Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – Liquid composition
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-11
2001-07-10
Hardee, John (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
Liquid composition
C510S467000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06258772
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to cleaning compositions for removal of soils from both hard surfaces and fabrics.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The removal of soils from both hard surfaces (e.g., industrial maintenance, post-construction cement and brick, household flooring, kitchen and bathroom surfaces) and fabrics is an age-old problem which has been addressed in a variety of ways. Typically, different types of compositions are used for hard surface cleaning and fabric cleaning and the approaches used frequently fall into one of two types.
The first type of composition includes surfactants with relatively heavy ion loadings, such as trisodium phosphate and, more recently, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate and/or the metasilicate salts of sodium or potassium. These compositions are frequently sold as powders for water dilution or as pre-solvated solutions. They have relatively high pH (typically around 10 or even greater) and, as such, are caustic with related physiological risks. Further, the phosphate and silicate present in the compositions potentially pose a significant environmental risk.
The second general category of cleaners utilizes mixtures of solvents, detergent emulsifiers and pH shifting compounds such that the compositions either have a relatively low pH (2 or less, incorporating, for example, organic and inorganic acids) or a relatively high pH (9 or more, incorporating various amines, hydroxide salts and/or ammonia). These pH adjustments are utilized because it is difficult to solvate greasy and oily soils using typical pH neutral compositions and, accordingly, cleaning efficiency is typically enhanced at the higher or lower pHs. Such acid or alkaline compositions can also present problems in terms of color change, bleaching and/or leaching of the surfaces cleaned, potential damage to rubber or plastic substrates contacted, damage to fabrics cleaned, and potential damage to users, pets or children from contact with the eyes, skin or possible ingestion. These compositions also tend to leave deposits of acidic or alkaline salts on surfaces when dried. These residues can reactivate with moisture to produce caustic and degrading secondary surface conditions. Finally, the solvents utilized in these compositions can pose both safety and environmental issues.
It, therefore, would be highly desirable to be able to formulate a cleaning composition which removes a wide variety of soils, including heavy greasy and oily soils, from both hard surfaces and fabrics with great efficiency, and which can be formulated at neutral pH and without the use of high levels of solvents. The present invention addresses this need through the use of combinations of specifically-defined nonionic alcohol ethoxylate surfactants and fluorophosphate surfactants.
Nonionic alcohol ethoxylate surfactants and fluorosurfactants have been disclosed for use in cleaning compositions of various types. However, the specific surfactants defined herein have not heretofore been used together in a hard surface or fabric cleaning composition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,338,475, Corey, et al., issued Aug. 16, 1994, discloses an aqueous carpet cleaning composition comprising fluorophosphates, one or more surfactants selected from nonionic, anionic and amphoteric surfactants, and hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solution having a pH between 4.0 and 6.4.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,365, Colurciello, et al., issued Jan. 19, 1999, discloses an aqueous cleaning and surface treatment composition which is said to be particularly suitable for cleaning and treating carpets and carpet fibers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,240, Tyerech, et al., issued Jan. 27, 1998, describes an aqueous carpet cleaning composition which is said to impart water and oil repellency characteristics to carpet surfaces and to carpet fibers treated with the composition. Both Colurciello and Tyerech disclose the use of fluorophosphates as optional surfactants which may be added to the disclosed cleaning compositions. These patents also disclose the use of alcohol ethoxylates as optional nonionic surfactants which may also be added to the cleaning compositions. Neither of these patents describes or suggests the use of fluorophosphates together with alcohol ethoxylates.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,811, Wile, et al., issued May 16, 1995, discloses an aqueous cleaning composition which is said to be useful for cleaning hard surfaces, such as glass. The composition comprises an aqueous mixture of an alcohol, a glycol ether and a fluorosurfactant. The fluorosurfactant disclosed specifically is a potassium fluoroalkylcarboxylate. The preferred glycol ether disclosed is ethylene glycol monobutyl ether.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention encompasses a cleaning composition in the form of a homogeneous aqueous solution having a pH of from about 6 to about 7.5, which comprises:
(a) from about 45% to about 85% of a C
9
-C
15
alcohol ethoxylate containing from about 4 to about 10 ethoxy groups, or a mixture of such ethoxylates;
(b) from about 0.5% to about 10% of fluorosurfactants selected from the group consisting of:
including their salts, and mixtures thereof, wherein each n is from about 6 to about 16 and each m is from about 1 to about 6; and
(c) from about 5% to about 50% of a detergent builder;
The present invention also encompasses methods for cleaning fabrics or hard surfaces (such as metal surfaces and plastics) comprising agitation of the fabrics or hard surfaces in the presence of an aqueous solution of the above-described cleaning composition. When the composition is used to clean hard surfaces, such as metal parts, it is particularly useful to contact those surfaces with an aqueous solution of the detergent composition in the presence of ultrasonic energy.
Ways of using the cleaning composition of the present invention include use in an ultrasonic cleaning device or in a spray-washing device, wherein a pressurized aqueous solution contacts the surface being cleaned. The spray-washer can operate at either high or low pressures, with temperatures ranging from about 50° F. to about 200° F. Most spray washers are multi-staged devices that generally include multiple wash and rinse sections.
The ultrasonic device comprises a vessel capable of holding the items to be cleaned and a detergent solution; means for imparting ultrasonic energy into the interior of said vessel; and a control means which prevents the imparting of ultrasonic energy to the vessel after the passage of a predetermined amount of time or number of starts. This allows the items to be cleaned during a period of time in which the detergent solution is relatively clean and does not contain an amount of grease or oil or particulates from previous cleaning operations which would overly burden the cleaning operation. After the predetermined period of time has passed, the machine automatically shuts down, at which time it is serviced to filter or replace the detergent solution to remove the extraneous dirt and to reset the control means on the ultrasonic cleaning device to permit it to be used until the next time servicing is required.
Without intending to be limited by theory, one possible mechanism as to how the cleaning composition of the present invention works is that it not only offers superior cleaning capability, but also offers the characteristics of a superior rinse-agent as well. In general, many types of cleaning equipment are designed to mechanically remove and separate cleaning agents from the rinse section of washers since traditional cleaning agents typically leave a residue on the object being cleaned. Particularly for soft metals, additional residue is generated on the object being cleaned through oxidation of the metal and through saponification of surface oils. The cleaning composition of the present invention prevents the re-deposition of particulate and soil, as well as cleaning agent, on the surface of the object being cleaned. This unique performance characteristic is attributable to the lack of surface tension and overall “wetting” of the cleaned surface inherent in the com
Alta Villa Vito J.
Yeggy Robert C.
Bay Technologies, Inc.
Frost Brown Todd LLC
Hardee John
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