Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A CLEANING, WETTING AGENT AND SOLVENT
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to cleaning agents, and more
particularly to a chemical composition for use as a
cleaning, wetting agent and solvent and in other suitable
applications.
Various cleaning compositions and solvents are known
in the industry.
Some of the solvents are used in textile industry and act
as wetting agents in a process designed to remove sizing
from cloth before the fabric is dyed or printed.
At the present time, petroleum-based wetting agents are
widely used in the process of sizing. Such wetting agents
create a number of environmental problems, since they are
toxic and cannot be easily disposed of under current EPA
regulations.
There are also certain areas in equipment servicing which
require that cleaning of surfaces be done in such a manner
that there is no film or residue remaining. For example,
oxygen breathing equipment requires that the tubing,
connectors, gauges and other surfaces be cleansed on a
regular basis without any residue or particles of dirt left
on the surfaces.
Repair of articles made of rubber or vinyl requires that
the surface surrounding a tear or puncture be thoroughly
cleaned of any impurities before a patch is adhered to the
damaged area.
Electronic circuit printboards have to be regularly
cleaned to prevent disfunction of the electronic device due
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to accumulation of dust or other foreign material on the
surface.
In these and other numerous instances cleaning agents
containing chlorofluorocarbons are widely used. In 1979 the
U.S. Government prohibited the use of this propellant gas
for aerosol sprays, except for a few specialized items,
because of chlorofluorocarbon's depleting effect on
stratospheric ozone.
Along with chlorofluorocarbons, toluene, methyl chloride,
trichloroethane (1,1,1), trichlorotrifluoroethane (CFC 113),
and a number of other hazardous materials are used as
solvent cleaning agents, dilutants, thinners, etc. Both
Toluene and methyl chloride are toxic, flammable, contain
explosion risk, therefore requiring careful handling and
disposal.
The present invention contemplates provision of a
cleaning, wetting solvent agent which is non-toxic, non-
flammable and economical, which does not deplete the ozone
layer.
2 0 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a cleaning, solvent agent which is economical and
safe to manufacture.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide
an non-toxic, non-flammable, non-hazardous, biodegradable
cleaning and solvent agent.
It is still a further object of the present invention to
provide a composition of matter suitable for use as cleaning
solvent agent in numerous concentrations from .01 to .99% in
a water base.
There remains a further objective, with the present
invention, to replace solvents in metal fabrication/cleaning
industries, circuit board cleaning and defluxing, ocular
lens cleaning and other applications, so as to effectively
remove all traces of grease and oil, leaving no residue on
the surfaces being cleaned.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a
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dispersant which maintains a buoyancy effect on dispersed
hydrocarbons, making collection and disposal of contaminants
easier and more cost-effective.
These and other objects of the present invention are
achieved by providing a composition of matter which
comprises dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid, ethoxylated nonyl
phenol, lauric acid diethanolamide, diethanolamine and
propylene glycol mixed in a water base. In one of its
embodiments the composition of matter provides for a mixture
in water of between about 0.17% and 1.36% by total weight of
ethoxylated nonyl phenol, mixed with dodecylbenzenesulfonic
acid in an amount between about 2 and 2.5 times the
concentration of ethoxylated nonyl phenol, lauric acid
diethanolamide in amount between about 1.5 and 2 times the
concentration of the dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid, and
diethanolamine and propylene glycol in equal amounts of
between about 2 and 2.5 times the concentration of lauric
acid diethanolamide. In its preferred embodiment, the
composition of matter provides for the use of 3% by total
weight of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid, 0.3% by total weight
of ethoxylated nonyl phenol, 5.66% by total weight of lauric
acid diethanolamide and equal amounts of 2.46% by total
weight of diethanolamine and propylene glycol all mixed in
a water base.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The composition of matter in accordance with the present
invention comprises between about 0.17 - 2.36% by weight of
ethoxylated nonyl phenol, between about 2.83 - 22.6% by
weight of lauric acid diethanolamide, between about 1.23 -
9.84% by weight of diethanolamine and between 1.23 - 9.84%
by weight of propylene glycol in aqueous solution. The
cleaning, solvent agent of the present invention is a
synthetic detergent compound which uses dodecylbenzene as a
detergent agent and diethanolamide as an emulsifier. The
composition concentrate of the present invention exhibits
all of the positive qualities of the petroleum-based
solvents and chlorofluorocarbon-containing cleaning agent,
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while eliminating the negative attributes of these
compositions. It was found that 0.1 - 0.99% concentrations
of the composition of matter of the instant application are
affective as solvents and cleaning agents, although
effectiveness is not lost in less concentrated solutions.
The present composition was found to be especially effective
in applications, wherein safe solvents and no-residue
cleaning agents are required.
The composition of the present invention is non-toxic,
non-corrosive, non-flammable, non-hazardous, biodegradable
and, since it uses no halons, causes no ozone layer
depletion. The composition of the present invention
exhibits the following physical properties:
Properties Data
Color Clearcolorlessliquid
Odor Mild surfactant odor
Weight 8.34 pounds per gallon
ph 9.0
Specific gravity About 1.00
Boiling point 220 degrees Fahrenheit
Following are examples of the compound in accordance
with the present invention which is useful in producing a
particular type of the solvent, cleaning and wetting agent.
EXAMPLE 1. 25.07% by weight of water was placed in a
vat.
In a separate vat by 1.5 percent by weight of the
dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid was premixed with 0.17% by
weight of ethoxylated nonyl phenol. After thorough blending
! of the materials in the second vat, the premixed materials
were added to the first vat containing water. With
continuing stirring 2.83% by weight of lauric acid
diethanolamide, then 1.23% by weight of diethanolamine and
then 1.23% by weight of propylene glycol were added. The
balance of 67.97% by weight of water was added to the
mixture, which was continued to be stirred for an additional
15 minutes.
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EXAMPLE 2 . 25 . 07% ~y weight of water was deposited in a
vat. In a separate vat 3% by weight of
dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid was mixed with 0.34% of
ethoxylated nonyl phenol. The resultant composition was
thoroughly blended and then deposited in the first vat
containing water.
To the first vat the following ingredients were added
while continuously stirring: 5.66% by weight of lauric acid
diethanolamide, 2.46% by weight of diethanolamine and 2.46%
of propylene glycol. Then 61.01% by weight of water was
added, and the mixture was stirred for an additional 15
minutes.
EXAMPL~ 3. 25.07% of water was deposited in a vat. In a
separate vat 12% by weight of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid
was premixed with 1.36% by weight of ethoxylated nonyl
phenol. The mixture was thoroughly blended and then
deposited into the first vat containing water. While
continuously stirring the following ingredients were added
to the first vat: 22.64% of lauric acid diethanolamide,
9.84~ by weight of diethanolamine and 9.84% by weight of
propylene glycol. Finally, 19.25% by weight of water was
added to the mixture which was stirred for an additional 15
minutes.
The resultant composition has specific gravity of about
0.97 - 1.09, depending on the amount of active ingredients
in the aqueous solution and exhibits other physical
properties aforementioned. -~
The resultant composition successfully replaces petroleum- ~'
based solvents, and can be used as a wetting agent to aid in
emulsification of the various sizing materials adapted for
use, for example, in textile industry. The composition,
after it served its purposes, can be safely disposed of by
discharging into a plant's sediment pond prior to discharge
into a municipal waste treatment system.
The composition of the present invention can be used for
a number of cleaning jobs, especially those which require
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that no film or residue is left on the surface.
For example, it can be used for hard metal cleaning in
aqueous solutions having a dilution ratio of from about o.
to 1Ø
The composition can be used in cleaning of oxygen
breathing equipment in aqueous solutions having a dilution
ratio of from about o.l to 1.0 without causing any danger of
explosion or fire.
The composition can be utilized in preparing rubber or
vinyl surfaces for repair in aqueous solutions having a
dilution ratio of from about 0.1 to 1Ø In the same
dilution proportions the composition of the instant
invention can be used for cleaning circuit printboards of
electronic devices. Another exemplary use can be found in
the field of cleaning delicate precision optical devices, or
even ocular glass or plastic lenses. The ratio of dilutions
would be approximately the same. The composition is
effective as a wetting agent for use in textile industry and
other applications, where the reduction of the surface
tension of water is a requirement.
The composition of the present invention is non-toxic,
non-flammable, non-explosive, does not release ozone
depleting substances, can be discharged into municipal waste
systems along with the water which is used for rinsing off
of the solution. The discharge diluted as described above
meets with the current requirements of environmental safety
agencies.
Many other uses of the composition of the present
invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
While a number of examples were described herein, it is
to be understood that many changes can be made in the
present invention by those skilled in the art without
departing from the spirit thereof. I, therefore, pray that
my rights to the present invention be limited only by the
scope of the appended claims.
