Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-27
2004-01-27
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...
C510S192000, C510S193000, C510S289000, C510S356000, C510S370000, C510S403000, C510S421000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06683035
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For some time, flush toilets have been cleaned using solid toilet blocks which are either suspended in the cistern or fastened below the rim of the toilet bowl. Their function is to clean the surface of the toilet during the flushing process and, in particular, to mask unpleasant odors through the release of fragrances. In view in particular of their function to release fragrances, cleaners for flush toilets are also generally referred to in the literature as perfume blocks. Surfactants, builders, inorganic salts and, of course, fragrances and dyes are normally used for their production. Several such formulations are known from the prior art literature. U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,879 (Procter & Gamble), for example, describes solid cleaning compositions which contain as their surfactant component C
9-15
alkyl sulfates, alkyl benzenesulfonates and inorganic salts. EP-A 0 014 979 (Henkel) describes toilet blocks which contain alkyl benzenesulfonates and alkyl sulfates and also fatty alcohol or alkylphenol ethoxylates. DE-C2 43 370 32 (Henkel) relates to toilet blocks containing alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates and alkyl glucosides. EP-A 0 268 967 (Henkel) discloses toilet blocks containing sodium lauryl sulfate and fatty acid monoethanolamide.
The described toilet blocks are generally produced by casting, compression molding, extrusion or granulation processes which involve high outlay on machinery and, in many cases, suffer unwanted losses of perfume under the effect of the high temperatures prevailing (casting/extrusion processes).
Another disadvantage is that the refill units widely used on ecological grounds can only be used after the block has been exhausted. Although desirable, refilling as and when required, for example for a stronger release of active ingredients or, more particularly, for more intensive emission of perfume, is not possible.
German patent DE-C-197 15 872 describes gel-form toilet cleaners with pseudoplastic properties which significantly reduce production difficulties and which can be produced less expensively by virtue of the simple technology involved. The problem of individual refillability can also be solved by pseudoplastic formulations of the type in question. These known gel-form toilet cleaners contain polysaccharides, more particularly xanthan gum, for establishing their pseudoplastic properties and, as surfactants, alkyl polyglycosides (compulsory) and anionic and/or nonionic co-surfactants (optional). Fatty acid polyglycol esters in general are mentioned inter alia as nonionic surfactants.
Although these gel-form toilet cleaners are entirely satisfactory in regard to viscosity behavior and stability in storage, there is a need on the market for other gel-form toilet cleaners which combine high cleaning performance with good ecological compatibility.
The problem addressed by the present invention was to provide other gel-form toilet cleaners for flush toilets which would satisfy the demands made of them in regard to viscosity behavior, cleaning performance, stability in storage and ecological compatibility. In addition, the gel-form toilet cleaners for flush toilets would show very good initial foaming behavior and would be clear in appearance. Furthermore, the various perfume oils would lend themselves to incorporation without difficulty, more particularly in quantities of at least 5% by weight.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates, in general, to gel-form cleaning compositions for flushing toilets, which cleaning compositions contain alkoxylated carboxylic acid esters, and more particularly, those esters which are obtained by the alkoxylation of carboxylic acid esters in the presence of calcined hydrotalcites as catalysts. The present invention also relates, in general to the use of such alkoxylated carboxylic acid esters and gel-form compositions in methods of cleaning flushing toilets and to the products containing these cleaning compositions.
Accordingly, the present invention relates to gel-form cleaning compositions for flush toilets containing thickeners and surfactants, characterized in that alkoxylated carboxylic acid esters corresponding to formula (I):
in which R
1
CO is an aliphatic acyl group, AlkO stands for CH
2
CH
2
O, CHCH
3
CH
2
O and/or CH
2
CHCH
3
O, n is a number of 1 to 20 and R
2
is an aliphatic alkyl group, are present as surfactants.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The compositions according to the invention compulsorily contain alkoxylated carboxylic acid esters corresponding to formula (I) as surfactants. Alkoxylated carboxylic acid esters are known from the prior art. They may be obtained, for example, by esterification of alkoxylated carboxylic acids with alcohols. For the purposes of the present invention, however, the compounds are preferably produced by reaction of carboxylic acid esters with alkylene oxides using catalysts, more especially calcined hydrotalcite in accordance with DE-A-39 14 131, which give compounds with a narrow homolog distribution. According to the invention, alkoxylated carboxylic acid esters corresponding to general formula (I), in which R
1
CO is an aliphatic acyl group containing 6 to 22 carbon atoms, AlkO stands for a CH
2
CH
2
O—, CHCH
3
CH
2
O— and/or CH
2
—CHCH
3
O group, n has an average value of 3 to 20 and R
2
is an aliphatic alkyl group containing 1 to 22 carbon atoms, are preferred.
Preferred acyl groups are derived from carboxylic acids containing 6 to 22 carbon atoms of natural or synthetic origin, more especially from linear, saturated and/or unsaturated fatty acids, including the technical mixtures thereof obtainable by lipolysis from animal and/or vegetable fats and oils, for example from coconut oil, palm kernel oil, palm oil, soya oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, fish oil, bovine tallow and lard. Examples of such carboxylic acids are caproic acid, caprylic acid, 2-ethyl hexanoic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, isotridecanoic acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, isostearic acid, oleic acid, elaidic acid, petroselic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, elaeostearic acid, arachic acid, gadoleic acid, behenic acid and/or erucic acid. More particularly, R
1
CO is a linear, even-numbered acyl group containing 8 to 18 carbon atoms.
Preferred alkyl groups R
2
are derived from primary, aliphatic monohydric alcohols containing 1 to 22 carbon atoms which may be saturated and/or unsaturated. Examples of suitable monoalcohols are methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, pentanol and the hydrogenation products of the above-mentioned carboxylic acids containing 6 to 22 carbon atoms. More particularly, R
2
is a methyl group.
AlkO preferably stands for a CH
2
CH
2
O group.
Alkoxylated carboxylic acid esters of formula (I), in which R
1
CO is a linear, even-numbered acyl group containing 8 to 18 carbon atoms, AlkO stands for a CH
2
CH
2
O group, n has an average value of 5 to 15 and R
2
is a methyl group, are particularly suitable. Examples of such compounds are carboxylic acid methyl esters alkoxylated with, on average, 5, 7, 9 or 11 moles of ethylene oxide.
The alkoxylated carboxylic acid esters may be present as sole surfactant in the compositions according to the invention. However, the compositions preferably contain other anionic and/or nonionic surfactants. Anionic co-surfactants according to the present invention include aliphatic sulfates, such as fatty alcohol sulfates, fatty alcohol ether sulfates, fatty acid polyglycol ester sulfates, dialkyl ether sulfates, monoglyceride sulfates and aliphatic sulfonates, such as alkane sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, ether sulfonates, n-alkyl ether sulfonates, ester sulfonates, and lignin sulfonates. Fatty acid cyanamides, sulfosuccinic acid esters, fatty acid isethionates, acylaminoalkane sulfonates (fatty acid taurides), fatty acid sarcosinates, ether carboxylic acids and alkyl (ether) phosphates may also be used for the purposes of the invention, but are not preferred. The compositions according to the invention preferably contain fat
Behler Ansgar
Kischkel Ditmar
Koester Rita
Stute Jutta
Boyer Charles
Cognis Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
Drach John E.
Ettelman Aaron R.
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