Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification – Cleaning or laundering
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-20
2004-05-04
Mruk, Brian P. (Department: 1751)
Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification
Cleaning or laundering
C510S351000, C510S353000, C510S356000, C510S357000, C510S358000, C510S360000, C510S407000, C510S413000, C510S421000, C510S426000, C510S470000, C510S475000, C510S492000, C510S535000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06730131
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention is situated in the field of laundry detergents and cleaning products and relates to specific novel unsaturated fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, to detergent mixtures comprising them, and to their use for producing laundry detergents.
Over recent years, laundry detergents in liquid or gel form have conquered a not inconsiderable market share, since in comparison to powder products they can be used even at low temperatures and are easier to store and dose. For producing such products, there is an increased need for nonionic surfactants, since in contrast to anionic surfactants the nonionic surfactants exhibit an inverse solubility, i.e., are more soluble at low temperatures than at high temperatures. A disadvantage to set against the stated advantages, however, is that liquid products are essentially suitable only for the cleaning of lightly soiled laundry. Stubborn stains in particular, such as makeup or lipstick cannot in practice be removed with common nonionic surfactants, especially at temperatures around 30° C.
The object of the present invention was therefore to provide novel nonionic surfactants which, although sufficiently soluble at low wash temperatures, exhibit improved wash performance specifically with regard to the above-mentioned problem stains.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Subject matter of the invention are novel nonionic surfactants of the formula (I)
R
1
O(CH
2
CH
2
O)
n
H (I)
in which R
1
is a hydrocarbon radical having from 16 to 18 carbon atoms and n stands for numbers from 5 to 10, with the proviso that the iodine number of the substances is in the range from 20 to 50.
It has surprisingly been found that these substances, particularly in combination with alkyl and/or alkenyl oligoglycosides and/or alkyl ether sulfates, possess a superior wash performance in comparison to nonionic surfactants of the prior art, especially with regard to lipstick and cosmetic stains.
Nonionic Surfactants
The novel nonionic surfactants are fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers which feature the advantageous combination of specific chain length distribution, iodine number (i.e., degree of unsaturation), and degree of ethoxylation. The surfactants are preferably of the formula (I) in which R
1
has the following chain length distribution:
C
16
saturated: from 55 to 65% by weight
C
18
saturated: from 2 to 10% by weight
C
18
monounsaturated: from 25 to 30% by weight
C
18
di-unsaturated: from 1 to 5% by weight
with the proviso that the amounts, together, if desired, with small amounts of shorter-chain or longer-chain homologues, add up to 100% by weight. Particular preference is given to surfactants of the formula (I) in which R
1
has the following chain length distribution:
C
16
saturated: 60% by weight
C
18
saturated: 5% by weight
C
18
mono-unsaturated: 28% by weight
C
18
di-unsaturated: 3% by weight
with the proviso that the amounts, together, if desired, with small amounts of shorter-chain or longer-chain homologues, add up to 100% by weight. Fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers of the formula (I) may be obtained in a conventional manner, i.e., by ethoxylating the corresponding unsaturated fatty alcohols. Although it is possible to set an appropriate chain length distribution by mixing different alcohols, it is easier to start directly from the known raw material palm stearin. In this context it has proven particularly advantageous to use nonionic surfactants of the formula (I) in which n stands for 8, which have an iodine number in the range from 30 to 40.
Detergent Mixtures
As already mentioned at the outset, one particular embodiment of the invention consists in utilizing the synergistic boost in washing power when the novel nonionic surfactants are combined with other surface-active substances. A further subject of the invention therefore relates to detergent mixtures comprising
(a) nonionic surfactants of the formula (I)
R
1
O(CH
2
CH
2
O)
n
H (I)
in which R
1
is a hydrocarbon radical having from 16 to 18 carbon atoms and n stands for numbers from 5 to 10, with the proviso that the iodine number of the substances is in the range from 20 to 50, and
(b1) alkyl and/or alkenyl oligoglycosides and/or
(b2) alkyl ether sulfates.
Alkyl and/or Alkenyl Oligoglycosides
Alkyl and alkenyl oligoglycosides are known nonionic surfactants which are of the formula (II)
R
2
O—[G]p (II)
in which R
2
is an alkyl and/or alkenyl radical having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms, G is a sugar radical having 5 or 6 carbon atoms, and p stands for numbers from 1 to 10. They may be obtained by the relevant processes of preparative organic chemistry. As representatives of the extensive literature, reference may be made here to the documents EP-A1 0301298 and WO 90/03977.
The alkyl and/or alkenyl oligoglycosides may derive from aldoses and/or ketoses having 5 or 6 carbon atoms, preferably from glucose. The preferred alkyl and/or alkenyl oligoglycosides are therefore alkyl and/or alkenyl oligoglucosides. The index p in the general formula (II) indicates the degree of oligomerization (DP), i.e., the distribution of monoglycosides and oligoglycosides, and stands for a number between 1 and 10. While p in a given compound must always be integral and in this case may adopt in particular the values p=1 to 6, p for a particular alkyl oligoglycoside is an analytically determined arithmetic variable which usually represents a fraction. Preference is given to using alkyl and/or alkenyl oligoglycosides having an average degree of oligomerization p of from 1.1 to 3.0. From a performance standpoint, preference is given to alkyl and/or alkenyl oligoglycosides whose degree of oligomerization is less than 1.7 and is in particular between 1.2 and 1.4.
The alkyl and/or alkenyl radical R
2
may derive from primary alcohols having from 4 to 11, preferably from 8 to 10, carbon atoms. Typical examples are butanol, caproyl alcohol, caprylyl alcohol, capryl alcohol, and undecyl alcohol, and their technical-grade mixtures, as obtained, for example, in the hydrogenation of technical-grade fatty acid methyl esters or in the course of the hydrogenation of aldehydes from the Roelen oxo process. Preference is given to alkyl oligoglucosides of chain length C
8
-C
10
(DP=1 to 3), which are obtained as the initial fraction during the distillative separation of technical-grade C
8
-C
18
coconut fatty alcohol and may have an impurities fraction of less than 6% by weight of C
12
alcohol, and also alkyl oligoglucosides based on technical-grade C
9/11
oxo alcohols (DP=1 to 3). The alkyl and/or alkenyl radical R
3
may also derive from primary alcohols having from 12 to 22, preferably from 12 to 14, carbon atoms. Typical examples are lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, palmoleyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, isostearyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, elaidyl alcohol, petroselinyl alcohol, arachyl alcohol, gadoleyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, erucyl alcohol, brassidyl alcohol, and their technical-grade mixtures, which may be obtained as described above. Preference is given to alkyl oligoglucosides based on hydrogenated C
12/14
cocoyl alcohol with a DP of from 1 to 3.
Alkyl Ether Sulfates
Alkyl ether sulfates constitute known anionic surfactants which are prepared industrially by sulfation and subsequent neutralization of the corresponding fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers and are preferably of the formula (III)
R
3
(OCH
2
CH
2
)
m
OSO
3
X (III)
in which R
3
is an alkyl radical having from 6 to 22, preferably from 12 to 18, carbon atoms, m stands for numbers from 1 to 5, and X is alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium, alkylammonium, alkanolammonium or glucammonium. Typical examples are the sulfation products of adducts of 2, 3 or 4 mol of ethylene oxide with lauryl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, isostearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, and their technical-grade mixtures in the form of the sodium and/or ammonium salts.
The weight ratio between components (a) and (b) may be in the range from 90:10 to 10:90, preferably
Behler Ansgar
Festfechtel Alfred
Huebner Norbert
Cognis Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
Drach John E.
Mruk Brian P.
Trzaska Steven J.
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