Enhanced alkylbenzene surfactant mixture

Details Enhanced alkylbenzene surfactant mixture Enhanced alkylbenzene surfactant mixture

2001-05-16

2003-07-22

Ogden, Necholus (Department: 1751)

Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions

Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing

Liquid composition

C510S276000, C510S428000, C510S357000, C510S492000, C510S536000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06596680

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to particular types of alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixtures adapted for laundry and cleaning product use by controlling compositional parameters, especially a 2/3-phenyl index, a 2-methyl-2-phenyl index and linearity, as well as to improved detergent and cleaning products containing these surfactant mixtures, to alkylbenzene precursors for the surfactant mixtures, and to methods of making the precursors as well as the surfactant mixtures. The present compositions are especially useful for fabric laundering.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Historically, highly branched alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactants, such as those based on tetrapropylene, known as “ABS” or “TPBS”, were used in detergents. However, these were found to be very poorly biodegradable. A long period followed of improving manufacturing processes for alkylbenzene sulfonates, making them as linear as practically possible, hence the acronym “LAS”. The overwhelming part of a large art of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant manufacture is directed to this objective. However, linear alkylbenzene sulfonates are not without limitations; for example, they would be more desirable if improved for hard water cleaning and/or cold water cleaning properties. They can often fail to produce good cleaning results, for example when formulated with nonphosphate builders and/or when used in hard water areas.
As a result of the limitations of the alkylbenzene sulfonates, consumer cleaning formulations have often needed to include a higher level of co-surfactants, builders, and other additives than would have been needed given a superior alkylbenzene sulfonate. Yet another currently unresolved problem in alkylbenzene sulfonate manufacture is to make more effective use of current LAB feedstock. It would be highly desirable, both from a performance point of view and from an economic point of view, to better utilize certain desirable types of branched hydrocarbons.
Accordingly there exists a substantial unment need for further improvements in alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixtures. Improved alkylbenzene sulfonates should provide one or more of the following advantages: superior cleaning, hardness tolerance, biodegradability and cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has now surprisingly been found that there exist certain alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixtures, hereinafter “enhanced alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixtures” which offer one or more, and even several of the above-outlined advantages. The discovery of these mixtures solves important problems of the kind described in the background.
More specifically, it has now surprisingly been found for that the alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixtures of the present invention provide superior cleaning performance, cost advantage, along with good biodegradability as compared to conventional alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixtures. In most cases, standard environmental tests, such as the previously described Modified SCAS, are sufficient in determining acceptable surfactant biodegradability. It has additionally been discovered that the alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixtures of the present invention afford a further improved performance and biodegradation profile over the prior art. The present invention achieves the further improved profile by optimizing key compositional parameters, including, but not limited to, the 2/3-phenyl index, the 2-methyl-2-phenyl index and overall linearity. These features provide superior cleaning performance to those who practice the invention, while providing globally acceptable protection of the environment during and following such practice.
In a first aspect of the present invention, an enhanced alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixture comprising:
(a) from about 60% to about 25% by weight of a mixture of enhanced alkylbenzene sulfonates having formula (I):
 wherein L is an acyclic aliphatic moiety consisting of carbon and hydrogen, said L having two methyl termini and said L having no substituents other than A, R
1
and R
2
; and wherein said mixture of enhanced alkylbenzene sulfonates contains two or more of said enhanced alkylbenzene sulfonates differing in molecular weight of the anion of said formula (I) and wherein said mixture of enhanced alkylbenzene sulfonates has
a sum of carbon atoms in R
1
, L and R
2
of from 9 to 15
an average aliphatic carbon content of from about 10.0 to about 14.0 carbon atoms; M is a cation or cation mixture, M having a valence q of the value of from 1 to 2; a and b are integers selected such that said enhanced alkylbenzene sulfonates are electroneutral; R
1
is C
1
-C
3
alkyl; R
2
is selected from H and C
1
-C
3
alkyl provided that in at least about 0.5 to 1.0 mole fraction of said enhanced alkylbenzene sulfonates, R
2
is H; A is a benzene moiety or any other aromatic that would exhibit the same characteristics as the aforementioned benzene moiety under the above-described conditions; and
(b) from about 40% to about 75% by weight of a mixture of modified unsubstituted alkylbenzene sulfonates having formula (II):
 wherein a, b, M, A and q are as defined hereinbefore and Y is a linear unsubstituted aliphatic moiety having no substitution other than A, consisting of carbon and hydrogen having two methyl termini, and wherein said Y has a sum of carbon atoms of from 9 to 15 and said Y has an average aliphatic carbon content of from about 10.0 to about 14.0; and wherein said modified unsubstituted alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixture is further characterized by a 2/3-phenyl index of from about 275 to about 10,000, is provided.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a process for making an alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixture comprising the steps of: (I) alkylating benzene with an alkylating mixture; (II) sulfonating the product of (I); and (optionally, but preferably) (III) neutralizing the product of (II); wherein said alkylating mixture comprises: (a) 1% to about 99%, by weight of methyl substituted C
9
-C
15
monoolefins, said methyl substituted monoolefins having structures identical with those of the methyl substituted monoolefins formed by dehydrogenating methyl substituted paraffins of formula R
1
LR
2
wherein L is an acyclic aliphatic moiety consisting of carbon and hydrogen and containing two terminal methyls; R
1
is C
1
to C
3
alkyl; and R
2
is selected from H and C
1
to C
3
alkyl; and (b) from about 0.1% to about 85%, by weight of C
9
-Cl
5
linear aliphatic olefins; wherein said alkylating mixture contains said methyl substituted C
9
-C
20
monoolefins having at least two different carbon numbers in said C
9
-C
20
range, and has a mean carbon content of from about 9.0 to about 15.0 carbon atoms; and wherein said components (a) and (b) are at a weight ratio of at least about 15:85, is provided.
In another aspect of the present invention, an alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixture made by the process described above is provided.
In still another aspect of the present invention, detergent compositions, especially laundry detergent compositions, comprising the enhanced alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixture of the present invention are provided. Such detergent compositions generally contain an amount of the enhanced alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixture useful in cleaning fabrics, and amounts of laundry detergent-specific adjuncts which distinguish the preferred compositions herein from compositions used in non-laundry detergent fields.
The invention, on the other hand, is not intended to encompass any wholly conventional alkylbenzene sulfonate compositions or the derivative detergent compositions, such as those based exclusively on linear alkylbenzene sulfonates made by any process, or exclusively on known unacceptably branched alkylbenzene sulfonates such as ABS or TPBS.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, an enhanced alkylbenzene mixture is provided. This alkylbenzene mixture is useful for making the enhanced alkylbenzene sulfonate surfactant mixtures of the first and second embodimen

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