US2730503A

US2730503A - Detergent and brightening composition

Info

Publication number: US2730503A
Application number: US328527A
Authority: US
Inventors: Pressner Samuel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-12-29
Filing date: 1952-12-29
Publication date: 1956-01-10
Anticipated expiration: 1973-01-10

Description

United States Patent 2,730,503 DETERGENT AND BRIGHTENTNG COMPOSITION Samuel Pressner, Richmond, Va.

No Drawing. Application December 29, 1952,

Serial No. 328,527

13 Claims. (Cl. 252152) The present invention relates to compositions effective in cleansing and whitening or brightening textile fabrics, especially such fabrics composed of or containing natural or artificial nitrogenous fibres, and is particularly concerned with such compositions in the form of liquid concentrates capable of ready application to such fabrics from baths formed by simple aqueous solution of said concentrates.

Natural nitrogeneous fibres are exemplified oy wool and silk. Among the synthetic nitrogeneous fibres there are included those formed as linear polyamides, such as nylon. When fabrics comprising such fibres are exposed over a length of time to atmospheric conditions, the white areas therein take on a yellowish cast or discoloration which is not removed by the ordinary mild washing applied to these fabrics, nor can the ofi-white appearance be safely removed without detriment to the fabric by more severe scouring and laundering operations such as are ordinarily employed in the treatment of cottons and linens.

Among the objects of the present invention, therefore, is that of providing a detergent composition for household use, that can be simply and safely applied without detrimental effect to the fabric and which is particularly effective in cleansing animal fibres or nylon goods, restoring to yellowed or off-white areas therein their original whiteness and brightness. The novel composition of the invention, moreover, is effective in whitening and brightening these materials when applied thereto at ordinary temperatures from dilute aqueous baths.

The composition which I have found suitable in accomplishing the objects and attaining the desired results hereinabove set out comprises in essence the combination of surface-active material and a selected special type of fluorescent compound. In the preferred embodiment the composition comprises essentially an aqueous liquid mixture of (1) a hereinafter specified detergent of the anion-active type; (2) a particular optical bleach compound displaying bluish fluorescence in daylight or ultraviolet light and compatible with the specified detergent employed, retaining such fluorescent properties when applied to textiles of the character described from an aqueous bath including the detergent; and (3) preferably also a non-ionic surface active agent of high molecular weight having wetting and dispersing properties for effecting dissolution or colloidal dispersion of the specified bleach compound in an aqueous concentrate or the detergent, and wherein the concentrate can be highly diluted with water to desired extent while maintaining an apparently clear liquid free from physical separation of any of the components.

Each of the three types of agents specified above must be particularly selected to provide a stable composition having the stated compatibilities and other properties required for obtaining the objects and results described.

Thus, it has been observed, that many available detergents when applied to animal fibres or nylon goods in admixture with various fluorescent compounds stated to ICC have affinity for such materials, nevertheless tend to form spots or minute scattered areas of different lustre on the surface of the fabric, with consequent impairment of desired uniformity in appearance.

The compositions of the present invention are effective not only in removing the yellowish cast from the described fibrous materials but serve also to thoroughly cleanse these materials removing residues of perspiration and other soiling substances therefrom.

The principal detergent employed in the composition is an anion-active alkyl aryl polyether sulfate or sodium salt thereof having in its salt form the general formula:

(I) R-( OCHzCHz) nOCH2CH2OSO3Na as for example a cumene polyglycol ether sulfate of the following structural formula:

The above and other compounds of this class are prepared by reacting an alkyl phenol with the desired number of mols of ethylene oxide followed by sulfation of the terminal alcoholic hydroxy group. Particularly desirable from the standpoint of their excellent detergent properties are those compounds formed from isohexyl to iso-octyl phenols with 4 to 10 or more mols of the oxide and converted to sodium sulfate derivatives.

The non-ionic surface active agent, which also serves as a detergent auxiliary, is a high molecular weight polyethylene ether of an alkylated phenol which may correspond to Formula I above in general except that the terminal hydroxy group occurs instead of the sulfate radical. Suitable compounds of this class are those soluble or readily dispersible in water, which requires that the number of ethoxy groups in the chain be sufficiently large with respect to the size of the alkyl radical attached to the phenolic residue. Typical useful compounds include the reaction product of iso-octyl phenol With ten mols of ethylene oxide and compounds formed from this or higher alkylated phenol with up to thirty or more mols of ethylene oxide. These water soluble high molecular weight ether alcohols serve to maintain the fluorescent compound well dispersed in aqueous media and promote level and uniform distribution of that compound in the fabric to which the composition is applied.

The fluorescent compound or optical bleach employed is a water-insoluble coumarin derivative, particularly a polyalkylamino coumarin containing ethyl and/ or methyl groups as N-substituents, including diethyl-amino coumarin, dimethyl-amino coumarin, 4 methyl- 7 diethylamino coumarin and other positional isomeric forms exhibiting blue to violet fluorescence, and particularly these compounds containing the amino group attached to the benzene nucleus. These compounds have good levelling properties when applied to nylons and wool from dispersions including the above-named high molecular weight alkyl phenol ether alcohols.

The composition is best packaged as a liquid concentrate which can be diluted with Water to any desired extent for providing the washing and treating baths applied to the goods. Typical concentrates comprise:

Parts by weight Alkaryl polyether sulfate (Na salt) 20 Non-ionic alkaryl polyether alcohol 20 Alkyl-amino coumarin 1 Water to make up to 1 .7: sulfate-compound can be considerably reduced or even altogether omitted. The non-ionic alkaryl ether alcohol has in itself detergent properties and when used without other detergent may constitute about 20 percent or more of the concentrate. The coumarin compound need he used in comparatively small amounts and in the proportions of from about 2 to percent by. weight of the non-ionic compound, larger quantities appear to have no added advantage. For use in cleansing and whitening wool or nylon fabrics, the concentrates described may be further diluted with preferably lukewarm tapwater, employing in the order of about one-half to an ounce of the concentrate per gallon of water.

In some instances it may be found desirable to package and market the composition in less concentrated form, in which case, it will be understood, the same proportions of the coumarin compound to non-ionic surface active agent or to the mixture of that agent with sulfate, will be retained as already set out above. Lesser quantities of dilution water should ordinarily be used, however, in making up the ultimate treating and washing baths.

The following composition illustrates a preferred concentrate employing both types of surface-active agents:

Parts by weight Iso-octyl phenoxy dodeca ethoxy ethanol Isobutyl phenoxy pentaethoxy sulfate (Na salt) 20 4 methyl 7 diethylamino coumarin 1 to 1.5 Wate to make up to 100 The above concentrate may be employed in about the dilutions set out in the previous example; that is from about one-half to an ounce of the concentrate per gallon of water.

While the composition has been described with respect to its special applicability to nitrogenous fibres it will be appreciated that the same can often be used to advantage on other fibres particularly those of synthetic origin.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A detergent and whitening composition for materials composed of nitrogenous fibers comprising an amino-coumarin compound selected from the group consisting of a di-lower-alkylamino-coumarin and a dilower-alkylamino-coumarin having a lower-alkyl nuclear substituent, said amino group being attached to the benzene nucleus and the alkyl groups attached to the amino nitrogen being selected from the group consisting of methyl and ethyl, said coumarin compound exhibiting blue to violet fluorescence and being insoluble in water, dispersed in water containing a non-ionic, surface-active agent consisting essentially of a polyethylene glycol ether of an alkyl phenol wherein the number of oxyethylene groups are so related to the size of the alkyl radical as to confer water solubility to said compound, the aminocoumarin compound being present in an amount of at 4 least about 2% by weight of said non-ionic, surface-active agent and sufiicient to produce fluorescence on the material being treated, said non-ionic, surface-active agent being sufficient to maintain the amino-coumarin in clear solution and to distribute it substantially uniformly on the material being treated.

2. The composition of claim 1 in which the aminocoumarin is a 4-lower-alkyl-7-di-lower-alkylamino-conmarin wherein the alkyl groups attached to the amino nitrogen are selected from the group consisting of methyl and ethyl.

3. The composition of claim 2 in which the aminocouinarin is 4-methyl-7-diethylamino-coumarin.

4. The composition of claim 2 in which the non-ionic, surface active agent is one in which the alkyl group attachcd to the phenyl group contains at least about 8 carbon atoms and the amino-coumarin is present in amount comprising about 2 to 10% by weight of the non-ionic, surface-active agent.

5. The composition of claim 4 in which the aminocournarin is 4-methyl-7-diethylamino-coumarin.

6. The composition of claim 5 in which the non-ionic, surface-active agent is iso-octylphenoxy-dodeca-ethoxyethanol.

7. The composition of claim 1 which contains in addi tion an anionic detergent consisting essentially of a watersoluble alkylphenoxy-polyethylene glycol ether sulfate salt.

8. The composition of claim 2 which contains in addi tion an anionic detergent consisting essentially of a watersoluble alkylphencxy polyethylene glycol ether sulfate salt.

9. The composition of claim 3 which contains in addition an anionic detergent consisting essentially of a watersoluble alkylphenoXy-polyethylene glycol ether sulfate salt.

10. The composition of claim 4 which contains in addition an anionic detergent consisting essentially of a water-soluble alkylphenoxy-polyethylene glycol ether sulfate salt.

11. The composition of claim 5 which contains in addition an anionic detergent consisting essentially of a water-soluble alkylphenoxy-polyethylene glycol ether sulfate salt.

12. The composition of claim 11 in which the nonionic, surface-active agent and the anionic detergent are present in approximately equal amounts.

13. The composition of claim 6 which contains in addition an anionic detergent consisting essentially of the sodium salt of isobutylphenoXy-penta-ethoxy-sulfate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,213,477 Steindorff Sept. 3, 1940 2,341,009 Axelrad Feb. 8, 1944 2,610,152 Ackermann Sept. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 661,023 Great Britain Nov. 14, 1951

Claims

1. A DETERGENT AND WHITENING COMPOSITION FOR MATERIALS COMPOSED OF NITROGENOUS FIBERS COMPRISING AN AMINO-COUMARIN COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF A DI-LOWER-ALKYLAMINO-COUMARIN AND A DILOWER-ALKYLAMINO-COUMARIN HAVING A LOWER-ALKYL NUCLEAR SUBSTITUENT, SAID AMINO GROUP BEING ATTACHED TO THE BENZENE NUCLEUS AND THE ALKYL GROUPS ATTACHED TO THE AMINO NITROGEN BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METHYL AND ETHYL, SAID COUMARIN COMPOUND EXHIBITING BLUE TO VIOLET FLUORESCENCE AND BEING INSOLUBLE IN WATER, DISPERSED IN WATER CONTAINING A NON-IONIC, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL ETHER OF AN ALKYL PHENOL WHEREIN THE NUMBER OF OXYETHYLENE GROUPS ARE SO RELATED TO THE SIZE OF THE ALKYL RADICAL AS TO CONFER WATE SOLUBILITY TO SAID COMPOUND, THE AMINOCOUMARINE COMPOUND BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT OF AT LEAST ABOUT 2% BY WEIGHT OF SAID NON-IONIC, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT AND SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE FLUORESCENCE ON THE MATERIAL BEING TREATED, SAID NON-IONIC, SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT BEING SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE AMINO-COUMARIN IN CLEAR SOLUTION AND TO DISTRIBUTE IT SUBSTNATIALLY UNIFORMLY ON THE MATERIAL BEING TREATED.