Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – Specific organic component
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-20
2001-01-23
Ogden, Necholus (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
Specific organic component
C510S276000, C510S329000, C510S347000, C510S417000, C510S504000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06177399
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a process for cleaning textiles, especially for removal of any oily and /or greasy stains from textiles and for removal of silicones retained on textiles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Historically, any oily/greasy stains have been removed from textiles by various manners for cleaning purposes. On the other hand, silicone fluids have been used as textile treating agents to impart smoothness, softness, and the like. However, the presence of such silicone treating agents on textiles adversely affects re-dying of the textiles, so they must be removed before re-dying. Therefore, a product referred to as a “stripping agent”, produced by the combination of cationic surfactants, is commercially available but is not entirely satisfactory, especially for aminosilicone textile treating agents.
A low molecular weight siloxane known as “volatile siloxane” has been used for cleaning a substrate including textile. It is often used in combination with a surfactant. These are disclosed in the following patents which are incorporated herein by reference. The cyclic siloxanes employed in these prior art patents do not work in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,041 discloses a process for removing silicone from fibers, yarns or two-dimensional textile materials by the action of aqueous preparations, which may contain surfactive equilibration catalyst for organosiloxanes, and optionally detergents, wetting agents and alkali carbonates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,930 discloses a method for cleaning textiles which comprises applying a liquid composition consisting essentially of a cyclic siloxane and surfactant such as anionic, non-ionic, zwitterionic or ampholytic surfactant to a textile soiled with oil, grease or sebum, and removing from the textile a combination comprising cyclic siloxane and oil, grease or sebum.
DE 3739711A1 discloses a cleaning agent comprising cyclosiloxane and an anionic, cationic and/or ionic surfactant, which is used for cleaning fabrics.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a process for cleaning textiles, which comprises applying a composition comprising a low molecular weight linear siloxane represented by the formula:
CH
3
((CH
3
)
2
SiO)
n
Si(CH
3
)
2
CH
3
wherein n is an integer from 1 to 7, and a cationic surfactant to stained textiles in the presence of an inorganic base compound and heating the textiles at a temperature below which the textiles are deteriorated.
The method of the present invention can remove any oily and/or greasy stains from textiles and silicones retained on textiles.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The process of the present invention for cleaning textiles comprises applying a composition comprising a low molecular weight linear siloxane represented by the a formula:
CH
3
((CH
3
)
2
SiO)
n
Si(CH
3
)
2
CH
3
wherein n is an integer from 1 to 7, and a cationic surfactant to stained textiles and heating the textiles in the presence of an inorganic base compound at a temperature below which the textiles are deteriorated.
The low molecular weight linear siloxanes of the present invention represented by the formula
CH
3
((CH
3
)
2
SiO)
n
Si(CH
3
)
2
CH
3
wherein n is an integer from 1 to 7, are well known in the art. The siloxanes suitable for the invention should have viscosity less than about 5 cs. The siloxanes having more than about 5 cs. cannot be employed in the present invention. Preferred siloxanes include dimers, trimers and tetramers. As shown in the comparative example, a cyclic siloxane cannot be used in this invention. The silicone stains would become swelled after absorbing the siloxanes of this invention and easier to be cut into small fragments by strong bases carried by the cationic surfactants, and the fragments can be dissolved in the siloxane fluid. When the low molecular weight siloxane is applied together with a cationic surfactant and a base, it can promote the “cutting” efficiency because it can behave as a solvent to swell silicone and allow hydroxy ion to penetrate into the inner part of an oil spot more easily.
The cationic surfactant employed in the present invention can be a quaternary ammonium salt. Preferably, it can be selected from the group consisting of trialkylmethylammonium salts, dialkyldimethylammonium salts and mixtures thereof. The quaternary ammonium salts wherein the alkyl radical contains from 8 or less to 16 or more carbon atoms and the salt is chloride or bromide, are commercially available. Trilaurylmethyl ammonium chloride and didecyldimethylammonium chloride are most preferable. These ammonium salts are used individually or as mixtures thereof or in combination with other ammonium salts such as alkylbenzyldimethylammonium salts. Cationic surfactants alone can neutralize the negative charges on fabric surfaces and enable strong bases closing to and reacting with silicone oil spots (cutting polysiloxanes into small fragments) to remove them from fabric surfaces. The base is a real silicone stripper and the cationic surfactant is an auxiliary which helps the base penetrate more easily.
The base compounds suitable for the present invention depend on the materials of textiles. Preferred inorganic base compounds of the present invention are NaOH, KOH, Na
2
CO
3
, NaHCO
3
and the like. Depending on the materials of textiles, for example, NaOH is good for cotton fabrics but not for wools. Na
2
CO
3
or NaHCO
3
is preferred for wools.
The composition of the present invention can further comprise other ingredients. For example, a non-ionic surfactant may be added to the composition, which is used to stabilize the composition of the present invention. Since the composition is generally added to an aqueous system, it is preferably used in form of an emulsion. Persons skilled in the art know that any non-ionic surfactant is useful to meet this requirement. In addition, biocides can be used as preservatives for emulsions.
The proportions of the components are not critical to the composition of the present invention. However, generally, the ratio of the low molecular weight linear siloxane to the cationic surfactant is in the range of from about 1:25 to 25:1. The ratio of the sum of the low molecular weight linear siloxane plus the cationic surfactant to the base compound (on the basis of effective ingredient) is in the range of from about 16:1 to 16:20.
The order of addition of the components is not critical. It is preferred to previously produce a cleaning composition comprising the low molecular weight linear siloxane and cationic surfactants in the form of an aqueous emulsion, and add the cleaning composition and the inorganic base to a cleaning bath where water and a stained textile are loaded in, and then heat the cleaning bath at a temperature above the room temperature. The upper limit of the temperature may be the temperature under which the textile can be exposed without thermal deterioration. The temperature varies depending on the length of heating time. For example, the temperature is preferably from about 80 to 100 degrees C., and the time is preferably from about 30 minutes to 3 hours. The lower temperature can be used, but more time will be needed. After the cleaning treatment, the textile may be neutralized with a weak acid such as acetic acid.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4302364 (1981-11-01), Gosset et al.
patent: 4637890 (1987-01-01), Crabtree et al.
patent: 4654041 (1987-03-01), Nickel
patent: 4685930 (1987-08-01), Kasprzak
patent: 37 39711 A1 (1989-06-01), None
Chiang Samuel N.
Mei Wang Ping
Wu Peter S.
Boyer Charles
Dow Corning Taiwan, Inc.
Duane Morris & Heckscher
Ogden Necholus
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