Alkaline detergent containing mixed organic and inorganic sequestrants resulting in improved soil removal

• US 20050101506A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Olson, Keith E., Lentsch, Steven E.
• Application Number:
  US11/021,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20050101506A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 510/365
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0047 Detergents in the form of bars or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0052 Cast detergent compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0065 Solid detergents containing builders C11D17/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/044 Hydroxides or bases
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/06 Phosphates, including polyphosphates
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/10 Carbonates ; Bicarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/361 Phosphonates, phosphinates or phosphonites
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/364 containing nitrogen

Abstract

Solid block alkaline detergent compositions are disclosed comprising a source of alkalinity, and other detergent additives including sequestrants. The solid block detergents of the invention used a mixed inorganic and organic sequestrant composition that successfully softens service water used in manufacturing aqueous detergents from the composition, but also obtains substantially improved organic soil removal on dishware or flatware. The solid block detergents of the invention comprise large masses of the chemical ingredients having a weight of greater than about 500 grams in a solid block product format that is typically dispensed using a spray on water dispenser that creates an aqueous concentrate that is used in a washing machine.

Claims

1. An alkaline detergent composition, having substantially improved organic soil removal capacity, the detergent comprising:

(a) an effective amount of a source of alkalinity sufficient to provide soil removal;

(b) an effective cleaning, soil removing and hardness treating amount of a sequestrant comprising;

(i) an effective amount of an organic phosphonate; and

(ii) an effective amount of an inorganic condensed phosphate; and

(c) an effective amount of a soil removing surfactant;

wherein there is less than about 14 wt % of total phosphorus in the detergent.

2. The composition of claim 1 comprising a solid block detergent.

3. The composition of claim 1 comprising a powder.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition comprises greater than about 10 wt % of the condensed phosphate and about 0.1 to 15 wt % of the organic phosphonate.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition comprises about 15 to 35 wt % of the condensed phosphate and about 0.1 to 10 wt % of the organic phosphonate.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the inorganic condensed phosphate composition comprises sodium tripolyphosphate.

7. The composition of claim 1 wherein the organic phosphonate composition comprises about 0.1 to 5 wt % of the phosphonate comprising amino trimethylene phosphonic acid, 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid, 1-(hydroxy ethylidene)-1,1-diphosphonic acid or mixtures thereof.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein the soil removing surfactant comprises about 0.1 to about 20 wt % of a nonionic surfactant.

9. The composition of claim 1 wherein the source of alkalinity comprises about 0.1 to about 70 wt % of sodium carbonate, the condensed phosphate comprises about 0.1 to 35 wt % of sodium tripolyphosphate and the composition has a mass greater than 500 grams.

10-11. -11. (canceled)

12. An alkaline detergent composition having improved organic soil removal capacity, said detergent comprising:

(a) an effective amount of an alkali metal carbonate detergent;

(b) an effective amount of a soil removing surfactant; and

(c) a sequestrant comprising at least an effective cleaning, soil removing and hardness treating amount comprising less than 15 wt % of an organic phosphonate and at least 10 wt % of sodium tripolyphosphate, the sequestrant comprising at least about 1 part by weight of organic phosphonate composition per each one hundred parts by weight of the tripolyphosphate;

wherein there is less than about 9 wt % total phosphorus in the composition.

13. The composition of claim 12 comprising a solid block detergent.

14. The composition of claim 12 comprising a powder.

15. The composition of claim 12 wherein the surfactant comprises a nonionic surfactant, and the solid block has a mass of at least 500 grams.

17. The composition of claim 12 wherein the organic phosphonate sequestrant comprises amino trimethylene phosphonic acid, 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid, 1-(hydroxy ethylidene)-1,1-diphosphonic acid, or mixtures thereof.

18. The composition of claim 12 wherein the soil removing surfactant comprises about 0.1 to about 20 wt % of a nonionic surfactant.

19. The composition of claim 12 wherein the source of alkalinity comprises about 0.1 to about 60 wt % of sodium carbonate.

20-21. -21. (canceled)

22. An alkaline detergent composition having substantially improved organic soil removal capacity, said detergent comprising a solid block having a mass greater than about 500 grams, said detergent comprising:

(a) about 25 to 65 wt % of sodium carbonate;

(b) about 0.1 to about 10 wt % of a nonionic surfactant;

(c) an effective cleaning, soil removing and hardness treating amount of a sequestrant comprising;

(i) about 10 to about 40 wt % of sodium tripolyphosphate; and

(ii) about 5 to 15 wt % of an organic phosphonate; and

(d) about 0.01 to about 1.3 moles of water per each mole of sodium carbonate;

wherein there is less than about 9 wt % of total phosphorus in the detergent composition.

23. The composition of claim 22 wherein the organic phosphonate comprises aminotrimethylene phosphonic acid or sodium salts thereof, 2-phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid or salts thereof, 4,1-(hydroxy ethylidene)-1,1-diphosphonic acid or salts thereof.

24. The composition of claim 22 wherein the effective cleaning, soil removing and hardness treating amount of a sequestrant comprises about 25 to about 35 wt % of sodium tripolyphosphate and about 1 to 5 wt % of an organic phosphonate.