Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – Specific organic component
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-07
2003-09-09
Delcotto, Gregory (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
Specific organic component
C510S336000, C510S341000, C510S342000, C510S350000, C510S351000, C510S356000, C510S357000, C510S495000, C510S506000, C510S536000, C510S537000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06617303
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to anionic surfactant compositions and, more particularly, to anionic surfactant compositions containing alkoxylated amine surfactants, such as ethoxylated amines and/or ethoxylated ether amines, and having enhanced detergent performance.
2. Description of Related Art
Multiple surfactants in formulated laundry detergents are often employed. For example, anionic surfactants have been found to give good performance on polar types of soils and help to prevent soil redeposition. Nonionic surfactants have been found to give good detergency on nonpolar soils and have better hard water tolerance.
Typical anionic surfactants used in laundry include, but are not limited to, linear alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, ether sulfates, secondary alkyl sulfates, &agr;-olefin sulfonate, phosphate esters, sulfosuccinates, isethionates, carboxylates, etc. Most of these surfactants are typically sold in the form of a sodium salt.
One common type of anionic surfactant, linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (“LAS”), is widely used in commercial cleanser products due to its effectiveness as a detergent, ease of biodegradation, and relative low cost. Typically, linear alkylbenzene sulfonates are produced via sulfonation of linear alkylbenzene intermediates.
Linear alkylbenzene is typically manufactured on an industrial scale using one of three commercial processes which differ from one another primarily by virtue of the catalyst system employed. In this regard, one process employs an aluminum trichloride catalyst, another process uses a hydrogen fluoride catalyst while the third process uses solid alkylation catalyst. The three processes result in linear alkylbenzene products with different phenyl isomer distributions. For example, a typical phenyl isomer distribution for products of the aluminum trichloride process is about 30% 2-phenyl isomer and about 22% 3-phenyl isomer. In contrast, a typical phenyl isomer distribution for products of the hydrogen fluoride process is about 20% 2-phenyl isomer and about 20% 3-phenyl isomer, although reported values may differ. The product of the aluminum trichloride process, which is relatively high in 2-phenyl isomer content, is often referred to as “high 2-phenyl” linear alkylbenzene, whereas the product of the hydrogen fluoride process, which is relatively low in 2-phenyl isomer content, is often referred to as “low 2-phenyl” linear alkylbenzene.
The sulfonates of linear alkylbenzenes are known to exhibit different physical properties depending upon the position of the aromatic group on the alkyl chain. Therefore, high 2-phenyl linear alkylbenzene sulfonates have physical properties that differ from low 2-phenyl linear alkylbenzene sulfonates. For example, high 2-phenyl linear alkylbenzene sulfonates typically have a higher solubility in aqueous media than do low 2-phenyl linear alkylbenzene sulfonates. Furthermore, an aqueous solution comprising a high 2-phenyl linear alkylbenzene sulfonate may exhibit a higher viscosity than an aqueous solution comprising a low 2-phenyl linear alkylbenzene sulfonate. In cases where maximum solubility of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate in an aqueous detergent formulation is of concern, a product containing a relatively high percentage of compounds in which the aromatic substituent is in the 2 or 3 position and a correspondingly smaller percentage of isomers in which the aromatic substituent is positioned centrally with respect to the alkyl chain may be advantageous.
Hydrotropes, such as sodium xylene sulfonate, may be added to improve solubility of low 2-phenyl linear alkylbenzene sulfonates. As used herein, the term “hydrotrope” is defined to be a compound that has the property of increasing the aqueous solubility of various slightly soluble organic chemicals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Disclosed herein are improved surfactant compositions. Surprisingly, detergent performance of the disclosed surfactant compositions is enhanced by utilizing ethoxylated amine surfactants to supply the cation of a salt of an anionic surfactant. The disclosed surfactant compositions may be advantageously employed for a number of uses including the formulation of any surfactant or detergent composition in which one or more anionic surfactant/s are present as a surfactant component. Examples include, but are not limited to, in the formulation of heavy duty laundry detergents, herbicide emulsifiers, hard surface cleaners, bathroom cleaners, all purpose cleaners, car wash detergents, janitorial cleaners and light duty liquid detergents.
In one respect, disclosed is a surfactant composition, including at least one anionic surfactant, and at least one ethoxylated surfactant, the ethoxylated surfactant being present in an amount greater than 15% of the surfactant actives by weight, and being at least one of ethoxylated amine, ethoxylated ether amine, or a mixture thereof. In this embodiment, other components are optional, and may or may not be present. For example, the surfactant composition may further include water. The composition may also include a neutralizing compound, the neutralizing compound being at least one of alkanolamine, alkylamine, ammonium hydroxide, NaOH, KOH, or a mixture thereof. In this regard, an alkanolamine may include at least one of monoethanolamine (“MEA”), diethanol amine (“DEA”), triethanol amine (“TEA”), or a mixture thereof. An anionic surfactant may include at least one of alkyl benzene sulfonate, alkyl sulfate, ether sulfate, secondary alkyl sulfate, &agr;-olefin sulfonate, phosphate ester, sulfosuccinate, isethionate, carboxylate, or a mixture thereof. An ethoxylated amine surfactant may include at least one of ethoxylated primary, secondary or tertiary amine, or a mixture thereof. An ethoxylated tertiary amine surfactant may have the formula:
wherein: R=straight or branched alkyl group having from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms;
n=moles of ethoxylation and is from about 2 to about 50; and
x=from about 1 to about 49.
Alternatively, in the preceding embodiment, n may be from about 2 to about 30 and x may be from about 1 to about 29.
An ethoxylated amine surfactant may be a tallow-amine-ethoxylate having the formula:
wherein: R=straight or branched alkyl group having from about 16 to about 18 carbon atoms;
n=moles of ethoxylation and is from about 5 to about 20; and
x=from about 4 to about 19.
An ethoxylated ether amine surfactant may have the formula:
wherein: R=straight or branched alkyl group having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms;
n=moles of ethoxylation and is from about 2 to about 30; and
x=from about 1 to about 29; and
y=1 to 30.
Alternatively, in the preceding embodiment, n may be from about 2 to about 50 and x may be from about 1 to about 49.
In another respect, disclosed is a surfactant composition, including: from about 8% to about 35% of the surfactant actives by weight of an anionic surfactant, wherein the anionic surfactant includes at least one of alkyl benzene sulfonate, alkyl sulfate, ether sulfate, secondary alkyl sulfate, &agr;-olefin sulfonates, phosphate esters, sulfosuccinates, isethionates, carboxylates, or a mixture thereof; from about 8% to about 35% of the surfactant actives by weight of an ethoxylated surfactant, wherein the ethoxylated surfactant is at least one of ethoxylated amine, ethoxylated ether amine, or a mixture thereof; from about 15% to about 55% of the surfactant actives by weight of a nonionic surfactant, wherein the nonionic surfactant includes at least one of nonylphenol ethoxylate, alcohol ethoxylate, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer, or a mixture thereof; from about 10% to about 90% water by weight of total weight of the composition; and from about 0% to about 9% neutralizing compound by weight of total weight of the composition, wherein the neutralizing compound includes at least one of alkanolamine, alkylamine, ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or mixture thereof; an
Smadi Raeda M.
Smith George A.
Delcotto Gregory
Huntsman Petrochemical Corporation
O'Keefe Egan & Peterman, LLP
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