Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2003-03-18
Delcotto, Gregory (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S445000, C510S446000, C510S447000, C510S488000, C510S492000, C510S400000, C510S506000, C510S302000, C510S320000, C510S349000, C510S351000, C510S360000, C510S501000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06534464
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to surfactant compositions and methods for making and using such compositions. More particularly, the invention relates to compositions containing &agr;-sulfofatty acid esters and polyalkoxylated alkanolamides, and methods for making and using the same.
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, and those described in “Surface Active Agents and Detergents” Volumes I and II by Schwartz, Perry & Berch, in “Nonionic Surfactants” by M. J. Schick, and in McCutcheon's “Emulsifiers & Detergents,” the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Such surfactants can be combined according to the desired properties of the resulting composition.
Nonionic surfactants provide excellent cleaning properties and can also act as defoaming agents. Nonionic surfactants can be manufactured by alkoxylation of alcohols, fatty acids or esters. For example, nonionic surfactants can be synthesized by ethoxylating an alcohol or fatty acid with ethylene oxide; ethoxylation adds ethoxy groups (—OCH
2
CH
2
—) to the active hydrogen of the alcohol or fatty acid. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,627,121; 4,835,321; 4,820,673; 4,775,653; 4,754,075; 4,239,917; and International Patent Publication No. WO 85/00365, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Alkanolamides can also be alkoxylated to form alkoxylated alkanolamides. (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,034,257 and 6,034,257, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.) Nonionic surfactants alone, however, generally lack sufficient cleaning performance for laundry detergents, however.
Nonionic surfactants are often combined with anionic surfactants, due to the surface agent properties of the anionic surfactants. The cleaning performance of anionic surfactants can be limited, however, by the water hardness. 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 can be added to control water hardness. Builders reduce water hardness by “ion exchanging” (e.g., zeolites), by sequestering (e.g., phosphates), or precipitating (e.g., soda ash) calcium and/or magnesium ions, thereby preventing those ions from interfering with the surfactant. Builders can also serve as a source of alkalinity and can prevent the deposition of salts on metal surfaces in washing machines. Typical builders include silicates, polysilicates, phyllosilicates, carbonates and zeolites (such as alumino-silicates). A disadvantage of some builders, however, is that they may cause deposits on clothing.
Recently, interest in &agr;-sulfofatty acid esters (also referred to hereafter as “sulfofatty acids”) has increased due to the superior cleaning properties of these surfactants in hard water. For example, methyl ester sulfonate (“MES”) has excellent hard water surfactant properties; MES shows increasing cleaning performance as water hardness increases. Such hard water performance is beneficial because hard water is used in many areas of the world for wash water. &agr;-Sulfofatty acid esters can be used in a wide range of detergent applications.
&agr;-Sulfofatty acid esters are typically manufactured as salts. These &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester salts also exhibit surface active agent properties. Sulfofatty acid salts can be a mixture of salt forms, typically mono- and di-salts. For example, MES has both mono- and di-salt forms (i.e., mono-sodium MES and di-sodium MES). Mono-salts of sulfofatty acids generally have superior surfactant properties as compared with the di-salt forms. Mono-salts of MES are unstable, however, and react with moisture and basic substances to form di-salts. Such basic substances include bases and builders. For example, mono-sodium MES reacts with caustic soda (NaOH) in the presence of moisture to form a di-salt by the following chemical reaction:
Di-salt formation decreases the surface activity of the surfactant. As the amount of di-salt increases, the amount of the mono-salt correspondingly decreases. To compensate, more mono-salt of the sulfofatty acid must be added to the composition to provide the same level of surface active agent performance, which increases the cost and unit size of the composition.
Thus, there exists a need for detergent compositions containing &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester that provide improved cleaning performance in hard water while sparing the need for builders. There is a further need for a detergent compositions containing &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester that exhibit reduced di-salt formation. The present invention surprisingly satisfies these needs and more.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a composition comprising &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester and polyalkoxylated alkanolamide. The &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester is formed into a first portion, an ester portion. The polyalkoxylated alkanolamide is formed into a second portion, an alkanolamide portion. The alkanolamide and ester portions each comprise a plurality of particles, such as a powder, or beads, pellets, granules, and the like. Each portion is formed separately, and then the portions are admixed, so that the particles are co-mingled. After admixing, however, the particles remain physically distinct. The portions can be combined in any suitable ratios, according to the desired properties of the final composition. In some embodiments, the ester portion and/or the alkanolamide portion can be coated to further reduce the amount of di-salt formation. Other detergent components can also be separately added to the admixture, such as, for example, fragrances, enzymes and the like.
The alkanolamide portion can further comprise other components, according to the desired properties of the final composition. For example, such components can include, but are not limited to, builders, anionic surfactants, other nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, polymer dispersants, oxidizing agents, biocidal agents, foam regulators, binders, anticaking agents, activators, hydrotropes, catalysts, thickeners, stabilizers, UV protectors, fragrances, soil suspending agents, polymeric soil release agents, fillers, brighteners, enzymes, salts, inert ingredients, and the like. In some embodiments, the alkanolamide portion includes substances which cause more than a minor amount of additional di-salt formation.
The ester portion comprises at least one &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester. In some embodiments, the &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester is the sole component of the ester portion. In such embodiments, the ester portion also includes manufacturing by-products of the &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester(s). In other embodiments, the ester portion further includes other detergent components, such as builders, anionic surfactants, other nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, polymer dispersants, biocidal agents, foam regulators, binders, anticaking agents, activators, hydrotropes, thickeners, stabilizers, UV protectors, fragrances, soil suspending agents, polymeric soil release agents, fillers, enzymes, salts, inert ingredients, and the like. In still other embodiments, the ester portion is substantially free of other detergent components that cause more than a minor amount of additional di-salt formation. By sequestering the &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester from components that cause more than a minor amount of additional di-salt formation, the amount of additional di-salt formation can be reduced.
The invention further includes methods of making compositions comprising &agr;-sulfofatty acid ester and polyalkoxylated alkanolamide. Such methods generally include pr
Huish Paul Danton
Jensen Laurie A.
Libe Pule B.
Delcotto Gregory
Huish Detergents, Inc.
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
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