Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DETERGENT COMPOSITION COMPRISING MIXTURE
OF CHELANTS
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a compact liquid detergent used in laundry
cleaning
comprising a mixture of chelants.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Chelants are often formulated in detergents because of the presence of metal
ions, which
can be detrimental to end performance. Many highly colored stains incorporate
metals. Removal
of the metal can often decolorize the stain and/or make it easier to remove by
destabilizing its
structure. Metal ions can also catalytically decompose bleach in a formulation
leading to a
significantly reduced performance. Especially transition metal radical ions
e.g. Fe, Cu and Mn
can accelerate bleach and peroxide decomposition during washing and bleaching.
Water
hardness ions e.g. Ca and Mg can also cause adverse interaction with
surfactants used in
washing formulations and lead to a reduction in the effective concentration
available. Fatty acids
can precipitate as calcium soaps resulting in the formation of soap scum.
Chelants are widely used chemicals that control adverse effects of metal ions
in detergent
products by chelating the metal. The chelants are often organic compounds,
which form multiple
bonds with a single metal ion. Chelants can be introduced into the detergent
in an acid form or in
a salt form; normally the salt form increases the water-solubility of the
chelant. However sodium
ions will interact with the fatty acids of the detergent composition resulting
in the formation of
solid soap. Therefore chelants need to be formulated into the composition
containing as small
amount of sodium ions as possible, nevertheless maintaining the solubility of
the chelants.
Another requirement for the chelants is their solubility. Selected chelants
need to be soluble and
stay soluble without the requirement of added water into the detergent
composition.
Additionally chelants need to be stable in solution during the storage.
Phosphate containing chelants have been used widely because of phosphates
capability
to sequester alkaline earth metals. However, due to legislation in various
countries, level of
phosphate in detergents needs to be substantially reduced. Alternatively
detergent manufacturers
are supply more phosphate free detergents. Therefore the detergent composition
formulation
needs to fulfill the requirements of regulatory requirements in different
countries.
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When formulating the compact liquid detergent composition the chelant needs to
be
selected to fulfill the criteria to control the metal ions, be soluble in the
detergent composition,
be stabile during the preparation and storage and fulfill the regulatory
requirements.
In addressing these problems, the Applicant has surprisingly found that by
combining
chelants diethylene triamine pentaacetate (DTPA), in a sodium salt form with
S,S-ethylene
diamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) in a 2-amminoethanol neutralized form or in
sodium salt form,
the overall quantity of chelants can be decreased while maintaining good
solubility and high
activity level. Additionally the quantity of undesired sodium ions brought
into the compact
liquid detergent composition is reduced and therefore formation of undesired
sodium soap is
reduced. The compact liquid detergent composition of the present invention
also covers wider
regulatory requirements and can be used as global formulation.
Chelants are known for incorporation into cleaning compositions. For example,
in
W02009/013534 (Innospec Limited) salt of ethylenediamine disuccinic acid
(EDDS) is used to
stabilize the hydrogen peroxide. In W02009/013539 (Innospec Limited) magnesium
salt of
ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) is used in detergent composition in
water-soluble, non-
hydroscopic solid form. In W02009/013541 (Innospec Limited) a mixture of
chelants 1-
hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) and ethylenediamine disuccinic
acid (EDDS)
is used in detergent compositions. In EP 1280882 (Procter & Gamble) chelants
are used in liquid
fabric softening compositions. In WO 01/83668 and WO 02/074893 (both Procter &
Gamble)
chelants have been used in detergent products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A compact liquid detergent composition comprising less than 25% water by
weight of
the composition and a mixture of chelants, wherein first chelant is selected
from the group
consisting of sodium salt of Ethylenediamine-N,AP-disuccinic acid,
Ethylenediamine-N,N'-
disuccinic acid neutralized by 2-aminoethanol and mixtures thereof and second
chelant is
sodium salt of diethylene triamine pentaacetate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The detergent product of the present invention is a compact liquid detergent
suitable to
be used in a water-soluble pouch, more preferably a multi-compartment water-
soluble pouch or
as a conventional liquid detergent conserved in containers. The water-soluble
pouch, where
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present, comprises a water-soluble film and at least a first, and optionally a
second compartment.
The first compartment comprises a first composition, comprising a mixture of
chelants. The
second compartment comprises a second composition. Preferably the pouch
comprises a third
compartment and a third composition. The optionally second and third
compositions are
preferably visibly distinct from each other and the first composition.
Compact liquid detergent composition
The composition of the present invention is a compact liquid. By the term
'liquid' it is
meant to include liquid, paste, waxy or gel compositions. The liquid
composition may comprise
a solid. Solids may include powder or agglomerates, such as micro-capsules,
beads, noodles or
one or more pearlised balls or mixtures thereof. Such a solid element may
provide a technical
benefit, through the wash or as a pre-treat, delayed or sequential release
component.
Alternatively it may provide an aesthetic effect.
By the term 'compact' is meant to include liquid, paste, waxy or gel
compositions which
comprise less than 25% of water by the weight of the composition.
In a preferred embodiment the present composition is in the form of a water-
soluble
pouch, more preferably a multi-compartment pouch. The water-soluble pouch,
wherein present,
comprises a water-soluble film and at least a first, and optionally a second
compartment. The
first compartment comprises a first composition, comprising the mixture of
chelants. The second
compartment comprises a second, preferably different composition.
Chelants
The chelants are used in the present invention to control metal ion content,
to stabilize
bleach in washing solution and during storage and increase the stain removal
by abstracting
metal ions from the stains.
Chelants are molecules which form coordinate-covalent bonds with metal ions to
form
chelates. Chelates are coordination compounds in which a central metal atom
bonds one or more
atoms in at least one other molecule or ion called ligand such that at least
one heterocyclic ring
is formed with the metal ion as part of the each ring. Chelants are widely
used in detergents,
soaps, cleaning products and water treatment. Chelants are typically
polyvalent molecules,
usually aminocarboxylates having at least two binding site. The effectiveness
of the chelants can
be measured by measuring the binding constant with the various metals. Within
limits, chelants
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are usually more effective at increasing wash solution pH, which prevents
protonation of
chelants.
The applicant has discovered that by combining chelants diethylene triamine
pentaacetate (DTPA) in sodium salt form with S,S- Ethylenediamine-N,AP-
disuccinic acid
(EDDS) in 2-aminoethanol (MEA) neutralized form or in a sodium salt form,
creates a
synenergy between the chelants, and quantity of chelants can be decreased
while maintaining
high activity level and desired solubility. This permits more flexibility in
formulation.
Additionally the quantity of undesired sodium ions brought into compact liquid
detergent
composition is reduced. Reduced level of chelants improves the solubility and
stability of
chelants and permits the use of mixture of chelants in compact liquid
detergent compositions.
The compact liquid detergent composition of the present invention also covers
wider regulatory
requirements because the chelants do not contain any phosphates.
The chelants are preferably in the fully neutralized form; however the acid
form or
partially neutralized forms are encompassed in the invention.
EDDS is an effective chelating agent of transitional metals and heavy metals.
Transitional metals may cause problems in compositions containing bleaching
agents as they
can cause decomposition of peroxide species. This may cause reduced bleaching
performance
and creation of hydroxyl radicals which can cause fibre damage and reduce
product stability.
EDDS has two stereogenic centers and therefore has three possible stereo
isomers. The mixture
of the chelants in a present invention may include any of the stereoisomers.
Thus it may be
selected from [R,R1-EDDS, [R,S1-EDDS, [S,S1-EDDS and any combinations thereof.
Preferably
the EDDS is present in substantially the [S,S1-form. Preferably at least 50%,
more preferably at
least 70% of the EDDS is of the [S,S1 configuration. [S,S1 - EDDS form of EDDS
is
biodegradable and therefore most preferred stereoisomer.
EDDS can be present in compact liquid detergent composition in sodium salt or
MEA
neutralied form, preferably in MEA neutralied form.
DTPA is an effective chelating agent of transitional metals and heavy metals.
DTPA is a
polyamino carboxylic acid consisting of a diethylenetriamine backbone modified
with five
carboxymethyl groups. DTPA is used as its conjugate base, which has a high
affinity for metal
cations.
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DTPA can be present in a compact liquid detergent composition preferably DTPA
in
metal salt form. More preferably the DTPA is present in compact liquid
detergent composition
in the form of sodium salt comprising from 2 to 5 moles of sodium per mole of
DTPA.
The chelants are added to the composition preferably in liquid form and they
preferably
stay in liquid form during preparation, storage and usage. DTPA is water-
soluble in 1:2 ratio
with sodium and EDDS is water-soluble in aminoethanol neurtalised form or in
1:2 ratio with
sodium.
In a preferred embodiment the combination of chelants in the present invention
comprises from ten moles of EDDS MEA neutralized form per one mole of DTPA
sodium salt
(10:1) to one mole of EDDS MEA neutralized form per ten moles of DTPA sodium
salt (1:10).
The composition of the present invention comprises mixture of chelants from
0.05% to
5% by weight of a composition, preferably from 0.1% to 4% by weight of the
composition and
most preferably from 0.5% to 2.0% by weight of the composition.
Optional compact liquid detergent composition components
The compositions of the present invention may comprise one or more of the
ingredients
as discussed below.
Solvent system
The solvent system in the present compact liquid detergent compositions can be
a
mixture of organic solvents. The present composition does not contain any
added water. High
water content may have an unwanted effect on the film properties. Additionally
too high or too
low water content may have negative impact on detergent composition i.e. by
causing phase
separation. The water in the composition origins from the raw materials.
Preferred organic
solvents include 1,2-propanediol, ethanol, glycerol, dipropylene glycol,
methyl propane diol and
mixtures thereof. Other lower alcohols, C1-C4 alkanolamines such as
rnonoethanolamine and
triethanolamine, can also be used. Solvent systems can be absent, for example
from anhydrous
solid embodiments of the invention, but more typically are present at levels
in the range of from
0.1% to 98%, preferably at least 1% to 50%, more usually from 5% to 25%.
Water is typically present at levels in the range from 5% to 25%, preferably
from 7% to
20% more preferably from 8% to 15% by the weight of the compact liquid
detergent
composition.
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Surfactants
The composition of the present invention may comprise surfactants, which are
used in
present invention as detersive surfactant for soil suspension purposes.
Surfactants utilized can be of the anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic, ampholytic
or cationic
type or can comprise compatible mixtures of these types. More preferably
surfactants are
selected from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic, cationic surfactants
and mixtures
thereof. Preferably the compositions are substantially free of betaine
surfactants. Detergent
surfactants useful herein are described in U.S. Patent 3,664,961, Norris,
issued May 23, 1972,
U.S. Patent 3,919,678, Laughlin et al., issued December 30, 1975, U.S. Patent
4,222,905,
Cockrell, issued September 16, 1980, and in U.S. Patent 4,239,659, Murphy,
issued December
16, 1980. Anionic and nonionic surfactants are preferred.
Useful anionic surfactants can themselves be of several different types. For
example,
water-soluble salts of the higher fatty acids, i.e., "soaps", are useful
anionic surfactants in the
compositions herein. This includes alkali metal soaps such as the sodium,
potassium,
ammonium, and alkyl ammonium salts of higher fatty acids containing from 8 to
24 carbon
atoms, and preferably from 12 to 18 carbon atoms. Soaps can be made by direct
saponification
of fats and oils or by the neutralization of free fatty acids. Particularly
useful are the sodium and
potassium salts of the mixtures of fatty acids derived from coconut oil and
tallow, i.e., sodium or
potassium tallow and coconut soap.
Additional non-soap anionic surfactants which are suitable for use herein
include the
water-soluble salts, preferably the alkali metal, and ammonium salts, of
organic sulfuric reaction
products having in their molecular structure an alkyl group containing from 10
to 20 carbon
atoms and a sulfonic acid or sulfuric acid ester group. (Included in the term
"alkyl" is the alkyl
portion of acyl groups.) Examples of this group of synthetic surfactants are
a) the sodium,
potassium and ammonium alkyl sulfates, especially those obtained by sulfating
the higher
alcohols (C8-C18 carbon atoms) such as those produced by reducing the
glycerides of tallow or
coconut oil; b) the sodium, potassium and ammonium alkyl polyethoxylate
sulfates, particularly
those in which the alkyl group contains from 10 to 22, preferably from 12 to
18 carbon atoms,
and wherein the polyethoxylate chain contains from 1 to 15, preferably 1 to 6
ethoxylate
moieties; and c) the sodium and potassium alkylbenzene sulfonates in which the
alkyl group
contains from 9 to 15 carbon atoms, in straight chain or branched chain
configuration, e.g., those
of the type described in U.S. Patents 2,220,099 and 2,477,383. Especially
valuable are linear
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straight chain alkylbenzene sulfonates in which the average number of carbon
atoms in the alkyl
group is from 11 to 13, abbreviated as C11-C13 LAS.
Preferred nonionic surfactants are those of the formula R1(0C21-L4)110H,
wherein R1 is a
C10-C16 alkyl group or a C8-C12 alkyl phenyl group, and n is from 3 to 80.
Particularly preferred
are condensation products of C12-C15 alcohols with from 5 to 20 moles of
ethylene oxide per
mole of alcohol, e.g., C12-C13 alcohol condensed with 6.5 moles of ethylene
oxide per mole of
alcohol.
The composition of the present invention comprises from 1% to 80% surfactant
by
weight of a composition. Surfactant is a component of the first composition.
Preferably said first
composition comprises from 5% to 50% surfactant by weight of composition. The
second and
third compositions, where present, may comprise surfactant at levels of from
0.1 to 99.9%.
When the selected surfactant is LAS, the composition comprises preferably from
5% to
30% of LAS by weight of the compact liquid detergent composition, more
preferably from 7%
to 25% of LAS by weight of the compact liquid detergent composition.
Surfactant boosting polymers
The composition of the present invention may optionally comprise polymers.
Polymers
suitable for the present invention can boost the efficacy of the surfactant,
thus they are called
surfactant boosting polymers. The most common purpose of a surfactant is to
emulsify or
disperse one liquid phase into another ¨ usually the oil phase into water.
When two immiscible
liquids are in contact, a boundary forms between them. Increasing the
interface area, results in
the dispersion of one phase into another as small droplets. The lower the
interfacial tension is the
more one phase is emulsified into other. Therefore a low interfacial tension
is correlated with
cleaning efficiency in cleaning and laundering. By the term surfactant
boosting polymer is
meant polymers capable of decreasing the time to reach the interfacial tension
equilibrium of the
surfactant.
Additionally surfactant boosting polymers aid the collapse of micelles on
fats. A key
feature of the surfactant boosting polymer is their amphiphilicity. They have
a balanced ratio of
hydrophobic and hydrophilic structural elements. Hence they are firstly
hydrophobic enough to
absorb a hydrophobic soil and to remove it with the surfactants from a
surface. Secondly it is
hydrophilic enough to keep the detached hydrophobic soil in the washing and
cleaning liquor
and prevent it from redepositing onto the surface. For example in the
polyethylene glycol
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polyvinyl acetate (PEG-PVAc) polymer; hydrophobic PVAc part of the PEG-PVAc
polymer
ensures interaction with surfactant and hydrophobic grease stains, while the
hydrophilic
polyethylene glycol PEG part of the PEG-PVAc polymer keeps polymer-surfactant
structures
dispersed in water.
The amphiphilic surfactant boosting polymers in a present invention are
preferably based
on water-soluble polyalkylene oxides as the hydrophilic back bone and
hydrophobic side chains
formed by polymerization of a vinyl ester component. Said polymers preferably
have an average
of one or less graft site per 50 alkylene oxide units and mean molar masses
M,õ, from 3000 to
100,000.
Most preferred surfactant boosting polymers for the present invention are
known under
the trade reference SokalanTM PG101 (PEG-PVAc), Sokalan and Sokalan HP22 sold
by BASF
Aktiengesellschaft, Ludwigshafen, Germany. Surfactant boosting polymers useful
herein are
described in WO 2007/138053 (BASF Aktiengesellesschaft), WO/2007/138054
(Procter &
Gamble Company).
The compact liquid detergent composition of the present application comprises
from
0.1% to 10% surfactant boosting polymer by weight of the compact liquid
detergent
composition, preferably from 3% to 8% surfactant boosting polymer by weight of
the compact
liquid detergent composition and more preferably about 4% surfactant boosting
polymer by
weight of the compact liquid detergent composition.
pacifier
The compact liquid detergent composition may comprise an opacifier. An
opacifier
according to the present invention is a solid, inert compound which does not
dissolve in the
composition and refracts, scatters or absorbs most light wavelengths.
The opacifier is preferably selected from the group consisting of
styrene/acrylate latexes,
titanium dioxide, tin dioxide, any forms of modified Ti02, for example carbon
modified TiO2 or
metallic doped (e.g. Platinum, Rhodium) TiO2 or stannic oxide, bismuth
oxychloride or bismuth
oxychloride coated Ti02/Mica, silica coated TiO2 or metal oxide coated and
mixtures thereof.
Particularly preferred styrene/acrylate latexes are those available from the
Rohm & Haas
Company sold under the trademark AcusolTM. The latexes are characterized by pH
of about 2
to about 3, having approximately 40% solids in water, with particle size of
about 0.1 to about ,
0.5 micron. Specifically preferred Acusol polymers include Acusol 0P301
(styrene/acrylate
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Polymer, Acusol 0P302 (Styrene/Acrylate/Divinylbenzene Copolymer), Acusol
0P303
(Styrene/Acrylamide Copolymer), Acusol 0P305 (Styrene/PEG-10 Maleate/Nonoxynol-
10
Maleate/Acrylate Copolymer) and (Styrene/Acrylate/PEG-10 Dimaleate Copolymer)
and
mixtures thereof. Preferred species have molecular weight of from 1000 to 1
000 000, more
preferably from 2000 to 500 000, most preferably from 5000 to 20 000.
The opacifier is preferably present in sufficient amount to leave the
composition, in
which it is incorporated, white. Where the opacifier is an inorganic opacifier
(e.g. Ti02, or
modifications thereof) the opacifier is preferably present at a level of from
0.001% to 1%, more
preferably from 0.01% to 0.5%, most preferably from 0.05% to 0.15% by weight
of the compact
liquid detergent composition.
Where the opacifier is an organic opacifier (e.g. styrene/acrylate latexes),
the opacifier is
preferably present at a level of from 0.001% to 2.5%, more preferably from 1%
to 2.2%, most
preferably from 1.4% to 1.8% by weight of the compact liquid detergent
composition.
Antioxidant
The compact liquid detergent composition may comprise an antioxidant. The
second and
third compositions, when present, may also comprise antioxidant. Although not
wishing to be
bound by theory, the Applicants believe that the presence of antioxidant
reduced or preferably
stops the reaction of reactive compounds in the formula e.g. perfumes, which
tend to be oxidized
over time and higher temperature and which can lead to yellowing.
An antioxidant according to the present invention, is a molecule capable of
slowing or
preventing the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation reactions can produce
free radicals,
which in turn can start chain reactions of degradation. Antioxidants terminate
these chain
reactions by removing the free radical intermediates and inhibiting other
oxidation reactions by
being oxidized themselves. As a result antioxidants are often reducing agents.
The antioxidant
is preferably selected from the group consisting of butylated hydroxyl toluene
(BHT), butylated
hydroxyl anisole (BHA), trimethoxy benzoic acid (TMBA), a, 13, X, and 8
tocophenol (vitamin E
(acetate), 6 hydroxy-2,5,7,8 ¨ tetra-methylchroman -2-carboxylic acid
(TroloxTm), 1,2,
benzisothiazoline - 3-one (ProxelTM GLX), tannic acid, galic acid, TinoguardTm
A0-6, Tinoguard TS,
ascorbic acid, alkylated phenol, ethoxyquine 2,2,4 trimethyl, 1-2-
dihydroquinoline, 2,6 di or tert
or butyl hydroquinone, tert, butyl, hydroxyl anisole, lignosulphonic acid and
salts thereof,
benzofuran, benzopyran, tocopherol sorbate, butylated hydroxyl benzoic acid
and salts thereof,
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galic acid and its alkyl esters, uric acid, salts thereof and alkyl esters,
sorbic acid and salts
thereof, dihydroxy fumaric acid and salts thereof, and mixtures thereof.
Preferred antioxidants
are those selected from the group consisting of alkali and alkali earth metal
sulfites and
hydrosulfites, more preferably sodium sulfite or hydrosulfite.
The antioxidant is preferably present at a level of from 0.01% to 2%, more
preferably
from 0.1% to 1%, most preferably from 0.3% to 0.5% by weight of the compact
liquid detergent
composition.
Where inorganic opacifier is used, the opacifier and antioxidant are
preferably present at
a ratio of from 0.1 to 0.5, more preferably from 0.12 to 0.35. Whereas, where
an organic
opacifier is used, opacifier and antioxidant are preferably present at a ratio
of from 2 to 6, more
preferably from 3 to 5.
Rheology modifier
In a preferred embodiment the compact liquid detergent composition comprises a
rheology
modifier. The
rheology modifier is selected from the group consisting of non-polymeric
crystalline, hydroxy-functional materials, polymeric rheology modifiers which
impart shear
thinning characteristics to the aqueous liquid matrix of the composition.
Crystalline, hydroxy-
functional materials are rheology modifiers which form thread-like structuring
systems
throughout the matrix of the composition upon in situ crystallization in the
matrix. Specific
examples of preferred crystalline, hydroxyl-containing rheology modifiers
include castor oil and
its derivatives.
Especially preferred are hydrogenated castor oil derivatives such as
hydrogenated castor oil and hydrogenated castor wax. Commercially available,
castor oil-based,
crystalline, hydroxyl-containing rheology modifiers include THIXCIN from
Rheox, Inc. (now
Elementis). Polymeric rheology modifiers are preferably selected from
polyacrylates, polymeric
gums, other non-gum polysaccharides, and combinations of these polymeric
materials. Preferred
polymeric gum materials include pectine, alginate, arabinogalactan (gum
Arabic), carrageenan,
gellan gum, xanthan gum, guar gum and mixtures thereof.
Fabric care benefit agents
The compact liquid detergent compositions may comprise a fabric care benefit
agent. As
used herein, "fabric care benefit agent" refers to any material that can
provide fabric care
benefits such as fabric softening, color protection, pill/fuzz reduction, anti-
abrasion, anti-
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wrinkle, and the like to garments and fabrics, particularly on cotton and
cotton-rich garments
and fabrics, when an adequate amount of the material is present on the
garment/fabric. Non-
limiting examples of fabric care benefit agents include cationic surfactants,
silicones, polyolefin
waxes, latexes, oily sugar derivatives, cationic polysaccharides,
polyurethanes, fatty acids and
mixtures thereof. Fabric care benefit agents when present in the compact
liquid detergent
composition, are suitably at levels of up to 30% by weight of the compact
liquid detergent
composition, more typically from 1% to 20%, preferably from 2% to 10%.
Detersive enzymes
Suitable detersive enzymes for use herein include protease, amylase, lipase,
cellulase,
carbohydrase including mannanase and endoglucanase, and mixtures thereof.
Enzymes can be
used at their art-taught levels, for example at levels recommended by
suppliers such as Novo
and Genencor. Typical levels in the compact liquid detergent compositions are
from 0.0001% to
5%. When enzymes are present, they can be used at very low levels, e.g., from
0.001% or lower,
in certain embodiments of the invention; or they can be used in heavier-duty
laundry detergent
formulations in accordance with the invention at higher levels, e.g., 0.1% and
higher. In
accordance with a preference of some consumers for "non-biological"
detergents, the present
invention includes both enzyme-containing and enzyme-free embodiments.
Deposition aid
As used herein, "deposition aid" refers to any cationic polymer or combination
of
cationic polymers that significantly enhance the deposition of a fabric care
benefit agent onto the
fabric during laundering. Preferably, the deposition aid is a cationic or
amphoteric polymer.
The amphoteric polymers of the present invention will also have a net cationic
charge, i.e.; the
total cationic charges on these polymers will exceed the total anionic charge.
Nonlimiting
examples of deposition enhancing agents are cationic polysaccharides, chitosan
and its
derivatives and cationic synthetic polymers. Preferred cationic
polysaccharides include cationic
cellulose derivatives, cationic guar gum derivatives, chitosan and derivatives
and cationic
starches.
Builder
The compact liquid detergent compositions may optionally comprise a builder.
Suitable
builders include polycarboxylate builders include cyclic compounds,
particularly alicyclic
compounds, such as those described in U.S. Patents 3,923,679; 3,835,163;
4,158,635; 4,120,874
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and 4,102,903. Particularly preferred are citrate builders, e.g., citric acid
and soluble salts
thereof (particularly sodium salt). Other preferred builders include
aluminosilicates such as
zeolite A, B or MAP; fatty acids or salts, preferably sodium salts, thereof,
preferably C12-C18
saturated and/or unsaturated fatty acids; and alkali or alkali earth metal
carbonates preferably
sodium carbonate.
The compact liquid detergent composition of the present application comprises
from 2%
to 20% fatty acids by weight of the compact liquid detergent composition,
preferably from 5%
to 15% fatty acids by weight of the compact liquid detergent composition and
most preferably
from 6% to 10% fatty acids by the weight of the compact liquid detergent
composition.
Bleaching system
Bleaching agents suitable herein include chlorine and oxygen bleaches,
especially
inorganic perhydrate salts such as sodium perborate mono-and tetrahydrates and
sodium
percarbonate optionally coated to provide controlled rate of release (see, for
example, GB-A-
1466799 on sulfate/carbonate coatings), preformed organic peroxyacids and
mixtures thereof
with organic peroxyacid bleach precursors and/or transition metal-containing
bleach catalysts
(especially manganese or cobalt). Inorganic perhydrate salts are typically
incorporated at levels
in the range from 1% to 40% by weight, preferably from 2% to 30% by weight and
more
preferably from 5% to 25% by weight of compact liquid detergent composition.
Peroxyacid
bleach precursors preferred for use herein include precursors of perbenzoic
acid and substituted
perbenzoic acid; cationic peroxyacid precursors; peracetic acid precursors
such as TAED,
sodium acetoxybenzene sulfonate and pentaacetylglucose; pernonanoic acid
precursors such as
sodium 3,5,5 -trimethylhexanoyloxybenzene sulfonate (i so-NOB S)
and sodium
nonanoyloxybenzene sulfonate (NOBS); amide substituted alkyl peroxyacid
precursors (EP-A-
0170386); and benzoxazin peroxyacid precursors (EP-A-0332294 and EP-A-
0482807). Bleach
precursors are typically incorporated at levels in the range from 0.5% to 25%,
preferably from
1% to 10% by weight of composition while the preformed organic peroxyacids
themselves are
typically incorporated at levels in the range from 0.5% to 25% by weight, more
preferably from
1% to 10% by weight of compact liquid detergent composition. Bleach catalysts
preferred for
use herein include the manganese triazacyclononane and related complexes (US-A-
4246612,
US-A-5227084); Co, Cu, Mn and Fe bispyridylamine and related complexes (US-A-
5114611);
and pentamine acetate cobalt(III) and related complexes(US-A-4810410).
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Whitening agent
A compact liquid detergent composition may comprise a whitening agent. Such
dyes
have been found to exhibit good tinting efficiency during a laundry wash cycle
without
exhibiting excessive undesirable build up during laundering. The whitening
agent is included in
the total laundry detergent composition in an amount sufficient to provide a
tinting effect to
fabric washed in a solution containing the detergent. In one embodiment, a
multi-compartment
pouch comprises, by weight, from 0.0001% to 1%, more preferably from 0.0001%
to 0.5% by
weight of the compact liquid detergent composition, and even more preferably
from 0.0001% to
0.3% by weight of the compact liquid detergent composition.
Pearlescent agent
The compact liquid detergent compositions of the present invention may
comprise a
pearlescent agent. Said pearlescent agent may be organic or inorganic, but is
preferably
inorganic. Most preferably the pearlescent agent is selected from mica, TiO2
coated mica,
bismuth oxychloride or mixtures thereof.
Perfume
Perfumes are preferably incorporated into the compact liquid detergent
compositions of
the present invention. The perfumes may be prepared as a premix liquid, may be
linked with a
carrier material, such as cyclodextrin or may be encapsulated. When
encapsulated the perfumes
are preferably encapsulated in a melamine/formaldehyde coating.
Other adjuncts
Examples of other suitable cleaning adjunct materials include, but are not
limited to;
enzyme stabilizing systems; scavenging agents including fixing agents for
anionic dyes,
complexing agents for anionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof; optical
brighteners or
fluorescers; soil release polymers; dispersants; suds suppressors; dyes;
colorants; hydrotropes
such as toluenesulfonates, cumenesulfonates and naphthalenesulfonates; color
speckles; colored
beads, spheres or extrudates; clay softening agents and mixtures thereof.
Composition preparation
The compact detergent compositions herein can generally be prepared by mixing
the
ingredients together. If a pearlescent material is used it should be added in
the late stages of
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14
mixing. If a rheology modifier is used, it is preferred to first form a pre-
mix within which the
rheology modifier is dispersed in a portion of the water and optionally other
ingredients
eventually used to comprise the compositions. This pre-mix is formed in such a
way that it
forms a structured liquid. To this structured pre-mix can then be added, while
the pre-mix is
under agitation, the surfactant(s) and essential laundry adjunct materials,
along with water and
whatever optional detergent composition adjuncts are to be used.
Pouch material
When the compact liquid detergent composition is packed into the pouches, the
pouch is
preferably made of a film material which is soluble or dispersible in water,
and has a water-
solubility of at least 50%, preferably at least 75% or even at least 95%. The
water-solubility is
measured by the method set out here after using a glass-filter with a maximum
pore size of 20
microns: 50 grams 0.1 gram of pouch material is added in a pre-weighed 400
ml beaker and
245m1 1 ml of distilled water is added. This is stirred vigorously on a
magnetic stirrer set at
600 rpm, for 30 minutes. Then, the mixture is filtered through a folded
qualitative sintered-glass
filter with a pore size as defined above (max. 20 micron). The water is dried
off from the
collected filtrate by any conventional method, and the weight of the remaining
material is
determined (which is the dissolved or dispersed fraction). Then, the
percentage solubility or
dispersability can be calculated.
Preferred pouch materials are polymeric materials, preferably polymers which
are
formed into a film or sheet. The pouch material can, for example, be obtained
by casting, blow-
moulding, extrusion or blown extrusion of the polymeric material, as known in
the art.
Preferred polymers, copolymers or derivatives thereof suitable for use as
pouch material
are described in W003/045812 (Procter & Gamble Company), W004/085586 (Procter
&
Gamble Company) and W007/130684 (Procter & Gamble Company).
Preferably, the level of polymer in the pouch material, for example a PVA
polymer, is at
least 60%. The polymer can have any weight average molecular weight,
preferably from 1000
to 1,000,000, more preferably from 10,000 to 300,000 yet more preferably from
20,000 to
150,000.
Mixtures of polymers can also be used as the pouch material. This can be
beneficial to
control the mechanical and/or dissolution properties of the compartments or
pouch, depending
on the application thereof and the required needs. Suitable mixtures include
for example
CA 02770477 2013-07-22
mixtures wherein one polymer has a higher water-solubility than another
polymer, and/or one
polymer has a higher mechanical strength than another polymer. Also suitable
are mixtures of
polymers having different weight average molecular weights.
Naturally, different film material and/or films of different thickness may be
employed in
making the compartments of the present invention. A benefit in selecting
different films is that
the resulting compartments may exhibit different solubility or release
characteristics.
Most preferred pouch materials are PVA films known under the trade reference
MOnoSOITM
M8630, as sold by MonoSol LLC of Gary, Indiana, US, and PVA films of
corresponding
solubility and deforrnability characteristics. Other films suitable for use
herein include films
known under the trade reference PT film or the K-series of films supplied by
Aicello, or VF-HP
film supplied by Kuraray.
The pouch material herein can also comprise one or more additive ingredients.
For
example, it can be beneficial to add plasticisers, for example glycerol,
ethylene glycol,
diethyleneglycol, propylene glycol, sorbitol and mixtures thereof. Other
additives include
functional detergent additives to be delivered to the wash water, for example
organic polymeric
dispersants, etc.
For reasons of deformability pouches or pouch compartments containing a
component
which is liquid will preferably contain an air bubble having a volume of up to
50%, preferably
up to 40%, more preferably up to 30%, more preferably up to 20%, more
preferably up to 10%
of the volume space of said compartment.
Process for making the water-soluble pouch
The process of making the water-soluble pouch may be made using any suitable
equipment and method. Single compartment pouches are made using vertical, but
preferably
horizontal form filling techniques commonly known in the art.
The process for making a water-soluble pouch has been described in EP1504994
(Procter
8z Gamble Company) and W002/40351 (Procter & Gamble Company). The process for
making
a multi-compartment water-soluble pouch has been described in co-pending
patent application
EP 2258820 filed June 2009 (Procter & Gamble Company), wherein the compact
liquid
detergent composition is in the form of a water-soluble pouch comprising two
or more
compartments, wherein the second compartment comprises a coloring agent and
does not
comprise opacifier.
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Secondary Packaging
The multi-compartment pouches of the present invention are preferably further
packaged
in an outer package. Said outer package may be a see-through or partially see-
through container,
for example a transparent or translucent bag, tub, carton or bottle. The pack
can be made of
plastic or any other suitable material, provided the material is strong enough
to protect the
pouches during transport. This kind of pack is also very useful because the
user does not need to
open the pack to see how many pouches there are left. Alternatively, the pack
can have non-see-
through outer packaging, perhaps with indicia or artwork representing the
visually-distinctive
contents of the pack.
Process of washing
The compact liquid detergent of the present invention is suitable for laundry
cleaning
applications. The compact liquid detergent is suitable for hand or machine
washing conditions.
When machine washing, the compact liquid detergent may be delivered from the
dispensing
drawer or may be added directly into the washing machine drum either in a form
of water-
soluble pouches or in a form of compact liquid.
Examples
The following are examples of the pouch products of the present invention:
Formulation:
Composition A Composition B
Ingredient Name WT% WT%
Linear Alkyl benzene sulfonic acid 16 14
C12-14 alkyl ethoxy 3-sulfate
MEA salt 10 13
C12-14 alkyl 7-ethoxylate 9 15
C12-18 Fatty acid 15 8
Sodium -
Diethylenetriaminepentaacetate 0.5 0.7
H-EDDS1 0.7
Na-EDDS 1.0
Enzymes 2.3 2.3
Solvent 15 14
Buffer (Monoethanol amine) To pH 7.5 To pH 7.5
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Water
15
Miscellaneous/Minors to 100 to 100
1
H-EDDS: Ethylenediamine-N,N'-disuccinic acid
Performance:
The performance of the chelants were measured on wine and tea. Wine and tea
stains were
applied to cotton and obtained from EMC (US). Stains and ballast load
consisting of 0.5kg of
T-shirt was added to a Mini Washer representing a medium US wash conditions.
The wash water
was set at 32.2 C 1 C and 6gpg (lmmol/L) hardness and the rinse water was
set at 15.5 C
1 C. The water volume was 15 liters and wash time 12 minutes.
The stains and the ballast were dried at the end of each cycle under high
speed and high
heat with cool down cycle. The results were then analyzed by image analysis
which is a method
that enables to calculate the amount of stain that is removed. Stains are
imaged before washing
and after washing. The imaging calculates the amount of stain removal index
(SRI). SRI of 100
means complete removal and SRI of zero is no removal.
The Laundry Image Analysis system (MerlinTm image analysis system) measures
stain
removal on technical stain swatches. The system utilizes a video camera to
acquire color images
of swatches. An image of the swatch is taken before and after it is washed.
The acquired image
is then analyzed by computer software (Global R&D computing). The software
compares the
unwashed stain to the washed stain, as well as the unwashed fabric to the
washed fabric and
produces five figures of merit which describe stain removal. The data are then
analyzed
statistically to determine statistically significant differences between the
detergent performances.
The stain removal index uses the initial fabric as the reference against which
to measure
color differences between unwashed and washed stains. A higher value indicates
a better
cleaning and stain removal thus a better detergent. The standard deviation is
1.
Stain Removal Index Stain Removal Index
Nil Chelant 54.6 22.8
Chelant Wine Tea
Na-DTPA ¨ lppm 55.2 27.6
Na-DTPA ¨ 2 ppm 55.8 29.0
Na-DTPA ¨3 ppm 56.4 27.1
Na-EDDS ¨ 1 ppm 58.3 28.2
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Na-EDDS ¨2 ppm 59.0 29.3
Na-EDDS ¨3 ppm 56.8 26.1
Na-DTPA (0.5ppm) 57.1 28.7
Na-EDDS (0.5 ppm)
Na-DTPA (lppm) 58.9 32.4
Na-EDDS (lppm)
Na-DTPA (1.5 ppm) 59.9 33.9
Na-EDDS (1.5 ppm)
Product stability:
Products (I through III) were prepared by combining Composition C and the 3
different chelant
combinations. The products (75g) were stored for 4 weeks at 4 C, 20 C and 35 C
in a Glass Jar
(100mL contenance). The product stability was then assessed visually. If there
is a visual
precipitate or a product phase split, the stability is considered Fail.
Stability is considered Pass
if there is no signs of changes during the storage period.
Composition C
Ingredient Name WT%
Linear Alkyl benzene sulfonic acid 16
C12-14 alkyl ethoxy 3 sulfate MEA 10
salt
C12-14 alkyl 7-ethoxylate 9
C12-18 Fatty acid 15
Enzymes 2.3
Solvent 15
Monoethanol amine To pH 7.5
Water 10
Miscellaneous/Minors to 100
Product Cbelant Pass/Fail
Na-DTPA ¨0.7% Pass
II Na-DTPA ¨ 1.4% Fail
III Na-EDDS/Na-DTPA Pass
(0.7%/0.7 %)
The stability test shows the synenergy between the chelants DTPA and EDDS. A
compact liquid
detergent composition comprising 0.7% of Na-DTPA is stable, however it does
not provide
desired cleaning efficacy. By increasing the quantity of Na-DTPA to the
effective level, the
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composition does not meet the stability requirements. Combination of 0.7% Na-
EDDS and 0.7%
Na-DTPA does provide desired cleaning efficacy and meets the stability
requirements.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being
strictly limited to
the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each
such dimension is
intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range
surrounding that
value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean
"about 40 mm".
