US3793219A - Anionic liquid detergent composition - Google Patents

Abstract

A TRANSPARENT ANIONIC LIQUID DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING 5 TO 30% BY WEIGHT OF AN ANIONIC SURFACE ACTIVE AGENT HAVING SO3 RADICAL OR SO4 RADICAL, 5 TO 45% BY WEIGTH WEIGHT OF A WATER-SOFTENING BUILDER, 5 TO 25% BY WEIGHT OF AN ALKALINE INORGANIC SALT, WHEREIN MORE THAN 70% OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF CATIONS (IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF IONS) IN SAID THREE COMPOUNDS IS ALKANOL AMMONIUM ION.

Description

United States Patent Office 3,793,219 Patented Feb. 19, 1974 Int. Cl. c11d 3/065 US. Cl. 252-526 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A transparent anionic liquid detergent composition comprising 5 to 30% by weight of an anionic surface active agent having S radical or SO, radical, to 45% by weight of a water-softening builder, 5 to 25% by weight of an alkaline inorganic salt, wherein more than 70% of the total amount of cations (in terms of the number of ions) in said three compounds is alkanol ammonium ion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of the invention The present invention relates to an anionic liquid detergent composition containing a water-softenig builder and an alkaline builder.

(b) Description of the prior art A liquid detergent, when compared with the powdery or granular detergent, is less voluminous and is convenient for use with no fear of its being scattered and no necessity of taking the trouble to dissolve it in waterespecially for the purpose of removing heavy soils. However, the majority of those liquid detergents heretofore in use have been nonionic, and the nonionic surface active agent constituting the principal component of such nonionic liquid detergents is apt to be salted out from the builder solution, resulting in lowering of the detergency of detergents so that the range of use of such surfactants has been limited. Accordingly, with a view to making up for such shortcomings of the nonionic liquid detergent, development of various hydrotropes and stabilizers has been promoted, and there have so far been produced fairly stable detergents of this kind. This notwithstanding, the nonionic detergent is poor in foam producing power on account of properties of the nonionic surface active agent contained therein, thereby leading to a tendency to use it excessively on the part of the consumer. Besides, its high viscosity causes much adhesion of detergent onto a receptacle, etc., thereby making it inconvenient to handle and uneconomical. Such being the case, it has not yet been recognized as a completely acceptable detergent.

To speak of the anionic liquid detergent on the other hand, in spite of the use of a large hydrotrope content therein for the purpose of solubilization or stabilization of anionic surfactant within the builder solution just like the case of the nonionic liquid detergent, it has been defective in that it is unstable at low temperature and apt to separate and change in quality due to freezing or melting. Accordingly, with a view to improving the solubility of such anionic surfactant, various means such as application of ammonium salt or ethanol amine salt have hitherto been proposed. But, these compounds proved defective in that they would readily get dissociated to give off an irritating smell peculiar to ammonia or change in quality, thereby bringing about a detergency only about the same as that of conventional powdery or granular detergents. Even such means as combining the nonionic surfactant with the anionic surfactant in preparing a detergent will not bring about any drastic solution of the problem though it may be effective to some extent in making up for the defects inherent in the respective surfactant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide an anionic liquid detergent composition which is free from separation and change in quality even when preserved at a low temperature or a high temperature, not to mention at room temperature, and is capable of always maintaining a satisfactory transparency, low viscosity, high detergency and good foaming property.

In other words, the detergent composition according to the present invention comprises 5 to 30 wt. percent preferably 15 to 25 wt. percent-of an anionic surfactant having 80;, radical or SO, radical, 5 to 45 wt. percentpreferably 15 to 30 wt. percent-of a water-softening builder, 5 to 25 wt. percentpreferably 7 to 15 wt. percentof an alkaline inorganic salt and is characterized by that or more-preferably 70 to percent-of the total amount of cations (in terms of the number of ions) in said three compounds is alkanol ammonium.

The anionic surfactant applicable in the present inventio is one having S0 or SO, radical and includes preferably straight-chain alkylbenzene sulfonate (the alkyl radical having 10-20 carbon atoms), alkyl sulfate having 10 20 carbon atoms, a-olefin sulfonate having l020 carbon atoms, alkane sulfonate having 10-20 carbon atoms, and alkyl ether sulfate (the alkyl radical having 10-20 carbon atoms; an adduct with 2-5 mols of ethylene oxide), and more preferably straight-chain alkyl-benzene sulfonate (the alkyl radical ha-ving 10-14 carbon atoms).

The alkanol amine preferable for use in the present invention includes diethanol amine and triethanol amine.

The water-softening builder applicable in the present invention includes nitrilotriacetate (NTA), ethylene diamine tetraacetate (EDTA), salt of tetracarboxy cyclopentane, etc., and the alkaline inorganic salt suitable for use in the present invention includes carbonate, phosphate, b0- rate, etc.

The composition under the present invention can be also mixed with some nonionic surfactant as well as amphoteric active agent, and further mixed with such additives as the optical brightener, germicide, anti-redeposition agent, preventing agent for skin irritation, colorant, perfumer, foam booster, anti-foaming agent, etc.

The composition according to the present invention, when compared with conventional powdery or granular detergents, proves to be equal or rather superior to them in detergency and has good stability in separation at higher and lower temperature, and also has high foam producing power.

Hereunder will be given examples embodying the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Examples 1-6 Example embodying the present invention Comparative example Number of example or comparative example. 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Composition, percent: 1

Straight-chain alkylbenzene sulfonate 10 1e 16 1o 10 I 10 16 4 33 25 10 16 20 N iiginber of carbon atoms of alkyl radical:

gT ri (N fig fig g3 ig i3 i3 g g 2;

r e 0 ggfi callbrightener 0.; 0.5 0. g 0.5 0.; 0.2 0.; 0.; 0.3 0.2 0.; 0.2 0.3

st n i tio izfldietihanolainine/Na 100:0 90:10 80:20 75:25 70;:10 90:10 =35 90:10 90:10 90:10 90:10 90:10 90:10 Przplertggg: 0W empera 111'6 0 I, 0 0 0 0 0 X 0 X 0 X x 0 Detergency, percent 90 91 93 94 94 91 94 82 91 7s 94 73 88 Foam height (mm)- 210 210 210 210 215 180 215 55 280 220 150 200 220 Viscosity (20 0., cp. 100 108 120 150 180 120 360 325 320 180 420 155 290 Collective udgment 0 0 0 o o o x x x x x x x 1 Compositions were balanced by water.

I Alkyl sulfate.

Runnaxs-The mark 0 denotes good; the mark 1: denotes inferior.

Example 7 Example Composition (percent) Comggliition 1(fpt21'celg) 2O Straight-chain alkylbenzene sulfonate Y 12) Ethylene-diamine tetracetate 20 0 2 ate 17 Tripolyphosphate 10 O e 5 Optical brightener 0.5 ptlcal bnghtener Ethanol 3 Ethfmol 7 Ratio of diethanolamine/Na 90/10 Pro 23?? methanolamme/Na 92/8 Properties: 8.

Stability at low temperature o ta 1 lty at low temperature Detergency (percent) 88 Detergengy (percent) 93 Foam height (mm.) 215 9 2 Viscosity 201 C 6p.) 1 0 Vlscoslty (20 PJ 1 C ll i j d o llo posi tionsi were balanced by water.

1 Compositions were balanced by water. Example 11 Composition (percent) Examp 1e 8 a-Olefin sulfonate '17 Composition (percent) gyrgphosphate 10 Straight-chain alkylbenzene sulfonate (alkyl: (mate. 7

C12) 15 Optical bnghtener 0.5 Nitrilotriacetate 20 Ethanol 5 Carbonate 10 Paratolnene sulfoi ate 3 Optical brightener 0 5 Ratio of triethanolaniine/Na 90/ 10 u Properties: Ethanol 3 Stabilit at low te r t Ratio of diethanolamine/Na 90/10 y mPe a Properties. Detergeney (p 90 Stability at low temperature 0 ggs g iggf Detergency (percent) 90 y Foam height (mm') 210 1 Compositions were balanced by water. Viscosity o 1 140 Method of measurement: Collective judgment 0 1C b 1 need b water Stability at low temperature: Stability upon storage were a y at 10 C., for 100 hrs. The result was expressed Example 9 as follows: composition showing freezing or separation was marked with x; composition retaining uni- Composition (percent) form transparency was marked with o.

P fllfo te (C15) 25 6 Detergency: by Terg-O-Toineter method; 25 C., Nitrilotriacetate 15 5 Borate 7 Foam producing power: by Ross Miles method; 25 Optical brightener 0.5 Q-

Ethanol 5 Viscosity: by T-type viscosimeter No. 2; 20 C.

P i of dlethanolamme/Na /15 70 In this connection, the properties of the nonionic liquid g 8 m New tam eratur detergent measured at the same time as the above exa l y a p e amples were as .follows. Detergency (percent) Foam height (mm) 180 Detergency "percent" 80 Viscosity (20 C., 01).) 75 Foam height mm- 92 Compositions were balanced by water. Vlscoslty P- 430 What is claimed is:

1. A transparent anionic liquid detergent composition consisting essentially of (A) 15 to 25 wt. percent of an anionic surface active agent selected from the group consisting of sulfonate and sulfate anionic surface active agents, (B) 15 to 30 wt. percent of water-softening builder selected from the group consisting of nitrilotriacetate, ethylene diamine tetraacetate and cyclopentane tetracarboxylate, (C) 7 to 15 wt. percent of water-soluble alkaline inorganic builder salt selected from the group consisting of carbonates, phosphates and borates, and the balance is water, wherein more than 70% of the total number of cations in said three compounds (A), (B) and (C) is alkanol ammonium ion selected from the group consisting of diethanol ammonium ion and triethanol ammonium ion.

2. A composition according to claim 1, wherin said surface active agent is selected from the group consisting of alkylbenzene sulfonate in which the alkyl radical has from 10 to 20 carbon atoms, alkyl sulfate having from 10 to 20 carbon atoms, a-olefin sulfonate having from 10 to 20 carbon atoms, alkane sulfonate having from 10 to 20 carbon atoms and alkyl ether sulfate containing from 2 to 5 mols of ethylene oxide and in which the alkyl has from 10 to 20 carbon atoms.

3. A composition according to claim 1, wherein 70 to 80% of the total number of cations is alkanol ammonium ion.

4. A transparent temperature-stable liquid detergent composition consisting essentially of a three-component composition consisting of (A) to 25 wt. percent of a member of the group consisting of an (a) alkylbenzene sulfonate having 10 to carbon atoms in the alkyl chain,

(b) an alkyl sulfate having 10 to 20 carbon atoms, (c) an a-olefin sulfonate having 10 to 20 carbon atoms, (d) an alkane sulfonate having 10 to 20 carbon atoms, (e) an alkyl ether sulfate having 2 to 5 moles of ethylene oxide, and having 10 to 20 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, (B) 15 to 30 wt. percent of a water-softening builder selected from the group consisting of nitrilotriacetate, ethylene diamine tetraacetate, and tetracarboxyl cyclopentane salt, and (C) 7 to 15 wt. percent of water-soluble inorganic builder salt selected from the group consisting of carbonates, phosphates and borates; and further, wherein 3 to 7 wt. percent is ethanol and the balance is water, the cations present are sodium and alkanol ammonium ions, at least molar percent of said cations being alkanol ammonium ions.

5. The composition of claim 4, wherein (A) is a straight-chain alkylbenzene sulfonate having 10 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, and the alkanol ammonium ions constitute 70 to molar percent of said cations and are selected from the group consisting of diethanol ammonium and triethanol ammonium ions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1971 Zenk 252-527 9/1970 McAteer 252529 US. Cl. X.R.