Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-09
2001-11-13
Delcotto, Gregory (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S245000, C510S254000, C510S504000, C510S508000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06316398
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to a cleaning composition. More particularly, the invention is directed to a general purpose cleaning composition that effectively cleans oil, grease and other non-water soluble waste. The cleaning composition comprises a surfactant and a salt whereby waste is easily separated from the cleaning composition without the need of waste treatment chemicals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional cleaning compositions, such as floor cleaning compositions, typically function by emulsifying contaminants, like oil and grease, when such cleaning compositions come in contact with the contaminants. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for the resulting contaminant comprising emulsion to be discharged to a waste line in, for example, a factory or plant.
In an attempt to be more environmentally conscious, operators of many factories and plants have been treating contaminant comprising emulsions with expensive (and sometimes hazardous) waste treatment chemicals (e.g., deemulsifiers). These waste treatment chemicals, once added to the contaminant comprising emulsion, cause the contaminant to drop out of the emulsion, so that the oil or grease comprising contaminant may be removed (e.g., by skimming or filtering) before the cleaning composition is discharged to waste.
It is of increasing interest, however, to prepare a cleaning composition that does not have to be treated with waste treatment chemicals in order to separate oils and/or greases that have been emulsified in the cleaning composition. This invention, therefore, is directed to a superior cleaning composition that forms emulsions with oil, grease and other non-water soluble waste (contaminants) wherein the waste drops out of the emulsion in the absence of waste treatment chemicals.
DESCRIPTION OF BACKGROUND MATERIAL
Efforts have been disclosed for cleaning contaminants. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,696, a method for laundering oily items in wash solutions is described.
Other efforts have been disclosed for cleaning contaminants. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,618, a detergent composition with a free nonionic surfactant is described.
Still other attempts have been made to clean contaminants. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,465, a foam-controlled detergent with a pulverulent is described.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a first aspect, this invention is directed to a cleaning composition capable of emulsifying a non-water soluble contaminant comprising:
(a) a first surfactant, the first surfactant being a cationic surfactant;
(b) a salt;
(c) with or without, a second surfactant, the second surfactant being a cationic, nonionic, anionic, amphoteric, or zwitterionic surfactant, or mixture thereof; and
(d) with or without, a solvent,
with the provisos that when the anionic surfactant is employed, the anionic surfactant does not react with the cationic surfactant to render the cationic surfactant ineffective, and the cleaning composition does not require a waste treatment chemical to separate the non-water soluble contaminant from the cleaning composition.
In a second aspect, this invention is directed to a method for using the cleaning composition of the first aspect of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
There generally is no limitation with respect to the type of cationic surfactant which may be employed in this invention other than that the surfactant is one which may be used in a cleaning composition. An illustrative list of the cationic surfactants which may be used in this invention include those comprising amino or quaternary ammonium hydrophilic moieties which are positively charged when dissolved in the general purpose cleaning composition of the present invention.
Among the quaternary ammonium-containing surfactants that may be used are quaternary ammonium salts including dialkyldimethylammonium chlorides and trialkylmethylammonium chlorides, wherein the alkyl groups have from about 12 to about 22 carbon atoms and are derived from long-chain fatty acids, such as hydrogenated tallow fatty acid. Examples of quaternary ammonium salts useful in the present invention include ditallowdimethyl ammonium chloride, ditallowdimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, dihexadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, di(hydrogenated tallow) dimethyl ammonium chloride, dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, dieicosyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, didocosyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, di(hydrogenated tallow) dimethyl ammonium acetate, dihexadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, dihexadecyl dimethyl ammonium acetate, ditallow dipropyl ammonium phosphate, ditallow dimethyl ammonium nitrate, di(coconutalkyl) dimethyl ammonium chloride, and stearyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride.
Salts of primary, secondary and tertiary fatty amines may also be used as the cationic surfactant in the general purpose cleaning composition of the present invention. The alkyl groups of such amines preferably have from about 12 to about 22 carbon atoms, and may be substituted or unsubstituted. Secondary and tertiary amines are preferred, and tertiary amines are particularly preferred. Such amines, useful herein, include stearamido propyl dimethyl amine, diethyl amino ethyl stearamide, dimethyl stearamine, dimethyl soyamine, soyamine, myristyl amine, tridecyl amine, theyl stearylamine, N-tallowpropane diamine, ethoxylated (e.g., 5 moles E.O.) stearylamine, dihydoxy ethyl stearylamine, and arachidylbehenylamine. Suitable amine salts include the halogen, acetate, phosphate, nitrate, citrate, lactate and alkyl sulfate salts. Such salts include stearylamine hydrochloride, soyamine chloride, stearylamine formate, N-tallowpropane diamine dichloride and stearamidopropyl dimethylamine citrate.
These types of cationic surfactants are further described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,939,678, 3,959,461, 4,275,055 and 4,387,090, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The most preferred cationic surfactant that may be employed in this invention is, however, a substituted imidazoline of oleic acid, sold under the name Monazoline O and made commercially available from Mona Industries.
There typically is no limitation with respect to the amount of cationic surfactant which may be employed in the invention as long as the amount used results in a general purpose cleaning composition capable of effectively cleaning non-water soluble waste. Often, the amount of cationic surfactant makes up from about 0.2 to about 3.5%, and preferably, from about 0.3 to about 3.0%, and most preferably, from about 0.5 to about 1.5% by weight of the total weight of the cleaning composition, including all ranges subsumed therein.
There is no limitation with respect to the salt which may be used in this invention other than that the salt results in a general purpose cleaning composition capable of effectively cleaning non-water soluble waste. Preferably the metal (cation) portion of the salt which may be used in this invention is a Group IIIa metal (e.g., boron, aluminum or gallium) or a transition metal. In a most preferred embodiment, the metal portion is aluminum or iron.
As to the anion portion of the salt, any anion that is capable of making a salt with the cation may be used. Such an anion (including oxyanions) is often selected from the group consisting of a nitrite, nitrate, sulfite, sulfate, hypochlorite, chlorite, chlorate, hydroxide, chloride, bromide and sulfide. The preferred salts are aluminum or iron sulfate with aluminum sulfate being especially preferred.
There typically is no limitation with respect to the amount of salt used in the present invention as long as the amount used results in a general purpose cleaning composition capable of effectively cleaning non-water soluble waste. Often, the amount of salt is from about 0.5 to about 15.0%, and preferably, from about 1.0 to about 10.0%, and most preferably, from about 1.5 to about 5.0% of the total weight of the cleaning composition, including all ranges subsumed therein.
The nonionic surfactants which may be used in this invention are limited only to the extent that they may be used in the general p
Delcotto Gregory
Diversey Lever Inc.
Squillante, Jr. Edward A.
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