Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-17
2004-06-29
Kopec, Mark (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S297000, C510S356000, C510S360000, C510S421000, C510S422000, C510S439000, C510S475000, C510S505000, C510S506000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06756351
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of detergents and cleaning agents in the form of sachets and relates to novel preparations with a content of special nonionic surfactants.
2. Prior Art
For a long time detergents or constituents of detergents have been added to the wash liquor in small sacks (sometimes also referred to as bags), where the amount of the detergent or washing auxiliary is in many cases measured such that it corresponds to the amount required for one wash cycle. As well as simple dosing, a further advantage consists in the fact that contact between the detergent ingredients and the skin is avoided. Small sacks which contain two or more chambers for different detergent or washing auxiliary constituents are also often used. The latter variants are chosen in most cases when it is desired to combine detergent constituents which are incompatible with one another in one portion pack. This means that the storage stability can in many cases be decisively improved and in some cases be achieved in the first place. A further advantage for the user is that burdensome dosing is dispensed with. The small sack and the interaction between different detergent ingredients with water results in delayed release of the ingredients. However, it is observed here that the dissolution rate, especially in cold water, is in many cases inadequate.
The object of the present invention was therefore to provide novel detergents and cleaning agents in the form of sachets which are free from the disadvantages described and, in particular, to improve the detergent ingredients such that their release is accelerated.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides detergents and cleaning agents in the form of sachets which are characterized in that they comprise surface-active compounds of the hydroxy mixed ether type.
Surprisingly, it has been found that the use of surfactants of the hydroxy mixed ether type leads, irrespective of the material of the sachets, to a significant improvement in the dissolution rate and the washing performance. In this connection, the hydroxy mixed ethers have also proven to be, even at low concentrations, hydrotropes and gel breakers, which also makes it possible to co-use those surfactants which alone rapidly form gel phases and are thus only insufficiently soluble.
Hydroxy Mixed Ethers
Hydroxy mixed ethers (HME) are known nonionic surfactants with asymmetrical ether structure and polyalkylene glycol moieties which are obtained for example, by subjecting olefin epoxides with fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers to a ring-opening reaction. Corresponding products and the use thereof in the field of hard surface cleaning is, for example, the subject-matter of European patent specification EP 0693049 B1, and of international patent application WO 94/22800 (Olin), and the specifications cited therein. Typically, following hydroxy mixed ethers of the general formula (I)
in which R
1
is a linear or branched alkyl radical having 2 to 18, preferably 10 to 16, carbon atoms, R
2
is hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl radical having 2 to 18 carbon atoms, R
3
is hydrogen or methyl, R
4
is a linear or branched, alkyl and/or alkenyl radical having 1 to 22, preferably 8 to 18, carbon atoms and n is numbers from 1 to 50, preferably 2 to 25 and in particular 5 to 15, with the proviso that the sum of the carbon atoms in the radicals R
1
and R
2
is at least 6 and preferably 12 to 18. As is clear from the formula, the HME ring-opening products both of internal olefins (R
2
does not equal hydrogen) or terminal olefins (R
2
equals hydrogen), the latter being preferred with regard to the easier preparation and the more advantageous performance properties. Likewise, the polar moiety of the molecule may be a polyethylene or a polypropylene chain; likewise suitable are mixed chains of PE and PP units, whether in random distribution or block distribution. Typical examples are ring-opening products of 1,2-hexene epoxide, 2,3-hexene epoxide, 1,2-octene epoxide, 2,3-octene epoxide, 3,4-octene epoxide, 1,2-decene epoxide, 2,3-decene epoxide, 3,4-decene epoxide, 4,5-decene epoxide, 1,2-dodecene epoxide, 2,3-dodecene epoxide, 3,4-dodecene epoxide, 4,5-dodecene epoxide, 5,6-dodecene epoxide, 1,2-tetradecene epoxide, 2,3-tetradecene epoxide, 3,4-tetradecene epoxide, 4,5-tetradecene epoxide, 5,6-tetradecene epoxide, 6,7-tetradecene epoxide, 1,2-hexadecene epoxide, 2,3-hexadecene epoxide, 3,4-hexadecene epoxide, 4,5-hexadecene epoxide, 5,6-hexadecene epoxide, 6,7-hexadecene epoxide, 7,8-hexadecene epoxide, 1,2-octadecene epoxide, 2,3-octadecene epoxide, 3,4-octadecene epoxide, 4,5-octadecene epoxide, 5,6-octadecene epoxide, 6,7-octadecene epoxide, 7,8-octadecene epoxide and 8,9-octadecene epoxide, and mixtures thereof with addition products of, on average, 1 to 50, preferably 2 to 25 and in particular 5 to 15, mol of ethylene oxide and/or 1 to 10, preferably 2 to 8 and in particular 3 to 5, mol of propylene oxide onto saturated and/or unsaturated primary alcohols having 6 to 22, preferably 12 to 18, carbon atoms, such as, for example, caproic alcohol, caprylic alcohol, 2-ethylhexyl alcohol, capric alcohol, lauryl alcohol, isotridecyl alcohol, myristyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, palmoleyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, isostearyl alcohol, oleyl alcohol, elaidyl alcohol, petroselinyl alcohol, linolyl alcohol, linolenyl alcohol, elaeostearyl alcohol, arachyl alcohol, gadoleyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, erucyl alcohol and brassidyl alcohol, and technical-grade mixtures thereof. The sachets usually comprise the hydroxy mixed ethers in amounts of from 0.2 to 20% by weight, preferably 02, to 10 and in particular 0.5 to 5% by weight, where, with regard to the dissolution rate, it has proven particularly advantageous to use the HME in the form of granulates. The incorporation of the hydroxy mixed ethers can, for example, also be carried out by spraying the surfactants onto a ready detergent premix.
Sachets
The materials of which the sachets for the detergents or the washing auxiliaries or detergent constituents exist are either insoluble in water, where “water-insoluble” is also to be understood as meaning “not swellable in water” or “not dispersible in water” or “not emulsifiable in water”, or are soluble in water. In the case of the use of water-insoluble materials, in order that the ingredients can nevertheless be dissolved or dispersed in the water, the water-insoluble materials must either be pervious to water or the sachets made of water-impervious, water-insoluble materials must open in water so that the sachet ingredients come into contact with the water. The water perviousness can be achieved, for example, by perforating or slitting the sachet material, or by using porous materials, for example nonwovens prepared from water-insoluble fibers, or substances such as knits or wovens. With the use of such materials, it is important that a thorough flowing-through of the sachet with the water is possible. If, by contrast, water-impervious, water-insoluble materials are used, it is important that the small sacks prepared therefrom open upon contact with water or after a certain residence time in the water or as a certain water temperature is reached, thereby allowing the contents to come into contact with the water. This can be achieved, for example, by sealing by means of a water-soluble or water-sensitive adhesive, by sealing the bag with a seal seam which opens upon slight mechanical stress, by sealing with water-sensitive sewing thread or by using an adhesive which loses its adhesive strength after a certain water temperature is reached.
As water-soluble materials, films of water-soluble polymers have been known for a long time. As, for example, in the Swiss patent application CH 347930, a separate packaging in bleaches and bleach activators with water-soluble films improves the storage stability of the detergents packaged in this way. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,009 it is proposed to use polyvinylpyrrolidone derivatives as materials for the preparation of small
Cognis Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
Drach John E.
Kopec Mark
Mruk Brian P.
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