Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – Process of making a soap containing composition by...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-29
2002-04-30
Hardee, John (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
Process of making a soap containing composition by...
C510S344000, C510S438000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06380153
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for the production of surfactant compositions, in particular, to a process whereby surfactants, emollients and abrasive agents are created from the addition of natural plant materials to a triglyceride saponification reaction or a free fatty acid reduction reaction.
2. Description of Prior Art
The saponification of triglycerides to make carboxylate salts for use as surfactants is well known in the art. The carboxylate salts resulting from this saponification have been demonstrated to be effective in removing oils, dirt and other substances from surfaces. Many improvements to this basic surfactant composition have also been made.
For instance, it has been demonstrated that alkoxylation of triglycerides and the subsequent saponification of this reaction product give carboxylate salts that are milder on epidermal tissue, without losing the desired surfactant qualities. U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,045 discloses a method for alkoxylating triglycerides by reacting an alkylene oxide, such as ethylene oxide, with a triglyceride having the formula:
to create an alkoxylated triglyceride of the formula:
where R stands for the fatty acid portion of the triglyceride containing from about 6 to about 30 carbon atoms, n is from 2 to 4 and p
1
, p
2
and p
3
are each from about 1 to about 50, preferably 1 to 15. As noted above, the saponification product of this alkoxylated triglyceride has improved mildness. It would be desirable to create an equally or surpassingly mild surfactant composition in which the quality of the surfactant is also improved. The invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,386,045 does not, however, meet that objective.
Other improvements in the process for creating surfactant compositions involve placing certain stresses on the saponification process and utilizing equipment that improves the rate and yield of saponification. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,397,760 and 4,772,434, among others, describe means for increasing the speed with which the saponification process proceeds. These steps increase the complexity of the saponification process without increasing the qualities of the surfactant composition products. Though increasing yield and rate of saponification and reduction are certainly good objectives, it would be desirable to improve the resultant surfactant composition while retaining the simplicity of the saponification process.
Free fatty acid molecules can also be reacted to create carboxylate salts, and a mixture of the reaction products of triglyceride saponification and free fatty acids has been found to make a good surfactant composition. U.S. Pat. No. 5,990,074 describes a process whereby free fatty acids and triglycerides are combined and the resulting solution is then reacted with an alkali base catalyst. This simultaneously saponifies the triglycerides and neutralizes the free fatty acids, creating a mixture of carboxylate products in an essentially one-step reaction. U.S. Pat. No. 5,990,074 states as its objective the creation of a cost saving reaction that will result in a product having carboxylates from both neutralization and saponification. This does not, however, increase the surfactant quality of the resulting surfactant composition, since it is made only of carboxylate ions, and it does not improve the emollient nature of the surfactant composition. It would be desirable to create a similarly simple process, though improving it such that higher quality surfactants, emollients and abrasive agents are also produced. Creating such agents from a triglyceride saponification and/or free fatty acid reaction would improve the resulting surfactant composition while retaining the simplicity of the reaction.
Partial saponification of alkoxylated triglycerides, with retention of all saponification products, has been demonstrated to increase the emollient nature of the resulting surfactant composition. U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,509 discloses a method of producing surfactant compositions with increased moisturizing characteristics. This is accomplished by saponifying an alkoxylated triglyceride mixture with alkali base catalyst in a molar ratio of 1:1 to 1:2.5. To fully saponify a mole of triglyceride, the molar ratio of triglyceride to alkali base would have to be at least 1:3, allowing enough hydroxide molecules to cleave the three bonds on each triglyceride molecule. Such partial saponification leaves mono- and diglycerides in the final surfactant composition, and these are collected along with the surfactant carboxylate salts. The mono- and diglycerides retain moisture, adding an emollient nature to the surfactant composition. This method does not, however, create improved surfactants with better cleaning characteristics, and it does not create mechanical agents that can act abrasively to more effectively remove unwanted materials from epidermal tissue.
It is also well known in the art to utilize synthetic surfactants that, among other characteristics, improve the cleaning capabilities of surfactant compositions. For instance, alkanesulfonates and alkyl hydrogen sulfates are often used in soaps to increase the surfactant nature. These synthetic surfactants are often damaging to epidermal tissues and in many cases can contribute to the development of chronic dermatitis. Likewise, silicates and minerals added to soap products as surfactants and as mechanical agents to remove unwanted substances can also damage epidermal tissues. It would be desirable to create surfactant compositions in which the improved surfactants and mechanical agents do not damage epidermal tissue. It would be even more desirable to create such improved surfactant compositions where the additional agents actually improve the condition of epidermal tissue.
In addition to potentially harmful effects on epidermal tissues, the production of many synthetic and natural surfactant, mechanical and emollient additives increases the complexity of surfactant composition production. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,129,520 and 4,075,234 involve the creation of carboxylate salts from organic acids through the use of alkyl nitriles. These processes require that the excess alkyl nitrile then be removed before the surfactants can be utilized. This adds steps to the saponification process and, thus, the cost of processing. Commonly utilized alkanesulfonates and other synthetic additives also must be created in additional steps, and are often expensive to synthesize.
Another example of this increase of complexity has been seen in a process for creating alkyl pentosides derived from wheat by-products, which are then added to natural or synthetic surfactant compositions. U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,930 discloses such a process. In that process, the main ingredient for creating alkyl pentosides is wheat fiber, which is described as any material derived from the transformation of wheat, namely bran and some starches. The bran is composed of hemicellulose, which is in turn made up of xylose and arabinose monomers and cellulose. Using wheat straw is also described. The disclosed process involves reacting this wheat fiber or straw with aqueous acid solution for a period of time at a described temperature in order to make a pentose syrup. The residual wheat pulp is strained from the syrup, and the pentose syrup is then further reacted with an alcohol of between 6 and 22 carbon atoms. The resulting surfactant pentosides are then separated from the solution and added to another surfactant composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,930 states as an object the production of surfactant agents from a cheap, raw material. It does not create molecules of increased surfactant, emollient or mechanical characteristics, and since it is a separate step apart from the creation of surfactant compositions, it only further complicates, rather than retains the simplicity of, many surfactant composition-creating processes. It would be desirable to create surfactant compositions with improved surfactant, emollient and mechanical characteristics utilizing a process that wou
Hardee John
Morriss Bateman O'Bryant & Compagni
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