Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – Liquid composition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-30
2001-01-16
Ogden, Necholus (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
Liquid composition
C510S426000, C510S428000, C510S443000, C510S446000, C510S495000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174849
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is filed under 35 U.S.C. 371 and claiming priority from PCT/EP97/05799, filed Oct.30, 1996.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to water-free surfactant mixtures with a reduced potential for irritation containing various alcohol sulfates in selected mixing ratios and to their use for the production of surface-active compositions.
2. Priot Art
By virtue of their favorable performance properties and their excellent ecotoxicological compatibility, fatty alcohol sulfates represent anionic surfactants which are acquiring increasing significance for the production of laundry detergents, dishwashing detergents and cleaning compositions.
Highly concentrated, aqueous or water-free solid formulations of anionic surfactants are of course desirable for storage and transportation purposes. Unfortunately, such formulations are attended by the disadvantage that, in contrast to the products diluted to the in-use concentration, they have a highly irritating effect on the skin and mucous membrane which means that more stringent safety-in-use requirements have to be satisfied for marketing. Another disadvantage is that known compositions do not possess sufficient flowability or solubility, especially in cold water.
The use of mixtures of fatty alcohol sulfates based on tallow and coconut alcohol in a ratio by weight of 9:4 to 1:6 for the production of detergents with improved detersive propertiescleaning performance is known from European patent application EP 0 342 917 A2 (Unilever). More particularly, this document describes mixtures of tallow alcohol sulfate and cocoalcohol sulfate in a ratio by weight of 60:40 to 40;60. However, it does not mention either the irritation potential of the mixtures described therein or their flowability or solubility.
European patent application EP 0 554 991 (Unilever) describes water-containing detergent mixtures based on alkyl sulfates in which at least 25% by weight of the alkyl chains contain 10 or 11 carbon atoms. These alkyl chains may be linear, branched, odd-numbered or even-numbered alkyl chains. In addition, these short-chain alkyl sulfates may be mixed with cocoalcohol sulfate. Since these detergent mixtures additionally contain betaines or amine oxides, they show good dermatological compatibility. However, the document in question does not refer either to the solubility or to the flowability of the alkyl sulfates,
Accordingly, the complex problem addressed by the invention was to provide new water-free surfactant mixtures based on alcohol sulfates which would be distinguished both by a significantly reduced irritation potential and by improved flowability and solubility.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to water-free surfactant mixtures containing
(a) fatty alcohol sulfates corresponding to formula (I):
R
1
O—SO
3
X (I)
In which R
1
is a linear alkyl chain containing 16 and/or 18 carbon atoms and X is an alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal, ammonium, alkylammonium, alkanolammonium or glucammonium, and
(b) alcohol sulfates corresponding to formula (II):
R
2
O—SO
3
X (II)
in which R
2
is an alkyl chain containing 12 to 15 carbon atoms and X is again an alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal, ammonium, alkyl ammonium, alkanolammonium or glucammonium,
in a ratio by weight of 70:30 to 90:10 and preferably 75:25 to 80:20.
Although it was known that, for example, mixtures of fatty alcohol sulfates based on tallow and coconut alcohol, typically in a ratio by weight of 60:40, have very good detersive properties, a synergistic reduction in the potential for irritation coupled with very good applicational properties, more particularly improved flowability and solubility in cold water, has surprisingly been observed within a very narrow, hitherto undisclosed mixing range using specially selected alkyl sulfates.
Alcohol Sulfates
Fatty alcohol sulfates which form component (a) are known anionic surfactants and are normally obtained by reaction of fatty alcohols with sulfating agents, such as sulfuric acid, oleum, chlorosulfonic acid and, in particular, gaseous sulfur trioxide. The resulting sufuric acid semiesters are neutralized with suitable bases in a following step. In the context of the invention, the fatty alcohol sulfates corresponding to formula (I) are sulfation products of fatty alcohols containing 16 to 18 carbon atoms. Typical examples are the sulfates of cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. Technical fatty alcohol cuts, for example tallow alcohol, which may also contain shorter-chain or longer-chain homologs In small amounts, are preferred. Technical fatty alcohol cuts may also be mixed in such a way that an alcohol mixture with the C chain distribution centered on 16 to 18 carbon atoms is obtained. This is of advantage, for example, when the percentage content of vegetable alcohols in the mixture is intended to be as high as possible.
Fatty alcohols which form component (b) are known compounds which are obtained similarly to the alkyl sulfates of component (a) by reaction of the corresponding alcohols with sulfating agents and subsequent neutralization. According to the invention, sulfation products of linear C
12-15
alcohols obtained by the Alfol process may be used as alcohol sulfates corresponding to formula (II). Sulfation products of C
12-15
alcohols obtained by one of the conventional oxosyntheses are preferably used as alcohol sulfates (II) in accordance with the invention. The oxosynthesis gives so-called oxoalcohols which are alcohol mixtures containing branched. unbranched, linear and nonlinear alcohols. Alcohol mixtures containing at least 20% by weight of branched and at most 80% by weight of unbranched alcohols containing 12 to 15 carbon atoms are particularly suitable oxoalcohols for the purposes of the invention. Most particularly preferred oxoalcohols are alcohol mixtures which satisfy the additional requirement that at least 30% by weight of odd-numbered and at most 70% by weight of even-numbered C
12-15
alcohols should be present. Examples of such oxoalcohols are Lial 123®, 125® and 145®, products of Enichem, and Dobanol 23®, 25® and 45®, products of Shell AG.
Accordingly, preferred alcohol sulfates corresponding to formula (II) are those in which at least 20% by weight of R
2
stands for a branched alkyl chain and at most 80% by weight for an unbranched alkyl chain containing 12 to 15 carbon atoms. Particularly preferred alcohol sulfates corresponding to formula (II) are those which additionally satisfy the requirement that at least 30% by weight of R
2
in formula (II) stands for an odd-numbered alkyl chain and at most 70% by weight for an even numbered alkyl chain containing 12 to 15 carbon atoms. Typical alcohol sulfates which form component (b) contain (in approximate terms) 42% by weight of dodecyl sulfate and 56% by weight of tridecyl sulfate, the branched component making up 57% by weight, or 20% by weight of do decyl sulfate, 31% by weight of tidecyl sulfate, 29% by weight of tetradecyl sulfate and 19% by weight of pentadecyl sulfate, the branched component making up around 59% by weight, or 62% by weight of tetradecyl sulfate and 38% by weight of pentadecyl sulfate, the branched component making up around 61% by weight. Other typical alcohol sulfates which form component (b) contain the abovementioned alkyl sulfates in approximately the ratios by weight mentioned above although the branched alkyl sulfates make up around 22% by weight The percentages by weight are all based on the total quantity of alkyl sulfates which form component (b).
Mixing of the Alcohol Sulfate Components
The mixing of the alcohol sulfate components is not critical. In the most simple case, the water-containing pastes obtained after neutralization of the crude sulfation products are mixed, for example in a Schugi mixer, and at the same time converted into a water-free particulate product. Similarly, dry-neutralized or spray-dried or superheated steam-ried powders of the two components may also be mixed. It is also possible
Kischkel Ditmar
Krohnen Thomas
Schmid Karl-Heinz
Syldath Andreas
Drach John E.
Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien
Millson, Jr. Henry E.
Ogden Necholus
Roland Thomas F.
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