Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
110~380
The invention is concerned with detergent compositions.
British Patent 1,538,747 iS concerned with detergent
compositions based on low crystalline fraction secondary al~yl
sulphates derived from C10 to C18 olefins (hereinafter referred
to as LCF SAS). Other components of the detergent compositions
disclosed therein are alcohol ethoxylates, alcohol ethoxy sul-
phates and water.
Another known component of various detergent compositions
are alpha-olefin sulphonates (hereinafter referred to as AOS).
One problem of AOS is that they have high clear points and low
viscositiesj this applies in particular to high active-matter
(a.m.) concentrates thereof i.e. aqueous compositions comprising
20 to 50% a.m.. It is known to blend AOS with alkyl sulphates
such as alcohol-derived sulphates e.g. Na lauryl sulphates (see
British Patents Nos. 1,194,862 and 1,195,903 and Netherlands
Patent Specification No. 7,306,270). However such blends also
have high clear points and low viscosities. It has also been
proposed, but not exemplified, in British Patent 1,055,709 to
add secondary alkyl sulphates to compositions comprising AOS
20 and olefin disulphonates. This specification does not dis-
tinguish between LCF SAS and high crystalline fraction secondary
alkyl sulphates (hereinafter referred to as HCF SAS).
The Applicants have now found that blends of AOS, in
particular of AOS having not more than 17 carbon atoms, and
LCF SAS have low clear points and high viscosities. This
finding does not apply to similar blends containing HCF SAS
instead
- 2 - .
380
of LCF SAS or blends containing AOS having more than 18 carbon
atoms.
Accordingly, the present invention is concerned with a
detergent composition comprising
(a) from 5 to 95 %w of a low crystalline fraction secondary
alkyl sulphate derived from C10 to C18 olefins, and
(b) from 95 to 5 %w of a C10 to C17 alpha-olefin sulphonate,
the percentages being based on the total weight of (a) and (b).
As is explained in British Patent 1,538,747, the essen-
tial difference between LCF SAS and HCF SAS is the way in which
the sulphate groups thereof are distributed. Although there
is no sudden transition point between LCF and HCF SAS, in
general secondary alkyl sulphates having less than 80%, partic-
ularly less than 70% of its sulphate groups on the 2- and 3-
carbon atoms of the alkyl chains can be regarded as LCF SAS
whereas secondary alkyl sulphates having more than 80%, partic-
ularly more than 85%, of its sulphate groups on the 2- and 3-
carbon atoms can be regarded as HCF SAS. Another useful practi-
cal distinction insofar as secondary alkyl sulphates prepared
from alpha-olefins are concerned are the reaction conditions
under which the SAS are prepared. It is possible to prepare
from alpha-olefins, by using low reaction temperatures, such
as temperatures of below 15C, e.g. between -5C and 5C, and/or
low residence times such as times of below 10
.." .~
~10{~380
minutes, e.g. of from 4 to 8 minutes, HCF SAS in which
the sulphate groups are predominantly, i.e. more than 80p,
on the 2- and 3-carbon atoms of the alkyl chains. It is also
possible to prepare from alpha-olefins, by using higher
reaction temperatures such as temperatures above 15C, e.g.
between 25 and 35C, and/or high residence times such as times
above 10 minutes, e.g. from 10 to 15 minutes, LCF SAS in
which the sulphate groups are more randomly, i.e. less than
80% of its sulphate groups on the 2- and 3-carbon atoms,
distributed over the alkyl chains. Insofar as secondary
alkyl sulphates prepared from internal olefins are concerned
these are also LCF SAS irrespectively of the conditions
under which they are prepared. Another useful distinction
between LCF and HCF SAS is the Kraft point of the product.
For a given carbon chain length the Kraft point will give
information about the 2- and 3-isomer content; low Kraft
points indicating LCF SAS. For example, the Kraft point of
a 30g active matter aqueous solution of C14 to C15 LCF SAS
(sodium salts) is 18C whereas the Kraft point of a 30~
active matter aqueous solution of C14 to C15 H5F SAS (sodium
salts) is 35C.
Suitably the LCF SAS component of the composition is the
form of a metal, ammonium or amine salt. Suitable ~etal
salts are alkaline- or alkali-metal salts e.g. potassium
or sodium salts. These are formed from the reaction products
of the olefins and H2S04, i.e. secondary alkyl sulphuric
acids, by known methods e.g. neutralization with KOH or NaOH.
_ 5 _ 1100380
The LCF SAS may be derived from mono-olefin cuts or
mixtures of olefins; preferably the olefins are linear.
The olefins may be internal- or alpha-olefins. Suitable
mixtures of olefins are mixtures of C13 and C14 internal
olefins or C14 and C15 alpha-olefins. In general olefins
in the range of C12to C17~ particularly C13 to C16~ are
preferred.
The term "alpha-olefin sulphonates" (AOS) as used herein
means the product obtained by the sulphonation of alpha-ole-
fins, followed by the neutralization and hydrolysis of theacidic sulphonation product. The hydrolysed product principally
consists of alkene-1-sulphonates, hydroxyalkane sulphonates
(produced by the hydrolysis of sultones which are formed during
the sulphonation), and smaller amounts of by-products such as
alkane disulphonates, unreacted olefins etc. The olefins are
sulphonated by S03 which may be liquid or gaseous and, is
usually, but not necessarily diluted with inert diluents, for
example by liquid S02, chlorinated hydrocarbons etc. when used
in the liquid form, or by air, nitrogen, gaseous S02, when used
in the gaseous form. The sulphonates are prepared usually in
the form of an alkaline- or alkali-metal, e.g. Na, K, ammonium
or amine salt. Particularly preference is given to the salts
of C14 and/or C16 AOS. It has been found that the advantages
of the present invention are lost if the AOS contains an
~5 appreciable amount of C18 AOS. However, small amounts of AOS
having carbon chain lengths above C17 or below C10 may be present
in the composition of the present invention but these amounts
should not exceed 10 %w based on the total weight of AOS.
110~380
Preferred compositions of the present invention comprise
from 20 to 80 %w of LCF SAS and from 80 to 20 %w of AOS. Most
preferred compositions comprise from 30 to 70 %w of LCF SAS and
from 70 to 30 %w of AOS.
The compositions of the present invention may comprise one
or more components in addition to LCF SAS and AOS. Such addi-
tional components include detergents such as non-ionic, anionic
or ampholytic detergents. However components such as olefin
sulphonates need not be present. Such additional detergents may
be present in an amount of from 30 to 120 ~Ow, based on the
weight of AOS and SAS. A particularly preferred additional
detergent are C10 to C20 alcohol ethoxy sulphates such as those
prepared by reacting C10 to C20 alcohols with from 1 to 5 moles
of ethylene oxide, followed by sulphation and neutraliztion of
the alcohol ethoxylate so prepared. Such sulphates are usually
in the form of a metal, e.g. sodium or potassium, ammonium or
amine salts.
Other additional components include ammonium and metal
inorganic salts such as NH4Cl, NaCl, MgS04 and Na2S04. Such
salts may be present in an amount of from 5 to 30 ~Ow, based on
the active-matter, of the composition. Solubilizers, which are
not regarded as active-matter, may also be present in the composi-
tions. Suitable solubilizers include alcohols, e.g. ethanol, or
alkali metal or alkaline-earth metal, e.g. sodium, potassium or
magnesium, xylene and toluene sulphonates and suitable amounts
are from 1 to 15 %w, based on the active-matter of the composition.
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1100380
Further additional components include builders, sequester-
ing agents, optical whitening agents, enzymes, perfumes and foam
promotors such as fatty acid alkanol amides.
The compositions of the present invention may be used as
liquid detergents, e.g. aqueous detergents comprising from 10
to 60%, preferably 20 to 50% active-matter, or they may be used
in the form of powders, produced, for example, by spray drying
aqueous solutions or dispersions of the compositions.
The invention will now be illustrated by reference to the
following Examples.
EXAMPLES
The types of secondary alkyl sulphates used in these
Examples were as follows:-
Type (a):-
LCF SAS prepared from a mixture of C13 and C14(1:1)
internal olefins and conc.H2S04 using a reaction
temperature of 30 C and a residence time of 12 min-
utes. About 60% of the sulphate groups were posi-
tioned on the 2- and 3-carbon atoms of the alkyl
chains (Examples 1 to 9 and 29 to 31).
Type (b):-
LCF SAS prepared from a mixture of C14 and C15(2:3)
alpha-olefins and conc. H2S04 using a reaction tem-
perature of 30 C and a residence time of 12 minutes.
Again about 60% of the sulphate groups were posi-
tioned on the 2- and 3-carbon atoms of the alkyl
chains (Examples 10 to 14 and 21 to 23).
11003~0
Type (c):-
HCF SAS prepared from a mixture of C14 and C15 (2:3)
alpha-olefins and conc. H2S04 using a reaction tem-
perature of O C and a residence time of 6 minutes.
More than 80% of the sulphate groups were positioned
on the 2- and 3-carbon atoms of the alkyl chains
(Examples 15 to 20).
In all cases the sodium salts were used.
The types of AOS used in these Examples were as follows.
Type (a):-
sodium C14/C16 (2:1) AOS (Examples 1 to 20, 24 to 31)
Type (b):-
sodium C16/C18 (2:1) AOS (Examples 21 to 23).
The type of primary alkyl sulphate (PAS) used in Examples
24 to 28 was sodium C12/C13 (2:3) alcohol sulphate-
The type of alcohol ethoxy sulphate (EOS) used in Exam-
ples 29 to 31 was sodium C12 to C15 alcohol ethoxy (average 3
moles of EO/mole of alcohol) sulphate.
The type of solubilizer (NaXS) used in Example 31 was
sodium xylene sulphonate.
A salt, NH4Cl, was used in Examples 30 and 31.
EXAMPLES 1 to 9
Aqueous compositions comprising 30% a.m. of LCF SAS of
type(a) and AOS of type(a) were prepared and the viscosities
and clear points of the compositions determined. The results
are given in Table I along with the results obtained using the
LCF SAS alone and the AOS alone.
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` 110(~380
Table I
Example SAS/AOS wt. ratiosViscosity Clear Point
(30% a.m.)(cSt at (C)
SAS AOS 20C )
type(a) type(a) _ _ _ _ _ _ _
- 100 - 200 +14
1 90 10 300 +13
2 ôO 20 430 + 9
3 70 30 550 + 2
4 60 40 570 zero
460 -0.5
6 40 60 270 zero
7 30 70 120 + 1
8 20 80 51 + 5
9 10 90 23 + 8.5
- 100 12 + 10
_
EXAMPLES 10 to 23
Aqueous compositions comprising 30% a.m. of LCF SAS of
type(b) or HCF SAS of type(c) and AOS of type(a) or of type(b)
were prepared and the clear points of the compositions deter-
mined. The results obtained are given in Table II along with
the results obtained using the components alone.
1 o - 11003~0
Table II
Example SAS~AOS wt ratio (30% a m ) (C)
SAS type AOS type
___________ ______________
(b) (c) (a) (b)
_______ _____ _____ ______ _______ ___________
-100 - _ _ +17
1090 - 10 - +17
1130 - 70 - - 1
1250 - 50 - + 3
1330 - 70 - + 5.5
1410 - 90 - 9.5
--100 -- +10
- -100 _ _ 35
-70 30 - +27
16 -50 50 - +20
17 _40 60 - +11
18 -30 70 - +11
19 -20 80 - +11
-10 90 - +10.5
100 -- +10
-100 - _ _ +17
2170 - - 30 +17
2250 - - 50 +28
2330 - - 70 ~ +30
_ __ - 100 ~ +30
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1 1 - 110~380
From the results of Table II it can be seen that the
advantages of the compositions of the present invention (Exam-
ples 10 to 14) are not obtained if the LCF SAS of type (b) is
replaced by HCF SAS of type(c), (Examples 15 to 20) or if the
AOS of type (a) (C14/C16 AOS) is replaced by AOS containing an
appreciable amount of C18 AOS (AOS of type (b), Examples 21 to
23).
EXAMPLES 24 to 28
For comparative purposes aqueous compositions comprising
30% a.m. of PAS and AOS of type(a) were prepared and the visco-
sities and clear points of the compositions determined. The
results are given in Table III along with the results obtained
using PAS or AOS of type (a) alone.
Table III
Example PAS/AOS wt ratio Viscosit~ Clear
(30% a.m.) cSt at 2~C Pgint
PAS AOS C
type(a)
_______ ______ _________ ___________ ______
-100 - semi-solid +24
24 50 50 140 +24
69 + 9.5
26 30 70 39 +10
27 20 80 24 +11
28 10 90 16 +11
- - 100 12 +10
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~100380
EXAMPLES 29 to 31
Further compositions of the invention were prepared using
in addition of LCF SAS of type(a) and AOS of type(a) various
amounts of EOS, NaXS and/or NH4Cl. The viscosities and clear
points of the compositions were determined and the results
given in Table IV.
Table IV
Example SAS/AOS/EOS wt. ratio NaXS NH4Cl Viscosity Clear
(30% a.m.) %w on a.m. (cSt at Point
SAS AOS EOS 20C) (C)
type(a) type(a)
29 35 35 30 - - 730 zero
- 15 430 -2
31 35 35 30 10 20 350 -5
_
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