WO2016184634A1

WO2016184634A1 - Powdery cleaning agent

Info

Publication number: WO2016184634A1
Application number: PCT/EP2016/058670
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ralf DAIBER; Ulrich Engenhardt
Original assignee: Alfred Kärcher Gmbh & Co. Kg
Priority date: 2015-05-15
Filing date: 2016-04-19
Publication date: 2016-11-24
Also published as: DE102015107637A1; DE102015107637B4

Abstract

The present invention relates to a powdery cleaning agent for carpets and cushions, comprising cellulose fibers, at least one amphoteric surfactant, at least one non-ionic surfactant, at least a component for encapsulating impurities and water, the water being essentially absorbed by the cellulose fibers.

Description

Powdery detergent

The present invention relates to a powdered cleaner for carpets and upholstery.

Detergents of this type are known in particular as dry cleaners for carpets. The use of such dry cleaners is much less complicated than the use of liquid carpet cleaners. While the latter requires the use of a spray extraction device, powdered cleaning agents may be removed after application and exposure to the carpet or pad with a standard vacuum cleaner. The cleaning powders are therefore particularly suitable for the cleaning of small areas or spot soiling, where the use of a spray extraction device is not worthwhile.

Despite their designation as dry cleaners, these powdery detergents contain considerable amounts of water, which is necessary for the effectiveness of the cleaning-active constituents. The flowability of the powdered cleaning agent is ensured by a suitable absorbent, which binds the water contained.

Here are the two goals, on the one hand to achieve the best possible cleaning, and on the other hand by the absorption of the water to ensure the flowability of the detergent, in a certain voltage ratio.

Against this background, the present invention has for its object to provide a powdered cleaning agent for carpets and upholstery with an improved cleaning effect.

This object is achieved according to the invention in that the cleaning agent comprises cellulose fibers, at least one amphoteric surfactant, at least one nonionic surfactant, at least one component for encapsulating impurities and water, the water being essentially absorbed by the cellulose fibers. It has been shown that by a combination of these ingredients a dry cleaner for carpets and upholstery with a very good trickle and

Streudähigkeit and a high cleaning effect is obtained.

The cellulose fibers used in the cleaning agent according to the invention are capable of absorbing at least the amount of water corresponding to their own weight so that the cleaning agent is present as a free-flowing powder. The cellulose fibers used preferably have a fiber length in the range of 50 to 200 pm. The typical fiber thickness is in the range around 20 pm.

With regard to the cleaning effect, it has turned out to be particularly advantageous if the cleaning agent comprises a first fraction of cellulose fibers with a fiber length of 50 to 75 μm and a second fraction of cellulose fibers with a fiber length of 100 to 200 μm. The first and the second fraction of cellulose fibers are preferably present in a weight ratio of 1: 3 to 1: 4.

For the high cleaning effect of the cleaning agent according to the invention, the use of the above-mentioned, different types of surfactants also plays an essential role. The at least one amphoteric surfactant preferably comprises an alkylamidobetaine and / or an alkylaminopropionate, it being particularly favorable if the cleaning agent comprises both an alkylamidobetaine (eg cocoamidopropylbetaine) and an alkylaminopropionate, in particular an alkylaminodipropionate (eg 2-ethylhexylaminodipropionate - natural dipotassium salt).

In addition, the powdered detergent contains at least one nonionic surfactant. This preferably comprises a fatty alcohol ethoxylate (eg, nonyl / undecyl ethoxylate).

Another component of the cleaning agent according to the invention is the at least one component for encapsulating impurities. This com- component binds the impurities during the action, so that these can then be sucked off together with the powder. This is preferably a polyacrylate having a molecular weight of less than 5,000 g / mol, in particular a polyacrylate sodium salt having a molecular weight in the range from 3,500 to 4,500 g / mol.

As a further component, the cleaning agent preferably comprises at least one antioxidant, preferably ascorbic acid. It has been found that the cleaning effect can be further improved thereby.

Further optional components which may be present in the cleaning agent according to the invention are selected from complexing agents, preservatives, fragrances and odor-absorbing components.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the pulverulent cleaning agent comprises the components described above in the following proportions:

40 to 50% by weight of cellulose fibers,

0.5 to 1% by weight of alkylamidobetaine and / or alkylaminopropionate, 0.5 to 1% by weight of fatty alcohol ethoxylate,

3.5 to 4.5% by weight polyacrylate,

0.1 to 0.3% by weight of antioxidant,

40 to 55% by weight of water.

The cleaning agent preferably contains 0.2 to 0.8% by weight of an alkylamidobetaine and 0.2 to 0.8% by weight of an alkylaminopropionate, the alkylaminopropionate preferably being present in a higher proportion.

The cleaning agent according to the invention advantageously does not comprise any organic solvents. This avoids unpleasant odors during use and reduces the environmental impact. The cleaning agent preferably also comprises no phosphates, borates or zeolites. In particular citric acid and / or tartaric acid can be used instead as complexing agents.

The powder detergent according to the invention is suitable for cleaning carpets and upholstery of various materials, i. It is applicable to natural fibers such as cotton or wool as well as to synthetic fibers such as polyester or polyamide.

In the application of the detergent this, as already mentioned above, applied as evenly as possible to the surface to be cleaned of the carpet or upholstery or on the dirty areas and incorporated mechanically. The incorporation can be done either manually (eg with a brush) or by machine. After a contact time of 30 to 60 minutes, the powder is removed with a vacuum cleaner.

Conveniently, the cleaning agent according to the invention is used in an amount of 50 to 70 g per square meter of the surface to be cleaned.

These and other advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following examples.

Examples

Determination of the cleaning intensity

The cleaning effect of the powdery detergents according to the examples and comparative examples described below was determined according to the following test procedure:

A blank of a bright suede carpeting made of synthetic fibers is applied in a pollution drum with a defined test dirt by filling the dirt drum with steel balls, polymer granules and 0.5 g test soil according to ISO 11378-1 B.4 and then 10 min with use and then operated for another 20 min without use. The soiled carpet piece is then vacuumed three times with a vacuum cleaner to remove only loosely adhering dirt. Before and after soiling, the whiteness (measure of reflectance) is determined with a whiteness gauge (Elrepho). The measured values serve as reference values for the later calculation of the cleaning intensity.

The cleaning of the soiled carpet pieces is carried out as follows: 3 g of the respective cleaning agent are applied to a test area of 10 cm-15 cm and worked in with a rotary brush. After a contact time of 45 min, during which a drying of the water contained in the detergent is carried out, the test area is sucked off with a Bürstsauger.

After the above-described cleaning of the carpet piece, the whiteness is measured again and the cleaning intensity is calculated according to the following formula:

Cleaning intensity = (whiteness after cleaning - whiteness after soiling) / (whiteness in new condition - whiteness after soiling)

Influence of the fiber length of the cellulose fibers

Examples 1 to 3, whose compositions are given in% by weight of the respective components in the following Table 1, differ with regard to the fiber length of the cellulose fibers used. Table 1

A comparison of Examples 1 and 2 shows first that the sole use of the longer cellulose fibers (130 pm) over the shorter fibers (60 pm) leads to an improvement in the cleaning intensity. Surprisingly, Example 3 shows that the cleaning intensity can be further increased by a combination of the two fiber fractions.

Influence of the amount of polyacrylate

Examples 4 to 6 according to the invention, whose compositions are given in% by weight in the following Table 2, differ with regard to the concentration of the polyacrylic acid sodium salt used, which is effective as a component for encapsulating impurities. Table 2

In this case, the comparison shows that the purification result deteriorates compared to Example 4 with 4.2% by weight of polyacrylate, when the proportion of polyacrylate is both reduced to 3.0% by weight and increased to 5.0% by weight ,

Influence of amphoteric surfactants

The comparative example according to the following Table 3 differs from the inventive cleaning agents according to identical examples 2 and 4 only in that the two amphoteric surfactants (alkylamidobetain and alkylaminopropionate) were replaced by an anionic surfactant (sulfosuccinate). Table 3

As a result of this replacement, the cleaning intensity deteriorates from 24.0% in Examples 2 and 4 to 21.3%, which makes clear the relevance of the amphoteric surfactants used according to the invention.

Influence of complexing agents and antioxidant

In the detergents according to Examples 7 and 8, whose compositions are given in the following Table 4 in wt.%, From Example 3, citric acid and tartaric acid as complexing agent (Example 7) or citric acid as complexing agent and ascorbic acid as antioxidant (Example 8 ) added. Table 4

While the addition of the two complexing agents compared to Example 3 leads to a slight deterioration in the cleaning intensity, results when using citric acid and ascorbic acid a significant improvement.

Claims

Patent claims

A powder cleaner for carpets and upholstery comprising cellulosic fibers, at least one amphoteric surfactant, at least one nonionic surfactant, at least one component for encapsulating impurities and water, the water being substantially absorbed by the cellulose fibers.

2. A powder detergent according to claim 1, wherein the cellulose fibers have a fiber length in the range of 50 to 200 pm.

3. A powder detergent composition according to claim 2, comprising a first fraction of cellulose fibers having a fiber length of 50 to 75 pm and a second fractions of cellulose fibers having a fiber length of 100 to 200 pm.

A powdered detergent according to claim 3 wherein the first and second fraction of cellulosic fibers are in a weight ratio of from 1: 3 to 1: 4.

5. Powdery detergent according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one amphoteric surfactant an alkylamido betaine and / or an alkylaminopropionate comprises, preferably both an alkylamidobetaine and an alkylaminopropionate, in particular an alkyl kylaminodipropionat.

6. A powder detergent according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one nonionic surfactant comprises a fatty alcohol ethoxylate.

7. A powder detergent according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one component for encapsulating impurities comprises a polyacrylate having a molecular weight of a few than 5,000 g / mol, in particular a polyacrylate sodium salt having a molecular weight in the range of 3,500 to 4,500 g / mol.

8. A powder detergent according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one antioxidant, in particular ascorbic acid.

A powder detergent according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more components selected from chelants, preservatives, perfumes and odor-absorbing components.

10. A powder detergent according to any one of the preceding claims

40 to 50% by weight of cellulose fibers,

3.5 to 4.5% by weight polyacrylate,

0.1 to 0.3% by weight of antioxidant,

40 to 55% by weight of water.

11. A powdered detergent according to claim 10, comprising 0.2 to 0.8 wt.% Of an alkylamidobetaine and 0.2 to 0.8 wt.% Of an alkyl aminopropionate, wherein preferably the alkylaminopropionate is present in a higher proportion.

12. A powder detergent according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning agent does not comprise organic solvents.

13. A powder detergent according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the detergent does not comprise phosphates.