Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-11
2002-06-18
Ogden, Necholus (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S424000, C510S426000, C510S428000, C510S446000, C510S447000, C510S450000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06407050
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to compositions containing an &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester. More specifically, the invention relates to detergent compositions containing at least one &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester and at least one silicate builder to reduce deposits on materials washed with such detergents.
Detergents have been used for many years to clean clothing and other materials. Detergents originally contained soap derived from animal fats. More recently, surfactants have been included in detergents to enhance their cleaning performance. Typical surfactants include anionic, nonionic and/or cationic surfactants, depending on the desired cleaning properties of the detergent composition.
Anionic surfactants are generally used in laundry detergents due to their improved cleaning performance as well as their ability to reduce hard water buildup. The cleaning performance of laundry detergents containing anionic surfactants can be limited, however, by the hardness of the wash water. In particular, calcium and/or magnesium ions in hard water can interfere with anionic surfactants such as alkyl olefin sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, linear alkyl sulfonates, and linear alkyl benzene sulfonates.
To overcome the deficiencies of such anionic surfactants, builders are often added to detergent compositions. Builders reduce water hardness by ion exchanging or sequestering calcium and/or magnesium ions, thereby preventing such ions from interfering with other components of the detergent composition. Builders may also serve as a source of alkalinity and can prevent the deposition of salts on metal surfaces in washing machines.
Inorganic phosphates, such as alkali phosphates and polyphosphates, are one class of builders. Such phosphates sequester calcium and/or magnesium from water. For example, tripolyphosphates sequester one mole of calcium or magnesium per mole of tripolyphosphate to form calcium or magnesium phosphate or tripolyphosphate complexes. Calcium and magnesium phosphate or tripolyphosphate complexes are relatively stable in water, and thus they reduce the tendency of the divalent cations to interact with other components of the detergent composition. The use of phosphates in laundry detergents has significantly decreased in recent years, however, because such phosphates accelerate bacterial growth and eutrophication of lakes and other bodies of water.
Pyrophosphates have been used as a substitute for alkali metal phosphates and polyphosphates. Like polyphosphates, pyrophosphates sequester calcium or magnesium ions to form calcium or magnesium pyrophosphate complexes. Certain pyrophosphate builders such as dicalcium pyrophosphates, which form under washing conditions, unfortunately can precipitate in water, causing spotting on clothing and build-up on the exposed surfaces of washing machines.
Another alternative to phosphate and pyrophosphate builders are silicates, polysilicates, and phyllosilicates. Such silicates are highly soluble in water and interact with hard water to form calcium and/or magnesium silicate complexes which, while being soluble in hard water, do not deposit on materials during washing. They also have a lower cationic exchange capacity than other builders. Thus, as compared to other builders, larger amounts of such silicates must be added to provide a comparable building action. Indeed, for some surfactants, they are not effective builders under hard water conditions.
Carbonates, such as sodium carbonate, have also been used a substitute for phosphate builders. Although carbonates provide a cost-effective source of alkalinity and reduce water hardness by sequestering calcium ions, carbonates tend to precipitate during washing. Like with pyrophosphates, such precipitation can cause spotting on clothing.
Aluminosilicates and clays have also been used as builders in laundry detergents. In particular, both naturally occurring and synthetic aluminosilicates, such as zeolites, have been added to detergents to add building capacity. Zeolites ion exchange divalent cations, thereby decreasing the hardness of water. Zeolites are typically insoluble in water, however, and therefore detergent compositions containing such zeolites could leave deposits.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a detergent composition exhibiting both a high cleaning performance and an ability to reduce builder deposits. Such detergent compositions are able to achieve both results since they contain a water-soluble builder which controls water hardness while limiting builder precipitation.
The present invention includes a detergent composition comprising at least one silicate builder and at least one ester of the formula:
where R
1
is an alkyl group, R
2
is an alkyl group, and R
3
is hydrogen, a halogen, a metal, or an unsubstituted or substituted ammonium cation. R
1
may be a C
6
to C
24
alkyl group including a C
12
, C
14
, C
16
, or C
18
alkyl group. R
2
may be a C
1
to C
8
alkyl group, including a methyl group. R
3
may be a metal, including an alkali metal like sodium. The at least one ester of formula (I) may be a methyl ester sulfonate, such as a C
16
methyl ester sulfonate, a C
18
methyl ester sulfonate, or a mixture thereof. The at least one silicate builder can be a silicated salt, non-phosphate silicate salt, wholly or partially crystallite layer-form silicate, phyllosilicate, disilicate, or mixture or combination thereof. The composition may contain at least about 25 wt % of at least one ester of formula (I), including at least about 35 wt % of at least one ester of formula (I). The composition may contain an effective amount of the at least one silicate builder, including about 15 wt % to about 40 wt % or about 20 wt % to about 30 wt %. The composition may contain substantially no inorganic and organic phosphate-containing builder, insoluble aluminosilicate builder, acrylate polymer dispersant, or sequestrant. The composition may contain at least one nonionic surfactant, anionic surfactant, oxidizing agent, biocidal agent, optical brightener, or enzyme, or mixtures or combinations thereof. The composition may be a powder.
The present invention also includes a detergent composition containing substantially no inorganic and organic phosphate-containing builder, insoluble aluminosilicate builder, acrylate polymer dispersant, or sequestrant, yet which contains at least one silicate builder and at least one ester of the formula:
where R
1
is an alkyl group, R
2
is an alkyl group, and R
3
is hydrogen, a halogen, a metal, or an unsubstituted or substituted ammonium cation.
The present invention further includes a powdered detergent composition containing substantially no inorganic and organic phosphate-containing builder, insoluble aluminosilicate builder, acrylate polymer dispersant, or sequestrant, yet which contains about 20 wt % to about 30 wt % of at least one silicated salt and at least about 35 wt % of a C
16
methyl ester sulfonate, a C
18
methyl ester sulfonate, or mixture thereof.
The present invention also includes a powdered detergent composition consisting essentially of at least one silicate builder and at least one ester of the formula:
where R
1
is an alkyl group, R
2
is an alkyl group, and R
3
is hydrogen, a halogen, a metal, or an unsubstituted or substituted ammonium cation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following description provides specific details, such as materials and proportions, to provide a thorough understanding of the invented detergent composition. The skilled artisan will appreciate, however, that the invention may be practiced without employing these specific details. Indeed, the invention can be practiced in conjunction with manufacturing and processing techniques conventionally used in the detergent industry. Moreover, the processes below describe only steps, rather than a complete process flow, for manufacturing the invented detergent composition.
The detergent compositions of the present invention include at least one ester of the formula:
wherein R
1
is an alkyl group, R
Huish Paul Danton
Jensen Laurie
Huish Detergents, Inc.
Ogden Necholus
Townsend and Towsend and Crew LLP
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