Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-27
2002-02-26
Ogden, Necholus (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S224000, C510S226000, C510S231000, C510S232000, C510S233000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06350726
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a speckled powdered automatic dishwashing composition containing a uniform mixture of a noncolored agglomerate of powdered automatic dishwashing composition and a colored agglomerate of powdered automatic dishwashing composition.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The automatic dishwashing market in the U.S. is led by powdered detergents, which make up 50% of all detergents sold. Two variants are generally marketed: lemon and fresh scent, and the detergents are typically white granular powders made by a wet agglomeration process. In some cases, speckles are added to enhance the visual appearance and support the aesthetic claims. Typically, the speckles are added as a pre-colored raw material such as phosphate or carbonate. If enzymes are used in the formulation, colored enzymes can be added, although typical enzyme levels in powders are less than 3%, limiting the level of speckles. A disadvantage of adding pre-colored granules as described above is that the particle size distribution of the speckles is very narrow, and when combined with an agglomerated detergent base with broad particle size distribution, the potential for segregation is increased. This is undesirable, since the colored speckles will not mix evenly with the white powder, leading to an uneven distribution of the speckles in the powdered product, which can impact the performance and aesthetics negatively.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic dishwashing cleaning system comprising a agglomerate of noncolored powdered automatic dishwashing agglomerate composition and a colored powdered automatic dishwashing agglomerate composition.
In this invention, a speckled detergent powder is made in which the speckled colored particles possess the same particle size distribution as the uncolored base particles. This is accomplished by coloring a portion of the agglomerated base and mixing it with the uncolored agglomerate base. A further aspect of this invention is the formulating of pink and green speckles into a powdered dishwashing detergent to make aesthetically pleasing products.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a speckled powdered automatic dishwashing composition comprising approximately by weight a mixture of:
(a) 85% to 99% of noncolored agglomerate particles which comprise:
(i) 15% to 25% of a first alkali metal phosphate builder salt;
(ii) 2% to 12% of a first alkali metal disilicate;
(iii) 35% to 45% of a first nonphosphate detergent builder salt;
(iv) 25% to 35% of a first alkali metal sulfate; and
(v) 0.5% to 2.5% of a first ethoxylated nonionic surfactant; and
(b) 1% to 15% of colored agglomerate particles which comprise:
(i) 0.05% to 0.75% of a colorant;
(ii) 15% to 25% of a second alkali metal phosphate builder salt;
(iii) 2% to 12% of a second alkali metal disilicate;
(iv) 35% to 45% of a second nonphosphate detergent builder salt;
(v) 25% to 35% of a second alkali metal sulfate; and
(v) 0.5% to 2.5% of a second ethoxylated nonionic surfactant.
Excluded from the instant compositions are anionic surfactants, fatty acid or alkali metal salts of fatty acid, crosslinked polyacrylate polymers and more than 10 wt. % of water.
The first or second nonionic surfactants that can be used in the present powdered automatic dishwasher detergent compositions are generally described as ethoxylated/propoxylated fatty alcohols which are low-foaming surfactants and may be possibly capped, characterized by the presence of an organic hydrophobic group and an organic hydrophilic group and are typically produced by the condensation of an organic aliphatic or alkyl aromatic hydrophobic compound with ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide (hydrophilic in nature). Practically any hydrophobic compound having a carboxy, hydroxy, amide or amino group with a free hydrogen attached to the oxygen or the nitrogen can be condensed with ethylene oxide or propylene oxide or with the polyhydration product thereof, polyethylene glycol, to form a nonionic detergent. The length of the hydrophilic or polyoxyethylene chain can be readily adjusted to achieve the desired balance between the hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups. Typical suitable nonionic surfactants are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,316,812 and 3,630,929.
Preferably, the nonionic surfactants that are used are the low-foaming polyalkoxylated lipophiles wherein the desired hydrophile-lipophile balance is obtained from addition of hydrophilic poly-lower alkoxy group to a lipophilic moiety. A preferred class of the nonionic detergent employed is the poly-lower alkyoxylated higher alkanol wherein the alkanol is of 9 to 18 carbon atoms and wherein the number of moles of lower alkylene oxide (of 2 or 3 carbon atoms) is from 3 to 15. Of such materials, it is preferred to employ those wherein the higher alkanol is a high fatty alcohol of 9 to 11 or 12 to 15 carbon atoms and which contain from 5 to 15 or 6 to 16 lower alkoxy groups per mole. Preferably, the lower alkoxy is ethoxy but in some instances, it may be desirably mixed with propoxy, the latter, if present, usually being major (more than 50%) portion. Exemplary of such compounds are those wherein the alkanol is of 12 to 15 carbon atom and which contain about 7 ethylene oxide groups per mold.
Useful nonionics are represented by the low foam Plurafac series from BASF Chemical Company which are the reaction product of a higher linear alcohol and a mixture of ethylene and a propylene oxides, containing a mixed chain of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, terminated by a hydroxyl group. Examples include Product A (a C
12
-C
15
fatty alcohol condensed with 6 moles ethylene oxide and 3 moles propylene oxide). Product B (a C
12
-C
15
fatty alcohol condensed with 7 mole propylene oxide and 4 mole ethylene oxide), and Product C (a C
12
-C
15
fatty alcohol condensed with 5 moles propylene oxide and 10 moles ethylene oxide). Another group of liquid nonionics are available from Shell Chemical Company, Inc. under the Dobanol trademark: Dobanol 91-5 is a low foam ethoxylated C
2
-C
11
fatty alcohol with an average of 5 moles ethylene oxide and Dobanol 25-7 is an ethoxylated C
12
-C
15
fatty alcohol with an average of 7 moles ethylene oxide. Another liquid nonionic surfactant that can be used is sold under the tradename Lutensol SC 9713.
Plurafac nonionic surfactants from BASF are biodegradable, low-foaming surfactant which are specially preferred for the instant automatic dishwashing compositions. Plurafac™ SLF18 which is water dispensible and has a low surface tension and low cloud and is low foaming is especially preferred for use in the instant automatic dishwashing compositions.
Other useful surfactants are Neodol 25-7 and Neodol 23-6.5, which products are made by Shell Chemical Company, Inc. The former is a condensation product of a mixture of higher fatty alcohols averaging about 12 to 13 carbon atoms and the number of ethylene oxide groups present averages about 6.5. The higher alcohols are primary alkanols. Other examples of such detergents include Tergitol 15-S-7 and Tergitol 15-S-9 (registered trademarks), both of which are linear secondary alcohol ethoxylates made by Union Carbide Corp. The former is mixed ethoxylation product of 11 to 15 carbon atoms linear secondary alkanol with seven moles of ethylene oxide and the latter is a similar product but with nine moles of ethylene oxide being reacted.
The first and second alkali metal phosphate detergent builder salts used in the instant composition include the polyphosphates, such as alkali metal pyrophosphate, alkali metal tripolyphosphate, alkali metal metaphosphate, and the like, for example, sodium or potassium tripolyphosphate (hydrated or anhydrous), tetrasodium or tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, sodium or potassium hexa-metaphosphate, trisodium or tripotassium orthophosphate and the like. Sodium tripolyphosphate is more preferred. The alkali metal nonphosphate detergent builder salts include sodium or potassium carbonate, sodium or potassium citrate, sodium or
Cush James
Gorlin Philip
Phillips Steve
Colgate - Palmolive Company
Nanfeldt Richard E.
Ogden Necholus
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