Detergents for cold-water cleaning

• US 10,421,930 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2016
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stepan Company
• Original Assignee: Stephan Company
• Inventors: Holland, Brian, Bernhardt, Randal J., Sajic, Branko, Tabor, Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): Ogden, Jr., Necholus
• Application Number:
  US15/353,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20170066998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/143 Sulfonic acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/146 Sulfuric acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/22 derived from aromatic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/29 Sulfates of polyoxyalkylene ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/345 Phosphates or phosphites
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/72 Ethers of polyoxyalkylene glycols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/75 Amino oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/83 Mixtures of non-ionic with anionic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/90 Betaines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/92 Sulfobetaines ; Sulfitobetaines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/12 Soft surfaces, e.g. textile
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/30 Amines; Substituted amines ; Quaternized amines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/386 Preparations containing enzymes , e.g. protease or amylase
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/38627 containing lipase
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/38636 containing enzymes other than protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase, oxidase or reductase
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/38645 containing cellulase
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/38654 containing oxidase or reductase

Abstract

Detergents useful for cold-water cleaning and mid-chain headgroup and alkylene-bridged surfactants useful therein are disclosed. The mid-chain headgroup surfactant has a C₁₄-C₃₀ alkyl chain and a polar group bonded to a central zone carbon of the alkyl chain. The alkylene-bridged surfactant has a C₁₂-C₁₈ alkyl chain, a polar group, and a C₁-C₂ alkylene group bonded to the polar group and a central zone carbon of the C₁₂-C₁₈ alkyl chain. Preferred surfactants in these classes are alcohol sulfates, alcohol ethoxylates, ether sulfates, sulfonates, arylsulfonates, alcohol phosphates, amine oxides, quaterniums, betaines, and sulfobetaines. Surprisingly, detergents formulated with the surfactants provide outstanding cold-water performance in removing greasy stains such as bacon grease, butter, cooked beef fat, or beef tallow from soiled articles.

Claims

1. A detergent, useful for cold-water cleaning, comprising water, a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant, and a mid-chain headgroup surfactant, wherein the mid-chain headgroup surfactant is a sulfate or ether sulfate of an alcohol selected from the group consisting of 8-hexadecanol, 9-octadecanol, and 10-eicosanol.

2. The detergent of claim 1 wherein the mid-chain headgroup surfactant is a sulfate of 9-octadecanol or 8-hexadecanol.

3. The detergent of claim 1 wherein the nonionic surfactant is a fatty alcohol ethoxylate.

4. The detergent of claim 1 wherein the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, fatty alcohol ethoxylate sulfates, fatty alcohol sulfates, and mixtures thereof.

5. The detergent of claim 1 comprising 1 to 70 wt. % of the mid-chain headgroup surfactant (based on 100% actives).

6. A liquid, powder, paste, granule, tablet, molded solid, water-soluble sheet, water-soluble sachet, capsule, or water-soluble pod comprising the detergent of claim 1.

7. The detergent of claim 1 wherein the nonionic surfactant is a fatty alcohol ethoxylate and the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, fatty alcohol ethoxylate sulfates, and fatty alcohol sulfates.

8. The detergent of claim 7 comprising 1 to 70 wt. % of the fatty alcohol ethoxylate, 1 to 70 wt. % of the mid-chain headgroup surfactant, and 1 to 70 wt. % of the anionic surfactant.

9. A laundry detergent composition comprising 1 to 95 wt. % of the detergent of claim 1 and

at least three enzymes selected from the group consisting of cellulases, hemicellulases, peroxidases, proteases, gluco-amylases, amylases, lipases, cutinases, pectinases, xylanases, reductases, oxidases, phenoloxidases, lipoxygenases, ligninases, pullulanases, tannases, pentosanases, malanases, beta-glucanases, arabinosidases, and derivatives thereof;

wherein the anionic surfactant is an alcohol ether sulfate; and

wherein the composition has a pH within the range of 7 to 10.

10. A laundry detergent composition comprising 1 to 95 wt. % of the detergent of claim 1 and

one or two enzymes selected from the group consisting of cellulases, hemicellulases, peroxidases, proteases, gluco-amylases, amylases, lipases, cutinases, pectinases, xylanases, reductases, oxidases, phenoloxidases, lipoxygenases, ligninases, pullulanases, tannases, pentosanases, malanases, beta-glucanases, arabinosidases, and derivatives thereof;

wherein the anionic surfactant is an alcohol ether sulfate; and

wherein the composition has a pH within the range of 7 to 10.

11. A laundry detergent composition comprising 1 to 95 wt. % of the detergent of claim 1 wherein the anionic surfactant is an alcohol ether sulfate;

and

wherein the composition has a pH within the range of 7 to 12 and is free of enzymes.

12. The laundry detergent of claim 10 wherein the enzyme is a lipase.