Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-20
2003-04-01
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...
C510S349000, C510S438000, C510S510000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06541437
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to speckled detergent compositions comprising colored glassy phosphates. The colored glassy phosphates impart improved aesthetic appeal as well as functionality to granular detergent compositions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The commercial marketing of laundry detergent products often involves the use of distinctive product aesthetics to help consumers differentiate one given product from other commercially available products of the same general type. Colored, e.g., dyed or pigmented, speckles are sometimes used to create such distinctiveness. Colored speckles known in the art are generally opaque.
Various methods of making granular colored speckles are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,418 issued Jun. 27, 1978, to The Procter & Gamble Co. describes an agglomeration process wherein an inorganic alkaline salt is agglomerated with an anionic surfactant paste which serves as an adhesive agent containing a coloring agent, to provide the speckled detergent composition. Another method is to merely mix two differently colored spray dried granular compositions in the desired proportions.
Accordingly the need remains for a colored speckle that is easily and inexpensively produced and provides for superior consumer recognition of the product in which it is included. Additionally, there is a need for a colored speckle that offers aesthetic appeal while also improving the cleaning power of the detergent composition in which it is included.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
By the present invention it has now been discovered that glassy phosphates can be used to make transparent speckles with very distinct visual characteristics in comparison to traditional opaque speckles. Additionally, it has been discovered that the appearance of the speckles can be further enhanced by coating them with sparkled materials, resulting in more visible and distinct speckles. Speckles made from glassy phosphates also provide significantly improved builder capability than sodium carbonate builders. Sodium carbonate builders have the drawback of precipitating calcium carbonate which can build up on fabric. In contrast, glassy phosphate builders exert a powerful sequestering and suspending effect and tend to hydrolyze or revert in aqueous solution and heat to pyrophosphates and orthophosphates.
The present invention meets the aforementioned needs by providing a speckled detergent composition comprising from about 0.01% to about 8.0% by weight of the total composition, of colored glassy phosphate speckles, preferably from about 0.1% to about 5.0% by weight of the total composition, most preferably from about 0.5% to about 3.5% by weight of the total composition and from about 92.0% to about 99.99%, preferably from about 95.0% to about 99.9%, and most preferably from about 96.5% to about 99.50% of conventional laundry ingredients selected from the group consisting of surfactants, builders, chelants, brighteners, bleaching ingredients, photobleaches, enzymes, soil release polymers, dye transfer inhibitors, fabric integrity polymers, fillers, perfumes and mixtures thereof.
It has also been discovered that using functional dyes to color glassy phosphates provides a dual benefit. First an aesthetic benefit is achieved by providing translucent color to the speckles and second, a functional benefit is achieved by improving the cleaning performance of the detergent composition the particles are added to.
All percentages, ratios, and proportions herein are on a weight basis unless otherwise indicated. All documents cited are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides speckled granular detergent compositions useful in hand and machine clothes washing operations which provide an especially desirable aesthetic appeal as well as delivering superior cleaning. Detergent compositions according to the present invention comprise from about 92.0% to about 99.99%, preferably from about 95.0% to about 99.9%, and most preferably from about 96.5% to about 99.50% of conventional laundry ingredients selected from the group consisting of surfactants, builders, chelants, brighteners, bleaching ingredients, photobleaches, enzymes, soil release polymers, dye transfer inhibitors, fillers, perfumes and mixtures thereof and from about 0.01% to about 8.0% by weight of the total composition, of colored glassy phosphate speckles, preferably from about 0.1% to about 5.0% by weight of the total composition, most preferably from about 0.5% to about 3.5% by weight of the total composition.
The present invention also provides the detergent formulator the option of either significantly reducing the amount of detergent builder added to the detergent composition, while maintaining the detergent's performance or alternatively keeping the same level of builder while adding the glassy phosphate speckles and significantly improving the cleaning performance of the detergent.
Colored Speckles
The colored speckles described herein are comprised of glassy phosphates and a dye and/or pigment. Glassy phosphates useful in the present invention are represented by the formula M
2
O:P
2
O
5
, wherein M is an alkali metal, preferably sodium or potassium, and the molar ratio between both oxides is from about 0.7:1 to about 1.3:1. The preferred glassy phosphates are those having about 21 phosphorous atoms, in the molecule. However, also suitable are glassy phosphates of shorter chain lengths such as 6 and 13 phosphorous atoms. Also useful are larger glassy phosphates such as sodium acid metaphosphate. Sodium glassy phosphates of other alkali metals such as potassium can also be used to produce colored glassy speckles. Glassy phosphates provide speckles that are transparent rather than opaque like those previously known in the art. By transparent is meant that light travels through the speckles undisturbed. The glassy phosphates useful in the present invention are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,568,110 to Irving Beiley et al, Sep. 18, 1951, (herein incorporated by reference) and in General and Inorganic Chemistry, J. R. Partington, 4th Ed., MacMillan, 1967, (herein incorporated by reference).
Glassy phosphates are commercially available as dry powders, fine granules, plates, and coarse granules. For example, Sodaphos, Hexaphos®, Glass H® and Sodium Acid Metaphosphate® are brands of glassy phosphates manufactured by FMC Corporation, these phosphates respectively having an approximate chain length of 6, 13, 21 and greater than 21 phosphorus atoms. Glass H® is the preferred material in this range of glassy phosphates. Polyphosphates which have the empirical formulae Na
16
P
14
O
43
and Na
12
P
10
O
31
are sold by the Hooker Chemical Corporation, Niagara Falls, New York and are also suitable.
Due to the building and dispersing properties of glassy phosphates it is possible to reduce the level of phosphate builder in a product containing glassy phosphate speckles, without reducing the performance of the detergent. Alternatively, if the phosphate builder of a detergent composition is not reduced, the glassy phosphates provide additional building and dispersing capacity resulting in superior performance.
The speckles may also optionally contain a commercial sparkling material such as Timiron Dazzle MP-161 available from Rona EM Industrial Chemicals, to provide additional aesthetic benefits.
Generally speckles in detergent products should be in the range of from 200 to 3000 microns, preferably 300 to 1500 microns in size which is equal to or larger than the detergent base granule size. This ensures easy visibility of the speckles by the consumer.
Dyes
Glassy phosphates are colored with conventional dyes and/or pigments as well as functional dyes which provide a second function in addition to providing color to the speckle. Functional dyes suitable for use in the present invention include photo-bleaches such as metal phthalocyanines, and complexes of photo-bleaches such as zinc phtalocyanine and aluminum phtalocyanine. However, other type
Meli Fabrizio
Mendez Mata Lucia
Delcotto Gregory
Dressman Marianne
Glazer Julia A.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
William Zerby Kim
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