Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-05
2003-07-01
Gupta, Yogendra N. (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
Reexamination Certificate
active
06586382
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a process of treating fabrics with liquid bleaching compositions. Said compositions are suitable for use in various laundry applications, e.g., as laundry pretreater. More particularly, the compositions herein are suitable for use on various fabrics to provide stain removal and bleaching performance.
BACKGROUND
Bleach-containing compositions for bleaching fabrics, are well known in the art.
Liquid peroxygen bleach-containing compositions have been extensively described in the art, especially in laundry applications as laundry detergents, laundry additives or laundry pretreaters.
Indeed, it is known to use such peroxygen bleach-containing compositions in laundry pretreatment applications to boost the removal of encrusted stains/soils and “problem” stains, such as grease, coffee, tea, grass, mud/clay-containing soils, which are otherwise particularly difficult to remove by typical machine washing.
However, a drawback associated with such bleach-containing compositions is that said compositions may damage fabrics treated therewith, more particularly said compositions may cause color damage of dyed fabrics and/or loss of tensile strength of the fabric fibers treated with said compositions. Especially when said compositions are used in pretreatment applications under stressed conditions, e.g., when applied directly onto the fabric and left to act onto said fabric for prolonged periods of time before washing said fabrics. When applying said compositions for prolonged periods of time, said compositions will dry on said fabric before washing said fabrics. It is believed that said drying of the bleaching composition is responsible for damage caused to the treated fabrics.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide good fabric safety, by reducing colour fading and/or loss of tensile strength, when treating, preferably pretreating, fabrics with peroxygen bleach-containing compositions. The above is true especially in applications where said compositions are left into contact with said fabrics for prolonged periods of time, before the fabrics are washed.
When pretreating fabrics with compositions comprising a peroxygen bleach like hydrogen peroxide, it has been found that the presence of metal ions such as copper and/or iron and/or manganese on the surface of fabrics produces fabric damage resulting in color damage and/or loss of tensile strength of the fabric fibres. It is speculated that the presence of said metal ions catalyse the radical decomposition of peroxygen bleaches. The radical decomposition reaction occurs on the surface of the fabrics and is believed to cause fabric damage. The evaporation of solvent, e.g., water, from a bleaching composition occurs during a prolonged laundry pretreatment process, for example where a fabric has been pretreated with a bleaching composition and said composition has been allowed to dry. Evaporation of the solvent results in an increase in the peroxygen bleach concentration on the fabric. The increased peroxygen bleach concentration and the presence of said metal ions results in said radical reaction becoming highly activated and thus, increasing fabric damage.
We have found that it is essential to reduce solvent evaporation in the pretreatment environment to keep the concentration of the peroxygen bleach on the treated fabrics low and thereby providing good fabric safety, more particularly the reduction of colour fading and/or loss of tensile strength.
It has now been found that this can be achieved by using in a peroxygen bleach-containing composition an ingredient reducing the evaporation of the solvent contained in said composition. Said ingredient acts as a fabric protective agent in said composition. More particularly, it has been found that the use of said ingredient in a laundry treatment process results in reduced fabric damage, more particularly reduced colour fading and/or loss of tensile strength when such a bleaching composition is used in said laundry treatment process.
Advantageously, the bleaching compositions as described herein also provide excellent stain removal performance on various stains including greasy stains and excellent bleaching performance. Indeed, it has been found that said bleaching compositions have an excellent bleaching performance.
More particularly, the compositions of the present invention provide excellent bleach performance when used in any laundry application, e.g., as a laundry detergent or a laundry additive, and especially when used as a laundry pretreater, or even in other household applications like in hard surface cleaning applications.
BACKGROUND ART
Bleaching compositions comprising peroxygen bleach and polymers as described herein are well known in the art. EP-A-0 432 776 discloses the use of high molecular weight crosslinked and non-crosslinked homopolymers of acrylic acid or high molecular weight crosslinked and non-crosslinked copolymers of acrylic acid and alkyl acrylates in liquid compositions comprising hydrogen peroxide as thickeners and stabilising agents. However, the use of said polymers as fabric protective agents in peroxygen bleach-containing compositions is not disclosed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention encompasses a process of treating a fabric which comprises the steps of contacting said fabric with a bleaching composition, in its neat form, wherein said bleaching composition comprises a peroxygen bleach and an ingredient reducing the evaporation of the solvent contained in said composition.
The present invention further encompasses the use in a peroxygen bleach-containing composition of an ingredient reducing the evaporation of the solvent contained in said composition to treat fabrics, whereby colour fading and/or loss of tensile strength is reduced.
In a preferred embodiment said ingredient reducing the evaporation of the solvent contained in said composition is a high molecular weight homopolymer of acrylic acid and/or a high molecular weight copolymer of acrylic acid and other comonomers, preferably alkyl acrylates.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention the treated fabrics are coloured.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention the treated fabrics are delicate fabrics such as silk, wool and the like.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The Liquid Bleaching Composition
The bleaching compositions according to the present invention are liquid compositions as opposed to a solid or a gas. As used herein “liquid” includes “pasty” compositions.
Preferred compositions of the present invention have a viscosity of 1 cps or greater, more preferably of from 10 to 2000 cps, and still more preferably of from 20 to 1500 cps at 20° C. when measured with a Brookfield viscometer at 50 rpm with a spindle n
o
3.
The liquid bleaching compositions according to the present invention comprise a solvent. Any solvent known to those skilled in the art of formulating liquid bleaching compositions may be used. Preferably said bleaching compositions are aqueous and therefore, comprise water as solvent, preferably in an amount of from 60% to 98%, more preferably of from 80% to 97% and most preferably 85% to 97% by weight of the total composition.
The liquid compositions according to the present invention preferably have a pH of up to 9, more preferably from 2 to 7, and most preferably from 2 to 6. In a preferred embodiment the compositions according to the present invention are formulated in the neutral to the acidic pH range, which contributes to the chemical stability of the compositions and to the stain removal performance of the compositions. The pH of the compositions may be adjusted by any acidifying agents known to those skilled in the art. Examples of acidifying agents are organic acids such as citric acid and inorganic acids such as sulphuric acid.
Evaporation Reducing Ingredient
A first essential feature of the present invention is an ingredient reducing the evaporation of the solvent contained in liquid bleaching compositions comprising a peroxygen bleach. Said ingredient as descr
Dresco Pierre Antoine
Scialla Stefano
Camp Jason J.
Gupta Yogendra N.
McBride James F.
Petruncio John M
The Procter & Gamble & Company
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