Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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1 Cleaning agents are known in which particles of
a pulverized, porous, and water-insoluble inorganic material are com-
bined with 60-80 parts by weight of an aqueous solution of low molec-
ular weight alcohols and washing-promoting substances. Ground pumice
stone, ground lime tuff, ground brick, ground expanded cement and
silica gel have been used as the inorganic material. A disadvantage
of these materials is that they have only a limited capacity Eor ab-
sorbing the active ingredients.
. A further disadvantage of the inorganic materia]s is that
the handling of them leads to the formation of dust. ~hen the re-
moval of the dried cleaning agent by means of a commercial vacuum
cleaner is attempted, the dust clogs the filter of the cleaner. Also,
the very fine dust particles are dispersed in the air and harm the
environment.
A further disadvantage of these inorganic materials is
their abrasive effect on textile surfaces. Furthermore, these ma-
terials tend to cover and smear the textile nap being treated.
; Because of their high specific weight, they are also difficult to
remove.
Furthermore, a process for removing moist spots from
textile materials is also known, in which a highly absorptive mater-
ial made of urea cellular plastic with a density of ahout 18-20 kg/m3
is used. This plastic is to consist of a highly absorptive cellular
block that is so brittle that particles of cellular plastic conti-
nuously break off from the block when the block is rubbed over the
textile.
A disadvantage of this method s that urea cellular
plastic with a volume density of 18-20 kg/m is too light to be
used over large surface areas of the textile when a mechanical device
is used to work the plastic into the fibers, because the mechanical
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1 device grinds the plastic into a fine powder.
A further disadvantage of this method is that because
of the above mentioned problems with mechanical devices, it can
only be carried out by hand, and is only applicable to individual
spots The cleaning of an entire surface of a textile product,
e.g., a rug, is not possible.
An object of the present invention is to provide a
cleaning agent which avoids the disadvantages mentioned above and
which can be used mechanically for surface cleaning in an effective
manner.
It is a further object to combine tenside-(wetting
agent) containing water adhering to the inside of a support material
with a highly effective ingredient or combination of ingredients
into an effective cleaning agent, especially for textile surfaces.
The support material comprises a comminuted plastic foam.
These objects and still others are solved by means of a
plasticized urea-formaldehyde resinous foam acting as a support
material. This support material should have a bulk density of
30-60 kg/m3, a pouring weight of 50-150 g/l and a particle size of
0.1 - 6 mm in its crushed (i.e., comminuted) state.
In further development of the invention, it is convenient
that tenside-(wetting agent) containing water adhering to the urea-
formaldehyde resinous foam constitutes up to 80% by weight and is
stored homogeneously within the resinous foam. Examples of the
tenside (wetting agent) are alkali salts of di-butyl naphthalene
sulfonic acid, up to 3.0 percent by weight, in aqueous foaming
solution.
An aqueous solution containing at least one of the fol-
lowing active ingredients, in combination with the tenside-(wetting
agent) containing water adhering to the inside of the resinous foam
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1 constitutes the detergent:
0.1 - 0~5% by weight of an antistatic agent to promote
the ability of the resin particles to be removed from the textile
surface by suction; 0.1 - 2% by weight of a volatile alkali; and
0.5 - 5% by weight of a polymer-tenside-(surfactant)
combination to prevent re-soiling of the textile fibers. The poly-
mer may be, for example, an acrylate/styrene copolymer. The sur-
factant may be, for example, salts of fatty alcohol sulfates such
as lauryl sulfate, or ether sulfates as well as esters of sulfo-
succinnic acid.
It is also convenient that the aqueous solution beapplied to the already manufactured plastic product.
In order that the cleaning agent treats the textile
surface in a hygienically perfect manner, and allows the cleaning
agent to be easily removed by means of a conventional vacuum cleaner,
it may be important to add further agents, as, for example, low
molecular weight alcohols, bactericides, perfumes, and the like to
the detergent. It may also be important that the antistatic agent
prevents the development of a static charge during the cleaning and
lowers the binding forces between the cleaning agent residues and
the textile fibers.
In order to avoid the so-called "filling effect", (i.e.,
filling of textile fiber interstices with cleaning material and the
like), it is advisable that the polymer-tenside combination does
not foam and that the re-soiling of the textile fiber is diminished.
An advantage of the presently disclosed combination is
that it exhibits a uniform cleaning action, even on intensively
soiled areas, without depositing dissolved dirt residues since the
hydrophilic, capillary active plastic foam absorbs the loosened dirt
particles extremely effectively.
1 A further advantage of the invention is due to the
large inner surface area of the foamed plastic particles. The result-
ing effect is to lower the drying time of such particulate cleaning
agents below that of the values obtained previously for other so-
called crushed cleaning agents. The dirt-laden support material of
the present cleaning agent, which remains after drying, can be ad-
vantageously removed along with the tenside and the dirt residues
adhering to it by means of a conventional household vacuum cleaner,
both completely and without problems.
The following example illustrates the use of the present
invention further without in any way limiting it:
EXAMPLE
A urea-formaldehyde resinous foam block, previously
prepared mechanically so as to have an unusually high density, is
crushed (i.e., comminuted) mechanically to obtain particles having
a slze of 0.1 6 mm. The foam block is prepared according to the
usual process for making foamy materials for use in the construction
` industry and for mixing with soil for the growing of plants with a
density of up to 25 kg/m . In the present application the foam is
used as the support material with a density of 30-60 kg/m3. This
high density is necessary for the stability of the comminuted ma-
terial. SubsequentLy this support material which makes up 40-60%
of the weight of the final cleaning agent and contains up to 80%
by weight of tenside-containing water, is combined with a solution
of at least one active ingredient. The concentrations of the
active ingredients are homogeneously mixed with the tenside-contain-
ing water contained in the support material. It should be noted
that the thus-prepared cleaning agent will retain its pulverized
character. The active ingredients may contain up to 5% by weight
alcohol, 0.5 - 5% by weight polymer containing tenside, 0.1 - 2%
l't.~3 '~
1 by weight antifoaming agent, 0.1 - 0.5% by weight antistatic agent,
0.1 - 1% by weight perfuming agent, and 58-15% by weight water.
The volatile aLkali may be ammonia or one or more organ-
ic amines. The antistatic agent may be polyglycol ether sulfate.
The alcohol may be methyl, ethyl, propyl, or butyl alcohol or
their isomers. The perfuming agent may be an alcohol-soluble
ethereal oil.
As previously mentioned a bactericide may also be added.
The bactericide may be amine-formaldehyde products, such as a cyclic
amine acetate.
The thus-manufactured cleaning agent is brought into
contact with the textile surface by, for example, being spread over
it by hand. The cleaning agent is then worked into the textile
fibers, e.g., by means of a commercially available floor care de-
vice. Such devices usually have a mechanism which works the clean-
ing agent into the textile fibers by means of an oscillating agita-
tion. The solution of active ingredients and detergents separates
from the support material due to the effect of the mechanical work-
ing-in process. The liberated active ingredients then act on the
dirt which exists in the te~tile, causing the dirt to be dissolved,
loosened, dispersed, and emulsified. When this occurs, the dirt-
laden active ingredients return to the carrier material, to be re-
absorbed therein and bound. This occurs after the removal of the
above-described cleaning device and the resulting beginning of the
drying process. The physical properties of the hydrophilic resinous
foam guarantee the absorption of the dirt-laden tensides.
It is also important to note that the surface area, due
to the range of particle sizes, and especially the large surface
area due to the inner foam structure of the particles, guarantees
maximum absorption effectiveness.
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1 In order that the above mentioned properties be obtained,
an open cellular urea-formaldehyde resinous foam must be used. The
resinous foam is so modified, that given a higher bulk density, a
finer spectrum of particle sizes, and a capacity to contain tensides,
antistatic agents, antifoaming agents, volatile alkali, perfumes, and
the like, a cleaning agent capable of being mechanically worked into
a textile is formed. Accordingly, it is necessary that the spectrum
of particle sizes correspond to the specified values in order to ob
tain a mechanical cleaning action in the textile and to guarantee
the ability to effect subsequent removal of the dried, dirt laden
support material by applying suction to it.
It will be understood that each of the elements de-
scribed above, or two or more together, may also find a useful appli-
cation in other types of a cleaning agent differing from the types
described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described
as embodied in cleaning agents for textile surfaces based on urea-
formaldehyde resinous foam, it is not intended to be limited to the
details shown, since various modifications and structural changes
may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the
present invention.
