Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-12
2001-05-22
Fries, Kery (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S305000, C510S306000, C510S309000, C510S372000, C510S376000, C510S477000, C510S530000, C008S137000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06235697
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to laundry detergent compositions having enhanced whitening and stain removal benefits. More particularly, this invention relates to laundry detergent compositions containing among other components, a combination of an endo-cellulase enzyme, a protease enzyme and polyacrylate polymer, and which is particularly effective for providing enhanced whitening and stain removal benefits to soiled fabrics.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cellulase enzymes and protease enzymes are known components of laundry detergent compositions which chemically decompose stains and provide improved cleaning of washed fabrics. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,858,948 describes laundry detergent compositions wherein the combination of a protease enzyme with a modified polyamine cotton soil release agent provides improved cleaning and soil release benefits.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,950 the inclusion of lipase enzyme in combination with a proteolytic enzyme and a surfactant is said to provide dingy soil clean-up and whiteness maintenance benefits. The protease enzymes are described as providing from 0.005 to 0.1 Anson units of activity per gram of composition.
In U.S. Statutory Invention Registration H1513 there is described a detergent composition containing a defined fatty acid amide surfactant in combination with oleoyl sarcosinate to provide improved soil and stain removal from fabrics. Enzymes selected from among protease, cellulase and lipase enzymes are optional additives to the detergent composition to remove protein-based, carbohydrate-based or triglyceride-based stains, as well as for preventing dye transfer, and for fabric restoration.
Endo-type alkaline cellulases are a known class of cellulase enzyme which may be included as an ingredient in detergent compositions. Japanese Patent Abstracts corresponding to JP 402255898A (Oct. 16, 1990) and JP 3612802760A (Dec. 10, 1986) filed in the name of Kao Corp. describe a bacterial strain capable of producing endo-type alkaline cellulase enzymes for use in detergent compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,327 relates to an aqueous liquid detergent composition containing a defined endoglucanase cellulase enzyme and a proteolytic enzyme. The resulting enzymatic detergent composition is said to provide in-wash stability of the cellulase enzyme.
While laundry detergent compositions containing protease, cellulase and/or lipase enzymes have been extensively described in the patent literature, there remains a need in the art for improving and enhancing the whitening and stain removal benefits capable of being provided to fabrics laundered with commercial detergent compositions containing enzymes for purposes of stain removal.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a laundry detergent composition which provides enhanced whitening and stain removal benefits to washed laundry comprising:
a) from about 1% to about 50%, by weight, of a surfactant or surfactant mixture selected from the group consisting of anionic and nonionic surfactants;
b) a protease enzyme in an amount sufficient to provide from at least about 0.030 to about 3.0 Kilo Novo Protease Units (KNPU) of activity of protease enzyme per gram of detergent composition;
c) a cellulase enzyme of the endoglucanase type in an amount sufficient to provide from about 0.5 to about 100 CMC units per gram of detergent composition; said detergent composition being free of an endoglucanase enzyme which is produced from Thermomonospora fusca; and
d) from about 0.5% to about 10%, by weight, of an acrylic acid-based polymer or copolymer in an amount effective to provide soil suspension and/or anti-redeposition benefits in the wash bath.
In accordance with the process of the invention laundering of stained or soiled fabrics is effected by washing the fabrics to be laundered in an aqueous wash solution containing an effective amount of the above-described laundry detergent composition.
The present invention is predicated on the discovery that the combination of protease enzyme, endo-cellulase enzyme and acrylic acid-based polymer or copolymer in detergent composition in accordance with the invention provides surprisingly effective stain removal and whitening significantly better than would be expected by the levels of enzyme in the composition itself. In particular, it has been discovered that when protease enzyme is provided in a detergent composition at a level greater than about 0.06 Anson units of activity per gram of composition, the resultant combination of protease and endo-cellulase enzyme provides a synergistic whitening effect in the presence of an acrylate-based polymer such as sodium polyacrylate.
One Novo Protease Units (NPU) is the amount of enzyme which hydrolyzes casein at such a rate that the initial rate of formation of peptides/minute corresponds to 1 micromole of glycine/minute. 1 KNPU (Kilo NPU) equals 1000 NPU.
For purposes of making comparisons, 3 KNPU are approximately equal to 1 Anson unit (AU). One KNPU corresponds to about 80,000 Alkaline Delft Units or about 80 Properase Units (PU) or about 2.5 Genencor Subtilisin Units (GSU).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
The term “cellulase enzyme” as used in the present specification refers to those enzyme compositions derived from fungal sources or microorganisms genetically modified so as to incorporate and express all or part of the cellulase genes obtained from a fungal source (“fungal cellulases”) or bacterial sources of cellulase. Fungi and bacteria capable of providing cellulase enzymes which are useful in detergent compositions are well documented in the literature.
Cellulases are known to be comprised of several enzyme classifications having different substrate specificity, enzymatic action patterns and the like. For example, cellulases can contain cellulase classifications which include endoglucanases and exocellobiohydrolases. For purposes of the present invention, the term “endo-cellulase” refers to those cellulase enzymes and enzyme-containing compositions which comprise at least 50% endoglucanase type components among other cellulose degrading cellulase components.
Most cellulases generally have their optimum activity in the acidic or neutral pH range although some fungal cellulases are known to possess significant activity under neutral and slightly alkaline conditions. Optimum activity of an enzyme is ordinarily a function of both pH and temperature.
The activity of endo-cellulase enzyme are generally measured using traditional biochemical activity tests based on the ability of the cellulase enzyme in question to hydrolyze soluble cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) thereby reducing the viscosity of CMC-containing solutions.
One carboxymethyl cellulose unit (CMCU) is the amount of enzyme which acts on carboxymethyl cellulose (CM) to form sugars at such a rate that the rate of formation of glucose/minute corresponds to 1.0 micromoles/minute. One CMCU corresponds to one International Unit (IU).
For purposes of the present invention, the amount of endo-cellulose enzyme in the laundry detergent composition is from about 0.5 to about 100 CMC units per gram of composition. Preferred activity levels range from about 1 to 25 CMC units per gram, and most preferably from about 1 to 10 CMC units per gram.
The protease enzymes used in the compositions of the invention are present at levels sufficient to provide at least about 0.030 to about 3.0 KNPU of activity per gram of composition, preferably from about 0.06 to about 0.5 KNPU per gram, and most preferably from about 0.06 to about 0.1 KNPU per gram of composition. Protease enzyme may be of animal, vegetable or microorganism origin. Suitable proteolytic include the many species known to be adapted for use in detergent compositions. Especially useful commercial enzyme preparations for the present invention include Alcalase®, Esperase® and Savinase® sold by Novo Industries, Denmark, and Maxatase®, Maxacal®, Purafect®, and Properase® sold by Genecor International.
The acrylic acid-based polymers which are useful for the com
Hepler Barbara
Holmgren Mary
Knorr Joseph Robert
Colgate-Palmolive Co.
Fries Kery
Lieberman Bernard
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