WO1996030490A1

WO1996030490A1 - Use of dimeric alcohol and trimeric alcohol alkoxylates as thickeners

Info

Publication number: WO1996030490A1
Application number: PCT/EP1996/001218
Authority: WO
Inventors: Udo Hees; Peter Daute; Alfred Westfechtel
Original assignee: Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft Auf Aktien
Priority date: 1995-03-30
Filing date: 1996-03-21
Publication date: 1996-10-03
Also published as: EP0817831A1; DE19511669A1

Abstract

The invention concerns the use of dimeric alcohol and/or trimeric alcohol alkoxylates as thickeners for aqueous surfactants. The dimeric alcohol and trimeric alcohol alkoxylates have both detergent and thickening properties. They are used in particular in detergents and cleaning agents as well as in hair and body-care agents.

Description

Use of dimer alcohol and trimer alcohol alkoxylates as thickeners

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the use of dimer alcohol and trimer alcohol alkoxylates as thickening agents for aqueous surface-active agents. The invention also relates to the use of dimer alcohol and trimer alcohol alkoxylates as thickening agents in detergents and cleaning agents which contain anionic and / or nonionic surfactants.

State of the art

Thickeners are mostly organic, high molecular weight substances that absorb and swell liquids, usually water. They go into viscous, real or colloidal solutions and thicken the liquid, solution or emulsion to which they have been added. The thickeners are often added to emulsions in order to increase the viscosity of the outer phase (generally the aqueous phase), which at the same time increases the stability of the emulsion. They are added in a large number of technical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical or dietetic preparations, for example creams, cleaning agents, finishes, printing inks, paint dispersions, adhesives, puddings, slimming agents and the like. As thickeners are those of vegetable origin, such as. B. agar-agar, gum arabic, algal acids, dextrin, starch and starch derivatives and pectins, or such animal origin, such as gelatin, albumins or casein, synthetic products such as polyacrylic and polyvinyl compounds and inorganic compounds, such as polysilicic acids and Clay minerals, known.

Common to the above-mentioned thickeners is that they generally have no other active properties than the thickening or gel-forming property. On the one hand, this has the advantage that they do not adversely affect the action of the agents to which they are added. The thickeners added to the food have no nutritional value or taste of their own. In other areas, however, it is advantageous if the added additives support the effect of the agents or make an active contribution to them.

In the production of cleaning agents, for example, it is desirable to keep the amount of additives that do not make an active contribution to the cleaning effect as small as possible. Means that have multiple functions are particularly desirable.

The object of the present invention was to provide a composition which is suitable as a thickener in surface-active compositions and at the same time has washing-active properties. Description of the invention

The present invention relates to the use of dimer alcohol and / or trimer alcohol alkoxylates as thickeners for aqueous surface-active agents.

Surprisingly, it was found that dimer alcohol and trimer alcohol alkoxylates have a thickening effect in surface-active agents and at the same time have washing-active properties.

Surface-active agents are to be understood in particular as detergents, dishwashing detergents and cleaning agents and agents for hair and body care.

Dimer alcohol and trimer alcohol alkoxylates

Dimer alcohols are commercially available compounds and can be obtained, for example, by reducing dimer fatty acid esters. Trimeral alcohols can be prepared analogously from the trimer fatty acid esters [cf. P. Daute et al. _f Fat. Be. Technol. .95. (1993), pp. 91ff.]. Dimer and trimer fatty acids themselves can be obtained, for example, by oligomerizing unsaturated fatty acids. The dimer and trimer fatty acids are generally mixtures of acyclic and cyclic dicarboxylic acids with an average of 36 to 44 carbon atoms [cf. A. Hinze in Fette & Oile, 26 (1994)].

The dimer and trimer alcohol alkoxylates can be obtained from the dimer and trimer alcohols in a manner known per se by alkoxylation. Dimeral alcohols with an average of 36 to 44 carbon atoms or trimeral alcohols with an average of 54 to 66 carbon atoms are preferably used. The alkoxylates preferably used include, for example, the ethoxylates and the propoxylates or adducts which contain both ethoxy and propoxy groups in the molecule. Adducts with an average of 1 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of technical dimer and / or trimeral alcohol mixture, which optionally also contains an average of 1 to 5 moles of propylene oxide per mole of alcohol, are particularly preferably used ¬ can hold. The degrees of alkoxylation given represent statistical averages, which can be an integer or a fraction for a specific product. Preferred dimer and trimer alcohol alkoxylates have a narrow homolog distribution (narrow range ethoxylates, NRE).

If the dimer alcohol and trimer alcohol alkoxylates are used as thickeners in detergents, dishwashing detergents and cleaning agents, these agents preferably also contain further anionic and / or nonionic surfactants. The action of the surfactants contained is supported by the dimer alcohol and trimer alcohol alkoxylates.

Anionic and nonionic surfactants

Typical examples of anionic surfactants are alkylbenzene sulfonates, alkane sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, alkyl ether sulfonates, glycerol ether sulfonates, α-methyl ester sulfonates, sulfo fatty acids, alkyl sulfates, fatty alcohol ether sulfates, glycerol ether sulfates, hydroxymixed ether sulfate acids, sulfate amine sulfate acids, sulfate amine sulfate acids, sulfate amate sulfate sulfates, Sulfosuccinamates, sulfotriglycerides, amide soaps, ether carboxylic acids, isethionates, sarcosinates, taurides, alkyl oligoglycoside sulfates and alkyl (ether) phosphates. If the anionic surfactants contain polyglycol ethers, they can have a conventional, but preferably a narrow, homolog distribution.

Typical examples of nonionic surfactants are fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, alkylphenyl polyglycol ethers, fatty acid polyglycol esters, fatty acid amide polyglycol ethers, fatty amine polyglycol ethers. ethers, alkoxylated triglycerides, alk (en) yl oligoglycosides, fatty acid glucamides, polyol fatty acid esters, sugar esters, sorbitan esters and polysorbates. If the nonionic surfactants contain polyglycol ether chains, they can have a conventional, but preferably narrow, homolog distribution.

In order to achieve a satisfactory thickening effect and, if necessary, a washing-active effect when using the dimer alcohol and / or trimer alcohol alkoxylates, the substances are preferably used in an amount of 0.1 to 30% by weight, particularly preferably 1 up to 10% by weight, based on the detergent and cleaning agent.

The following examples are intended to explain the subject matter of the invention in more detail without restricting it.

Examples

The formulations shown in Table 1 below were examined for their washing activity and their thickening effect. The formulations each contained 10% by weight of active substance. It was found that the formulations according to the invention had a significantly higher viscosity in comparison with the formulations which only contained surfactant, and at the same time a higher active washing power was found.

Table 1

The test method described below according to "Seifen-Öle-Fette-Wwachs", 112, 371, (1986) was used to test the cleaning ability. The cleaning agent to be tested was then applied in the form of a 1% strength by weight aqueous solution (10 g / l) artificially soiled plastic surface. A mixture of carbon black, machine oil, triglyceride, saturated fatty acids and low-boiling aliphatic hydrocarbon was used as artificial soiling for the dilute use of the cleaning agent. The test area of 26 x 28 cm was coated evenly with 2 g of the artificial soiling with the aid of a surface coater.

A plastic sponge was impregnated with 10 ml of the 1% cleaning solution to be tested and moved mechanically on the dirt-coated test surface, to which 10 ml of the 1% cleaning solution to be tested were also applied. After 10 wiping movements, the cleaned test area was kept under running water and the loose dirt was removed. The cleaning effect of the plastic surface cleaned in this way was determined with the aid of a "Microcolor" remission color measuring device (Dr. B. Lange). The measurand is the degree of whiteness. The clean white plastic surface served as the white standard; the whiteness of the clean, white plastic surface corresponds to 100% RV (cleaning ability). The whiteness of a soiled and subsequently cleaned plastic surface accordingly corresponds to a value between 0% and 100% RV. The RV values each represent means from triplicate determinations.

The measured values were set in relation to the cleaning result of a high-performance all-purpose cleaner used as standard.

Measured values of the sample x 100 =% RV relative

Reading of the standard The powerful formulation used as standard had the composition:

8% alkylbenzenesulfonate Na salt

2% adduct of Ci2 ~ ^c 14 ~ ^Alk y ^lθ P ^{oxide +} ethylene glycol + 10

Mol ethylene oxide 2% Na gluconate 0.1% polyethylene glycol with a molecular weight of approx.

6,000,000 Polyox WSR 205 from UCC)

The viscosity was determined using a Höppler falling ball viscometer at 20 ° C.

The appearance of the surfactant solutions was rated as follows;

Viscosity Color Resistance a) thin d) colorless f) clear b) viscous e) colored g) slightly cloudy c) gelatinous h) milky-cloudy i) 2-phase system j) with sediment

(Solid body) k) with floating body (solid body)

Claims

claims

1. Use of dimer alcohol and / or trimeral alcohol alkoxates as a thickener for aqueous surface-active agents.

2. Use according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface-active agents contain anionic and / or non-ionic surfactants.

3. Use according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized ge indicates that one uses dimer alcohols with an average of 36 to 44 carbon atoms or trimeral alcohols with an average of 54 to 66 carbon atoms.

4. Use according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized ge indicates that as dimer alcohol and / or Trimer¬ alcohol alkoxylates aducts of ethoxylates with on average 1 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of technical dimer and / or trimer alcohol mixture starts.

5. Use according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized ge indicates that the dimer alcohol and / or Trimer¬ alcohol alkoxylates the surface-active agents in an amount of 0.1 to 30 wt .-%, based on the agent ein¬ puts.