US2462831A - Detergents and method of making them - Google Patents

Description

Patented Mar. 1, 1949 UNITED STATS ENT- OFFICE j DETERGENTS AND ME'EHQD F MAKINGv THEM ware No Drawing. Uriginal application July 9, 1937, Serial No. 152,852. Divided and-this application March 13, 1943, Serial No. 479,106

(Ci. zet -41s) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a new process for producing materials adapted to function as wetting agents, detergents or the like, and to the materials themselves. More particularly, the invention relates to the utilization of short-chain fatty acids, which are not ordinarily satisfactory for the preparation of detergents, wetting agents and the like, in the production of materials which will function efficiently for these purposes, and to the production of a soap product substantially free of the soaps of such short-chain fatty acids.

A common type of soap is made from a blended mixture of animal fats, such as tallow, and fatty oils of vegetable origin. The fatty oils that are commonly used in the production of detergent materials almost invariably contain appreciable percentages of fatty acid esters (glycerides), the fatty acids of which contain less than twelve carbon atoms. We have recognized that the sodium salts of these fatty acids are of little or no value and,.if they are left in the mixture along with the salts of the higher fatty acids, the result is simply a corresponding amount of inactive or inefficient material in the final soap product. In accordance with the present invention, the lower fatty acids are removed from the fatty oils containing these low molecular weight components to make the final soap product more effective. The particular fractionating method employed to effect the separation of the fatty acids into a low molecular weight fraction and a higher molecular weight fraction is not a part of the present invention, and any satisfactory method may be employed.

The removal of such fatty acids reduces the quantity of the final detergent product that can be produced from a given amount of fatty oil, and yields, as a by-product, considerable quantities of these lower fatty acids. For example, about 21 of the fatty acids in coconut oil contains less than twelve carbon atoms, and about 13% of the fatty acids in palm kernel oil also contains less than twelve carbon atoms.

According to the present invention, both the light and the heavy fractions of the fattyacids derived from the fatty oils, 1. e., the light fraction containing less than twelve carbon atoms and the heavy fraction containing at least twelve carbon atoms, are utilized for the preparation of detergents and the like, although the material having fatty acid radicals containing less than twelve carbon atoms is treated differently from the material containing fatty acid radicals having more than twelve carbon atoms.

The lower fatty acids of a molecular Weight less than that of lauric acid, i. e., those containing less than twelve carbon atoms, are caused to react to form useful efiicient detergents in the manner fully described in our prior coepending application Serial No. 152,852, filed July 9,1937, now PatentNo. 2,321,020, granted June 8, 1943, of which thepresent application is a division.

The higher fatty'acidsin the heavier fraction, which include those fattyacids ofthe molecular weight of lauric acid or greater, i. e., fatty acids containing at least twelve carbon atoms, are used for making soap. The particular. soap making method forms no part of the present invention, and any suitable process may be employed, e. g., the fatty material forming the residue of the oils upon removal therefrom of the fatty acids having less than twelve carbon atoms may be reacted with an alkali to produce the soaps, e. g., sodium soaps, of the higher fatty acids. It will be apparent to those skilled. in the art that the new soap product containsthesoaps offatty acids having at least twelve carbon atoms and-is substantially free of the soapsof fatty acidshav ing less than twelve carbon atoms. At least a portion of the soap product consistsofssoapsnof the fatty material forming-the: residue oft-the fatty oils upon removal therefrom of fatty acids having less than twelve carbon atoms, including the fatty acids derivedfrom the glycerides in such oil having fatty acid radicals of less than twelve carbon atoms. These fatty oils include those which are commonly used in the production of detergent materials, such as coconut oil, palm kernel oil, etc.

The present invention is not to be restricted to any specific proportions or manner of procedure beyond the limitation of the appended claims.

We claim:

1; A non-irritative soap product containing the soaps of fatty acids having at least 12 carbon atoms and substantially free of the soaps of fatty acids having less than 12 carbon atoms, at least a portion of said soap product consisting of soaps of the fatty material forming the residue of fatty oil containing an appreciable percentage of glycerides having fatty acid radicals of less than 12 carbon atoms upon removal therefrom of fatty acids having less than 12 carbon atoms, including the fatty acids derived from the glycerides in said oil having fatty acid radicals of less than 12 carbon atoms, said soaps having at least as good.

lathering properties as those which characterize the soaps of the fatty acids of the said fatty oils and being free from the skin irritating properties 10118- V V i V 1 1 2; A' iion-irritative soap product containing the l e soaps of fatty acidshaving at least'12 carbon '7 acids" having. less @atoms' and substantially ireeof the soaps of fatty than 12 carbon atoms; at least V a an; alkali to produce the soaps of the fatty' acidsp V "a portio'nsozi said; soap "product 'consisting V of soap f of; the fatty "material forming f-the residue of 1 cocoanut oil upon removal: therefromof lfjatty' i acid'sfincluding the fatty acidsderived fro'mthe/ g lycerides in said oil haying fatty acid radicals'of -less than=12 carbon 'atoms',',said.soaphaying at" I} leastas'good latheri g properties asethose which v Z characterize the'soapsof the 'fattyacids'oi cocoa-: H riutoil and 'being' free oi the skin irritating prop-f said so'aps-of said f tty V 1 ertieswhich characterize soaps of cocoariut oil. a

V a e 7 33; A non-irritative soap product containing'the v soaps'of fatty acids having at least 12 carbon 1 ,Qatoms arid substantially jreepf the soaps of fattyv j acids having less than 12 carbon atoms; at least i iaJportiOnof said soap product consisting of soaps 1 of the'fatty material forming the residue of palm "kernel oilpupon removal therefrom of fatty acids,

lectllar' Weight j ,462, 31 a 7 a of fractionatin g' cocoanut oil acids to re rrlove ai fractioncontaining 'fatty V acids Of a molecular 'weightless'than the molecular weight of "lauric acid'while retaining a fraction comprising the fatty a-cids p'f a molecular weight of lauri'ceacid or greater; and reacting the latter fractionwith thereof.

a freedom from skin irritating "properties; the steps ofgfractionating palm kernel oil' acids -to remove afraction having a molecular weight of' le'ss than the molecular Weight of lauric acid while retain; V i

1 mg a traction-comprising the fatty acids of a mo-.

of lauric acid or greater, and reacting the latter fraction with-an alkali toaproduce'the soaps of-the fatty acidsjthereof.

' lfatty material terming the residue of oils 00nraining an appreciable percentage of lower fatty 7 acid r.esters,-thefatty-acids of which contain less" including'the fatty acids derived from the 'glycij 1 erides in'saidoil having fatty acid radicals of less ithan lzcarbon atomsysaid soap havingat least Y as good latheri'n gl properties as those which characterize theisoapsof the fatty acids of palm kerg 1 neleoil'andbeingfree of the skin-irritatingjprop e -e1fties whichcharacterize the soaps of palm kernel 7 {process for making mild. soap free i V froin 'iskin irritating properties from fatty oils r containing low molecular weight components having skinl'irritating' properties and higher molecular weight components'free from skin irri-r 1 tating 'properties, the-steps of fractionating the ffattyfa'cids.rof saidiatty oilsto remove a frac-j V tionjcolntaining' fatty acids having less than 12 V j carbon atoms Whileretaining a fraction containihgjihe fatty acidslhaving at least 12 carbon atoms and] making soap from the latter: fatty J '1 54mm process for'making a mild'soap comprising the soaps of cocoanut'oil fatty acids;:said" 'soap havingj good sudsing characteristics and T 1freedogm' from'skin' irritating properties; the steps The following references are offreco 1 file of this p'atentz r 7. Adetergent product compris ng soaps o i'the than izcarbonatoms; upon removalof said lower latty acids.

prises V ing'sodi'u'm salts of the higherfatty' acids cont-1 V "taining'at least l2carb'on ,atoims. a, v V V l' JOII lIN135053; m 7

aEFEaENc sicrrEn -ToTEEaR FEREncEs V I flsoapy April 193?, agers.

7 V llhe-method of inakin'ga detergent from'fa'tty', oils containing-"an appreciable percentage' of lower iatty acid esters, the fattyacids-of which 7 i contain less'than 12 carbonatomsgwhich com removing'theselowerfatty acidsjand mak- T 7 EMIL E; DREGER; ff

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