Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-31
2001-06-19
Krynski, William (Department: 1774)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S438000, C510S462000, C510S475000, C510S530000, C435S187000, C435S188000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06248706
ABSTRACT:
The invention concerns the preparation of an activity-stable and low-dust enzyme granulate for washing and cleaning applications, i.e., for use in granular washing and cleaning agent compositions. Additionally the invention concerns the activity-stable and low-dust enzyme granulate obtained by the method of preparation as well as their use. In a special additional aspect the enzyme concerns the use of specially selected flours entirely generally as auxiliary materials (e.g., as vehicles or fillers) for preparation of enzyme granulates for various application.
In numerous washing and cleaning agent compositions, e.g., for cleaning textiles or utensils, enzymes are used to improve the washing or cleaning efficiency. Proteases, lipases, amylases or cellulases are customarily used as enzymes; the enzymes can be used as individual enzymes or as enzyme mixtures. The enzymes are added to powdered or granular washing and cleaning agent formulations in the form of the so-called enyzme granulates, which contain the relevant enzyme or enzyme mixture together with a filler, binder and optionally other granulation auxiliary agents and formulation agents. Enzyme granulates of this kind are customarily obtained by processing an enzyme granulate with a filler and binder as well as optionally with additional granulation auxiliary agents and formulation agents into a mixture and granulating it. The resulting wet granulate particles are optionally additionally rounded and then dried. Optionally the dried granulate particles are additionally coated with a protective coating and they can then be used in powdered or granular washing and cleaning agent formulations.
In the preparation of enzyme granulates for washing and cleaning applications it is desirable to use a simple and economical method which additionally can be carried out in an enzyme-sparing manner and for ecological reasons is based as far as possible on natural granulation and formulation auxiliary agents. For example, in DE 43 10 506 a method is described which uses as natural raw materials for granulation swellable starch, cornstarch and a certain amount of cereal flour, especially wheat flour. Also in WO 94/104665 enzyme granulates are described that derive from cereal flours, especially wheat or rye flour, and additionally calcium formate and optionally lactose are added to stabilize the enzyme. The methods of the state of the art, however, produce the enzyme granulates by extrusion methods, in which the enzymes in general must stand up to severe pressure, temperature and friction loads. Because of the load undesired losses of activity frequently arise, which must be compensated by an elevated use of enzyme activity, if granulates with acceptable enzyme activities are to be made available. Additionally, it is difficult in extrusion methods to add cereal flours in amounts considerably higher than 40 wt % into the enzyme granulate, since the enzyme granulate particles that are obtained stick together after extrusion and are poorly formable in an optionally following rounding on customary rotary plate devices. In DE 27 30 481 a method for preparation of enzyme granulates using a granulation apparatus (mixer) is proposed, in which, however, a relatively large amount (up to 40 wt %) of cellulose fiber powder without binding capacity must be added to the remaining constituents in order to avoid layers of wet granulate mass that adhere to the walls in the drum granulator and that are difficult to remove and in part are quite thick. Only by the addition of said cellulose powder does one succeed, in accordance with DE 27 30 481, in carrying out the granulation, which is hard to control.
There was the task of making available a simple, enzyme-sparing and economical method of making enzyme granulates, especially for powdered or granular washing and cleaning agent compositions, as well as new enzyme granulates prepared in this way, which exhibit favorable properties with regard to activity stability, dust-forming behavior, processing and use, i.e., in powdered or granular formulations for washing, cleaning, bleaching and dishwashing compositions.
The task is resolved by the method given in Claim
1
, by the activity-stable and low-dust enzyme granulates prepared by this method in accordance with Claim
21
, the applications given for them in Claims
26
through
28
and the use of special raw materials given in Claim
29
. Practical embodiments of the method in accordance with the invention are related in subclaims
2
through
20
and with regard to the enzyme granulate in accordance with the invention in subclaims
22
through
25
.
Accordingly, a method for preparation of an activity-stable and low-dust enzyme granulate for washing and cleaning applications is made available through the invention, where the method in accordance with the invention is characterized by the fact that one first prepares a moist granulate, 0.1 to 25 parts by weight enzyme or enzyme mixture (calculated as dry substance content of the enzyme preparation that is used), 75 to 99.9 parts by weight (including moisture content) of an organic flour type with a degree of grinding of 30 to 100%, where the flour type was obtained by grinding of a flour source that had been treated with dry superheated steam that was optionally washed and/or purified beforehand,
and where the parts by weight of the enzyme or enzyme mixture and of the flour type add up to 100 parts by weight,
optionally up to a total maximum of 20 parts by weight customary granulation and/or formulation auxiliary agents (calculated as water-free auxiliary agents),
using a calculated amount of water, which is sufficient to produce a moisture content of 15 to 50 wt % in the moist granulate (with respect to the total of the constituents of the moist granulate as 100 wt %),
is formed in a high-speed mixer by intensive mixing with at least partial use of a cutter head to a nonsticking free wet granulate with particles in the particle size range of 0.2 to 2 mm,
the moist granulate obtained in this way is, if desired, additionally further rounded before the wet granulate is additionally dried and,
if desired, the dried enzyme granulate is separated from undersize and/or oversize granules by screening,
and optionally the particles of the acceptable grain fraction of the enzyme granulate obtained by screening can additionally be coated with one or more protective layers. The term “nonsticking” here means that the moist granulate no longer sticks to the mixing apparatus or the wall of the mixer.
In a practical embodiment of the invention this method is characterized by the fact that 2 to 25 parts by weight of enzyme or enzyme mixture, 75 to 98 parts by weight flour type, optionally up to a maximum total of 15 parts by weight granulation and formation auxiliary agents and a calculated amount of water, which is sufficient to produce a moisture content of 15 to 40 wt %, are used for preparation of the moist granulate. Preferably 5 to 21 parts by weight enzyme or enzyme mixture, 79 to 95 parts by weight flour type, only 0 to 5 parts by weight granulation and formulation auxiliary agents and a calculated amount of water, which is sufficient to produce a moisture content of 15 to 30 wt % in the moist granulate, are used for preparation of the moist granulate.
In accordance with the invention, organic flours (thus flours of organic starting materials) of certain types are used. The term “organic flour” here encompasses, within the scope of the invention, all more or less size-reduced, powdered to fine grained products, which have been obtained by size reduction (grinding) of solid organic materials of natural origin (the flour source). It is expedient in the method according to the invention to use organic flours that are obtained by grinding of cereal grains, legumes and/or fruits of the Malvaceae family (e.g., cottonseed). The cereals that can serve as flour sources within the scope of the invention are especially wheat or rye, but barley, oats, rice and maize, as well as sorghum and other types of millet can also be used.
Herrmann Hubert A.
Spannagl Rolf
Garrett Dawn L.
Genencor International Inc.
Genencor International Inc.
Krynski William
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