Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-07
2003-12-30
Kelly, Cynthia H. (Department: 1774)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S363000, C510S403000, C510S505000, C510S471000, C510S475000, C510S470000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06670316
ABSTRACT:
The present invention is directed to improved spot cleaning compositions particularly useful for the localized cleaning of stains from garments and textiles.
The prior art has suggested many types of spot cleaning compositions which are intended to be used in the localized cleaning of stains on garments or textiles. Such spot cleaning is typically shortly performed prior to a subsequent laundering step wherein the garment or textiles are immersed in an aqueous bath.
The performance of these spot cleaning compositions is known to vary considerably, based on the types of stains which are to be removed, as well as on the type of textile from which a garment is made. Frequently, while known spot cleaning compositions are effective for many types of stains, they are not necessarily effective in the removal of a test soil, ‘bandy black clay’ which is notoriously difficult to remove.
A further shortcoming of many known art spot cleaning compositions is that they frequently need to be specifically formulated, or reformulated, for use in a specific class of container or dispensing device. Thus, a manufacturer of such a product may need to simultaneously produce several different formulations of one product, which is inconvenient and costly.
The present invention addresses and overcomes many of these shortcomings known in the prior art.
In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a thickened, aqueous cleaning composition which is particularly useful in the spot cleaning of stains and soils on garments and textiles which comprises:
a detersive surfactant selected from anionic, nonionic, cationic, amphoteric and zwitterionic surfactants as well as mixtures thereof, preferably at least one nonionic surfactant;
an organic solvent, preferably selected from alcohols, diols, glycols, glycol ethers, C
6
-C
18
methyl ester as well as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone;
an enzyme constituent, preferably one which includes proteases;
a xanthan gum as the primary thickener constituent.
The compositions may optionally, but in some cases desirably include one or more further constituents including but not limited to: pH adjusting agents, pH buffering agents, chelating agents, hydrotropes, perfumes, perfume carriers, fluorescing agents, optical brighteners, colorants such as dyes, hydrotropes, enzyme stabilizers, builders, germicides, fungicides, preservative constituents, anti-oxidants, anti-corrosion agents, antistatic agents as well as other conventional additives known to the relevant art.
These compositions specifically do not include acrylate based thickeners such as those marketed under the tradenames CARBOPOL®, or ACCUSOL®, or clay based thickeners such as laponites.
The compositions of the invention desirably exhibit a relatively low viscosity under high shear conditions, and conversely, exhibit relatively high viscosity under low shear conditions. Such behavior ensures that the compositions may be used in both hand pumpable trigger spray dispensers, and in nozzled dispensers. In the former, high shear conditions exist at the pump, low shear conditions exist at the nozzle. The advantageous viscosity characteristics permit for the same formulation to be used in both of these types of dispensers, which are popularly used with this type of consumer product.
In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a process for the localized cleaning, viz., “spot cleaning” of a soiled or stained garment or textile which process contemplates the application to the soil or stained area of a cleaning effective amount of the compositions described herein. Desirably, such spot cleaning is carried out just prior to a subsequent laundering step.
The inventive compositions include one or more detersive surfactants selected from anionic, nonionic, cationic, amphoteric and zwitterionic surfactants and mixtures thereof.
Exemplary useful anionic surfactants include but are not limited to: alkali metal salts, ammonium salts, amine salts, aminoalcohol salts or the magnesium salts of one or more of the following compounds: alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, alkylamidoether sulfates, alkylaryl polyether sulfates, monoglyceride sulfates, alkylsulfonates, alkylamide sulfonates, alkylarylsulfonates, olefinsulfonates, paraffin sulfonates, alkyl sulfosuccinates, alkyl ether sulfosuccinates, alkylamide sulfosuccinates, alkyl sulfosuccinamate, alkyl sulfoacetates, alkyl phosphates, alkyl ether phosphates, acyl sarconsinates, acyl isethionates, and N-acyl taurates. Generally, the alkyl or acyl radical in these various compounds comprise a carbon chain containing 12 to 20 carbon atoms.
Further exemplary anionic surface active agents which may be used include fatty acid salts, including salts of oleic, ricinoleic, palmitic, and stearic acids; copra oils or hydrogenated copra oil acid, and acyl lactylates whose acyl radical contains 8 to 20 carbon atoms.
Particularly useful anionic surface active agents, also known as anionic surfactants include the water-soluble salts, particularly the alkali metal, ammonium and alkylolammonium (e.g., monoethanolammonium or triethanolammonium) salts, of organic sulfuric reaction products having in their molecular structure an alkyl group containing from about 10 to about 20 carbon atoms and a sulfonic acid or sulfuric acid ester group. (Included in the term “alkyl” is the alkyl portion of aryl groups.) Examples of this group of synthetic surfactants are the alkyl sulfates, especially those obtained by sulfating the higher alcohols (C
8
-C
18
carbon atoms) such as those produced by reducing the glycerides of tallow or coconut oil; and the alkylbenzene sulfonates in which the alkyl group contains from about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms, in straight chain or branched chain. Especially valuable are linear straight chain alkylbenzene sulfonates in which the average number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group is from about 11 to 14.
Other anionic surfactants herein are the water soluble salts of: paraffin sulfonates containing from about 8 to about 24 (preferably about 12 to 18) carbon atoms; alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonates, especially those ethers of C
8-18
alcohols (e.g., those derived from tallow and coconut oil); alkyl phenol ethylene oxide ether sulfates containing from about 1 to about 4 units of ethylene oxide per molecule and from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl group; and alkyl ethylene oxide ether sulfates containing about 1 to about 4 units of ethylene oxide per molecule and from about 10 to about 20 carbon atoms in the alkyl group.
Other useful anionic surfactants herein include the water soluble salts of esters of &agr;-sulfonated fatty acids containing from about 0 to 20 carbon atoms in the fatty acid group and from about 1 to 10 carbon atoms in the ester group; water soluble salts of 2-acyloxy-alkane-1-sulfonic acids containing from about 2 to 9 carbon atoms in the acyl group and from about 9 to about 23 carbon atoms in the alkane moiety; water-soluble salts of olefin sulfonates containing from about 12 to 24 carbon atoms; and &bgr;-alkyloxy alkane sulfonates containing from about 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and from about 8 to 20 carbon atoms in the alkane moiety.
Particularly useful alkyl sulfate anionic surfactants useful in forming the compositions of the invention are alkyl sulfates of the formula
wherein R is an straight chain or branched alkyl chain having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms, saturated or unsaturated, and the longest linear portion of the alkyl chain is 15 carbon atoms or less on the average, M is a cation which makes the compound water soluble especially an alkali metal such as sodium, or is ammonium or substituted ammonium cation, and x is from 0 to about 4. Most preferred are the non-ethoxylated C12-15 primary and secondary alkyl sulfates.
Exemplary commercially available alkyl sulfates include one or more of those available under the tradename RHODAPON® from Rhône-Poulenc Co. (Cherry Hill, N.J.) as well as STEPANOL® from Stepan Chemical Co.(Northfield, Ill.). Exemplary alkyl sulfates which is preferred for use is a sodium laur
Landy Kathleen Elizabeth
Sidoti Anthony Domenic
Taraschi Frederic
Garrett Dawn
Kelly Cynthia H.
Reckitt Benckiser , Inc.
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