Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-21
2003-06-17
Gupta, Yogendra N. (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S303000, C510S349000, C510S375000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06579838
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a laundry composition, in particular to a laundry composition having an acidic peroxidic liquid. The invention relates in particular to a laundry boost composition to be used in addition to the usual laundry detergent.
Acidic liquid bleach compositions are well known as specific purpose laundry products. Those products are usually added—in addition to the usual laundry detergent—to enhance the bleach activity. With the products presently available there are, however, some problems which have not been fully solved as yet, such as control of dry-transfer from colored to light fabrics, stain removing performance on specific soils such as make-up stains and proteinic stains, reduction of whiteness of white fabrics following multiple washings, and the use in such compositions of components which may react prematurely with each other. It is an object of the present invention to solve or ameliorate one or more of those problems.
This invention is based on the surprising finding that incorporating specific ingredients, including ingredients already known as showing activity in an acidic liquid bleach composition, into separate particles held in stable suspension in the composition (preferably homogeneously distributed throughout the composition), results in performance improvements compared with similar compositions with the same active ingredients, but not concentrated in particles.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a laundry composition comprising:
a) an acidic liquid containing hydrogen peroxide, and
b) particles suspended in the liquid
wherein the particles comprise a protective coating around a core which includes at least one active ingredient selected from a chelating agent, a dye-transfer inhibitor, an anti-fading agent, an anti-bacterial agent, a fabric softener, a transition metal compound and an optical brightener
and wherein the particles are stable in the acidic liquid but dissolve or disperse under alkaline washing conditions.
The term “liquid” as used herein includes a flowable gel.
One preferred active ingredient within the particles is a chelating agent.
A preferred class of chelating agents within the particles is the water-soluble polyphosphonates, especially diphosphonates including sodium, potassium, and lithium salts of ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonic acid; sodium, potassium and lithium salts of methylenediphosphonic acid; sodium, potassium salts of hydroxyalkylidene diphosphonic acids, and the like. Especially preferred is sodium hydroxyethylidene diphosphonate (Na HEDP).
Another preferred class of chelating agents is the dialkylene polyacetic acids or salts thereof, notably diethylene pentacetic acid or a salt thereof, especially the pentasodium salt. An example of the acid is the product DETAREX from Dow. An example of the pentasodium salt is the product VERSENEX 80E from Dow.
Another preferred class of chelating agents is the acrylic acid/acrylate polymer class, for example polyacrylic acid or a copolymer which includes acrylic acid as a monomer unit. One example is the product ACRILAM C20 available from Lamberti, Italy.
Another possible class of chelating agents, especially in the acidic liquid, is the alkali metal salts of aliphatic hydroxydi- or hydroxytri-carboxylic acids. Suitable compounds include the alkali metal salts of malic, tartaric, isocitric, trihydroxyglutaric and, especially, citric acid. Sodium salts are generally preferred. An especially preferred compound of this class is sodium citrate.
When one or more chelating agent is present in the particles the content thereof is preferably in the range 1-99%, preferably 5-50%, most preferably 10-25% (weight of chelating agent(s) in total, on total weight of particles).
One preferred active ingredient within the particles is a dye-transfer inhibitor.
Preferred dye-transfer inhibitors (sometimes called dye anti-redesposition agents or soil suspending agents) within the particles include polyvinylalcohol, fatty amides, sodium carboxylmethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, polyvinylpyrollidone, polyvinylimidazole, polyvinyloxazolidone, polyamine N-oxide polymers and copolymers or N-vinylpyrollidone and N-vinylimidazole. Most preferred is poly(4-vinyl pyridine N-oxide)—known as PVNO—preferably having a molecular weight in the range 3,000-30,000, most preferably 5,000-20,000.
When one or more dye-transfer inhibitor is present in the particles the content thereof is preferably in the range 1-80%, preferably 5-50%, most preferably 10-25% (weight of dye transfer inhibitor(s) in total, on total weight of particles).
One preferred active ingredient within the particles is a fabric softening agent, for example of the well-known cationic softener type, as described in GB 2197666A. In respect of the cationic materials the content of GB 2197666A is incorporated herein by reference.
When one or more fabric softening agent is present in the particles the content thereof is preferably in the range 1-60%, preferably 5-30%, most preferably 10-25% (weight of fabric softening agent(s) in total, on total weight of particles).
One preferred active ingredient within the particles is an optical brightener. Suitable optical brighteners include stilbene derivatives, such as 4,4′-bis(triazine-2-ylamino)stilbene-2,2′-disulphonic acid, mono(azol-2-yl)stilbene and bis(azol-2-yl)stilbene; styryl derivatives of benzene and biphenyl, such as 1,4-bis(styryl)benzene, 4,4′-bis(styryl)benzene, 4,4′-bis-(styryl)biphenyl, 4,4′-bis(sulphostryryl)biphenyl sodium salt; pyrazolines such as 1,3-diphenyl-2-pyrazoline; bis(benzene-2-yl) derivatives, bis(benzoxazol-2-yl) derivatives and bis(benzimidazol-2-yl) derivatives; 2-(benzofuran-2-yl) benzimidazole; coumarins such as 4-methyl-7-hydroxy-coumarin or 4-methyl -7-diethylaminocoumarin; carbostyrils; naphthalimides; dibenzothiophene-5,5-dioxide; pyrene; or pyridotriazole derivatives.
When one or more optical brightener is present in the particles the content thereof is preferably in the range 1-40%, preferably 5-30%, most preferably 10-25% (weight of optical brightener(s) in total on total weight of particles).
Transition metal compounds as active ingredients within the particles may offer several benefits. Of greatest interest are photocatalytic transition metal complexes and transition metal oxides, in all cases selected to accelerate the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide once they are released into the wash liquor, in which they are dispersed. That action may be accelerated by a sensitiser; in the case of titanium dioxide the ruthenium polypyridyl derivatives taught in the literature (for example in J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2000, 122, pp. 2840-2849) are suggested. Certain transition metal compounds may also offer colorant or whitening benefit to improve the aesthetics of the composition. Certain transition metal compounds are relatively dense materials within the particles and in admixture with less dense materials may be used to adjust the density of the particles, to be the same as or close to the density of the liquid. Preferred transition metal compounds are inorganic compounds, notably zinc oxide and, most preferably, titanium dioxide.
One preferred active ingredient within the particles is an anti-bacterial agent. Suitable anti-bacterial agents include quaternary ammonium compounds, preferably of formula (CH
3
)
2
R
2
R
3
N
+
—X
−
where R
2
is selected from C
12-16
alkyl. (C
8-18
alkyl)ethoxy, and (C
8-18
alkyl)phenolethoxy, and R
2
is benzyl, or R
2
and R
3
are independently selected from C
8-12
alkyl; and x is selected from halide, preferably bromine, iodine or, especially, chlorine, and methosulfate.
When one or more anti-bacterial agent is present in the particles the content thereof is preferably in the range 1-60%, preferably 5-30%, most preferably 10-25% (weight of anti-bacterial agent(s) in total, on total weight of particles).
One preferred active ingredient within the particles is an anti-fading agent. Suitable anti-fading agents (sometimes called dye-fixatives
Fregonese Daniele
Housmekerides Chris E.
Zambelli Luca
Zamuner Dora
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Gupta Yogendra N.
Petruncio John M.
Reckitt Benckiser N.V.
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