SK110295A3 - Floor-cleaning agents - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns aqueous agents containing a non-anionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant and an alkali-soluble polymeric polycarboxylate, at least 25 % of the non-ionic surfactant consisting of alkylpolyglycoside. The agent is suitable for use, after dilution, for the cleaning and care of floors of any kind. It has a particularly good storage stability and gives a protective film which is highly transparent.

Description

Liquid floor cleaner

Technical field

The present invention relates to a liquid composition which, in the diluted state, serves to clean and treat hard surfaces, in particular floors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years and decades, many methods and compositions have been developed for cleaning and treating floors, not least due to the development of new flooring materials. In practice, the choice of compositions is determined mainly by whether the process is to achieve surface cleaning or preservation. Primarily, compositions that provide a more or less hard-wearing film are used to treat and preserve the surface. For this purpose, the compositions generally contain, in emulsified form, waxes or film-forming polymers and wetting agents, as a rule, heavy metal salts which, on the treated surfaces, together form self-polishing or polishing films on drying. In this way, a long-lasting surface preservation can be achieved, and, depending on the quality, the film also tolerates strong mechanical stress. Removal of such a film, if necessary due to contamination or damage, is only possible under extreme conditions. In contrast, compositions whose main focus is in purification contain high proportions of surfactants, often together with alkaline reactants, organic solvents or abrasives. In many cases, with these compositions, thorough removal of dirt and old coatings is achieved, but surfaces so cleaned are generally not protected against re-contamination unless preservative treatment is also used.

Since in many cases the cleaning and treatment of the tiles is required at the same time, in addition to the aforementioned compositions, such compositions have also been developed which enable cleaning and preservation within a single operation. Examples of such compositions are found in British Patent Specification 1,528,592 and in German Patent Application P 35 33 53. These compositions, also described as wiping agents, contain, in addition to film-forming polymers, a significant amount of surfactants, in particular nonionic and anionic surfactants, so simultaneous cleaning and treatment.

There are some difficulties in such formulations when particular emphasis is placed on non-foaming in use, and therefore larger amounts of non-foaming nonionic surfactants are used in the formulation. Such formulations are often unstable in the cold and are subject to agitation and exhibit inferior properties when used on smooth floors, with occasional stronger film re-contamination being observed. It was an object of the present invention to achieve an improvement without reducing the good properties of the known compositions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a liquid floor cleaning composition comprising a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant and an alkaline-soluble polymeric polycarboxylate, wherein at least 25% by weight of the nonionic surfactant content of these compositions is alkylpolyglicosides.

The new compositions have an excellent cleaning effect and, after drying on the floor surfaces, provide very uniform films with an extremely high clarity and low recontamination potential. Particularly remarkable is the high stability against agitation when stored in a cold environment. Compositions are still present when nonionic surfactants with very low foaming and relatively very low water solubility and / or compositions exhibiting very high surfactant concentrations are used to reduce foaming.

The surfactant-containing compositions are based on a mixture of nonionic and anionic surfactants. The nonionic surfactants in the composition according to the invention comprise at least 50% by weight of the total surfactant content; preferably their proportion is between 65 and 95% by weight.

In principle, all kinds of nonionic surfactants are suitable as nonionic surfactants for the composition according to the invention as long as they satisfy the requirements with regard to non-foaming. First of all, the condensation products of 3 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide (EO) with primary ^C 8 to ^C 20 alcohols such as coconut or tallow fatty alcohols, oleyl alcohol, oxoalcohols or secondary alcohols of this chain length should be mentioned. Correspondingly, the corresponding ethoxylated products of other long-chain compounds, for example C12-C18 fatty acids and C8-C16 alkylphenols in the alkyl moiety, are also suitable. In all these products, one part of ethylene oxide can be replaced by propylene oxide (PO). Also suitable as nonionic surfactants are mono- and diethanolamides of fatty acids as well as long-chain amine oxides or sulfoxides, for example the compounds N-cocosalkyl-N, N-dimethylamine oxide. Further mention should be made of water-soluble condensation products having 20 to 250 ethylene glycol ether groups and 10 to 100 propylene glycol ether groups, formed from ethylene oxide and polypropylene glycol, alkylenediaminopolypropylene glycol and 1 to 10 carbon chain alkylpolypropylene glycol having alkyl chains in the alkyl chain hydrophobic residue. Among these nonionic surfactants, condensation products of from 3 to 10 moles of ethylene oxide on primary alcohols having from 10 to 16 carbon atoms from the group of oxoalcohols and natural fatty alcohols are most preferred in the composition of the invention, fatty alcohol ethoxylates being most preferred.

In addition to the aforementioned nonionic surfactants, the compositions of the present invention include both alkyl polyglycosides as nonionic surfactants. These are surfactants of the formula I

RO (-G) _n (I) wherein R represents a long chain alkyl radical of 8 to carbon atoms, a G glycosidically linked monosaccharide residue and a value between 1 and 10.

Alkyl polyglycosides have been known as surfactants for more than 50 years and can be obtained in various ways.

In this regard, reference is made to European Patent Application 362 671, in which earlier experience is cited in the literature.

Technically, the significant synthesis consists essentially of acid catalyzed condensation of aldose (HO-G) monosaccharides with long-chain alcohols (R-OH) containing 8 to 22, preferably 8 to 18 carbon atoms. After separation of the water, the alkyl glycosides of the formula I are formed

R-O (-G) n (I) wherein the value of n can be varied over a wide range by selecting the reaction conditions. Alkyl glycosides of the formula I with n = 1 to 10 are useful according to the invention; Preference is given to compounds with values of n between 1 and 6, in particular 1 to 2. In products in which n is greater than 1, n naturally has a statistical mean value.

The production of alkyl glycosides may also be based on oligo or polysaccharides, which are then depolymerized through hydrolysis and / or alcoholysis to lower compounds before the alkyl glycosides of the formula I are formed during the acid catalyzed reaction, or mixtures of different reduced monosaccharides may also be used as starting material. polysaccharides, which consist of various monosaccharides.

When n is greater than 1, corresponding mixed alkyl glycoside molecules may be formed.

The following monosaccharides are preferably used as starting material: glucose, mannose, galactose, arabinose, apiosis, lyxose, galose, altrose, idose, ribose, xylose and talose, as well as oligo- and polysaccharides composed of these monosaccharides, for example maltose, lactose, maltotriose , hemicellulose, starches, partial starch hydrolyzate, and sugar syrup. Within the scope of the invention, preference is given to alkyl glycosides which are constructed from one type of monosaccharide. Particularly preferred are alkyl glycosides whose residue (G) is derived from glucose. Glucose, maltose, starches and other glucose oligomers are used as suitable starting materials for the preparation of these compounds, also referred to as alkyl glucosides.

In the above preparation, the alkyl moiety R is derived from long-chain, in this case unsaturated, preferably primary alcohols which may be branched but preferably are not branched. Examples are synthetic oxo alcohols having 9 to 15 carbon atoms and fatty alcohols having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, which are obtained from natural fatty acids. Preferred are fatty alcohols having 8 to 18 carbon atoms as well as oxo alcohols having 11 to 15 carbon atoms, in particular fatty alcohols having 8 to 10 carbon atoms or 12 to 14 carbon atoms.

In addition to the alkylglycosides of the formula I themselves, the technically produced products generally still contain certain proportions of the free alcohol R-OH and non-acetalized carbohydrates, in this case in oligomeric form. In most cases these technical impurities do not interfere with the intended use. Of course, when alkylglycosides are prepared from alcohol mixtures, for example, natural fat-based alcohols, the alkylglycosides are mixtures with the corresponding broad meaning of R in formula I.

In the context of the present invention, preference is given to using alkyl polyglycosides whose glycoside moiety consists of 1 to 2 glucose units and whose alkyl moiety is derived from fatty alcohols having 8 to 10 carbon atoms. The alkyl polyglycosides comprise at least 25% by weight of the total amount of nonionic surfactants in the composition of the invention. In extreme cases, the alkyl polyglycosides themselves may act as nonionic surfactants. Particularly preferred is a content of from 40 wt% to 80 wt% alkyl polyglycosides, based on the total content of nonionic surfactants together.

As anionic surfactants, the compositions of the invention primarily comprise synthetic anionic surfactants. This is in particular the type of sulphonates and sulphates.

Suitable surfactants of the sulfonate type are alkylbenzene sulfonates having an alkyl radical of C8-C18 and olefin sulfonates, i.e., C.-C- ^. mixtures of alkene and hydroxyalkane sulfonates as well as disulfonates, such as can be obtained, for example, from monoolefins having a terminal or in-chain double bond, sulfonation with gaseous sulfur trioxide and subsequent alkaline or acid hydrolysis of the sulfonated products. Also suitable are the alkanesulfonates which we obtain

alkanes by sulfochlorination or sulfoxidation followed by ice hydrolysis, optionally neutralization or addition of bisulfite to olefins, as well as esters and sulfofatty acids, for example α-sulfonated methyl or ethyl ester of hydrogenated coconut, palm kernel or tallow fatty acids.

Suitable sulfate-type surfactants are monoesters of sulfuric acid with primary long-chain alcohols of natural or synthetic origin, ie fatty alcohols such as fatty coconut alcohols, oleyl alcohol, lauryl-, myristyl-, palmityl- or stearyl alcohol, or C, q q q. ₂ θ oxoalcohols or secondary alcohols with a chain length above. Monoesters of sulfuric acid with 1 to 6 moles of ethylene oxide (EO), ethoxylated long-chain aliphatic primary alcohols and optionally ethoxylated secondary alcohols are also suitable. Also suitable are sulfated fatty acid alkanolamides, sulfated fatty acid monoglycerides and long chain sulfosuccinic acid esters. The anionic surfactants are preferably used as alkali salts, especially sodium salts, but ammonium salts or salts of alkanolamines having 2 to 6 carbon atoms can also be used. In the context of the present invention, particularly preferred as anionic surfactants are fatty alcohol sulfates and fatty alcohol ether sulfates, for example coconut alcohol sodium salt and ¢ 4.2 / 14 14 coconut alcohols + 2E0-sulfate.

In addition to the known nonionic and anionic surfactants, the compositions according to the invention may contain minor amounts of other surfactants, in particular amphoteric surfactants and soaps, if necessary to achieve exceptional effects and so as not to impair other good properties of the composition. The soaps are water-soluble salts of long-chain fatty acids, preferably having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, for example sodium coconut fatty acids and sodium tallow fatty acids. Amphoteric surfactants are long chain compounds whose hydrophilic moiety consists of a cationically charged center (usually a tertiary amino- or quaternary ammonium group) and an anionically charged center (usually a carboxyl or sulfonate group). Examples of such surfactants are N-cocosalkyl-N, N-dimethylaminoacetate and N-dodecyl-N, N-dimethyl-3-aminopropanesulfonate.

The total surfactant content of the compositions according to the invention is preferably between 4 and 25% by weight, especially between

8 and 16% by weight based on the total amount of the composition in the undiluted state.

The content of the alkaline-soluble polymeric polycarboxylate is essential for the functional properties of the composition. These carboxylates may be resin-like compounds, for example copolymers of styrene and maleic anhydride, which may be partially saponified, and in this case also partially esterified or amidated. Particularly preferred are soluble polymer compounds which have a minimum film-forming temperature in the range of 0 to 70 ° C and are generally copolymers of at least three different monomers, wherein the polycarboxylates are not crosslinked with metals.

The polymers used preferably contain as an essential part an acrylate copolymer with 1 to 10 parts by weight (relative to the copolymer) of carboxyl-containing monomers with 30 to 70 parts by weight of homopolymer-forming monomers having glass-forming temperatures below 20 ° C, preferably an acid ester acrylic with C 1 -C 8 alcohols and / or methylacrylic acid with C 1 -C 8 alcohols, and with 30 to 70 parts by weight of comonomers forming homopolymers with a glassy film temperature above room temperature, preferably a C 1 -C 6 methacrylic acid ester alcohols or styrene.

Ethylene unsaturated carbonic acids may be used as comonomers containing an acid group; first of all, acrylic acid and methacrylic acid are suitable.

Comonomers with a glass film forming temperature below 20 ° C, i.e. below room temperature (based on homopolymers of one type of monomer), mention should be made of the acrylic ester of up to C8 alcohols and the methacrylic ester of C4 to C8 alcohols. Methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, or 2-ethylhexyl acrylic acid as well as butyl, hexyl or 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate may be used. Comonomers whose homopolymers have a glassy film forming temperature above room temperature are esters of methacrylic acid with up to C8 alcohols such as methyl methacrylate or ethyl methacrylate. An important comonomer whose homopolymer exhibits a glassy film formation temperature above room temperature is styrene.

Preferably, copolymers of acrylic acid and / or methacrylic acid esters of styrene, acrylic acid esters and / or methacrylic acid esters are used. Particularly preferred are copolymers of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid with various esters of acrylic acid and / or methacrylic acid and / or styrene, for example terpolymers of methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, methacrylic acid and styrene. The relative proportions of comonomers whose homopolymers have a glassy film formation temperature below room temperature and monomers whose homopolymers have a glassy film formation temperature above room temperature are set so that the polymer dispersion film formation temperature is between 0 and 70 ° C. The general knowledge of polymer chemistry applies here. Said film-forming temperatures refer to a plasticizer-free system, i. for polymers without further additives. Examples of such polymers are Primal 1531 (Rohm and Haas), NeoCryl XK-39 and NeoCryl BT-26 (ICI).

If the water-soluble polycarboxylates are not used as such, they must necessarily be converted into a soluble form by alkali. Suitable alkali are, in particular, NaOH, KOH and non-volatile amines such as alkanolamines. Preferred is an aqueous ammonia solution, by means of which the polycarboxylate can be safely clarified to the required degree without the risk of over-alkalization. Preferably, the finished compositions in an undiluted state should have a pH of between about 7 and 11; pH values in the range of between 8 and 9, but also between 10 and 10.5 are particularly preferred.

The amount of polymeric polycarboxylates in the compositions according to the invention is chosen such that the weight ratio between the polycarboxylate and the total surfactant content is between 1: 6 and 2: 3, in particular between 1: 4 and 1: 2. If a mixture of several polymeric polycarboxylates is used, these values apply to the total polycarboxylate content.

In addition to the essential substances described above, water and, in the present case, also alkalinizing agents, the compositions according to the invention may contain further auxiliaries and additives, as are customary in such compositions. It is obvious that their presence does not impair the positive properties of the composition. Examples are additives whose organic solvent is completely miscible with water to solutions which contribute to the efficacy of the composition and in this case to the improvement of the wetting effect. Preferably, lower alcohols having 2 or 3 carbon atoms are used, and are used in amounts of no more than 10% by weight, preferably between about 0.2 and 5% by weight, relative to the total weight of the undiluted composition. Examples of other ingredients are perfume oils, colorants, viscosity regulators and preservatives. These substances are generally used in amounts of not more than 5% by weight, preferably between 0.01 and 2% by weight.

The composition is used in such a way that an aqueous solution of the composition is first prepared by dilution in which the non-volatile content is between about 0.2 and 1 g / l. Depending on the concentration of the original compositions, said concentration of the composition of the composition for use is achieved by dilution in a ratio between about 1: 1000 and 1:50. The dilute solution is then applied to the surface to be cleaned by means of an absorbent article, for example a cloth or sponge, and is partially washed again with the dirt from the surface. After this treatment, the surface is not rinsed so that the remaining detergent solution dries to a uniform protective film. Due to this method of use, such compositions are also referred to as wiping and polishing compositions. The composition according to the invention is characterized by an optimum cleaning effect against various impurities and at the same time forms a durable film with excellent protection against re-contamination. The film is quite clear and allows the color and texture of the treated area to excel unchanged without any excess gloss. When the composition is reused, the film dissolves and thus facilitates the cleaning process. No harmful effect of the dissolved film on the properties of the formulation was observed.

The composition according to the invention itself is extremely non-foaming when used in a higher concentration or undiluted for local stain removal. Even at high concentrations, it exhibits excellent storage stability at normal storage temperatures, especially when stored cold. Preferably, the composition is suitable for floor care and cleaning and provides excellent results on stone, on impregnated parquet, tile, linoleum and artificial floor coverings, as well as on other hard surfaces, even glass. Particularly preferred is the use on high gloss floor coverings because the film formed does not reduce this gloss due to its clarity.

Production of the composition in various causes no difficulty. Usually, it dissolves the polymeric polycarboxylate, in the production forms, first with the addition of alkalinizing agents in the water, and then the surfactants are admixed in the desired concentration. Finally, admixtures follow.

In the following, some details are given of a preferred frame formulation of the composition of the invention. The device contains:

up to 10, preferably 2 to 6% by weight of a fatty alcohol ethoxylate (3 to 10 EO), up to 10, preferably 4 to 8% by weight of a fatty alcohol polyglucoside,

0.5 to 4, preferably 1 to 3% by weight of an anionic surfactant selected from the group of fatty alcohol sulphate, fatty alcohol ether sulphate and mixtures thereof, up to 8, preferably 3-5% by weight, of an alkaline soluble polymeric polycarboxylate with a minimum film forming temperature between 0 and 70 ° C, up to 10, preferably 0.2 to 5% by weight of water miscible organic solvents, and up to 5, preferably 0.01 to 2% by weight, of other excipients and additives.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

By mixing the individual components with water, the compositions according to the invention no. 1 to 3 as well as compositions 4 to 10, which are not included in the invention. The formulations are given in Table 1. The numerical data of the substance content are weight%; the remainder up to 100% by weight is water. In each case, 3 g of the composition was diluted to 1 L and used in this form to test the cleaning performance and assess the possibility of re-soiling. The clarity of the residue after drying was assessed at three times the concentration; the cold storage stability test was carried out with the undiluted product. The results, together with the formulation of the preparations, are given in Table 1.

The individual tests were as follows:

1. Cleaning performance test

The cleaning performance of the cleaning and polishing agent was evaluated using a Gardner washing and washing test apparatus, as described in the quality standards of the Industrial Union of Germany for detergents (Soaps-Oils-Fat-Waxes, 108, pages 526-528 (1982)). In this method, white PVC foil is soiled in a standard way with test soil consisting of soot and fat. Under normal conditions, the soiled test foil is wiped with a sponge soaked with detergent. Cleaning efficiency is measured by photoelectric determination of the degree of remission (given in%).

2.Resamination test

In this test, a white PVC coating (75 x 21 cm) was divided into three equal 25 x 21 cm sections. 1.2 ml of test solvent was applied to each of these surfaces using a cotton fabric. This wiping procedure was repeated nine times after the coating had dried. After drying the samples, the re-soiling test continued in a special drum into which the PVC coating was placed together with 36 g of a separate mixture of impurities, where it was stored for 30 minutes at 25 rpm. The test mixture of impurities had the following composition:

g screened dust (RFC washing research, Krefeld) g burnt sea sand g plastic granulate Duretan VKV 30 (Bayer, Leverkusen) g steel balls with a diameter of 6-7 mm.

After soiling, the test sample was removed from the drum, shaken and evaluated visually by three people. The evaluation was carried out on the following scale:

= very light coat, almost unclean = light coat, slightly soiled = light gray coat, medium soiled = gray coat, soiled = intense gray coat, very heavily soiled.

3. Test the clarity of the residue

The high-gloss black tile (15 x 15 cm) was immersed in the test solution for 10 seconds and then erected perpendicular and allowed to dry. After complete drying, the gloss was evaluated using a reflectance measuring instrument (Dr. Lange, 20 ° measurement angle) and compared to the original value before soaking. Table 1 shows the differences between the two measurements as gloss loss.

4.Stability test by cold storage

The undiluted detergent was stored in transparent glass bottles for 24 hours at + 3 ° C. After this period, the appearance of the test samples was visually evaluated:

+ = product unchanged, clear

- = product cloudy or flocculated.

From the test results shown in Table 1, it can be seen that the compositions according to the invention exhibit, in addition to overall good properties, particular advantages in cold storage stability and in the evaluation of the clarity of the residue.

Table 1

Composition: Component / feature: 1 2 3 A C £ 2 / ^ks LFAT i4 fatty alcohol sodium salt 2 1.5 3 B Cj ^ / ^ fatty alcohol + 4E0 4 3 C C £ 2 / ^mas i4 ^{'t n} Y-alcohol 6E0 - 3 - D C 6-6 -alkylpolyglucoside (1.6 glucose) 6 7 6 E Copolymer of methacrylic acid, butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate, clarified with NH4OH (pH 8.5) 5 4 5 F ethanol 5 - 5 G perfume + + + H and Cleaning ability according to 45 43 46 I Gardnera (2) Re-soiling (2) 2-3 2-3 2 J Clarity of residue (3) -2 -3 -3 The Cold storage stability (4) + + +

Table 1 continuation:

Composition: component: 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A 2 2 2 8 8 6 6 B 4 10 10 4 4 6 6 C - - - - - - - D 6 - - - - - E - 4 - 5 - 5 - F 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 G + + + + + + + H 32 34 29 43 33 38 32 I 4 2-3 4-5 2 3-4 2-3 4 J -2 -12 -7 -10 -5 -10 -5 The + - - - - - -

Claims (9)

A liquid floor cleaner comprising a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant and at least 1% by weight of an alkaline-soluble polymeric polycarboxylate, characterized in that at least 25% by weight of the total proportion of nonionic surfactants consists of alkylpolyglycosides. Floor cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that the proportion of nonionic surfactants in the total surfactant content is at least 50% by weight, preferably between 65 and 95% by weight. Floor cleaner according to either of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the alkaline-soluble polymeric polycarboxylate has a minimum film-forming temperature of between 0 and 70 ° C. 4. Floor cleaner according to any one. The method according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the ratio of polymer weight to total surfactant content is between 1: 6 and 2: 3, preferably between 1: 4 and 1: 2. Floor cleaner according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the total surfactant content is between 4 and 25%, preferably between 8 and 16% by weight, based on the weight of the finished preparation. Floor cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises: 1 to 10, preferably 2 to 6% by weight of fatty alcohol ethoxylate (3 to 10 EO), 1-10%, preferably 4-8% by weight of a fatty alcohol polyglucoside, 0.5 to 4, preferably 1 to 3% by weight of an anionic surfactant selected from the group of fatty alcohol sulphate, fatty alcohol ether sulphate and mixtures thereof, 1 to 8, preferably 3 to 5% by weight of an alkaline-soluble polymeric polycarboxylate having a minimum film-forming temperature of between 0 and 75 ° C, 0 to 10, preferably 0.2 to 5% by weight of water miscible organic solvents, and 0 to 5, preferably 0.01 to 2% by weight of further excipients and additives. A floor cleaner according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the alkyl polyglycoside is an alkyl polyglycoside having an alkyl chain of 8 to 12 carbon atoms and a polyglycoside moiety of 1 to 2 glucose units. Use of the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7 in the diluted state for simultaneous cleaning and treatment of hard surfaces, in particular of floors. A method for cleaning and treating floors, wherein the composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is first diluted with water to a non-volatile content of from 0.2 to 1 g / l, and the floor is then wiped with this dilute solution using a soaking object.