Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Auxiliary compositions for cleaning – or processes of preparing – Detergent builder composition
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-27
2004-12-28
Mullis, Jeffrey (Department: 1711)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Auxiliary compositions for cleaning, or processes of preparing
Detergent builder composition
C510S533000, C525S063000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06835708
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a graft polymer composition and its production process and uses, wherein the graft polymer composition is, for example, suitable for liquid-detergent builders.
B. Background Art
Conventionally, a graft polymer which is, for example, obtained by graft-polymerizing an unsaturated carboxylic monomer (e.g. (meth)acrylic acid) onto a polyether compound is widely used for various purposes (e.g. detergent builders) by utilizing its hydrophilicity, wherein the polyether compound is a product formed by a reaction of addition of an alkylene oxide to such as an alcohol.
As to such a graft polymer, however, in the case where the number of carbon atoms in the alcohol composing the aforementioned polyether compound is large, the amount of the carboxylic acid being introduced is limited, and further the builder performance tends to be insufficient. Therefore, for detergent builders, there have favorably been used a graft polymer which is obtained by using a polyether compound which is a product formed by a reaction of addition of an alkylene oxide to such as an alcohol having a comparatively small number of carbon atoms.
However, this graft polymer (which is obtained by using a polyether compound that is a product formed by a reaction of addition of an alkylene oxide to such as an alcohol having a comparatively small number of carbon atoms) involves problems of having so low compatibility with liquid detergents as to be difficult to apply to the liquid detergents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A. Object of the Invention
An object of the present invention is to provide a graft polymer composition and its production process and uses, wherein the graft polymer composition is good both in the builder performance and in the compatibility with liquid detergents.
B. Disclosure of the Invention
As a result of diligent study, the present inventors have attained the present invention by finding out that a means of making it possible to satisfy both the builder performance and the compatibility with liquid detergents is to mix at least two graft polymers together wherein between the at least two graft polymers there is a difference of not less than a certain value in number of carbon atoms which compose each structural unit located at both ends of the main chain of each graft polymer. Specifically, a graft polymer (I), having a main chain containing a small number of carbon atoms which compose each structural unit located at ends, has high builder performance by nature, and its inferiority in the compatibility with liquid detergents is solved by the excellent compatibility of a graft polymer (II) having a main chain containing a large number of carbon atoms which compose each structural unit located at ends, whereby the high builder performance of the graft polymer (I) is sufficiently exhibited. On the other hand, the graft polymer (II), having a main chain containing a large number of carbon atoms which compose each structural unit located at ends, by nature cannot be said to have high builder performance, but even if the graft polymer (II) coexists with the graft polymer (I) having a main chain containing a small number of carbon atoms which compose each structural unit located at ends, the graft polymer (II) does not dilute the high builder performance of the graft polymer (I). Therefore, if there is allowed to coexist the graft polymer (I) having a main chain containing a small number of carbon atoms which compose each structural unit located at ends and the graft polymer (II) having a main chain containing a large number of carbon atoms which compose each structural unit located at ends, then it becomes possible to satisfy both the builder performance and the compatibility with liquid detergents.
Thus, a graft polymer composition, according to the present invention, comprises at least two graft polymers obtained by a process including the step of graft-polymerizing a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer component onto a main chain including a polyether portion, wherein the monoethylenically unsaturated monomer component includes an unsaturated carboxylic monomer as an essential component. And this graft polymer composition is characterized in that there is a difference of not less than 3 in number of carbon atoms in the end structural unit when the number of carbon atoms which compose each structural unit located at both ends of the main chain is compared between two of the at least two graft polymers under the following conditions (i) and (ii) where:
(i) a portion ranging from an extremely located ether bond portion to an end is defined as the end structural unit, and when there is a difference in number of carbon atoms between both end structural units of each polymer, whichever is larger is defined as the number of carbon atoms in the end structural unit; and
(ii) when an end is a structural unit derived from an alkylene oxide, the number of carbon atoms in this end structural unit is defined as zero.
Specifically, to put the above plainly, the graft polymer composition, according to the present invention, is characterized in that there is a difference of not less than 3 in “number of carbon atoms in the end structural unit” between two of the aforementioned at least two graft polymers, wherein the “number of carbon atoms in the end structural unit” is defined as follows:
(1) a portion ranging from an extremely located ether bond portion to an end is defined as the end structural unit;
(2) when there is a difference in number of carbon atoms between both end structural units of each of the two graft polymers, whichever is larger is defined as the “number of carbon atoms in the end structural unit”; and
(3) when an end is a structural unit derived from an alkylene oxide, the “number of carbon atoms in this end structural unit” is defined as zero.
A first production process for a graft polymer composition, according to the present invention, comprises the step of adding a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer component to a mixture of at least two polyether compounds in order to graft-polymerize the monoethylenically unsaturated monomer component at the same time onto the at least two polyether compounds, wherein the monoethylenically unsaturated monomer component includes an unsaturated carboxylic monomer as an essential component; wherein there is a difference of not less than 3 in number of carbon atoms in the end structural unit when the number of carbon atoms which compose each structural unit located at both ends is compared between the at least two polyether compounds under the above conditions (i) and (ii).
A second production process for a graft polymer composition, according to the present invention, comprises the step of blending graft polymers (A) and (A′) together, wherein:
the graft polymer (A) is obtained by graft-polymerizing a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer component onto a polyether compound (a), wherein the monoethylenically unsaturated monomer component includes an unsaturated carboxylic monomer as an essential component; and
the graft polymer (A′) is obtained by graft-polymerizing a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer component onto a polyether compound (a′), wherein the monoethylenically unsaturated monomer component includes an unsaturated carboxylic monomer as an essential component;
wherein there is a difference of not less than 3 in number of carbon atoms in the end structural unit when the number of carbon atoms which compose each structural unit located at both ends is compared between the polyether compounds (a) and (a′) under the above conditions (i) and (ii).
A liquid-detergent builder, according to the present invention, comprises the aforementioned graft polymer composition according to the present invention as an essential component.
A liquid detergent composition, according to the present invention, comprises the aforementioned graft polymer composition according to the present invention as an essential component.
These and other objects and the advantag
Nakamura Jun-ichi
Saeki Takuya
Yamaguchi Shigeru
Mullis Jeffrey
Nippon Shokubai Co. , Ltd.
Roylance Abrams Berdo & Goodman L.L.P.
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