Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-04
2001-05-08
Ogden, Necholus (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S424000, C510S426000, C510S428000, C568S458000, C568S882000, C560S076000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06228829
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to granular products which include mid-chain branched surfactants and which also include a conventional detergent additive.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The developer and formulator of surfactants for granular detergents must consider a wide variety of possibilities with limited (sometimes inconsistent) information, and then strive to provide overall improvements in one or more of a whole array of criteria, including performance in the presence of free calcium in complex mixtures of surfactants and polymers, e.g. cationic polymers, trends to low wash temperatures, formulation changes, enzymes , various changes in consumer habits and practices, and the need for biodegradability.
Further, granular compositions should employ materials that enhance the dissolution, or rate of product mixing, with water. Further, granular detergents should employ materials that enhance the tolerance of the system to hardness, especially to avoid the precipitation of the calcium salts of anionic surfactants. Precipitation of the calcium salts of anionic surfactants is known to cause unsightly deposits on fabrics, especially dark fabrics. In addition, precipitation of surfactants can lead to losses in performance as a result of the lower level of available cleaning agent. In the context provided by these preliminary remarks, the development of improved surfactants for use in granular laundry detergents is clearly a complex challenge. The present invention relates to improvements in such surfactant compositions.
It is an aspect of the present invention to provide mixtures of the mid-chain branched primary alkyl surfactants which are formulatable with other surfactants to provide cleaning compositions having one or more advantages, including increased resistance to water hardness, greater efficacy in surfactant systems, improved removal of greasy or particulate body soils, and the like.
BACKGROUND ART
U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,556, EP 439,316, EP 684,300, EP 439,316, U.S. Pat. No. 3,480,556, R. G. Laughlin in “The Aqueous Phase Behavior of Surfactants”, Academic Press, N.Y. (1994), Finger et al., “Detergent alcohols—the effect of alcohol structure and molecular weight on surfactant properties”, J. Amer. Oil Chemists' Society, Vol. 44, Technical Bulletin, Shell Chemical Co., SC: 364-80, EP 342,917 A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,823, GB 1,399,966, G.B. Patent 1,299,966, EP 401,462 A, K. R. Wormuth and S. Zushma, Langmuir, Vol. 7, (1991), pp 2048-2053, R. Varadaraj et al., J. Phys. Chem., Vol. 95, (1991), pp 1671-1676, Varadaraj et al., J. Colloid and Interface Sci., Vol. 140, (1990), pp 31-34, Varadaraj et al., Langmuir, Vol. 6 (1990), pp 1376-1378, U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,989, U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,933, U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,038, Surfactant Science Series, Marcel Dekker, N.Y., CEH Marketing Research Report “Detergent Alcohols” by R. F. Modler et al., Chemical Economics Handbook, 1993, 609.5000-609.5002; Kirk Othmer's Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 4th Edition, Wiley, N.Y., 1991, “Alcohols, Higher Aliphatic” in Vol. 1, pp 865-913 and references therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a granular compositions comprising a mid-chain branched surfactants and a conventional detergent adjuvant.
Specifically, the present invention comprises a granular detergent composition comprising:
i) from about 0.001% to about 99.9% by weight of a conventional detergent additive; and
ii) from about 0.1% to about 99.999% by weight of a surfactant system comprising a branched surfactant mixture, said branched surfactant mixture comprising mid-chain branched and linear surfactant compounds, said linear compounds comprising 25% or less by weight of the branched surfactant mixture;
wherein the mid-chain branched surfactant compounds are of the formula:
A
b
—B
wherein:
A
b
is a hydrophobic moiety having from about 10 to about 18 total carbons divided between a longest chain and at least one short chain, the longest chain being in the range of from about 9 to about 17 carbon atoms, there being one or more C
1
-C
3
alkyl moieties branching from the longest chain, provided that at least one of the branching alkyl moieties is attached directly to a carbon of the longest linear carbon chain at a position within the range of position 3 carbon, counting from carbon #1 which is attached to the —B moiety, to position &ohgr;-2 carbon, wherein &ohgr; is the terminal carbon; B is a hydrophilic moiety selected from the group consisting of OSO
3
M, (EO/PO)mOH, (EO/PO)mOSO
3
M and mixtures thereof, wherein EO/PO are alkoxy moieties selected from the group consisting of ethoxy, propoxy, and mixtures thereof, wherein m is at least about 0.01 to about 30 and M is hydrogen or a salt forming cation; provided that the average total number of carbon atoms in the A
b
moiety in the branched surfactant mixture is within the range of from about 12 to 14.5, and wherein further said composition is in the form of a granule.
In a second embodiment the present invention also includes a granular bleaching detergent. Specifically, the present invention additionally comprises a granular bleaching detergent composition, comprising:
i) from about 0.1% to about 30% by weight of a bleach;
ii) from about 0.1% to about 99.99% by weight of a surfactant system comprising a branched surfactant mixture, said branched surfactant mixture comprising mid-chain branched and linear surfactant compounds, said linear compounds comprising 25% or less by weight of the branched surfactant mixture;
wherein the mid-chain branched surfactant compounds are of the formula:
A
b
—B
wherein:
A
b
is a hydrophobic moiety having from about 10 to about 18 total carbons divided between a longest chain and at least one short chain, the longest chain being in the range of from about 9 to about 17 carbon atoms, there being one or more C
1
-C
3
alkyl moieties branching from the longest chain, provided that at least one of the branching alkyl moieties is attached directly to a carbon of the longest linear carbon chain at a position within the range of position 3 carbon, counting from carbon #1 which is attached to the —B moiety, to position &ohgr;-2 carbon, wherein &ohgr; is the terminal carbon;
B is a hydrophilic moiety selected from the group consisting of OSO
3
M, (EO/PO)mOH, (EO/PO)mOSO
3
M and mixtures thereof, wherein EO/PO are alkoxy moieties selected from the group consisting of ethoxy, propoxy, and mixtures thereof, wherein m is at least about 0.01 to about 30 and M is hydrogen or a salt forming cation; provided that the average total number of carbon atoms in the A
b
moiety in the branched surfactant mixture is within the range of from about 12 to 14.5; and
(iii) from about 0.1% to about 60% of a bleach activator, and wherein further said composition is in the form of a granule.
In a third embodiment the present invention also includes a method of bleaching fabrics by administering an effective amount of a granular bleaching detergent composition as hereinbefore defined.
In a fourth embodiment the present invention also includes a method for cleaning fabric by administering an effective amount of a granular detergent compositions as hereinbefore defined.
These and other aspects, features and advantages will be apparent from the following description and the appended claims.
All percentages, ratios and proportions herein are on a weight basis unless otherwise indicated. All documents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The granular compositions of this invention comprise a surfactant system comprising a branched surfactant mixture comprising linear and mid-chain branched surfactants. The essential and optional components of the surfactant mixture and other optional materials of the detergent compositions herein, as well as composition form, preparation and use, are described in greater detail as follows: (All concentrations and ratios are on a weight basis unless otherwise specified.)
Specifically, the present invention comprises a granular detergent composition
Connor Daniel Stedman
Cripe Thomas Anthony
Stidham Robert Emerson
Vinson Phillip Kyle
Willman Kenneth William
Cook C. Brant
Ogden Necholus
Robinson Ian S.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
William Zerby Kim
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