NL292622A - - Google Patents

Abstract

Liquid detergent compositions comprise, by weight, (a) 10 to 40% of a mixture of a water-soluble alkyl mononuclear aryl sulphonate detergent having an average of 8 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and a multi-branched alkyl polyoxyethylene ethanol having 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and an average of 5 to 30 ethylene oxide units, the ratio of the alkyl aryl sulphonate to the alkyl polyethoxamer being from 10:1 to 1:4 by weight with at least 3% of each material present in the composition, (b) 5 to 20% of a water-soluble alkanolamine having 2 or 3 carbon atoms in the or each alkanol group, and (c) 1 to 15% of a water-soluble hydrotropic sulphonate, the balance being wholly or predominantly water, the compositions having an alkaline pH and being in the form of substantially homogeneous pourable liquids at room temperature. Specified alkyl groups in the alkyl mononuclear aryl sulphonates used are nonyl, dodecyl, pentadecyl, n-decyl, ceryl, and tridecyl groups. The sulphonates are used as sodium, potassium, ammonium, lower alkylolamine salts and alkaline earth metal salts, e.g. magnesium, have at least 85% purity and may contain sodium or potassium sulphate. Examples of alcohols used to obtain the alkyl polyoxyethylene ethanols are 2,4,5,5,7-pentamethyl-1-octanol; 2,3,5,7-tetramethyl-1-nonanol; 3,5-di-ethyl-1-octanol and 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-1-nonanol. Preferably multi-branched tri-decyl polyoxyethylene ethanol is used. The hydrotropic sulphonates used are alkali metal organic sulphonated salts having a lower alkyl group up to 6 carbon atoms, e.g. sodium or potassium xylene, toluene, ethylbenzene or isopropyl benzene sulphonates, and isomers thereof. Alternatively, lower alkyl sulphate salts having 5 or 6 carbon atoms may be used. Mono, di- or tri-ethanolamine and isopropanolamine are exemplary of the alkanolamines. The pH of the composition is at least 9 and may be adjusted by adding alkali, e.g. NaOH. Soil suspending materials, e.g. carboxy lower alkyl cellulose, cellulose sulphate, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl pyrrolidone and castor wax may be incorporated into the composition. Preferably the composition also contains 1 to 10% of an alkylolamide, e.g. those having 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the acyl radical, each alkylol group having one to three carbon atoms, and include lauric, cupric, myristic and coconut di-ethanolamides, monoethanolamides and isopropanolamides which may be condensed with one to two moles of ethylene oxide. Other ingredients specified are perfumes; colouring materials; corrosion or tarnish inhibitors; sequestering agents; germicides; softening or bleaching agents; fluorescent dyes; alcohols, (e.g. fatty alcohols, ethanol), and urea.