Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – Liquid composition
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-28
2002-06-04
Delcotto, Gregory (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
Liquid composition
C510S414000, C510S499000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06399563
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an all purpose or microemulsion cleaning composition containing an additive which prevents the formation of a liquid crystal composition.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an improved all-purpose liquid cleaning composition or a microemulsion composition designed in particular for cleaning hard surfaces and which is effective in removing grease soil and/or bath soil and in leaving unrinsed surfaces with a shiny appearance.
In recent years all-purpose liquid detergents have become widely accepted for cleaning hard surfaces, e.g., painted woodwork and panels, tiled walls, wash bowls, bathtubs, linoleum or tile floors, washable wall paper, etc.. Such all-purpose liquids comprise clear and opaque aqueous mixtures of water-soluble synthetic organic detergents and water-soluble detergent builder salts. In order to achieve comparable cleaning efficiency with granular or powdered all-purpose cleaning compositions, use of water-soluble inorganic phosphate builder salts was favored in the prior art all-purpose liquids. For example, such early phosphate-containing compositions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,560,839; 3,234,138; 3,350,319; and British Patent No. 1,223,739.
In view of the environmentalist's efforts to reduce phosphate levels in ground water, improved all-purpose liquids containing reduced concentrations of inorganic phosphate builder salts or non-phosphate builder salts have appeared. A particularly useful self-opacified liquid of the latter type is described in U.S. Pat. No.4,244,840.
However, these prior art all-purpose liquid detergents containing detergent builder salts or other equivalent tend to leave films, spots or streaks on cleaned unrinsed surfaces, particularly shiny surfaces. Thus, such liquids require thorough rinsing of the cleaned surfaces which is a time-consuming chore for the user.
In order to overcome the foregoing disadvantage of the prior art all-purpose liquid, U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,409 teaches that a mixture of paraffin sulfonate and a reduced concentration of inorganic phosphate builder salt should be employed. However, such compositions are not completely acceptable from an environmental point of view based upon the phosphate content. On the other hand, another alternative to achieving phosphate-free all-purpose liquids has been to use a major proportion of a mixture of anionic and nonionic detergents with minor amounts of glycol ether solvent and organic amine as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,130. Again, this approach has not been completely satisfactory and the high levels of organic detergents necessary to achieve cleaning cause foaming which, in tum, leads to the need for thorough rinsing which has been found to be undesirable to today's consumers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved, microemulsion or all purpose clear, liquid cleaning composition having improved interfacial tension which improves cleaning hard surface and is suitable for cleaning hard surfaces such as plastic, vitreous and metal surfaces having a shiny finish, oil stained floors, automotive engines and other engines. More particularly, the improved cleaning compositions exhibit good grease soil removal properties due to the improved interfacial tensions, when used in diluted form and leave the cleaned surfaces shiny without the need of or requiring only minimal additional rinsing or wiping. The latter characteristic is evidenced by little or no visible residues on the unrinsed cleaned surfaces and, accordingly, overcomes one of the disadvantages of prior art products. The instant compositions contain an additive which impedes the formation of a liquid crystal composition.
Surprisingly, these desirable results are accomplished even in the absence of polyphosphate or other inorganic or organic detergent builder salts and also in the complete absence or substantially complete absence of grease-removal solvent.
This invention generally provides a stable, all purpose, or a microemulsion hard surface cleaning composition especially effective in the removal of oily and greasy oil. The all purpose liquid cleaning or microemulsion composition includes, on a weight basis:
2% to 22% of a nonionic surfactant containing ethoxylate groups;
0 to 20%, more preferably 0.1% to 18% of an anionic surfactant;
0 to 15%, more preferably 0.1% to 10% of a water-mixable glycol ether cosurfactant having either limited ability or substantially no ability to dissolve oily or greasy soil;
0 to 2.5%, more preferably 0.1% to 2% of a fatty acid;
0 to 3%, more preferably 0. 1% to 2% of a polymeric thickener;
0 to 15% of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate;
0 to 0.3% of a water insoluble perfume;
0.1% to 5% of an additive which suppresses liquid crystal formation; and
the balance being water, wherein the composition does not contain more than 0.30% of a perfume and does not contain a water insoluble hydrocarbon having 6 to 18 carbons or an essential oil and the composition does not contain choline chloride, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, a fatty or partially esterified ethoxylated polyhydric alcohol. The instant cleaning compositions are homogenous, one phase cleaning solutions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a stable all purpose liquid cleaning or microemulsion cleaning composition comprising approximately by weight: 2.0% to 22% of a nonionic surfactant containing ethoxylate groups, 0 to 20%, more preferably 0.1% to 18% of an anionic surfactant, 0 to 3%, more preferably 0.1% to 2% of a polymeric thickener, 0 to 15%, more preferably 0.1 % to 10% of a glycol ether cosurfactant, 0 to 2.5%, more preferably 0.1% to 2% of a fatty acid, 0 to 0.3% of a water insoluble perfume, 0 to 15% of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate, 0.1% to 5% of an additive which suppresses liquid crystal formation and the balance being water, wherein the composition does not contain more than 0.3 wt. % of a perfume and does not contain an essential oil or a water insoluble hydrocarbon having 6 to 18 carbon atoms and the composition does not contain choline chloride, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, a fully or partially esterified ethoxylated polyhydric alcohol.
Also excluded from the instant compositions are anionic surfactants having the formula R′(C
6
H
3
SO
3
−
)—O—(C
6
H
3
SO
3
−
)R′(nM)# wherein each R′ is an alkyl, or alkylene, group containing from about 6 to about 12 carbon atoms, preferably from about 8 to about 10 carbon atoms, more preferably about 10 carbon atoms: M is a compatible cation, preferably an alkali metal, ammonium, or alkanolammonium cation, more preferably sodium; and n times the valence of M is equal to 2, amphoteric/zwitterionic surfactants, alkoxylated polyhydric alcohols, polymers containing vinyl pyrrolidone, monoalkanols, acrylic emulsions of 2-methyl-propenoic acid copolymer with ethyl-2-propenoate and propenoic acid, nonionic surfactants containing an amide group, amine oxides, quaternary amine salts, a polar solvent being selected from the group consisting of benzyl alcohol, polyethoxylated phenols containing from 2 to 6 ethoxy groups, phenylethyl alcohol, mono C
6
-C
9
alkyl ethers of ethylene glycol, di-C
4
-C
9
alkyl ethers of ethylene glycol, and mixtures thereof, and a buffering system comprising at least one buffer selected from the group consisting of: guanidine derivatives, ammonium or alkanine earth carbamates, diammonium carbamates, alkanolamines, ammonium or alkaline earth hydroxide, ammonia, alkoxyalkylamines, alkyleneamines, and mixtures thereof.
The nonionic surfactant which constitutes the major ingredient in present liquid detergent is present in amounts of 2.0% to 22%, preferably 3% to 17% by weight of the composition and provides superior performance in the removal of oily soil and mildness to human skin.
The water soluble nonionic surfactants utilized in this invention are commercially well known and include the primary aliphatic alcohol ethoxylates, secondary aliphatic alcohol ethox
Broze Guy
Durbut Patrick
Colgate-Palmolive Co.
Nanfeldt Richard E.
Petruncio John M.
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