Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C11—ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES
  • C11D—DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS DETERGENTS; SOAP OR SOAP-MAKING; RESIN SOAPS; RECOVERY OF GLYCEROL
  • C11D3/00—Other compounding ingredients of detergent compositions covered in group C11D1/00
  • C11D3/39—Organic or inorganic per-compounds
  • C11D3/3947—Liquid compositions

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the use of cleaning and antibacterial hygienizing compositions to be preferably applied, as laundry pretreat, or prewash, directly on stains before laundering by-hand or in domestic washing machine.
• the compositions of the present invention are particularly suitable for stain removal on wool, silk and other delicate or coloured fabrics.
• chlorine based bleaching agents are very effective, but can be used only on white or few resistant colours and on alkaline- and chlorine-resistant fabrics, such as cotton and some synthetics, but cannot be used on delicates and most coloured fabrics.
• Another bleaching system is based on solid carriers or precursors of active oxygen, for instance persalts as perborates, percarbonates, and/or on percarboxylic acids, generated in situ in the washing solution by reaction of their precursors, known as activators, with hydrogen peroxide; amongst them the most used activator in Europe is TAED.
• active oxygen for instance persalts as perborates, percarbonates, and/or on percarboxylic acids, generated in situ in the washing solution by reaction of their precursors, known as activators, with hydrogen peroxide; amongst them the most used activator in Europe is TAED.
• liquid additives containing hydrogen peroxide: they can be either directly applied on stains and soiled fabrics before washing or added into the laundry machine or laundry solution.
• examples of such compositions commercialised in Italy are: OMINO BIANCO CANDEGGINA DELICATA®, ACE GENTILE®, in Spain: NEUTREX®, in Greece: KLINEX®, SENSO®, in France: BLANCO®, VANISH®, ACE DESICAT®, in Germany: SIL®, ACE MILDE BLEACH®.
• the hereabove mentioned bleach products are fully compatible with coloured and delicate fabrics, but they are much less effective than the above mentioned other bleaching systems.
• the Applicant has surprisingly and unexpectedly found that the liquid compositions of the invention to be directly applied on the stains before washing, lead to improved cleaning and hygienizing results.
• aqueous liquid compositions comprising a percarboxylic acid, as stain removing, a pre-treating, cleaning and antibacterial additives very effective at low temperatures, for by-hand or washing machine laundry, both for delicate and/or coloured fabrics. They can be preferably applied directly on the stains before washing, which allows to obtain, washing at room or at low temperature (20-30°C), either much higher disinfecting and stain removing results, than the ones given by the above-mentioned existing liquid additives under the same conditions or the same results given by the above-mentioned existing liquid additives at higher temperatures, so achieving the important goal of a minor colour and fabric damage.
• aqueous liquid compositions of the present invention to be directly applied on the stains, comprise:
• the percarboxylic acid used to prepare the liquid composition is a crystalline solid, having generally sizes in the range 0.1 ⁇ 1000 ⁇ m, more preferably in the range 1 ⁇ 200 ⁇ m, even more preferably in the range 5 ⁇ 100 ⁇ m, only slightly soluble in acid environment but readily soluble in alkaline or weakly alkaline environment, highly stable as a solid also in aqueous suspension as well as a liquid composition.
• compositions the percarboxylic acid is present in a percentage in the range 0.5 ⁇ 20.0% by weight, more preferably 2.0 ⁇ 10.0% by weight.
• the percarboxylic acid is an amido- or imido-percarboxylic acid, more preferably the ⁇ -N,N-phthaloyl-amino-peroxycaproic acid or ⁇ -phthalimido-peroxycaproic acid, named PAP.
• compositions appear either in the form of either a solution or suspension depending on the solution pH.
• compositions of the invention have acid pH whereby they appears as suspension.
• the surfactant is present in the range 1.0% ⁇ 25.0% by weight, preferably in the range 3.0% ⁇ 15.0% by weight.
• the surfactants are selected from the anionic and the nonionic ones.
• a mixture of surfactants comprising at least an anionic surfactant and at least a nonionic surfactant is used.
• anionic surfactants sodium, potassium, ammonium salts, preferably sodium or potassium salts alkylbenzenesulphonates acid are preferred, wherein alkyl is preferably a linear or branched aliphatic chain, preferably linear, or also alicyclic having a number of carbon atoms between 6 and 18, preferably between 8 and 15.
• alkyl is preferably a linear or branched aliphatic chain, preferably linear, or also alicyclic having a number of carbon atoms between 6 and 18, preferably between 8 and 15.
• Other preferred anionic surfactants are of the sodium alkanesulphonate type having a linear or branched chain comprised between C8 and C20, preferably between C10 and C16.
• Anionic surfactants are present in a percentage in the range 0.5 ⁇ 15.0% by weight, preferably 1.5 ⁇ 10.0% by weight, more preferably 2.0 ⁇ 8.0% by weight.
• Nonionic surfactants are preferably derived from aliphatic alcohols polycondensed with alkylenoxide, for instance ethylenoxide or propylenoxide: the aliphatic alcohols have a linear or branched chain, preferably comprised between C8 and C18 and are condensed with 2-12 units of ethylenoxide and/or propylenoxide.
• the use of 2 or more alcohols polycondensed with ethylenoxide is particularly preferred.
• Nonionic surfactants are present in a percentage in the range 0.5 ⁇ 15.0% by weight, preferably 1.5 ⁇ 10.0% by weight, more preferably 2.0 ⁇ 8.0% by weight.
• Hydrogen peroxide is present in a percentage in the range 1.0 ⁇ 10.0% by weight, preferably 2.0 ⁇ 8.0% by weight.
• auxiliary suspending agents can be water soluble or dispersible polymers, of ionic type, such as polycarboxylates, of which various kinds of acrylic homopolymers or acrylic-maleic copolymers having a different molecular weight, are commercially available, for instance with the trademark SOKALAN® by BASF, or associative/non associative ones of non ionic type; such as for instance ACUSOL® polymers by ROHM & HAAS.
• the auxiliary agents can be present in percentages in the range 0.01 ⁇ 3.0% by weight, preferably 0.1 ⁇ 1.5% by weight.
• stable suspensions of the compositions can preferably be obtained by the formation of liquid crystal structures of continuous lamellar and/or vesicular types.
• These liquid crystal structures can be easily obtained by methods well known to the ones skilled in the art, for instance, by the addition of suitable amounts of some electrolytes, organic or inorganic salts, to mixtures of anionic and non ionic surfactants or of hydrophobic organic substances such as for instance long chain alcohols or fatty acids.
• the electrolytes may be present in amounts in the range 0.5 ⁇ 15.0% by weight, more preferably 1.0 ⁇ 8.0% by weight.
• the electrolytes are preferably selected from: sodium citrate, sodium or potassium hydrogensulphate, sodium or magnesium sulphate, potassium sulphate, sodium or potassium nitrate and mixtures thereof.
• Optional minor components may be present in small amounts (0.05 ⁇ 4.0% by weight), such as: acidifiers, as for instance citric acid, sulphuric acid, sodium hydrogensulphate, sulphamic acid; hydrotropes, such as sodium cumene- or xylene-sulphonate; perfumes, antifoam agents, optical brighteners, heavy or alkaline-earth metal sequestering agents.
• acidifiers as for instance citric acid, sulphuric acid, sodium hydrogensulphate, sulphamic acid
• hydrotropes such as sodium cumene- or xylene-sulphonate
• perfumes antifoam agents, optical brighteners, heavy or alkaline-earth metal sequestering agents.
• compositions generally appear as a stable suspension which does not give signs of evident sedimentation on the bottom either after centrifugation or after 4 weeks ageing at 30°C, but they can also appear with partial separation of the percarboxylic acid on the bottom and therefore require the container agitation without any influence on the use efficacy.
• compositions of the present invention have viscosity at 20°C in the range 400-5000 mPa ⁇ s, more preferably between 600 and 2000 mPa ⁇ s.
• compositions of the invention have a pH in the range 1.0 and 6.0, more preferably 2.0-5.0.
• Water is present as the complement to 100% by weight.
• the physical stability of the suspension, obtained during the process for preparing the compositions, is difficult to be obtained using the percarboxylic having the characteristics of the type industrially available.
• the PAP wet cake appears as aggregate/conglomerate of crystals having sizes in the range 10 ⁇ 1000 ⁇ m.
• a milling system of the percarboxylic acid has been set up which remarkably reduces the crystal sizes in liquid phase without danger of decomposition.
• the suspension obtained after milling the percarboxylic acid results physically more stable and appears as a viscous, turbid, opaque, creamy, homogeneous or almost homogeneous liquid, characterised by an easier pourability from the bottle and by a quicker solubilization of the percarboxylic acid in the washing solution.
• the crystal sizes of percarboxylic acid after milling are in the range of 5.0 ⁇ 100 ⁇ m.
• a dispersion of the percarboxylic acid, in demineralized acidified water, or in a premixture containing some components of the invention composition such as the antifoam and/or the anionic and/or non ionic surfactants and/or hydrogen peroxide and/or the inorganic salts of the suspending system (for instance sodium citrate, sodium or magnesium sulphate) and/or acidity regulators (for instance citric or sulphuric acid) and/or heavy metals chelant agents (for instance derivatives or analogues of the ethylenediaminotetracetic acid), is treated in a mixer, preferably a Silverson type mixer or passed through a gear pump or a colloid mill for a time suitable to obtain the desired milling level of suspended solids, while temperature is monitored and anyway maintained below 50°C, preferably below 35°C.
• a mixer preferably a Silverson type mixer or passed through a gear pump or a colloid mill for a time suitable to obtain the desired milling level of suspended solid
• This milling process can be made directly in the mixer of the composition preparation or in a separate vessel transferring then the milled dispersion in the final mixer.
• a premix composition is prepared under stirring: to an anionic surfactant solution (preferably prepared by neutralisation of the anionic surfactant in acid form with a sodium or potassium hydroxide solution under stirring or by solubilization of sodium or potassium salt of the anionic surfactant), antifoam, electrolytes (sodium or potassium or magnesium sulphate; sodium bisulphate; sodium citrate or mixtures thereof) optionally predissolved in demineralized water and hydrogen peroxide are added and the pH is adjusted to the desired value, for instance by sulphuric, or citric or sulphamic acid addition.
• an anionic surfactant solution preferably prepared by neutralisation of the anionic surfactant in acid form with a sodium or potassium hydroxide solution under stirring or by solubilization of sodium or potassium salt of the anionic surfactant
• electrolytes sodium or potassium or magnesium sulphate; sodium bisulphate; sodium citrate or mixtures thereof
• demineralized water and hydrogen peroxide optionally predissolved in demineralized water and hydrogen peroxid
• a PAP dispersion in a suitable amount of demineralized water having pH ⁇ 4.0 is passed through a gear pump or a colloid mill or is treated with Silverson type mixer for about 20 minutes. Temperature is monitored and, if the case, maintained below 50°C, more preferably below 35°C by cooling or regulating mixer (or pump) speed.
• the PAP dispersion is then transferred into the main mixer.
• Nonionic surfactants are added.
• the dispersion is completed with the optional components and when necessary it is brought to 100% by weight with water. The stirring is continued for about 1 hour.
• the anionic surfactant solution is prepared under stirring preferably by neutralization of the anionic surfactant in acid form with a sodium or potassium hydroxide solution under stirring or by solubilization of sodium or potassium salt of the anionic surfactant.
• the pH is adjusted to the required value with sulphuric acid (or with citric or sulphamic acid).
• antifoam, hydrogen peroxide and PAP are added.
• the dispersion is passed through a gear pump or a colloid mill or is treated with Silverson type mixer for about 20 minutes at a suitable speed to obtain the desired milling level. Temperature is monitored and, if the case, maintained below 50°C, more preferably below 35°C by cooling or regulating mixer (or pump) speed.
• electrolytes sodium or potassium or magnesium sulphate; sodium bisulphate; sodium citrate
• electrolytes sodium or potassium or magnesium sulphate; sodium bisulphate; sodium citrate
• the electrolytes optionally predissolved in the minimum necessary amount of demineralized water, ethoxylated alcohols are added under stirring; the dispersion is completed with the optional components. Stirring is continued for about 1 hour.
• composition 1 2 3 4 5 6 PAP (wet cake90%) 4.0 4.0 4.0 6.0 6.0 Hydroxide Na or K as suff. as suff. as suff. as suff. as suff. as suff. as suff.
• Alkylbenzene sulphonic acid 4.0 4.0 4.0 6.0 6.0 H 2 O 2 7.0 7.0 7.0 3.5 3.5 3.5
• liquid additive containing hydrogen peroxide (indicated with the name “Liquid additive” in tables “liq. add.") is representative of the Italian market (Omino Bianco Candeggina Delicata®, Ace Gentile®) and contains, in weight/weight %:
• Reflectance value are determined without optical brightening effect by ELREPHO 3300 (DATACOLOR) reflectometer. Four tristimulus measures are determined for each sample. The average measured values are then expressed in Tables 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e and 4f as follows:
• composition 4 and composition 4' equal to composition 4 but the amount of PAP is 9.0 % by weight instead of 6.0 %.
• WASHING CONDITIONS EXAMPLES GROUP II
• reference detergent suitable market leading laundry detergent Dash®, Perlana®
• test additive either a composition of present invention or MARKET LIQ.
• ADDITIVE is applied (3g/dm 2 ) directly on the above listed soiled testfabrics. After 5 minutes washing programme is started in presence of the reference detergent.
• Washing machine CANDY C 577 T washing programme without prewash cycle heating time: 5-10 min. (depending on washing temperature) washing time: 24 min. rinses: 4 (11 min. in total) overall time: 70-80 min. (depending on washing temperature) Water 19 litres in washing cycle 63 litres in rinses cycle Water Hardness 22°Hf Load Ballast in the case of cotton: 3.5 Kg of white cotton in the case of delicates: 1.0 Kg of knitted PES patches wherein " MARKET LIQ.
• ADDITIVE is a liquid laundry additive, representative Italian and European markets (Ace Gentile®,Omino Bianco Candeggina Delicata®, containing (w/w %): - active oxygen (as hydrogen peroxide): about 3.3% - anionic and nonionic surfactants: about 2%
• the bactericide action of the present invention compositions is very effective at low temperatures.
• the following results are given as an example.
• a powder disinfectant additive of the above indicated composition, after 60 minutes, with a concentration of 5.0 g/l, causes a reduction of 10 5 col/ml.
• liquid additive selected from those indicated in the art for instance OMINO BIANCO® added in the washing is effective after 60 min at a concentration of 3.5 g/l equal to 70 ml in washing machine.
• the composition 4' causes a TBC decrease higher than 10 5 u.f.c./ml after 15 minutes at a 5 g/l concentration.
• a powder disinfectant additive (containing as active starting materials for an hygienizing effect about: 3% by weight of active oxygen as perborate or percarbonate and 1-6% by weight of TAED as activator) produce the above description action only at a concentration of 14.0 g/l after 15 minutes.
• the composition 4' causes a TBC decrease higher than 10 5 u.f.c./ml within 30 minutes at a 7 g/l concentration obtained.
• the direct application of the compositions on the cloth allows to obtain the same action using a much less amount of product since in the application area the concentration is higher than that above described.
• a powder disinfectant additive of the above indicated composition, after 120 minutes, with a concentration of 5.0 g/l, causes a reduction of 10 5 u.f.c./ml.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Detergent Compositions (AREA)
• Agricultural Chemicals And Associated Chemicals (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=11377519

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (20)

Citations (7)

• 1997
  • 1997-07-08 IT IT97MI001617A patent/IT1293587B1/it active IP Right Grant
• 1998
  • 1998-07-02 EP EP98112265A patent/EP0890635A3/fr not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (7)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events