Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~2~
Pourable detergent and bleach composition
The inventlon relates to a pourable, aqueous detergent and bleach
composition containing an anionic surfactant, a non-ionic sur-
factant and a suspended organlc per compound.
A composition of the above type is disclosed in Netherlands
Patent Specification No. 276 283. Over the detergent and bleach
compositions which are in a form varying from powdered to
granular as widely used in actual practice a liquid composition
of the type indicated above has great advantages as re~gards
preparation and use. Its preparation does not require cost in-
crea~ing shaping steps and its liquid form contributes to ease of
handling and dlspensing and does away wlth dusting problems.
The above-mentioned Netherlands Patent Specification proposes as
bleaching component suspended organic per compounds of the
general formula R - O - O - Rl, where R and ~' represent organlc
radlcals; moreover, the pH of the compositions described should
be at least 7 and preference is given to alkaline reacting com-
positions. To these compositions, however, there is the disad-
vantage that they are not stable under storage conditions
prevailing in actual practice, i.e. there occurs an unacceptable
loss of active oxygen. Therefore, these compositions have not
found acceptance in actual practlce.
The invention envisage~ eliminating this drawbac~. The compo-
sition according to the invention is characterized in that the
anionic surfactant is a linear alkyl ben2ene sulphonate, the non-
ionic surfactant an ethoxylated fatty alcohol and the organic per
compound an aliphatic peroxydicarboxylic acid containlng 8 to 13
carbon atoms, the pH of the compositlon being set to 3,5 to 4,1.
The European Patent Application No. 0 160 342 published on
November 6, 1985 discloses liquid, aqueous bleaching compositions
having a pH in the range of from 2 to 5 and containing an alkyl
benzene sulphonate, an ethoxylated fatty alcohol, a suspended
peroxy acid and an electrolyte; Examples IV and V in it disclose
compositions havlng a pH of 4,5. Aslde from the fact that the
compositions according to the present invention are not disclosed
~ ~.
in said European Patent Application, the present compositions
display better storage stabllity as compared with the composi-
tions according to said Application. Thi~ is demonstrated in the
Example~ below.
The present composition ls storage stable, i.e. after 2 weeks'
storage at 40VC it has entirely or practically entirely retained
its active oxygen content. The pourability of the present com-
posltion may be set in accordance with any particular need. For
practical purposes the viscosity of the composition, measured
with a Brookfield rotational viscometer (RV type; 20 rpm) at
20~C, is between 1 and 1200 m Pa.s and preferably between 50 and
500 m Pa.s.
The linear al~yl benzene sulphonate and the ethoxylated fatty
alcohol to be contained in the present composition are the sub-
stances that are also normally used in detergent compositions.
Preferred linear alkyl benzene sulphonates are those having 11 to
14 carbon atom~ in the alkyl chaln. As ~uitable ethoxylated fatty
alcohols there are mentioned ethoxylated Cg-C~8 alcohols having
an avera~e degree of ethoxylation from 3 to 15.
The amounts of the surfactants to be used may vary with the
desired pourabillty. The composition according to the invention
generally contains 2 to 20~ by weight of the linear alkyl benzene
sulphonate and S to 30~ by weight of the ethoxylated fatty
alcohol, calculated on the weight of the composition.
The bleaching agent to be used according to the invention is an
aliphatic peroxydicar~oxylic acid containing 8 to 13 carbon
atoms. The term peroxydicarboxylic acid as u~ed here refers to
both a monoperoxydicarboxylic acld and a diperoxydlcarboxyllc
acid. Use also may be made of mixtures of these peraclds or com-
binations of peracids of different chain lengths. It is preferred
that the peroxydicarboxylic acid to be used should substantially
consist of a diperoxydicarboxylic acid. As examples of the dl-
peroxydicarboxylic acids according to the invention may be men-
tioned 1,12-diperoxydodecanedioic acid and 1,13-dlperoxytri-
decanediolc acid. Partlcularly preferred is 1,12-dlperoxy-
dodecanedioic acid ~referred to hereinafter as DPDA). The amountof peroxydicarboxylic acid to be used in the composition
according to the inventlon ls generally such that the composi-
tion, calculated on the weight thereof, contains active oxygen in
an amount ranging between 0,1 and 4% by weight, preferably
between 0,1 and 3% by weight.
To prevent sedimentation of the suspended peroxydicarboxylic acid
particles their average size is advantageously chosen between 1
and 100 microns.
The peroxydicarboxyllc acids are compounds that are known in
themselves and may be prepared by reacting a dicarboxyllc acid
with hydrogen peroxide under the influence of sulphuric acid.
Of importance is the quality of the water to be used in the
present composition in order to obtain satisfactory storage
stability. Favourable results may be obtained wlth bidistilled
water or with deionlzed water.
It will be of advantage also to lncorporate a cequestering agent
ln the composltlon for the purpo~e of complexlng metal lons, the
presence of which may cause decomposltlon of the peroxydlcar-
boxyllc acid. As examples of these sequestering agents, which
must not be sensltive to the oxidative actlon of the peracld,
may be mentioned dipicollnic acid, hydroxyethylidene di-
phosphonic acid, alkali metal pyrophosphate and phosphonic acid.
The amount of sequestering agent that may be used in the present
composition is generally in the range of O to 1% by welght,
preferably 0,01 to 1% by welght, calculated on the weight of the
composition.
The pH of the composltlon is of great importance. It should be
set to 3,5 to 4,1. At a pH higher than 4,1 the storage stabllity
of the composition obtained will dlminisht at a pH lower than 3,5
the compositlon obtalned wlll be less suitable for washlng and
bleaching purposes because of a too low pH of the wash liquor
upon dilution with water in, for lnstance, a washing machlne. It
has been found that the present composltlon, ln ~plte of lts dls-
playing a slightly acidic reactlon upon dilutlon wlth water, can
be very effectively used ln the treatment of dlrty washlng. This
is surprising in that it had up to now been generally assumed
that for this purpose neutral to alkaline conditions are
required.
The present composition may still contain various commonly
applied additives. Examples of such additives include dirt sus-
pending agents, fluorescent and optical brighteners or whitening
agents, perfumes and hydrotopic substances. The choice thereof
is, of course, dependent on the desired properties of the com-
position and on the compatibility with the other constituents. In
this connection it should be noted that because of the oxidative
action of the peroxydicarboxylic acid some additives, such as
enzymes and particular oxidation sensitive brighteners or
whitening agents cannot be incorporated as such in the present
composition. However, such substances may previously be provided
with a suitable coating, which may be in the form of, for in-
stance, a solid detergent-active material which dissolves during
the washing stage, after which its incorporation in the compo-
sition ls no longer objectlonable.
The present compositlon can be prepared in a slmple manner by
adding finely divided peroxydicarboxylic acid, with stirring, to
an acidified (pH about 21 mixture in water of the anionic and the
non-ionic surfactant and any other constituents, after which the
pH of the resulting compo~ition is set to the desired value with,
say, sodium hydroxide.
The following examples serve to illustrate the invention. All
percentages therein are by weight.
ExamPle 1
Three compositions according to the invention were tested for
loss of active oxygen during storage. The table below gives the
constituents in percentages and the relevant properties of the
compositions and the test results. In addition the table gives
the test results of a comparative test conducted on a composltion
according to Example 4 of Netherlands Patent Specification No.
276 283 (Composition A).
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Table
Composition 1 2 3 A
sod:Lum dodecyl benzene
sulphonate ( 85~/o) 3 3 10
ethoxylated l7,5 EO) C1 2-C14-
fatty alcohol 15 15 lO
hydroxyethylidene dipho~-
phonic acid (Deque~t 2010
a commercial product of
Monsanto) 0,5 0,5
DPDA (aqueous paste with an
active oxygen content of
5~1%) 23 23 23
water 59 58 ~ 5 56,5 i
viqcosity at 20~C (m Pa.s) 250 250 250
pH 3,9 4,1 3,9
._ . .
Active oxygen content (~/0)
at s~art l,21 1~15 l,19 0,52
2 weeks 32~C _ _ _ 0,37
2 weeks 40~C 1,13 l,10 1,17
.
The test results show that the compositions according to the in-
vention display satisfactory storage stability at 40~C. At this
temperature prior art composition A was subject to total decom-
position, which was moreover attended with severe froth formlng.
It appears from the test results that also at 32~C composition A
shows poor storage stability.
Into several compositions corresponding to composition 3 a number
of additives were incorporated after which the storage stability
was determined in the same way as described above. Use was made
of the following additives in amounts given in brackets:
- methylhydroxypropyl cellulose (1%)
- optical brightener ATS-X~M a commercial product of Ciba Geigy
(0,15%)
~2~ 8`
- perfumes TurboTM LaneaTMand KalifaTM Commercial products of
Naarden Chemie Int. Holland B.V. (0,3%).
After 1 month's storage at 40VC all these compositions showed a
loss of active oxygen of only a few per cent.
Examp:Le 2
of the Compositlon 3 described in Example 1 an amount of 120 ml
was tested under practical conditions for its capability of re-
moving ~tains and dirty spots from domestic laundry. Comparative
tests were carried out on recommended portions of two commer-
cially available compositions, which are referred to hereinafter
as Composition B and Composition C. Composition B was a liquid
detergent concentrate containing about 37~ of water, about 40% of
surfactants and also enzymes and other substances, such as
optical whitener; of this composition 120 ml were used. Compo-
sition C was a powdered detergent and bleach agent containing
about 14% of surfactants, about 19~ of polyphosphate, about 15%
of sodium aluminium silicate, about 23% of sodium sulphate, about
9% of sodium perborate.4H20, about 4% of tetraacetyl ethylene
diamine and also enzymes and other additlves~ of this composition
131 g were used.
In each test in all 216 articles, including tea towels, sheets,
pillow cases and underwear, were washed in an AEG-Turnamat washer
with tap water of 9~ G~. The maximum washing temperature was
62JC, the total washing time, includlng heating up, was 59
minutes and the amount of water admitted 19 litres. Following the
washing process the washing was rinsed with 5 x 17 litres of cold
water and dried. Subsequently, the washing was rated by a panel
by counting the number of clean fourth parts of the tea towels,
sheets and pillow cases. Both sides were rated, so that the
rating of a perfectly clean article was 8 point~. The underwear
was compared with totally clean underwear , the rating for
totally clean underwear being 8 points and for less clean under-
wear between 0 and 8.
.
~C~31 2~LrJ,'~
For each of the three compositions tested the ratings of 12 tests
were averaged. For the composition according to the inventlon the
rating was 6,8, for Composition B it was 6,5 and for Composition
C 6,,9. These results show that the effectivene~s of the compo-
sltion according to the lnvention is excellent.
Repeating the above tests at a maximum washing temperature of
40~C resulted in similar ratings.
ExamPle 3
In thls Example compositions according to the invention are com-
pared with compositions according to European Patent Application
No. 0 160 342 as regards storage stability. A composïtion was
prepared containing
100 g of sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate (85%, the remainder
substantially consisting of sodium sulphate and some sodium
chloride),
100 g of ethoxylated ~7,5 EO) Cl2-Cl4 fatty alcohol,
S g of Dequest 2010,
243 g of DPDA ~aqueous paste with an active oxygen content of
5,1%),
557 g of water.
This composition was divided into several portions whlch were
each set to a dlfferent pH. Of the resulting compositlons the
storage stability was determined by measuring the percentage of
actlve oxygen remaining after storage at 40~C durlng 1, 3 and 4
weeks. The results are tabulated below.
according to the invention according to EP 0 160 342
pH 3,5 4,1 4,5 5
.
1 week 99 99 97 96
3 weeks 96 96 94 93
4 weeks 94 94 91 90
~2~34~8
The! results in the table clearly demonstrate the good storage
staLbility of the compositions according to the invention as com-
pared with that of the compositions according to EP 0 160 342.
