Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-21
2002-11-12
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...
C510S309000, C510S310000, C510S311000, C510S312000, C510S336000, C510S340000, C510S341000, C510S350000, C510S351000, C510S356000, C510S360000, C510S499000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06479451
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to laundry detergent compositions comprising one or more hydrophobically modified polyamines and nonionic surfactants which provide enhanced hydrophilic soil, inter alia, clay, removal benefits. The present invention also relates to methods for removing hydrophilic soil form wearing apparel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Fabric, especially clothing, can become soiled with a variety of foreign substances ranging from hydrophobic stains (grease, oil) to hydrophilic stains (clay). The level of cleaning which is necessary to remove said foreign substances depends to a large degree upon the amount of stain present and the degree to which the foreign substance has contacted the fabric fibers. Grass stains usually involve direct abrasive contact with vegetative matter thereby producing highly penetrating stains. Clay soil stains, although in some instances contacting the fabric fibers with less force, nevertheless provide a different type of soil removal problem due to the high degree of charge associated with the clay itself. This high surface charge density may act to repel some laundry adjunct ingredients, inter alia, clay dispersants, thereby resisting any appreciable peptization and dispersal of the clay into the laundry liquor.
A surfactant per se is not all that is necessary to remove unwanted clay soils and stains. In fact, most surfactants by themselves in water are surprisingly poor at removing clay soils from fabric. not all surfactants work equally well on all types of stains. In addition to surfactants, polyamine-based hydrophilic soil dispersants are added to laundry detergent compositions to “carry away” clay soils from the fabric surface and to stabilize the removed particles in solution sufficiently to minimize the possibility that the clay soil will be re-deposited upon the fabric. However, unless the clay can be initially removed from the soiled fabric, especially in the case of hydrophilic fibers, inter alia, cotton, there will be nothing in solution for the dispersants to bind to and keep suspended.
There is a long felt need in the art for laundry detergent compositions which can effectively break up and remove embedded clay and other hydrophilic soils from fabric. In addition, as the concentration of hydrophilic soil increases in the laundry liquor, there is a need for a surfactant system which will be able to handle this increased soil load. Also there is a long felt need for a clay soil active adjunct ingredient which can be optimized to fit the particular laundry detergent embodiment, inter alia, granular, liquid, and which can be therefore tailored to match the surfactant system. There has further been a long felt need for a method for cleaning hydrophilic soils from fabric wherein the hydrophilic soils are effectively peptized, dispersed, and suspended in the laundry liquor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now been surprisingly discovered that laundry detergent compositions comprising fully quaternized polyethoxylated polyamines wherein said polyethoxy units are capped with at least one anionic unit, and wherein the polyamine backbone is comprised of relatively hydrophobic backbone spacer units, said polyamines can be hydrophobically modified by the selection of certain quaternizing units to provide enhanced removal of soils from clothing. The laundry detergent compositions of the present invention are especially effective in removal of clay and other hydrophilic soils from fabric. When used together with a suitable surfactant system, the hydrophobically modified polyamines of the present invention provide for removal of stains which were once believed ruinous to fabric, especially cellulose comprising fabric.
The first aspect of the present invention relates to laundry detergent compositions comprising:
A) from about 0.01%, preferably from about 0.1%, more preferably from about 1%, most preferably from about 3% to about 50%, preferably to about 20%, more preferably to about 10%, most preferably to about 7% by weight, of a hydrophobically modified polyamine having the formula:
wherein R is C
5
-C
20
linear or branched alkylene, and mixtures thereof; R
1
is an alkyleneoxy unit having the formula:
—(R
2
O)
x
—R
3
wherein R
2
C
2
-C
4
linear or branched alkylene, and mixtures thereof, at least one R
3
is an anionic unit, and the remaining R
3
moieties are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C
1
-C
22
alkyl, C
7
-C
22
alkylenearyl, an anionic unit, and mixtures thereof; x is from about 15 to about 30; Q is a hydrophobic quaternizing unit selected from the group consisting of C
8
-C
30
linear or branched alkyl, C
6
-C
30
cycloalkyl, C
7
-C
30
substituted or unsubstituted alkylenearyl, and mixtures thereof; X is an anion present in sufficient amount to provide electronic neutrality; n is from 0 to 4;
B) from about 0.01% by weight, of a surfactant system comprising one or more nonionic surfactants; and
C) the balance carriers and adjunct ingredients.
The present invention further relates to a zwitterionic polyamine in combination with a high nonionic surfactant detersive surfactant system. The high nonionic surfactant systems of the present invention comprise:
i) from about 85% to about 99.9% by weight, of one or more nonionic surfactants;
ii) optionally, from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, of one or more anionic surfactants;
iii) optionally from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, of one or more cationic surfactants;
iv) optionally from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, of one or more zwitterionic surfactants;
v) optionally from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, of one or more ampholytic surfactants; or
vi) mixtures thereof.
The present invention also relates to a method for cleaning fabric, said method comprising the step of contacting an article of manufacture comprising fabric, preferably clothing, with an aqueous solution of a laundry detergent composition comprising a hydrophobically modified polyamine and a high nonionic surfactant system of the present invention.
These and other objects, features and advantages will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from a reading of the following detailed description and the appended claims. All percentages, ratios and proportions herein are by weight, unless otherwise specified. All temperatures are in degrees Celsius (° C.) unless otherwise specified. All documents cited are in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to hydrophobically modified quaternized zwitterionic polyamines which are suitable for use in laundry detergent compositions which comprise only nonionic surfactants or which comprise a surfactant system which is high in nonionic surfactants. The hydrophobically modified zwitterionic polyamines of the present invention provide enhanced body soil and perspiration soil removal benefits.
It has been surprisingly discovered that hydrophobically modified quaternized zwitterionic polyamines in combination with high levels of nonionic surfactants have increased effectiveness when treating fabric which is soiled with human body oils, perspiration, etc. Without wishing to be limited by theory, the hydrophobically modified quaternary zwitterionic polyamines of the present invention have an unexpected balance of properties which makes the compounds amenable to penetrating fabric to solublize greasy, oily stains, while maintaining water solubility, and preserving the particulate soil suspension properties needed to direct the dirt away from the fabric thereby avoiding re-deposition. In addition, the hydrophobically modified zwitterionic polyamines of the present invention reinforce the cleaning actions of high nonionic surfactant comprising cleaning systems.
For the purposes of the present invention the term “high level of nonionic surfactant” is defined as “a surfactant system comprising from about 85%, preferably from about 90%, more preferably from about 95% by weight to about 99.9% by weight, of one or more nonionic surfactants” as describe
Delcotto Gregory
Echler Sr. Richard S.
McBride James F.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
Zerby Kim W.
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