Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – Heterogeneous arrangement
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-12
2003-07-08
Douyon, Lorna M. (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
Heterogeneous arrangement
C510S349000, C510S351000, C510S495000, C510S504000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06589931
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to granular detergent compositions and a process for producing the granular detergents. More particularly, the present invention relates to granular detergent compositions having an improved solubility.
BACKGROUND
Recently, there has been considerable interest within the detergent industry for laundry detergents which have the convenience, aesthetics and solubility of liquid laundry detergent products, but retain the cleaning performance and low cost of granular detergent products. There are some problems associated with past granular detergent compositions with regard to aesthetics, solubility and user convenience. Such problems have been exacerbated by the advent of “compact” or low dosage granular detergent products which typically do not dissolve in washing solutions as well as their liquid laundry detergent counterparts. These low dosage detergents are currently in high demand as they conserve resources and can be sold in small packages which are more convenient for consumers to purchase. But granular detergents are less convenient upon dispensing into the washing machine as compared to liquid laundry detergent which can be simply poured directly from the bottle as opposed to “scooped” from the box and then dispensed into the washing solution.
As mentioned, such low dosage or “compact” detergent products sometimes experience dissolution problems, especially in cold temperature laundering solutions (i.e., less than about 30° C.). More specifically, poor dissolution results in the formation of “clumps” which appear as solid white masses remaining in the washing machine or on the laundered clothes after conventional washing cycles. These “clumps” are especially prevalent under cold temperature washing conditions and when the order of addition to the washing machine is laundry detergent first, clothes second and water last (commonly known as the “Reverse Order Of Addition” or “ROOA”). Such undesirable “clumps” are also formed if the consumer loads the washing machine in the order of clothes, detergent and then water. This clumping phenomenon can contribute to the incomplete dispensing of detergent in washing machines equipped with dispenser drawers or in other dispensing devices, such as a granulette. In this case, the undesired result is undissolved detergent residue in the dispensing device.
The cause of the aforementioned dissolution problem is generally associated with the “bridging” of a “gel-like” substance between surfactant-containing particles to form undesirable “clumps”. However, surfactants are one of the most important ingredients in detergent compositions from cleaning performance standpoint. If reducing the level of surfactants, it may avoid the dissolution problem, but affect the cleaning performance of the product.
Accordingly, the need remains for a granular detergent having an improved solubility with little or no reduction in cleaning performance.
SUMMARY
The present invention is directed to a granular detergent composition comprising from about 0.01% to about 50% by weight of an anionic sulphonate surfactant, from about 0.01% to about 45% by weight of a hydrotrope and from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight of a cationic surfactant. The granular detergent composition is substantially free from an anionic sulphate surfactants.
The granular detergent according to the present invention can provide an improved solubility even in cold water with little of no reduction in cleaning performance. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become evident to those skilled in the art from a reading of the present disclosure with the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following is a list of definitions for terms used herein.
“Comprising” means that other steps and other ingredients which do not affect the end result can be added. This term encompasses the terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of”. All percentages are by weight of total composition unless specifically stated otherwise.
All cited references are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Citation of any reference is not an admission regarding any determination as to its availability as prior art to the claimed invention.
The present invention, in its product aspects, is described in detail as follows.
Anionic Sulphonate Surfactant
An anionic sulphonate surfactant is an essential ingredient for the granular detergent of the present invention. A preferable anionic sulphonate surfactant includes the salts (or optionally the acids) of C5-C20 linear or branched alkyl benzene sulphonates, alkyl ester sulphonates, C6-22 primary or secondary alkane sulphonates, C6-C24 olefin sulphonates, sulphonated polycarboxylic acids, alkyl glycerol sulphonates, preferably derived from alcohols derived from tallow or coconut oil, fatty acid glycerol sulphonates, fatty oleyl glycerol sulphonates, and mixtures thereof.
The cation of the anionic sulphonate surfactant may be any appropriate cations such as sodium potassium, hydrogen, ammonium or alcohol amine, preferably, sodium or potassium.
More preferably, the anionic sulphonate surfactant of the present invention is selected from the group consisting of a sodium or potassium salt of C11-13 branched or linear alkyl benzene sulphonates (LAS), C6-22 primary or secondary paraffine sulphonates (PS), C10-18 methyl ester sulphonates (MES), C6-C24 olefin sulphonates (AOS).
The level of the anionic sulphonate surfactants in the granular detergent composition of the present invention is from about 0.01% to about 50%, preferably, from about 20% to about 50%, more preferably, from about 20% to about 45% by weight of the granular detergent.
The granular detergent composition of the present invention is substantially free of anionic sulphate surfactants. “Substantially free of anionic sulphate surfactants” in the present invention means the level of the anionic sulphate surfactants is less than about 0.001%, preferably, less than about 0.0001%, more preferably, 0%.
Hydrotrope
A hydrotrope is an essential ingredient of the granular detergent composition of the present invention. Detergent granules containing linear alkyl benzene sulphonate as surfactant tend to gel in contact with water and the sticky gel around the granules makes the granules stick to each other and form clumps. Not wanting to be limited by theory, it is believed that the hydrotropes modify the phase behavior of the sulphonate surfactant to a less sticky and less viscous phase and solubilize the sulphonate surfactant more quickly and consequently substantially avoid the formation of clumps or residues during the washing process.
Other suitable hydrotropes for use are described in known texts such as Mitijevic, “Surface and Colloid Science” Plenum Press, vol 15(1993), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Preferably, the hydrotropes of the present invention include sulphonic acid, sulphonate salts, polyethylene glycols, polypropylene glycols and mixtures thereof.
The preferable ionized-salts are the alkali metal, alkaline earthmetal, alkyl amine and ammonium salts of the sulphonic acid. More preferable salts are selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, monoethanolamine sulphonate and mixtures thereof.
More preferably, the hydrotrope is selected from the group consisting of the sulphonic acids and sulphonates of lower chain aromatic hydrocarbons, polyethylene glycols, polypropylene glycols and mixtures thereof.
Preferable sulphonate salts for the hydrotrope of the present invention are, sodium xylene sulphonates, sodium toluene sulphonates, sodium cumene sulphonates, alkyldiphenyloxide disulphonate having an alkyl group chain length of from C 1 to C 10, and mixtures thereof.
The level of the hydrotrope in the granular detergent composition of the present invention is from about 0.01% to about 45%, preferably, from about 0.1% to about 15%, more preferably, from 0.2% to about 10% by weight of the granular detergent composition.
Cationic Surfactants
Cationic surfactants ar
Hidalgo Noe
Ramanan Ganapathysundaram Venkata
Robles Eric S. J.
Shindo Kenji
Corstanje Brahm J.
Douyon Lorna M.
Miller Steven W.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
William Zerby Kim
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