Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-01
2002-05-28
Boyer, Charles (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S276000, C510S308000, C510S329000, C510S480000, C510S504000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06395696
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to laundry detergent compositions suitable for washing both white and coloured fabrics. The compositions of the invention contain cationic detergent surfactant and also contain a specific sequestrant, iminodisuccinate or hydroxyiminodisuccinate.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
Laundry detergent compositions containing cationic surfactants in combination with anionic and/or nonionic. surfactants are disclosed in many published documents, for example, EP 225A, EP 234A, EP 235A and EP 51 896B (Procter & Gamble).
Iminodisuccinate (IDS) is known as a detergency builder and, in bleaching detergent compositions, as a stabiliser for peroxy bleach precursors.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,697,453 (Pfizer) discloses detergent compositions having a pH of from 9 to 12, containing iminodisuccinate as a detergency builder, used together with detergent surfactant in a weight ratio of 0.25:1 to 10:1. IDS as a detergency builder is also disclosed in EP 757 094A (Bayer). IDS and hydroxyiminodisuccinate (HIDS) are disclosed in JP 09 110 813A (Nippon Shokubai) and JP 09 104 897A (Nippon Shokubai). HIDS as a detergency builder and complexing agent is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,726 (Henkel KGaA). EP 509 382A (W R Grace & Co/Hampshire Chemical Corporation) discloses a bleaching detergent composition comprising a bleaching agent and a bleach stabilizer of defined formula which includes IDS.
JP 09 249 895A (Lion) and JP 09 310 097A (Lion) disclose detergent compositions containing 3 to 20 wt % IDS or HIDS to improve the stability or fabric substantivity of fluoreacers (optical brighteners).
The use of IDS as a processing aid for detergent powders and detergent powder ingredients is disclosed in JP 09 100 497A (Lion) and JP 09 279 188A (Lion).
It has now been found that detergent compositions containing cationic detergent surfactant and low levels of IDS or HIDS exhibit improved soil and stain removal in conjunction with reduced fading of dyes on coloured fabrics.
DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention accordingly provides a laundry detergent composition comprising surfactant, builder, and optionally other detergent ingredients, the composition comprising
(a) from 0.1 to 10 wt % of a cationic detergent surfactant, and
(b) from 0.05 to 5 wt % of a compound of the formula I:
wherein Y is H or OH, and X is H or a solubilising cation, the ratio of cationic detergent surfactant to compound of the formula I being within the range of from 1:5 to 5:1.
A further subject of the invention is a method of removing soils and stains from textile fabrics, which comprises laundering the fabrics by hand or machine in a wash liquor containing a detergent composition as defined above.
A further subject of the invention is the use of the compound of the formula I above in an amount of 0.05 to 2.5 wt % to improve the soil and stain removal performance of a laundry detergent composition containing from 0.5 to 10 wt % of a cationic detergent surfactant.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The Compound of Formula I
The detergent compositions of the invention-contain, as an essential ingredient, a compound of the formula I:
wherein Y is H or OH, preferably H; and X is H or a solubilising cation, preferably a sodium ion.
If Y is a hydrogen atom, the formula I represents iminodisuccinic acid or a water-soluble salt thereof. Iminodisuccinic acid, also known as N-(1,2-carboxyethyl)D,L-aspartic acid, has the formula (Ia) wherein X═H:
In the following description, the abbreviation “IDS” will be used to denote this material whether in acid or salt form. IDS is commercially available from Bayer AG, Leverkusen, Germany, and from Nippon Shokubai KK, Japan.
If Y is a hydroxyl group, the formula I represents hydroxyiminodisuccinic acid or a water-soluble salt thereof.
Hydroxyiminodisuccinic acid has the formula (Ib) wherein X═H:
In the following description, the abbreviation “HIDS” will be used to denote this material whether in acid or salt form. HIDS is commercially available from Nippon Shokubai KK, Japan.
For the purposes of the present invention, the IDS or HIDS may be, and preferably is, in the form of a salt, i.e. X in the formula I is a stable solubilising cation, preferably an alkali metal cation, more preferably sodium.
In the laundry detergent compositions of the invention, IDS or HIDS is present in an amount of from 0.05 to 5 wt %, preferably from 0.2 to 2.5 wt %, more preferably from 0.5 to 1.5 wt %, and most preferably from 0.5 to 1.0 wt %.
The IDS or HIDS is preferably in sodium salt form.
The Cationic Detergent Surfactant
Cationic surfactants that may be used include linear or cyclic quaternary ammonium salts.
One class of preferred materials has the general formula II:
R
1
R
2
R
3
R
4
N
+
X
−
wherein the R groups are long or short hydrocarbyl chains, typically alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or ethoxylated alkyl groups, and X is a solubilising anion, for example, a halide or methosulphate ion.
Preferred compounds are those in which R
1
is a C
8
-C
22
alkyl group, more preferably a C
8
-C
10
or C
12
-C
14
alkyl group; R
2
is a methyl group; and R
3
and R
4
, which may be the same or different, are methyl or hydroxyethyl groups.
In an especially preferred compound, R
1
is a C
12
-C
14
alkyl group, R
2
and R
3
are methyl groups, R
4
is a 2-hydroxyethyl group, and X
−
is a chloride ion. This material in available commercially from Clariant GmbH as Praepagen (Trade Mark) HY.
Other cationic surfactants of interest include coco-trimethyl ammonium chloride, coco methyl dihydroxyethyl chloride, and cationic eaters (for example, choline esters).
The cationic surfactant is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 10 wt %, preferably from 0.2 to 5 wt %, more preferably front 0.5 to 3 wt %.
Detergent Compositions
The composition of the invention also contains other conventional detergent ingredients, other than bleaching ingredients. Essential ingredients are surfactants (detergent-active compounds) and detergency builders, and other ingredients may optionally be present.
A preferred detergent composition according to the invention comprises:
(a) from 5 to 40 wt % of one or more detergent surfactants selected from anionic, nonionic, amphoteric and zwitterionic surfactants,
(b) from 0.1 to 10 wt % of cationic detergent surfactant,
(c) from 10 to 80 wt % of one or more detergency builders,
(d) from 0.05 to 5 wt % of IDS or HIDS,
(e) optionally other detergent ingredients to 100 wt %, the ratio of (b) to (d) being within the range of from 1:5 to 5:1 (0.2:1-5:1)
The ratio of cationic surfactant to IDS or RIDS in preferably from 0.5:1 to 5:1, more preferably 1:1 to 5:1.
The detergent compositions of the invention may be of any physical form.
Surfactants (Detergent-Active Compounds)
In addition to the cationic surfactant which is an essential feature of the invention, which is present in a relatively minor amount, the detergent compositions will contain one more other detergent surfactants which may be chosen from soap and non-soap anionic, nonionic, amphoteric and zwitterionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof.
Many suitable detergent active compounds are available and are fully described in the literature, for example, in “Surface-Active Agents and Detergents”, Volumes I and II, by Schwartz, Perry and Berch.
The preferred detergent active compounds that can be used are soaps and synthetic non-soap anionic and nonionic compounds.
Anionic surfactants are well-known to those skilled in the art. Examples include alkylbenzene sulphonates, particularly linear alkylbenzene sulphonates having an alkyl chain length of C
8
-C
15
; primary and secondary alkylsulphates, particularly C
8
-C
15
primary alkyl sulphates; alkyl ether sulphate; olefin sulphonates; alkyl xylene sulphonates; dialkyl sulphosuccinates; and fatty acid ester sulphonates. Sodium salts are generally preferred.
Nonionic surfactants that may be used include the primary and secondary alcohol ethoxylates, especially the C
8
-C
20
aliphatic alcohols ethoxylated with an average of from 1 to 20 moles of ethylene oxi
Finch Timothy David
Singh Amrat Paul
Bornstein Alan A.
Boyer Charles
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA , division of Conopco, Inc.
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