NZ240293A - Stable, liquid detergent containing a solid water-soluble per-oxygen compound, water, organic solvent and silicate - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number £40293 29 w No.: Date: 'rloriiy Date(s):. ,omp^ete Specification Filed: > , i 'las®: (5) A j x- A preferred class of nonionic ethoxylates is represented by the condensation product of a fatty alcohol having from 12 to 15 carbon atoms and from about 4 to 10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of fatty alcohol.

Suitable species of this class of ethoxylates include : the condensation product of C12_C15 oxo-alcohols and 7 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol; the condensation product of narrow cut oxo-alcohols and 7 or 9 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of fatty(oxo)alcohol; the condensation product of a narrow cut c12~c13 fatty(oxo)alcohol and 6,5 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of fatty alcohol; and the condensation products of a C1Q-C14 coconut fatty alcohol with a degree of ethoxylation (moles EO/mole fatty alcohol) in the range from 5 to 8. The fatty oxo-alcohols while mainly linear can have, depending upon the processing conditions and raw material olefins, a certain degree of branching, particularly short chain such as methyl branching.

A degree of branching in the range from 15% to 50% (weight %) is frequently found in commercial oxo alcohols.

Preferred nonionic ethoxylated components can also be represented by a mixture of 2 separately ethoxylated nonionic surfactants having a different degree of ethoxylation. For example, the nonionic ethoxylate /•> VJ surfactant containing from 3 to 7 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of hydrophobic moiety and a second ethoxylated species having from 8 to 14 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of hydrophobic moiety. A preferred nonionic ethoxylated mixture contains a lower ethoxylate which is the condensation product of a C12~ci5 oxo-alcohol, with up to 50% (wt) branching, and from about 3 to 7 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of fatty oxo-alcohol, and a higher ethoxylate which is the condensation product of a C16~Cig oxo-alcohol with more than 50% (wt) branching and from about 8 to 14 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of branched oxo-alcohol.

Semi-polar nonionic surfactants include water-soluble amine oxides containing one alkyl or hydroxy alkyl noiety of from about 8 to about 28 carbon atoms and two moieties selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups and hydroxy alkyl groups, containing from 1 to about 3 carbon atoms which can optionally be joined into ring structures.

The liquid detergent compositions of the present invention optionally contain a cationic surfactant, preferably from 0.1% to 10%, more preferably 0.1% to 5%, by weight of the composition.

Examples of suitable cationic surfactants include quaternary ammonium compounds of the formula R1R2R3R4N+X~' wherGi-n Ri i-s ci2"c20 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl; R2 is C1-C4 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl or C12-C20 al^y^- or hydroxyalkyl or C-^-C^ hydroxyalkyl; R3 and R4 are each Ci-C4 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl, or C6-C8 aryl or alkylaryl; and X~ is halogen. Preferred are mono-long chain quaternary ammonium compounds (i.e., compounds of the above formula wheren R2 is C^-C4 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl).

Zwitterionic surfactants which could be used in the compositions of the present invention include derivatives of aliphatic quaternary ammonium, phosphonium, and sulphonium compounds in which the aliphatic moiety can be straight or branched chain and wherein one of the aliphatic substituents contains from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms and another substituent contains, at least, am anionic water-solubilizing group. Particularly preferred zwitterionic materials are the ethoxylated ammonium sulfonates and sulfates disclosed in U.S. Patents 3,925,262, Laughlin et al., issued December 9, 1975 and 3,929,678, Laughlin et al., issued December 30, 1975.

The compositions herein may also contain anionic surfactants. The anionic detergents are well-known in the detergent arts and have found wide-spread application in commercial detergents. Suitable anionic synthetic surface-active salts are selected from the group of sulfonates and sulfates. Preferred anionic synthetic water-soluble sulfonate or sulfate salts have in their molecular structure an alkyl radical containing from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms.

Accordingly, anionic surfactants, if used, are present at levels up to 40% by weight, preferably from 1% to 30% by weight, even more preferably from 5% to 20% by weight.

Synthetic anionic surfactants, can be represented by 1 the general formula R SO M wherein R represents a hydrocarbon group selected from the group consisting of straight or branched alkyl radicals containing from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms and alkyl phenyl radicals containing from about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl group. M is a salt forming cation which typically is 240 2 9 3 selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, ammonium, and mixtures thereof.

A preferred synthetic anionic surfactant is a water-soluble salt of an alkylbenzene sulfonic acid containing from 9 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl group. Another preferred synthetic anionic surfactant is a water-soluble salt of an alkyl sulfate or an alkyl polyethoxylate ether sulfate wherein the alkyl group contains from about 8 to about 24, preferably from about 10 to about 20 carbon atoms, and preferably from about 1 to about 12 ethoxy groups. Other suitable anionic surfactants are disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,170,565, Flesher et al., issued October 9, 1979.

Examples of such preferred anionic surfactant salts are the reaction products obtained by sulfating Cg-C-^g fatty alcohols derived from tallow and coconut oil; alkylbenzene sulfonates wherein the alkyl group contains from about 9 to 15 carbon atoms; sodium alkylglyceryl ether sulfonates; ether sulfates of fatty alcohols derived from tallow and coconut oils; coconut fatty acid monoglyceride sulfates and sulfonates; and water-soluble salts of paraffin sulfonates having from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. Sulfonated olefin surfactants as more fully described in e.g. U.S. Patent Specification 3,332,880 can also be used. The neutralizing cation for the anionic synthetic sulfonates and/or sulfates is represented by conventional cations which are widely used in detergent technology such as sodium and potassium.

A particularly preferred anionic synthetic surfactant component herein is represented by the water-soluble salts of an alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, preferably sodium alkylbenzene sulfonates having from about 10 to 13 carbon atoms in the alkyl group.

Builders The present compositions may contain a builder, prefercibly at a level no more than 50%, more preferably at a level of from 5% to 40% of the total composition.

If present, such builders can consist of the inorganic or organic types already described in the art.

The liquid detergent compositions herein optionally may contain, as a builder, a fatty acid component. Preferably, however, the amount of fatty acid is less than 10% by weight of the composition, more preferably less than 4%.

Preferred saturated fatty acids have from 10 to 16, more preferably 12 to 14 carbon atoms. Preferred unsaturated fatty acids are oleic acid and palmitoleic acid.

Examples of inorganic builders include the phosphourus-based builders, e.g., sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, and aluminosilicates (zeolites).

Examples of organic builders are represented by polyacids such as citric acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, and mixtures of tartrate monosuccinate with tartrate disuccinate. Preferred builders for use herein are citric acid and alk(en)yl-substituted succinic acid compounds, wherein alk(en)yl contains from 10 to 16 carbon atoms. An example of this group of compounds is dodecenyl succinic acid. Polymeric carboxylate builders inclusive of polyacrylates, polyhydroxy acrylates and polyacrylates/polymaleates copolymers can also be used, k 2 ac preferably in combination with the preferred builders above, i.e. citric acid and akl(en)yl substituted succinic acid compounds.

Other components/additives The compositions herein may also contain other components and/or additives at a level preferably less than about 5%. Non-limiting examples of such additives, which can more preferably be used at levels from 0.05% to 2%, include polyaminocarboxylate additives such as ethylene-diaminotetracetic acid, diethylenetriamino-pentacetic acid, ethylenediamino disuccinic acid or the water-soluble alkali metals thereof. Other additives useful at these levels include organo-phosphonic acids; particularly preferred are ethylenediamino tetramethylenephosphonic acid, diethylenetriamino pentamethylenephosphonic acid and aminotrimethylenephosphonic acid, hydroxyethylidene diphosphonic acid. Bleach stabilizers such as ascorbic acid, dipicolinic acid, sodium stannates, 3-hydroxyquinoline, hydroxyethylidene diphosphonic acid (HEDP), and diethylenetriamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid) can also be included in these compositions at these levels, more preferably at levels from between 0.01 to 1%.

The compositions herein can contain a series of further optional ingredients which are mostly used in additive levels, usually below about 5%. Examples of the like include : polyacids, enzymes and enzymatic stabilizing agents, suds regulants, opacifiers, agents to improve the machine compatibility in relation to enamel-coated surfaces, bactericides, dyes, perfumes, brighteners, softeners and the like. 2 4 0 2 As described above, detergent enzymes can be used in the liquid detergent compositions of this invention. In fact, one of the desirable features of the present compositions is that they are compatible with such detergent enzymes. Suitable enzymes include the detergent proteases, amylases, lipases and cellulases. Enzymatic stabilizing agents for use in liquid detergents are well known. Enzyme stabilizing agents, if used, are preferably in a range of from about 0.5% to 5%. Preferred enzymatic stabilizing agents for use herein are formic acid, acetic acid, and salts thereof, e.g. sodium formate and sodium acetate. More preferred stabilizing agents are sodium formate and acetic acid.

Use of the Compositions The present compositions are mainly intended to be used in the wash cycle of a washing machine; however, other uses can be contemplated, such as pretreatment product for heavily-soiled fabrics, or soaking product; the use is not necessarily limited to the washing-machine context, and the compositions of the present invention can be used alone or in combination with compatible handwash compositions.

Some typical liquid detergent compositions of the present invention have the following formulae : 9 l n 0 q 5 - T v L.

EXAMPLES Incrredients Composition wt% I II Ill IV V VI Linear alkyl benzene sulfonate 12 8 12 C13-C15 alcohol ethoxylated (E03) 0 0 3 c13-c15 alcohol ethoxylated (EOy) 0 7 e: 0 2 Citric Acid 2. 3.5 4 1 2.5 Dodecenyl succinic acid 8. 7 6.5 8.5 Polymeric carboxylate builder 1. 1.5 2 1.5 1.5 Tallow fatty acid - 1.5 2 - - A.

Diethylenetriamino penta(methylene phosphonic acid) 0. 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.4 Hydroxyethylidene diphosphonic acid 0. 2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.3 o.

Sodium formate 1. 1 1.5 1.5 1 2 Acetic acid 1. 4 1.5 1.4 1.4 2 - Ethanol 8 12 14 14 Sodium perborate monohydrate 14 - 14 Sodium perborate tetrahydrate - Silicate Si02 to Na20 ratio 1.6 1 3 - - - - Silicate Si02 to Na20 ratio 2.0 - - 1.5 3 - - Sydec® 120 - - - - 1 Sodium hydroxyde Water + minors (perfume, brightener, enzymes,.-.) up pH 9.5 balance to 100 240293

Claims (10)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A stable liquid detergent composition having a pH of at least 8 and less than substantially 11, characterized by comprising a solid, water-soluble peroxygen compound suspended in a liquid phase containing water and at least one water miscible organic solvent, the amount of the solid water-soluble peroxygen compound being such that the amount of available oxygen provided by said peroxygen compound is from 0.5% to 3%. said composition containing from 0.5% to 5% by weight of silicate.

2. A detergent composition, according to Claim 1, wherein the silicate is present at a level of from 1% to 3%.

3. A liquid detergent composition according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the water-miscible organic solvent is an aliphatic monoalcohol.

4. A liquid detergent composition according to Claim 3, wherein the water-miscible organic solvent is ethanol, and the water:ethanol ratio is from 8:1 to 1:3 by weiqht.

5. A liquid detergent composition according to Claim 4, wherein the ratio is from 5:1 to 1:2 by weight.

6. A liquid detergent composition according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the solid, water-soluble peroxygen compound is perborate tetrahydrate, and is present at levels of from 5% to 30% by weight of the total composition.

7. A composition according to Claim 6, wherein the perborate tetrahydrate is in the form of particles having a weight-average particle diameter of from 0.5 micrometer to 20 micrometer.

8. A composition according to Claim 7, wherein the perborate tetrahydrate particles have been formed by recrystallization of a perborate monohydrate. , "

9. A composition according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein .the solid, water-soluble peroxygen compound is a percarbonate. f. ^ ; % -.j - 18 -

10. A stable liquid detergent composition substantially as herein described with reference to any embodiment disclosed in the examples. c ;S L ' DAY OF W j. a son AGENTJ FDR THE APPLICANTS