NO124882B - - Google Patents

Description

Detergent mixture with regulated foaming.

The invention relates to a detergent mixture with regulated foaming. Such products are suitable for use in washing machines that do not tolerate a large volume of foam. Such foam-intolerant washing machines are e.g. drum-type washing machines with inserts on the front or top.

It is well known that synthetic detergents with a high foaming capacity, as used in bucket-type washing machines, cannot be used in

drum-type washing machines, due to over-foaming. Based on the incorporated high-foaming detergents, detergents have been developed that have regulated foaming ability and where the detergent component consists of a special mixture of synthetic detergents, e.g. a mixture of anionic and nonionic synthetic detergents and soap that

gives the product the desired low-foaming properties. Depending on

the type and quantity ratio of these components, low-

or medium-foaming products.

A synthetic detergent mixture with regulated foaming ability

normally consists of a high-foaming, anionic synthetic detergent

part together with a foam suppressor, e.g. soap, a non-ionic synthetic detergent or a mixture of these.

The use of hydrophobic, e.g. hydrocarbons, have also been proposed in low-foaming detergent compositions of this type.

However, it is, even in the category of washing machines of

drum type large variation with regard to foam tolerance. A synthetic detergent mixture suitable for use in a drum washing machine that is fairly suds tolerant may produce excessive suds volume in a more intolerant washing machine, causing the suds to overflow. Furthermore, variations in the hardness of the water, type and degree of soiling, as well as the washing temperature have an impact on the foaming ability.

Furthermore, it is highly desirable that a low-foaming product produces an acceptable amount of foam at low temperatures, i.e. in the range from 20°C and up to approx. 60°c, and this amount should not increase with increasing temperatures. A low-foaming detergent should initially have an acceptable foam at lower temperatures in the washing process, i.e. up to approx. 60°C, and should be low-foaming at higher temperatures, i.e. above approx. 80°c.

It should also produce a noticeable amount of suds in washing machines with paddles or paddle wheels, as well as when manually washing in a tub. Synthetic detergent mixtures known to date either produce a noticeable amount of foam in washing machines with paddles or paddle wheels and in manual washing in tubs, but foam over in drum-type washing machines, or they are low-foaming and do not foam over in drum-type washing machines. type, but does not foam in washing machines with paddles or paddle wheels and when manually washing in tubs.

The synthetic detergent mixtures with controlled foaming which

is known from the prior art, and which contains foam-suppression-

known agents, have been shown to give a clear foam suppression at low and medium temperatures, which, as explained above, is undesirable in a synthetic detergent mixture with regulated foaming ability.

It has now surprisingly been found that a low-foaming detergent mixture with regulated foaming over the entire temperature range of the washing cycle in a drum washing machine and which produces a noticeable amount of foam in a washing machine with paddles or paddle wheels and when manually washing in a drum, can be achieved by adding a detergent mixture containing 2-20% by weight of an anionic synthetic detergent and 1-10% by weight of a non-ionic synthetic detergent and/or 1-10% by weight of soap is added to a compound of the general formula:

where R is a branched or straight-chain aliphatic hydrocarbon-

residue with 8-24 carbon atoms which may be unsaturated, or an acylamide residue with 8-24 carbon atoms,

R1 is -C2H2_'

n is a number from 1 to 25, and

M is hydrogen or a cation.

Examples of suitable compounds according to the invention are ether carboxylic acids or their alkali or alkaline earth metal salts, especially their sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, amine and alkylolamine salts of the above general formula, where R is a alkyl or alkenyl group with from 12 to 18 carbon atoms. Examples of these are compounds where R is an alkyl group with 12 carbon atoms and n is 2.5, 4.5, 10, 15 and 25. Furthermore, R can be an alkyl group with 18 carbon atoms and n = 2 or 5, and R can be oleyl and n = 6, or compounds where R is a coconut fatty acid amide residue and n = 3, 4 or 5.

It must be understood that these examples do not limit the invention. Other compounds of the above general formula may also be used in accordance with the invention.

The detergent mixtures according to the invention have regulated foaming ability, i.e. they produce a noticeable amount of foam at lower temperatures and are low-foaming at higher temperatures, as explained earlier. They produce a more balanced foam at all temperatures, without the foam overflowing at high temperatures. They are also surprisingly well suited in other types of washing machines, for example those with paddles or paddle wheels, and for manual washing in tubs.

The alkyl or alkylaryl polyether carboxylic acids according to the invention are known from the prior art, namely from U.S. Pat. patent No. 2,183,853. They are produced e.g. by reaction between the corresponding polyglycol ether alcohols with alkali metal hydroxide and et

alkali metal salt of chloroacetic acid.

The selection of the correct compound: according to the invention can be easily done by determining the HLB value of the acid compound according to known methods.

Usually this value should lie between 6 and 20, preferably between 8 and 14. The compounds can be used in detergent mixtures

contained in an amount of 0.5 to 10, preferably 1-5% by weight, calculated on the entire product.

The detergent mixture according to the invention also contains building salts and commonly used detergent ingredients.

The active, synthetic detergent mixture comprises an anionic

nic, synthetic detergent and a non-ionic synthetic detergent and/or soap. The anionic, synthetic detergents are well known in the detergent field. Examples of these are alkyl sulfates with 8

to 22 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, alkyl or alkyl aryl ether sulfates with 8 to 22 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain and containing from 1 to 10 ethylene oxide groups, sulfuric acid esters of fatty acid monoglycerides, sulfonated fatty acids, alkylbenzene sulfonates with branched or straight chain alkyl chains with from 8 to 18 carbon atoms, alkane sulfonates with from 10 to 22 carbon atoms, olefin sulfonates

produced by sulfonation of olefins with from 10 to 22 carbon atoms and subsequent hydrolysis and neutralization; of the sulfonation product, acyl isothionates and acyl taurides, etc. One must be aware that the term anionic, synthetic detergent does not include the alkyl or alkyl aryl ether carboxylic acids or the soaps.

The active, synthetic detergent mixture further comprises a non-ionic, synthetic detergent and/or soap.

The nonionic synthetic detergents are well known in the art. Examples of these are the condensation products of alkylene oxide, e.g. ethylene oxide or propylene oxide or mixtures of these with alcohols with from 10 to 26 carbon atoms, e.g. fatty alcohols, with mono- or dialkylphenols with from 8-20 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, with fatty acid amides, polyalkylene glycols and mixed alkylene oxide adducts, alkoxylated sugar fatty acid esters, etc.

The soaps that can be used according to the invention are alkali-

or the alkaline earth metal salts of fatty acids with from 10 to 24 carbon atoms or derivatives thereof. Examples of these are the well-known soaps, e.g. the sodium soaps that are still used to regulate foam, e.g. soaps from palm oil, hardened fish oil, hardened tallow, coconut oil, etc.

The preferred active, synthetic detergent mixture according to the invention comprises an anionic synthetic detergent, a non-ionic synthetic detergent and a soap.

Generally, as mentioned, the products according to the invention contain from 2-20% of an anionic synthetic detergent. For medium-foaming, 8-15% is usually desired, and for low-foaming, 2-9% is usually appropriate. Furthermore, if the products contain a non-ionic synthetic detergent, usually from 1-10% of this is suitable, while the preferred range for medium-foaming is 1-8% and for low-foaming 2-10%. If the products contain soap, the amount of soap used can be 1-10%, for medium-foaming purposes 1-6% and for low-foaming purposes 5-10%. The percentage figures are by weight of the entire product.

The remaining part of the product may consist of the normal components of a synthetic detergent. Typically they may comprise from 20-60% alkali metal condensed phosphates, e.g. sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium trimetaphosphate, etc. If desired, part of the alkali metal condensed phosphate can be replaced with a sequestering agent, e.g. ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid or nitrile triacetic acid or other organic sequestering agents.

Furthermore, it can contain from 2-10% of a silicate, e.g. sodium metasilicate or water glass, from 0.5-3% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose or other suitable dirt carriers.

If desired, for laundry purposes, sodium perborate can also be added in an amount of up to 45%. Fluorescent agents, perfume, matting inhibitors, texture destruction inhibitors, bleach activators, fillers, e.g. sodium sulfate, alkalis, e.g. orthophosphates, germicides etc. can also be used in the products according to the invention.

One must be aware that the products according to the invention are not only suitable for use in drum-type washing machines, e.g. those that are heated from cold to boiling temperature, but also in other types of washing machines where regulated foaming is required. They are also suitable for manual washing.

In the following, the invention will be illustrated by means of examples. In the drawings, a wavy line (■— -) means overfoaming.

EXAMPLE 1.

The foam heights in cm of 5 synthetic detergents with a composition as indicated in Table I were determined using a Dynamic Foam

Meter (cf. Soap and Chemical Specialties, 37, 4, (1961) page 55), with an aqueous solution containing 5 g/l of the product in water of 15° German hardness.

In Figure 1, the foam heights are indicated in relation to the temperature

in °C.

In Figure 1, you can see that products 3 and 4 show an increase in

foam at higher temperatures, which is undesirable, and product No. 5 has unsatisfactory initial foam, and an undesirable foam formation at higher temperatures.

However, products no. 1 and 2 show a desired foam production

at lower temperatures and desirable foam properties at higher temperatures.

EXAMPLE 2.

Product no. 1 from the previous example was used during prac-

tical conditions in a Constructa V-4 drum washing machine with a dosage of 200 g and water of 13° German hardness (boil wash at 100°c).

The product was compared to a product with normal foam regulation as represented by product no. 4 in example 1. The foam heights (in % of the observation glass in the washing machine) are listed in relation to time in minutes in Figure 2, with the solid line representing product no. 4 and the dashed line represents product no. 1. It is clear from the figure that product no. 1 has regulated foam properties over the entire wash cycle which are the corresponding properties of

the product with normal foam regulation superior.

EXAMPLE 3.

The following product was used under practical conditions (boil wash) in 10 Constructa V-4 drum machines.

The dosage was 210 g, the weight of the washed laundry 3.6 kg, and the water had 12° German hardness.

The foam heights were determined in % of the observation glass in the washing machine (scale: no foam, 1-25%, 26-50%, 51-75%, 76-100%

and overfoaming), measured respectively at the end of the pre-wash,

in the middle of the heating time, at the beginning of cooking and at the end of cooking. The results of this experiment are shown in the following table. The listed values indicate the number of washing machines where the relevant foam heights were observed. The results were compared with that obtained with a synthetic detergent where the foam was regulated in the usual way, as indicated in example 1, no. 4.

These results clearly show the superior foam-regulating properties of the products according to the invention compared to a product with normal foam regulation.

EXAMPLE 4.

The same products as in example 3 were compared when washing fine textiles in a barrel. The dosage was 5 g/l, the water hardness 22° T.H., and the temperature was 30°C. The experiment was repeated 4 times, and the values given below represent the number of times the relevant structure and quantity of the foam was observed.

This shows how suitable the products according to the invention are for use in manual washing.

EXAMPLE 5.

The foam heights of the following product a) were determined in a

Rotor Foam-meter (cf. "Seifen-01e-Fette-Wachse" 91 (1965) page 91) with dirt load. They were compared with the foam heights of a detergent with normal foam regulation b). The dosage of the product was 8.7 g/l.

Figure III shows the results obtained. The percentages of foam height are listed in relation to the temperature in °c. The interrupted one

in

line represents product a) and the solid line product b).

EXAMPLE 6.

The foam heights of the following product were determined in a Wyandotte Foam meter (cf. "Soap and Chemical Specialties" April 1961, pages 55-57, 104) using an aqueous solution of 5 g/l in water of 11^ T.H. Figure 4 shows the results obtained. The foam height in cm is listed in relation to the temperature in °c.

EXAMPLE 7.

Figure 5 reproduces the results obtained in a Wyandotte Foam meter using an aqueous solution of 5 g/l in water of 15° T.H. with the following composition:

EXAMPLE 8.

The following product was used in a Constructa V-4 drum washing machine under practical conditions (boil wash at 100°c), without pre-wash. The dosage was 210 g, the water hardness 13° T.H.

Figure 6 shows % foam in the front window of the machine in relation to time in minutes. Percent foam is the average value of 10 trials.

EXAMPLE 9.

The foam heights of the following product were determined in a Wyandotte Foam meter using an aqueous solution of 5 g/l in water of 15° T.H. Figure 7 shows the results. The foam height in cm is listed in relation to the temperature in °c.

EXAMPLE 10.

The following product was used in a Constructa V-4 drum washing machine at a dosage of 105 g for pre-wash (at 30°C) and 105 g for main wash (at 100°c). The water hardness was 13°T.H. Figure 8 shows % foam in the front window (average value of 12 trials)

in relation to temperature in °C.

Claims (2)

1. Detergent mixture with controlled foaming, consisting of 2-20% by weight of an anionic, synthetic detergent, and 1-10% by weight of a non-ionic synthetic detergent and/or 1-10% by weight of soap, characterized in that it as a foam regulator agent contains 0.5-10% by weight of the per se known compound of the general formula R^0Rl)n0CH2C00M where R means a branched or straight-chain aliphatic hydrocarbon residue with 8-24 carbon atoms which may be saturated, or an acylamide residue with 8-24 carbon atoms, R1 is -C2H4"' n is a number from 1-25, M is an alkali metal, as the rest of the detergent mixture is made up of building salts and commonly used detergent ingredients. 2. Detergent mixture as stated in claim 1, characterized in that it contains 1-5% by weight of a compound of the general formula as stated in claim 1.