Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-03
2003-01-07
Delcotto, Gregory (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S336000, C510S337000, C510S338000, C510S438000, C510S445000, C510S449000, C510S302000, C510S303000, C510S304000, C510S320000, C510S321000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06503876
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to laundry detergent products, such as heavy duty aqueous and/or non-aqueous and/or gelled liquid laundry detergents and granular and/or powder laundry detergents, which include one or more low density particles and one or more particulate solids, such as enzymes, bleaching agents, builders, chelants, alkalinity sources (i.e., buffers), anti redeposition agents, catalysts, surfactants, and other detergent ingredients, and optionally one or more conventional cleaning adjunct materials.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The incorporation of conventional detergent ingredients, such as bleaching agents, builders, chelants, alkalinity sources (i.e., buffers), anti redeposition agents, catalysts, surfactants, and other non-enzyme detergent ingredients into conventional liquid laundry detergents has been problematic due to the tendency of detergent ingredients, typically in the form of particulate solids, to sediment and/or settle out of liquid detergent products, especially during storage and/or transportation of the liquid detergent products. This problem is also present, although usually not to the same extent, in granular and/or powder laundry detergents wherein the solid particulates tend to sediment and/or settle out of the granular and/or powder detergent products during storage, transportation and/or any other activity that results in sifting of the products.
It is known that one of the major problems with built liquid laundry detergents is their physical stability. Non-aqueous built laundry liquid detergent compositions are often confronted with problems of phase separation, sedimentation and/or settling out of the suspended builder and other laundry additives. The considerations have an impact on, for example, product pourability, dispensability and/or stability.
Conventional non-aqueous heavy duty liquid detergents, which comprise a surfactant system in a non-aqueous organic solvent combined with particulate solids which have beneficial effects in the wash (e.g., bleaches and bleach activators), have a tendency to be quite unstable and thus, result in the sedimentation and/or settling out of the particulate solids as well as the formation of a clear liquid layer at the surface of the product.
This problem of unstability associated with non-aqueous heavy duty liquid detergents stems from the fact that the density of the solid suspended particles is higher than the density of the liquid matrix. Therefore, the solid particles tend to sediment according to Stoke's law.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,723 to Cao et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,713 to Dixit et al., DE3824252 (GB 2208233) and DE 3833368 (GB2210383) all of which are owned by Colgate-Palmolive of New York, disclose stable non-aqueous heavy duty liquid laundry detergent compositions in the form of suspensions of builder salt in liquid nonionic surfactant wherein the compositions are stabilized against phase separation by the addition of small amounts of low density filler, such as hollow plastic or glass microspheres. All of the references teach that the ratio of the average particle size diameter of the low density filler particle to the average particle size diameter of the dispersed particles (i.e., builder salts) must be at least 6:1.
However, these references fail to teach laundry detergent compositions, particularly liquid laundry detergent compositions that comprise low density filler particles and solid particulates wherein the ratio of the average particle size diameter of the low density filler particle to the average particle size diameter of the dispersed solid particulates is about 1:1, or less than 2:1, or less than 3:1, or less than 4:1, or less than 5:1, or even less than 6:1.
Further, the low density filler materials used in these references tend to deposit on fabrics and on washing machine parts.
EP 839 902 (BASF) discloses a process for the production of micro-capsules containing a bleach aid for use in detergents. However, this reference fails to teach low density filler particles, especially non-detergent ingredient filled low density filler particles. Further, this reference fails to teach the use of water soluble and/or easily dispersible in water low density filler particles for improving the physical stability and the dissolution of laundry detergents, especially non-aqueous liquid laundry detergents.
Other unsuccessful prior art attempts at solving these problems associated with non-aqueous heavy duty liquid laundry detergents include forming a structuring network within the liquid laundry detergent such that the liquid laundry detergent acquires a high viscosity. High viscosity liquid laundry detergents can negatively impact the dissolution and the dispersion of the laundry detergent product in the wash, resulting in the deposition of imperfectly dissolved product on fabrics under stressed, low temperature/agitation conditions, or when the laundry detergent is used for pre-treating stains. Technologies used for this type of structuring network formation include polymers, clays and hydrophobic silica.
In light of the foregoing, it is evident that formulators of liquid laundry detergent comprising detergent ingredients in solid particulate form have encountered a challenge to stably suspend the detergent ingredients in the form of solid particulates in the liquid laundry detergents.
There is a need to formulate liquid laundry detergent compositions having stably suspended detergent ingredients in the form of solid particulates.
There is a need to formulate granular and/or powder laundry detergent compositions having stably suspended detergent ingredients in the form of solid particulates.
There is a need to provide methods for producing the laundry detergent compositions and/or products comprising detergent ingredient solid particulates wherein the solid particulates can be stably suspended in the laundry detergent compositions.
Accordingly, there is a need to identify materials and procedures which can be used to stably suspend and/or incorporate detergent ingredients in the form of solid particulates into liquid and/or granular and/or powder laundry detergent products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention fulfills the needs identified above by providing laundry detergent compositions and/or products comprising low density fillers and particulate solids wherein the laundry detergent compositions and/or products exhibit properties such that the tendency of the particulate solids to sediment and/or settle out of liquid laundry detergent products is reduced; methods of making such laundry detergent compositions and/or products.
Surprisingly it has been found that by incorporating low density fillers into laundry detergent compositions and/or products, especially non-aqueous liquid laundry detergents, that contain detergent ingredients in the form of particulate solids, the particulate solids can be stably suspended in liquid laundry detergent products.
By stably suspending the particulate solids in the liquid laundry detergent products, the particulate solids of the present invention have a reduced tendency to sediment and/or settle out of the laundry detergent products during storage and/or transportation.
As a result of the particulate solids having a reduced tendency to sediment and/or settle out of the laundry detergent products, consumers can have more consistent doses with respect to the level of actives, especially the particulate solids, per dose.
Further, as a result of the particulate solids having a reduced tendency to sediment and/or settle out of the laundry detergent products, the appearance of a clear top layer in the product is inhibited and/or resisted.
Still further, as a result of the particulate solids having a reduced tendency to sediment and/or settle out of the laundry detergent products, the dissollution of the product is not impaired as the low density fillers maintain a low product viscosity.
Still even further, as a result of the physical form and composition of the low density fillers, which are either water soluble or easily
Delcotto Gregory
Matthews Armina E.
Miller Steven W.
The Procter & Gamble & Company
William Zerby Kim
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