Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Auxiliary compositions for cleaning – or processes of preparing – Soil-release or antisoiling composition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-30
2001-10-30
Hardee, John (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Auxiliary compositions for cleaning, or processes of preparing
Soil-release or antisoiling composition
C510S475000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06310031
ABSTRACT:
It has long been recognized that personal care products such as hair and skin care products can cause serious staining problems on fabrics during laundering. When these products are inadvertently spilled on a fabric, they are generally not visible. During the laundering process, however, the area containing the personal care product tends to attract soil and dyes. Thus, after laundering, the area containing the personal care product becomes visible. This staining problem is particularly prevalent when the laundry detergent primarily contains nonionic surfactants as the active cleaning agent.
The staining problem is also exacerbated by high soil loading conditions that are typical in European markets. In these markets, low water volume front-loading washing machines are typical causing a high soil loading condition, particularly when compared to North American soil loading conditions due to the larger water volume machines.
After extensive investigation, it has been found that those personal care compositions that contain polyquaternary ingredients contribute to the staining phenomenon. As an example, it has been found that polyquaternary compounds such as Polyquaternium 4, 7, 16, and the like contribute to this problem. It has also been found that polysulfonated materials will prevent substantial soil redeposition on fabric that has been stained with polyquaternary compounds.
A laundry detergent that contained sulfonated styrene maleic anhydride (“SSMA”) in an amount from about 1.9% to about 2.0% by weight of the total detergent composition was commercially available in North America and Japan in the early 1990s. The use dosages of these detergents, however, provided a SSMA concentration of less than 20 ppm in the wash liquor. This level would not provide an amount of the SSMA effective to prevent soil redeposition on fabric.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method of removing polyquaternary compounds from fabric during laundering by providing an effective amount of a sulfonated material. The term effective amount refers to an amount of sulfonated material in the wash solution that will prevent substantially all redeposition of soil on the fabric and, in particular on fabric stained with one or more polyquaternary compounds.
The method includes adding a laundry detergent to wash water to form a wash liquid or liquor and providing an effective amount of a sulfonated material selected from the group of sulfonated and polysulfonated polymers, sulfonated and polysulfonated copolymers, and mixtures thereof. The sulfonated material preferably contains a degree of sulfonation greater than about 10%. Desirably, the sulfonated material is present in the wash solution (liquor) in amount from about 30 ppm to about 300 ppm, preferably from about 60 ppm to about 150 ppm.
It is believed that the sulfonated material can be incorporated with any suitable laundry detergent. It has been found, however, that the greatest benefit to the use of the sulfonated material is achieved when it is incorporated in a laundry detergent that primarily contains a nonionic surfactant as the main cleaning agent.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a detergent composition containing a sulfonated material that is effective in reducing or eliminating the redeposition of soil on fabrics during laundering as a result of the presence of polyquaternary compounds.
The present invention also contemplates a wash liquor composition containing a laundry detergent composition and from about 30 ppm to about 300 ppm, preferably from about 60 ppm to about 150 ppm of a sulfonated material, wherein the sulfonated material is effective in preventing substantially all soil redeposition on fabric stained by one or more polyquaternary compounds. In general, the wash liquor contains from about 500 ppm to about 10,000 ppm laundry detergent, preferably from about 1,000 to about 7,000, more preferably from about 2,000 to about 4,000 ppm.
All percentages, ratios and proportions herein are on a weight basis unless otherwise indicated. All percentages herein are on a total weight basis unless otherwise indicated. All documents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method of inhibiting redeposition of soils on polyquaternary compounds on fabrics during laundering. In general, the method includes adding a laundry detergent to wash water to form a wash liquor and providing an effective amount of a sulfonated material selected from the group of sulfonated polymers, polysulfonated polymers, sulfonated copolymers, polysulfonated copolymers, and mixtures thereof.
The method also includes incorporating an amount of a sulfonated material into a laundry detergent such that the amount of the sulfonated material in the wash liquor is in an amount effective to inhibit the redeposition of soils and dyes on fabrics during washing as a result of polyquaternary compounds present on those fabrics. In general, the sulfonated material is incorporated with the laundry detergent in an amount to provide from about 30 ppm to about 300 ppm of the sulfonated material in the wash liquor.
In this embodiment, it is believed that the sulfonated material can be incorporated into any suitable detergent. Because it has been found that the redeposition of soils onto polyquaternary compounds on fabrics is less when the laundry detergent primarily contains anionic surfactants as the main cleaning agent, the sulfonated material is desirably incorporated with laundry detergents that primarily contain nonionic surfactants as the main cleaning agent. Suitable examples of such detergents are described in assignee's U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,429,765; 4,456,854; 5,496,486; 5,635,467; 5,714,450; 5,714,451; 5,714,452; and 5,714,456, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
It is believed that sulfonated materials will be effective in inhibiting the redeposition of soil and dyes on fabrics after one or more polyquaternary compounds have been deposited on a fabric. It is also believed that the degree of sulfonation affects the effectiveness of the inhibition and removal properties. In other words, it is believed that a polysulfonated material will exhibit better soil inhibition and removal performance than will a monosulfonated material.
In fact, low molecular weight sulfonated hydrotropes such as sodium xylene sulfonate, sodium cumene sulfonate and sodium toluene sulfonate at levels of about 110 ppm did not provide the beneficial results achieved by the sulfonated material of the present invention. In addition, it has been found that polymers with a low level of sulfonation (on the order of less than 10% of the monomer as sulfonate) did not provide the sought after results. Therefore, the present invention contemplates the use of sulfonated materials wherein the degree of sulfonation is greater than 10%.
It should, however, be noted that when an anionic surfactant is present in the wash liquor at a level of greater than about 300 ppm, the problem of soil redeposition on the fabric as a result of the presence of polyquaternary compounds is reduced if not altogether eliminated. Thus, in this embodiment, the present invention is primarily directed to the use of laundry detergents containing primarily nonionic detergents, and preferably containing nonionic detergents as the sole surfactant.
Preferred sulfonated materials for use in the present invention include polymers containing sulfonated styrene moieties, i.e., alone, or as a copolymer with moieties derived from maleic anhydride, i.e.,
alone, or as a copolymer with moieties derived from maleic anhydride, i.e.,
Where the sulfonated styrene moieties and maleic anhydride are copolymers, it is preferred that the sulfonated styrene moieties exceed the moieties derived from the maleic anhydride.
Preferably, the copolymers contain a mole ratio of styrene moieties to maleic anhydride derived moieties of from about 1:5 to about 5:1 and preferably about 1:3 to about 3:1, and possess a molecular we
Amway Corporation
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Hardee John
Nichols G. Peter
LandOfFree
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