Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – Clay or inorganic aluminosilicate salt component
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-11
2004-02-10
Boyer, Charles (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
Clay or inorganic aluminosilicate salt component
C510S276000, C510S334000, C510S509000, C510S485000, C510S511000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06689739
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to detergent compositions which comprise low levels of inorganic sulphate salts, but instead high levels of carbonate salts and a system to counter balance the effects of the carbonate salt.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many detergent compositions comprise filler salts such as sodium sulphate. Certain formulations even comprise very high levels of such sulphate salts, in particular low density products sometimes comprise more than 30% by weight of sulphates.
However, it is desirable to reduce the level of inorganic sulphates in the products, in particular from an environmental point of view. To replace the inorganic sulphate salts, other inorganic materials can be used. Some of these materials may for example be detergent builders including zeolites, phosphates or silicates. However, these ingredients may increase the formulation cost significantly. Also, high levels of phosphates as fillers are not acceptable in all countries for environmental reasons. Other, cheaper inorganic materials include for example inorganic carbonate salts, which can be readily formulated in detergents. They have as additional benefit that they provide a high alkalinity which is advantageous for the detergency.
However, the inventors have found that formulations comprising high levels of inorganic carbonate salts can cause hardness or stiffness to the fabrics washed with these products. Therefore, the inventors found that the products need to contain a system to counteract the fabric hardness or stiffness.
Numerous compounds are known in the art which can provide a softer feel of fabrics. However, they are not always compatible with high amounts of carbonate salts.
The inventors now found that in particular certain mineral clays can help to overcome the problems caused by the high levels of carbonate salts. However, they found that a clay alone would not be sufficient to provide the required softness when these high amount of carbonate salts are present, but that a flocculating agent is required as well.
Clays and flocculants are known in the art to provide softness to fabrics. They are for example described in EP 313146-A. However, it was previously not known that the clays and flocculating agents can counteract the disadvantages of high levels of carbonate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a detergent composition comprising
a) a clay;
b) a flocculating agent;
c) at least 18%, preferably at least 20% by weight of an alkali and/ or earth alkali salt of carbonate.
The invention also relates to the use of a clay and a flocculating agent compositions comprising 18% by weight or more of alkali and/ or earth alkali carbonate salt.
The compositions preferably comprise low levels of sulphate.
The compositions are useful for both automatic washing and hand washing, including also pre-treatment, soaking and conditioning.
Carbonate Salts
The carbonate salts for use herein include any carbonate salts, but are in particular alkali and/ or earth alkali carbonate salts, in particular carboante, bicarbonate and sesquicarbonate salts. Preferred salts include carbonate, sesqiocarbonate and hydrogen carbonate of potassium, lithium, sodium, and the like amongst which sodium and potassium carbonate are preferred. Suitable bicarbonates to be used herein include any alkali metal salt of bicarbonate like lithium, sodium, potassium and the like, amongst which sodium and potassium bicarbonate are preferred. However, the choice of carbonate or bicarbonate or mixtures thereof in the dry effervescent granules may be made depending on the pH desired in the aqueous medium wherein the granules are dissolved. For example where a relative high pH is desired in the aqueous medium (e.g., above pH 9.5) it may be preferred to use carbonate alone or to use a combination of carbonate and bicarbonate wherein the level of carbonate is higher than the level of bicarbonate. The inorganic alkali and/or earth alkali carbonate salt of the compositions of the invention comprises preferably a potassium or more preferably a sodium salt of carbonate and/or bicarbonate. Preferably, the carbonate salt comprises sodium carbonate, optionally also a sodium bicarbonate.
The inorganic carbonate salts herein are preferably present at a level of at least 20% by weight of the composition. Preferably they are present at a level of at least 23% or even 25% or even 30% by weight, preferably up to about 60% by weight or more preferably up to 55% or even 50% by weight.
They may be added completely or partially as separate powdered or granular component, as co-granules with other detergent ingredients, for example other salts or surfactants. In solid detergent compositions of the invention, they may also completely or partially be present in detergent granules such as agglomerates or spray dried granules.
In one embodiment of the invention, an effervescence source is present, preferably comprising an organic acid, such as carboxylic acids or aminoacids, and a carbonate. Then it may be preferred that part or all of the carbonate salt herein is premixed with the organic acid, and thus present in an separate granular component.
The carbonate may have any particle size. In one embodiment, in particular when the carbonate salt is present in a granule and not as separately added compound, the carbonate salt has preferably a volume median particle size from 5 to 375 microns, whereby preferably at least 60%, preferably at least 70% or even at least 80% or even at least 90% by volume, has a particle size of from 1 to 425 microns. More preferably, the carbonate salt particles has a volume median particle size of 10 to 250, whereby preferably at least 60%, or even at least 70% or even at least 80% or even at least 90% by volume, has a particle size of from 1 to 375 microns; or even preferably a volume median particle size from 10 to 200 microns, whereby preferably at least 60%, preferably at least 70% or even at least 80% or even at least 90% by volume, has a particle size of from 1 to 250 microns.
In particular when the carbonate salt is added as separate component, so to say ‘dry-added’ or admixed to the other detergent ingredients, the carbonate may have any particle size, including the above specified particle sizes, but preferably at least an volume average particle size of 200 microns or even 250 microns or even 300 microns.
It may be preferred that the carbonate salt of the required particle size is obtained by grinding a larger particle size material, optionally followed by selecting the material with the required particle size by any suitable method.
Whilst percarbonate salts may be present in the compositions of the invention as a bleaching agent, they are not included in the carbonate salts as defined herein
Clay
The compositions of the invention contain a clay, preferably present at a level of from 0.05% to 40%, more preferably from 0.5% to 30%, most preferably from 2% to 20% by weight of the composition. For clarity, it is noted that the term, as used herein, excludes sodium aluminosilicate zeolite builder compounds, which however, may be included in the compositions of the invention as optional components.
The weight ratio of clay to the flocculating polymer is preferably from 1000:1 to 1:1, more preferably from 500:1 to 1:1, most preferably from 300:1 to 1:1, or even more preferably from 80:1 to 10:1, or in certain applications even from 60:1 to 20:1.
One preferred clay may be a bentonite clay. Highly preferred are smectite clays, as for example are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,862,058 3,948,790, 3,954,632 and 4,062,647 and European Patents Nos. EP-A-299,575 and EP-A-313,146 all in the name of the Procter and Gamble Company.
The term smectite clays herein includes both the clays in which aluminium oxide is present in a silicate lattice and the clays in which magnesium oxide is present in a silicate lattice. Typical smectite clay compounds include the compounds having the general formula Al
2
(Si
2
O
5
)
2
(OH)
2
.nH
2
O and the compounds having the general formula Mg
3
(Si
2
O
5
)
2
(OH)
2
.nH
Boyer Charles
Corstanie Brahm J.
Glazer Julia A.
William Zerby Kim
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