Gel laundry detergent composition

• US 20050059568A1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Henkel IP & Holding GmbH (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care Usa Division Of Conopco, Inc.
• Inventors: Hines, John David
• Granted Patent: US 7,297,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 510/403
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/14 derived from aliphatic hydrocarbons or mono-alcohols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/22 derived from aromatic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/29 Sulfates of polyoxyalkylene ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/72 Ethers of polyoxyalkylene glycols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/83 Mixtures of non-ionic with anionic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/003 Colloidal solutions, e.g. gels; Thixotropic solutions or pastes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2006 Monohydric alcohols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2013 fatty or with at least 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/202 fatty or with at least 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2031 fatty or with at least 8 carbon atoms in the alkenyl chain
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2068 Ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2079 Monocarboxylic acids-salts thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a shear thinning, transparent gel laundry detergent composition, comprising a surfactant system containing surfactant material selected from an anionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant or a mixture thereof, and from 0.1 to 10% by weight of a clarity improving agent being a glycol dialkyl ether selected from a mono- or polyethylene glycol dialkyl ether having the formula
(C_pH_2p+1)O—(CH₂CH₂O)_n—(C_qH_2q+1)   (I), a mono- or polypropylene glycol dialkyl ether having the formula
(C_pH_2p+1)O—(CH₂CH (CH₃)O)_n—(C_qH_2q+1)   (II), and mixtures thereof, wherein p and q independently are integers in the range of from 1 to 5, and n is an integer in the range of from 1 to 50, preferably 1 to 10. It has been found that this gel laundry composition is highly transparent, such that particles can be suspended therein for improving visual appearance.

Claims

1. A shear thinning, transparent lamellar-phase gel laundry detergent composition, comprising a surfactant system containing surfactant material selected from an anionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant or a mixture thereof, and from 0.1 to 10% by weight of a clarity improving agent being a glycol dialkyl ether selected from

a mono- or polyethylene glycol dialkyl ether having the formula

(C_pH_2p+1)O—

(CH₂CH₂O)_n—

(C_qH_2q+1)  

 

(I)

a mono- or polypropylene glycol dialkyl ether having the formula

(C_pH_2p+1)O—

(CH₂CH (CH₃)O)_n—

(C_qH_2q+1)  

 

(II),

and mixtures thereof,

wherein p and q independently are integers in the range of from 1 to 5, and n is an integer in the range of from 1 to 50, preferably 1 to 10.

2. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the clarity improving agent is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol dibutyl ether and polypropylene glycol dibutyl ether.

3. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the clarity improving agent is from 0.5 to 5% by weight.

4. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises from 1 to 8% by weight of a gelling agent.

5. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the gelling agent is a fatty alcohol having the formula

R₁—

(CHOH)—

R₂  

 

(III)

wherein;

R₁, R₂ are independently selected from hydrogen and saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched, C₁-C₁₆ alkyl groups, whereby the total number of carbon atoms in the fatty alcohol is between 8 and 17.

6. A composition according to claim 5, wherein the fatty alcohol gelling agent is selected from 1-decanol, 1-dodecanol, 2-decanol, 2-dodecanol, 2-methyl-1-decanol, 2-methyl-1-dodecanol, 2-ethyl-1-decanol, and mixtures thereof.

7. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the gelling agent is a non-neutralised fatty acid having the formula

R₃—

(COOH)—

R₄  

 

(IV),

wherein;

R3 and R4 are independently selected from hydrogen and saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched C₁-C₂₂ alkyl groups, whereby the total number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid is between 10 and 23.

8. A composition according to claim 7, wherein the fatty acid gelling agent is selected from oleic acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid and mixtures thereof.

9. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the gelling agent is a naturally obtainable fatty acid selected from tallow, coconut, and palm kernel fatty acids.

10. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the surfactant system contains an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of linear alkyl benzene sulphonate, alkyl polyether sulphate, alkyl sulphate, alkyl sulphonate and mixtures thereof.

11. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the anionic surfactant is present at a concentration of from 5 to 50% by weight, preferably from 5 to 25% by weight.

12. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the nonionic surfactant is an ethoxylated alcohol having 3 to 11 ethylene oxide groups.

13. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the nonionic surfactant is present at a concentration of from 5 to 50% by weight, preferably from 5 to 30% by weight.

14. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition additionally comprises a detergency builder selected from the group consisting of carboxylates, polycarboxylates, aminocarboxylates, carbonates, bicarbonates, phosphates, phosphonates, silicates, borates, and mixtures thereof.

15. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition has at least 50%, preferably at least 70%, transmittance of light using a 1 centimeter cuvette at a wavelength of 410-800 nm, preferably 570-690 nm, whereby the composition is measured in the absence of dyes.

16. Use of a glycol dialkyl ether as a clarity improving agent in a shear thinning, transparent, gel laundry detergent composition according to claim 1.

17. Method of improving the clarity and transparency of a shear thinning, transparent, lamellar-phase gel laundry detergent composition, said method comprising the steps of

(a) preparing said composition by mixing the ingredients thereof , said composition comprising a surfactant system containing surfactant material selected from an anionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant or a mixture thereof, and

(b) adding from 0.1 to 10% by weight of a glycol dialkyl ether, as specified in claim 1, to said composition.