 1, 2, 3 and 4. These materials have a pH (concentration of 6% in water) * * in the range from 8 to 9.4, maximum moisture contents free (with addition to the liquid detergent medium) of â% to 8% and densities of about 2.6. For the pulverulent quality of these materials, a proportion 7 i; * at least about 85% passes through a 0.074 mm mesh screen. Preferably, all of the bentonite passes through a 0.074 mm mesh screen and, better still, all of it passes through - or is roughly of a size allowing it to pass through - just a mesh screen of 0.044 mm, so that the equivalent diameter of the bentonite can be considered as I being less than 74 micrometers and preferably of; about 44 micrometers or less. A commercial source! 10 useful finely divided bentonite of satisfactory color is American Colloid Company and among the ben-j tonites of this firm which are available, that which is sold under the designation of bentonite AEG 325 is considered to be interchangeable with the products 15 Ore Colloid and THIXO-JEL previously mentioned.

While the enriched Wyoming bentonite is preferred as a component of the present liquid detergent compositions, other bentonites, including synthetic bentonites (those made from bentonites having exchangeable calcium and / or magnesium, t by treatment with sodium carbonate) are also "useful and are suitable for incorporation into the compositions of the present invention. Typical chemical analyzes of certain bentonites which are useful in making the liquid detergents of the present invention | tion reveal that they contain 64.8% to 73.0% of | Si02, 14 to 18% of A1203 # 1.6 to 2.7% of MgO, 1.3 to 3.1 i% of CaO, 2 0.3-3.4% Fe203, 0.8-2.8% Na20 and 0.4-7.0% K20.

The use of bentonite as a tissue softening agent in the liquid detergent compositions of the present invention has the advantage that the bentonite does not require drying,! s - for example in a spray dryer, and therefore the risk of the loss of the softening power of bentonite, due to the immobilization of its constituent webs by over-drying, is avoided. Likewise, there is no need for the detergent composition of the present invention to have a formulation such that it promotes rapid disintegration of the detergent beads in the wash water to release the ben-05 tonite particles because, in, the liquid detergent, these particles are not agglomerated into hard masses which could require additional time for their disintegration.

The polyacrylate used is a low molecular weight sodium polyacrylate, this molecular weight generally being in the range of about 1000 to 5000, preferably 1000 to 3000, and more preferably 1500 to 2500, for example about 2000 The average molecular weight is generally in the range from 1200 to 2500, for example around 2000. Although other polyacrylates may sometimes partially replace the sodium polyacrylate described, including other polyacrylates of alkali metals, it is preferable that these Substitutions, where possible, be limited to a small proportion of the material, and preferably the polyacrylate used is sodium polyacrylate. These materials are available from Alco Chemical Corporation under the name Alcosperse.

Sodium polyacrylates are available in the form of liquids or light amber powders, completely soluble in water, the solutions having a solids content of about 25 to 40%, for example 30%, the pH of these solutions. or a 30% aqueous solution of the powder being in the range of about 7.0 to 9.5.

Among these products, the preferred ones are currently sold by Alco Chemical Corp. under the designation Alcosperse 104, 107, 107D, 109 and 149, among which Alcosperse 107D, a powder with 100% solids, * J is particularly preferred, although Alcosperse 107, a 30% aqueous solution, can be used for its place and give little different results. They are both sodium polyacrylates, the liquid form 9 "(107) having a pH of 8.5 to 9.5, and the pH of the powder (107D) being 7.0 to 8.0, at a 30% concentration in water.

The only other necessary component of pre-05 liquid detergent is water. Normally, the hardness of this water is less than about 300 ppm as CaCO 3, and preferably it is less than 150 ppm. It may often be desirable to use deionized water, although 50-100 ppm hard water is satisfactory.

Although harder waters can be successfully used to make the present liquid detergents, it is believed that softer waters are less likely to produce harmful materials which could adversely affect the appearance of the liquid detergent or which could deposit on the laundry during washing, which is unfavorable.

Various additives, aesthetic and functional, may be present in liquid detergents, for example fluorescent brighteners, perfumes and colorants. Brightening agents include the well-known derivatives of stilbene, including cotton and nylon brightening agents, such as those sold under the trademark Tinopal, for example, 5BM. The perfumes which are used generally include essential oils, esters, aldehydes and / or alcohols, all of which are known in the art of perfumery. The dyes may include water-dispersible dyes and pigments of various types, including ultramarine blue. Due to the lightening effect due to the presence of bentonite in the liquid detergent, the colors of the product can often be attractive pastels. Titanium dioxide can be used to further lighten the color of the product or to make it whiter. Inorganic filler salts, such as sodium sulfate and sodium chloride, may be present, as well as anti-deposition agents, for example sodium carboxymethylcellulose; enzymes; bleaching agents? bactericides; fungicides; defoamers, such as silicones; anti-soiling agents such as copolyesters; preservatives such as formalin; foam stabilizers, such as lauric-myristic diethanola mide; and auxiliary solvents, such as ethanol, normally the individual proportions of such additives will be less than 3%, often less than 1%, and sometimes even less than 0.5%, except for fillers and solvents , and additional detergents and detergency builders for which the proportions may sometimes be as high as 15-10 S. The total proportion of additives, including synthetic detergents and non-designated detergency builders, will normally not be greater than 20 % of the product, and advantageously less than 10% of this! product, and better still less than 5%. Naturally, the additives used will not have a detrimental effect on the washing and softening action of the liquid detergent and will not promote instability of the product at rest. Also, they will not cause harmful deposits to form on the laundry.

The proportions of the various components in the liquid detergent of the present invention will be in the range of 5 to 15%, preferably 6 to 12%, more preferably δ to 10 and most preferably about 9% (linear higher alkyl) ben-30 sodium zene sulfonate; 1.5 to 5%, preferably 1.5 to 3%, more preferably 1.7 to 2.7%, and most preferably about 2% of the sodium alkylpolyethoxy sulfate; 5 to 25%, preferably 9 to 22%, and better still about 12 to 19% of detergency builder salt; 5 to 20, 35%, preferably 8 to 15%, better still 10 to 14%, and most advantageously, approximately 12% of swelling bentonite; and 40 to 75%, preferably 50 to 70%, better still 11 to 55 to 70%, and most advantageously about 60% water. Among the detergency builder salts, when it is sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium carbonate, the proportions are generally from 7 to 15%, preferably 9 to 13%, and better still from about 11% tripolyphosphate, and 2 to 7%, preferably 3 to 6%, and better still about 4% of sodium carbonate, the ratio of tripolyphosphate to carbonate being in the range of 2: 1 to 6: 1.

Liquid detergents can be made by suitably mixing their various components, the bentonite preferably being added to a premix of most of the water with the tripolyphosphate, carbonate, CMC and the anionic detergent. For example, polyphosphate and carbonate, in finely divided form, normally fine enough to pass through a 0.094 mm mesh sieve can be incorporated into most of the water here and be dissolved therein, after which the CMC and the anionic detergent can be incorporated, followed by bentonite, polyacrylate and the rest of the components of the formula, in any suitable order. The portion of water set aside is then added to the rest of the liquid detergent and dilutes the thickened liquid to the desired apparent viscosity.

Experience has shown that the desirable proportion of water to be set aside and mixed last in the manufacturing process is normally 5-20% of the final liquid detergent, for example about 10% of it. During the mixing of the various components with the aqueous medium, and in particular when the bentonite is added and the rest of the water is incorporated, it is important to keep the mixture in motion, for example by continuing to mix it or to shake it. Preferably, the mixer is never stopped and the process is continuous, taking approximately 3 to 30 minutes per charge. Although water can be heated at 12 k to promote the dissolution of the various components of the product it contains and to promote the dispersion of bentonite, this is not necessary and water can be used at room temperature , for example-05 pie at a temperature of 15 ° to 30 ° C, for example 20 "at 25 ° C.

The viscosity of the liquid detergent of the present invention immediately at the end of the manufacturing process is normally about 1000 to 2000 mPa.s, for example about 1500 mPa.s. The liquid detergent is intended to be packaged in glass or plastic bottles with a relatively narrow neck and to be poured from these bottles, from where it should be able to be poured at the start and after normal aging. When the polyacrylate is removed from the formula, it is found that the commercial liquid detergent is first thicker and becomes more viscous during storage, so that after about one month of storage at temperature am-20 biante, its viscosity may have increased from around 3000 mPa.s to over 18000 mPa.s. At 18,000 mPa.s, the liquid detergent is too thick to be poured properly and the consumer must shake or shake it to thin it enough to be able to spill it from the bottle. Obviously, this thickening characteristic is undesirable. The preferred viscosity of the liquid detergent of the present invention is about 4000 mPa.s - 1000 mPa.s, and viscosities of this order are 30. found to be the most preferred by consumers. Using the polyacrylate component and formulas of the present invention, as will be shown in Example 1, it is found that after approximately one month of storage, the viscosity increased to approximately 4000 mPa.s (4050 mPa.s 35 after 28 days) and that prolonged storage does not result in a further significant increase in viscosity. Indicated viscosities are measured using a Brookfield LVT viscometer using a No. 2 rod for viscosities less than 2,000 mPa.s, a No. 3 rod for viscosities between 2 000 to 9000 mPa.s, and a N ° 4 05 rod for viscosities higher than 9000 mPa.s. All viscosities are measured at 12 rpm and at 25 ° C.

The following nonlimiting examples illustrate the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all parts are expressed by weight and all temperature erasures are expressed in “C.

EXAMPLE 1

Components Percent (Linear Tridecyl) sodium benzene sulfonate 8.8

Sodium alkyl polyethoxy sulfate (al-kyle = linear alkyl of 12 to 15! Carbon atoms; polyethoxy = 3 ethoxy groups) '2,2 20 Tripasphosphate pentasodigue' 11.0

Sodium carbonate (anhydrous) i 4.0

Carboxymethyl cellulose sodium 0.2

Sodium polyacrylate (M.P. = 2000) 0.15

Titanium dioxide 0.5 25 Formalin 0.2

Bentonite (0.44 mm, American Colloid Co.

325 AE) 12.0

Brightening agent brightening (Tinopal LMS-X / CIBA-GEIGY7) 0.3 30 Perfume 0.4

Colorant (Acid Blue 9 of C.I./42090 of C.I.) 0.0045

Pigment (C.I./77007 Blue Pigment of C.I.) 0.04 35 Water (deionized) 60.7055 100.0 »14

About 84% of the amount of water in the formula is introduced into a suitable mixer, for example a vertical cylindrical tank equipped with heating and cooling means and connected to a delivery pump, the amounts of polyphos- phate and carbonate of the formula (coarse particles allowing them to pass through a 0.094 mm mesh screen) are added with stirring (by means of a Lightnin type mixer), followed by the CMC, and the anionic detergents are then incorporated, after which the other components are incorporated in any suitable order. The rest of the water is added, diluting the mixture, and the fragrance is then added, mixing; the product is then ready to be pumped out of the mixer and to be introduced into final bottles with narrow necks which serve as containers; distributors. During the mixing operation, which takes about nine minutes, the added materials and the pro-! final product are at a temperature of about 20 ° C. In some cases, to accelerate the dissolution and dispersal of the components, the temperature of the water and other charged components can be brought to between 40 and 50 ° C, so that the final temperature of the product can be lowered. about 30 ° to 40UC, in which case the mixing time can be reduced to about 5 or 6 minutes.

The resulting liquid detergent (at room temperature) has a viscosity of about 1550 mPa.s and conveniently spills from a plastic detergent bottle with a discharge opening of about 2.5 cm. It has a pH of around 10.5. Liquid detergent is used to wash a mixed load of dirty laundry, part of which consists of cotton parts and polyester / cotton parts soiled with particulate soiling and with sebum. The liquid detergent is added to the tub of a conventional washing machine, about half a dish of the liquid detergent being used per wash (to adjust the concentration 15 ft * of the liquid detergent in the wash water to about 0.18 %). The temperature of the washing water is 21 ° C (to test the product's ability to wash in cold water) and the water has a mixed hardness due to calcium and magnesium 05 of around 150 ppm expressed as CaCO ^. After washing the articles and test pieces, they are dried either on a clothesline or in a machine (in a conventional clothes dryer).

The same operations are repeated as described above for a control detergent formulation in which the sodium polycrylate is omitted and is replaced by water.

Both the experimental composition (that which contains sodium polyacrylate) and the control composition are excellent fabric softening detergents, but the experimental product is very superior as regards an important characteristic, the maintenance of satisfactory viscosity during storage. Thus, after five days, the viscosity of the experimental product is 2,580 mPa.s, while that of the control is 9,400 mPa.s; after 14 days, the viscosities are respectively 3,400 mPa.s and 13,500 mPa.s; after 21 days, the viscosities are respectively 3,500 mPa.s and 14,500 mPa.s; 25 and after 28 days, they are respectively 4050 and 18,500 mPa.s. At 4,050 mPa.s, the product can still be poured from the bottle, but at 18,500 mPa.s, it cannot be poured and must be shaken or shaken to be dispensed. 28 days after manufacture, the viscosity of the experimental formula does not increase appreciably and any increase in viscosity of the control is not of great importance because, above i of 18,000 mPa.s, the product n is not marketable.

Experience shows that the presence of a very small proportion of sodium polyacrylate greatly helps to stabilize the viscosity of the detergent compositions described during storage.

-NOT

16 • • effect not previously established in the art.

The experimental liquid detergent has an attractive light blue uniform appearance and does not deposit in different phases of materials during storage.

In addition to its usefulness as a detergent for machine washing, the product of the present invention can be used for hand washing of laundry and in liquid form for the pretreatment of very dirty parts of the laundry. For washing laundry by hand, in order to promote maximum deposition of bentonite on the laundry and thus improve its softening effects, the washing solution is allowed to flow through a drainage opening at the bottom of the tank so that it passes through the laundry, after which the laundry can be rinsed normally. When used as a pretreatment for the soiled parts of the laundry, the liquid detergent is preferably applied pure (although it can be diluted) on the soiled parts and rubbed to make it penetrate. . During this application and rubbing, the bentonite helps the detergent to loosen and remove the dirt, whether it is greasy or particulate dirt and, at the same time, part of the bentonite adheres to the fibers of the material constituting the laundry. , which helps soften the laundry there. This softening of the material can contribute to a reduction in soiling on this part and to less soil retention thereafter, in particular when the soiled parts 30 are cuffs or shirt collars.

EXAMPLE 2

A liquid detergent analogous to that of Example 1 is formulated using 9% of a (linear dodecyl) benzene sulfonate in place of the 8.8 I of (linear tridecyl) benzene sulfonate, 2% of alkyl -po-. sodium lyethoxy sulphate in which the alkyl group 17 "" contains 12 or 13 carbon atoms and the polyetho- / xy unit has on average 6.5 ethoxy groups, instead of the 2.2% of that previously used, 0 , 2% Alcosperse 107 (based on dry matter content), instead of Alcosperse 107D (used in Example 1), 11% TPPS, 6% sodium carbonate, 15% ben-tonite (Ore Colloid 101), the additives previously mentioned and 55.7 I of city water with a hardness of 100 ppm in the form of CaCO 2. The supplement of sodium carbonate improves the miscibility of the various components during the manufacturing process and the replacement of detergents does not very adversely affect the properties of the product. The product is produced essentially in the same manner as previously described.

The liquid detergent is a stable, pourable liquid having the desired cleaning and softening properties described for the liquid detergent of Example 1, whether used for machine washing or hand washing. linen or 20 for pre-treatments. Its viscosity does not exceed 5,000 mPa.s, after one month of storage at room temperature.

Similarly, acceptable liquid detergents are made when 3% sodium lauryl alcohol, 2% Neodol 23-6.5 and 0.5% silicone antifoam are incorporated into the product, in addition to components of Example 1 (instead of water). Likewise, when sodium citrate or potassium citrate is used in place of sodium carbonate (or when only partial replacements of this material, for example 30%, are made with these citrates or trisodium nitrilotriacetate), useful liquid detergents are obtained having advantageous properties analogous to those of the compositions described above.

18 ". EXAMPLE 3

A liquid detergent similar to that of Example 1 is produced, but using only 2% sodium carbonate in the formulation, the water content being increased proportionally. Although the sodium carbonate content is lowered, the mixture is still capable of being processed into a final product with advantageous properties, which is useful as a detergent for heavy washing, suitable for washing cotton and plastics and for washing. softening of these materials, and it is also useful as a pre-treatment for this linen. When 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose is added to the formula in place of part of the water, better laundry brightening is achieved without significant loss of softening due to the anti-deposition activity of the laundry. CMC.

In other variants of the invention, when the proportions of the various components of the liquid detergent of Example 1 'are modified by ± 10% or ± 20%, without departing from the ranges indicated in this specification, stable liquid detergents can be poured, exerting useful cleaning and softening effects. In some of these products, it may be advantageous to include up to 10% of Zeolite A or up to 4% of sodium silicate having an Na20: SiO2 ratio of about 1: 2.4, although the silicate is often avoided, and in the presence of the zeolite, in order to avoid deposition of zeolite-silicate aggregates or their reaction products, the silicate is normally removed.

As can be seen from the foregoing description and the working example, the liquid laundry detergents and fabric softeners of the present invention are stable, uniform, attractive and functional. Despite the presence of a large proportion of gelling agent (bentonite) in a liquid medium, they do not form harmful gels and they can be poured after storage. Also, despite a —y.

19 * prolonged storage, during which the bentonite in suspension is subjected to intimate contact with the surfactants and the adjuvant mineral salts of detergency in an aqueous medium, the bentonite does not agglomerate in a harmful manner and its softening action on the laundry is not destroyed. By using the mentioned detergents and detergency builders in an aqueous medium in which sodium polyacrylate is also present, a liquid detergent is produced which, although it contains a large proportion of swelling bentonite, remains liquid and suitable to be poured and retains its physical and chemical characteristics which allow it to be deposited on the linen and to act as a lubricant for its fibers, so as to promote the as-15 flexibility of this linen. Also, as previously mentioned, by using the liquid medium, the possibility that the bentonite is deactivated by overheating, as in a spray drying tower, is avoided! tion.

2.0 The liquid detergents of the present invention, in addition to being useful as products for washing laundry in the machine or by hand, are also suitable for pre-treatment of stained parts of the laundry, treatments in which it is considered that the bento-25 nite they contain helps to remove stains and soften the stained part (and the product is also used afterwards for washing). Thus, from the above listing of properties and advantages of the present invention, it can be seen that it represents a significant advance in the art of detergent compositions, as it allows convenient use of a non-liquid detergent. gelling agent for both cleaning and softening the linen (and pretreating it), while using excellent synthetic anionic organic detergents and not having to incorporate with cationic materials with harmful chemical reaction with such anionic detergents quaternary ammonium salts, for 20 ", their softening action. In addition, the bentonites used are not harmful to the environment, as can be the quaternary ammonium salts, and they do not cause accumulations of harmful fatty deposits on the linen, often making it appear discolored, as quaternary compounds sometimes do.

Although the sodium salts and sodium compounds of the various components of the liquid detergents of the present invention have been described because they are particularly satisfactory and are commercially available, the corresponding potassium compounds can be substituted for them, at least in part, and they also fall within the scope of the present invention.

Thus, potassium detergents, potassium detergency builder salts, potassium bentonites and potassium additive salts can be used and are suitable for inclusion with the sodium compounds as "alkali metal" compounds in the formulas '20 indicated. 1

It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and that it is capable of various variants without departing from its scope.

Claims (6)

21 "" CLAIMS ^ 1. Liquid detergent softening fabrics for heavy washes, having a density in the range of 1.15 to 1.35 g / ml at room temperature, 05 a pH in the range of 9, 5 to 11, and a viscosity in the range of 1,000 to 5,000 mPa.s, which does not increase to more than 6,000 mPa.s after 30 days of storage at room temperature, characterized in that it comprises 5 to 15% of (linear or branched upper alkyl-10) alkali metal benzene sulfonate in which the upper alkyl group contains 10 to 16 carbon atoms, 1.5 to 5% of alkyl alkali metal polyethoxy sulphate in which the alkyl group contains 10 to 16 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy group contains 2 to 15 11 ethylene oxide groups, 5 to 25% of water-soluble detergency builder salt, 5 to 20% of 'an inflated bentonite. te, 0.05 to 0.5% of a water-soluble polyacrylate having a molecular weight in the range of 1,000 to 5,000, and 40 to 75% water. 20 2. Liquid detergent for heavy washes according to claim 1, the viscosity of which does not increase to more than 5,000 mPa.s after 30 days of storage at rest at room temperature, characterized in that it comprises 6 to 12 % of (linear higher alkyl) sodium benzene sul-25-fonate in which the upper alkyl portion contains 12 to 15 carbon atoms, 1.5 to 3% of sodium alkyl-polyethoxy-sulfate in which the alkyl portion has 12 to 16 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy portion has 2 to 7 ethylene oxide groups, 7 to 15% 30 of sodium tripolyphosphate, 2 to 7% of sodium carbonate, 8 to 15% of finely divided bentonite, 0 , 1 to 0.3% molecular weight sodium polyacrylate in the range of 1,000 to 3,000, and 50 to 70% water. 3. Liquid detergent according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises 8 to 10% of (linear higher alkyl) sodium benzenesulfonate having 12 or 13 carbon atoms in the alkyl portion, 1.7 to 2, 7% 22 "1 of sodium alkyl-polyethoxy sulphate in which the alkyl portion contains 12 to 15 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy portion contains 3 to 5 ethylene oxide groups, 9 to 13% of sodium tripolyphosphate / 3 to 6% 05 sodium carbonate, 10 to 14% finely divided bentonite having a dry and uninflated particle size of about 0.044 mm, 0.1 to 1.2% poly sodium molecular acrylate in the range of 1,500 to 2,500, and 55 to 70% water. 10 4. Liquid detergent according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises approximately 9% of (linear tri-decyl) sodium benzene sulfonate, approximately 2% of sodium alkyl-polyethoxy-sulfate in which the alkyl portion comprises 12 to 15 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy portion contains approximately 3 ethylene oxide groups, approximately 11% sodium tripolyphosphate, 1-- approximately 4% sodium carbonate, approximately 12% bento nite, approximately 0, 15 i of sodium polyacrylate with a molecular weight of about 2,000 and about 60% water, i 20 5. Liquid detergent according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises approximately 0.2% of sodium carbo-xymethyl-cellulose and approximately 0.2% of formalin, and in that the water is deionized water the density is about 1.25 g / ml and the pH is about 10.5. 6. Liquid detergent composition for heavy washes and for fabric softening, having a density in the range of 1.15 to 1.35 g / ml at room temperature, a pH in the range of 9.5 30 to 11, and a viscosity in the range of 1000 to 5000 mPa.s, which does not increase beyond 6000 mPa.s after 30 days of storage at rest at room temperature, characterized in that it comprises 6.5 to 20% of water-soluble synthetic organic detergent of the anionic sulfonated and / or sulfated type, 5 to 25% of adjuvant salt of water-soluble detergency for the detergent (s), 5 to 20% of bentonite swelling, 0.05 to 0.5 I sodium molecular polyacrylate in the range of 1000 s 5000 and 40 to / 5% water.