Dye transfer inhibitors for detergents

Details Dye transfer inhibitors for detergents Dye transfer inhibitors for detergents

1996-12-17

1998-11-03

Lieberman, Paul

Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions

Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing

Specific organic component

C11D 337

Patent

active

058308440

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the use of water-insoluble, crosslinked polymers as detergent additives for inhibiting the transfer of dye during the wash and to detergents containing these polymers.
2. Discussion of the Background
The use of water-soluble homo- and copolymers of 1-vinylpyrrolidone and 1-vinylimidazole as dye transfer inhibitor for detergents is known; cf. DE-B-22 32 353 and DE-A-28 14 287. The known polymers have the disadvantage that they are neither biodegradable nor completely removable from the effluent by adsorption on sewage sludge. DE-A-28 14 287, in addition to water-soluble polymers, also describes water-insoluble polymers based on 1-vinylimidazole for use as dye transfer inhibitors. As is stated in this reference, the incorporation of crosslinkers in the polymers leads to three-dimensionally crosslinked polymers of high viscosity and decreasing water solubility. The proportion of cross-linker in the copolymer should therefore preferably be less than 5 mol %. According to this reference, the polymers should be soluble or, through the incorporation of hydrophobic monomer units, dispersible in water, so that the use of water-insoluble cross-linked polymers is not recommended. This is confirmed by the illustrative embodiments.
WO-A-94/2578 discloses using poly(4-vinylpyridine N-oxide) as dye transfer inhibitor in detergents. Here, too, the polymer in question is water-soluble.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide dye transfer inhibitors for detergents which, compared with the known inhibitors, are highly eliminable from the effluent.
We have found that this object is achieved by the use of water-insoluble, crosslinked polymers containing polymerized units of 1-vinylpyrrolidone and/or 1-vinylimidazoles of the formula ##STR2## where R, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different and each is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or phenyl, or of 4-vinylpyridine N-oxide, in finely divided form, at least 90% by weight of the polymers having a particle size from 0.1 to 500 .mu.m, as detergent additive for inhibiting the transfer of dye during the wash.
The present invention also provides detergents based on surfactants and optionally builders and other customary ingredients, comprising from 0.1 to 10% by weight, based on the detergent formulation, of water-insoluble crosslinked polymers containing polymerized units of 1-vinylpyrrolidone and/or 1-vinylimidazoles of the formula ##STR3## where R, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different and each is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or phenyl, or of 4-vinylpyridine N-oxide, in finely divided form, at least 90% by weight of the polymers having a particle size from 0.1 to 500 .mu.m.


DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Water-insoluble crosslinked polymers have hitherto not been used as dye transfer inhibitors for reasons connected with the sorption kinetics. It has now been found, surprisingly, that water-insoluble crosslinked polymers which have a particle size from 0.1 to 500 .mu.m are excellent dye transfer inhibitors which in some instances even exceed the effectiveness of the water-soluble polymers.
Suitable water-insoluble, crosslinked polymers are obtainable for example by using as monomers of group (a) 1-vinylpyrrolidone and/or 1-vinylimidazoles of the formula ##STR4## where R, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different and each is H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or phenyl. The preferred meanings for R, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are H, CH.sub.3 and C.sub.2 H.sub.5.
Monomers of group (a) include for example 1-vinylimidazole, 2-methyl-1-vinylimidazole, 2-ethyl-1-vinylimidazole, 2-propyl-1-vinylimidazole, 2-butyl-1-vinylimidazole, 2,4-dimethyl-1-vinylimidazole, 2,5-dimethyl-1-vinylimidazole, 2-ethyl-4-methyl-1-vinylimidazole, 2-ethyl-5-methyl-1-vinylimidazole, 2,4,5-trimethyl-1-vinylimidazole, 4,5-diethyl-2-methyl-1-vinylimidazole, 4-methyl-1-vinylimidazole, 5-methyl-1-vinylimidazole, 4-ethyl-1-vinylimidazole, 4,5-dimethyl-1-vin

REFERENCES:
patent: 5098598 (1992-03-01), Sankey et al.
patent: 5266587 (1993-11-01), Sankey et al.
Product Information, International Specialty Products, Bound Brook, NJ, Dec. 1997.

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