CLEANING COMPOSITIONS WITH WATER INSOLUBLE CONVERSION AGENTS AND METHODS OF MAKING AND USING THEM

• US 20080280800A1
• Filed: 05/02/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Kim R., Olson, Keith E., Monsrud, Lee J., Mills, Kristen A., Rischmiller, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,071,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 510/161
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/14 Maintenance of water treatment installations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/22 Eliminating or preventing deposits, scale removal, scale prevention C02F1/042, C02F1/4602, C02F5/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 5/02 Softening water by precipitation of the hardness
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 5/06 using calcium compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/14 Hard surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/044 Hydroxides or bases
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/046 Salts
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/10 Carbonates ; Bicarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/10 Salts
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 11/08 in other liquids
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 11/124 Carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 11/18 using inorganic inhibitors
• CPC Class Codes: C23G 1/20 Other heavy metals
• CPC Class Codes: C23G 1/22 Light metals

Abstract

The present invention relates to cleaning compositions comprising conversion agents and methods of using them. The conversion agents of the present invention comprise water insoluble compounds such as metal oxides, metal hydroxides, and combinations thereof. The compositions can be substantially free of a builder, e.g., a chelating agent, sequestrant, and/or threshold agent, while still achieving effective soil removal.

Claims

1. A solid cleaning composition comprising:

(a) about 1 to about 50 wt % of a conversion agent comprising a water insoluble compound; and

(b) about 10 to about 95 wt % of an alkalinity source, wherein the conversion agent causes calcium hardness ions in a water source to substantially precipitate in a non-calcite crystalline form.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal hydroxides, and combinations thereof.

3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, and combinations thereof.

4. The composition of claim 2, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, titanium hydroxide and combinations thereof.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the non-calcite crystalline form is aragonite.

6. The composition of claim 2, wherein the conversion agent further comprises aragonite.

7. The composition of claim 6, wherein the conversion agent further comprises about 1 to about 50 wt % of aragonite.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the alkalinity source is selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal hydroxide, and combinations thereof.

9. The composition of claim 8, wherein the alkali metal carbonate is selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, lithium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, lithium bicarbonate, sodium sesquicarbonate, potassium sesquicarbonate, lithium sesquicarbonate, and combinations thereof.

10. The composition of claim 8, wherein the alkali metal hydroxide is selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and combinations thereof.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises about 1 to about 7 wt % of a builder.

12. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is substantially free of a builder.

13. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises about 1 to about 50 wt % of a salt.

14. The composition of claim 13, wherein the salt is selected from the group consisting of monovalent alkali compounds having halide or sulfate as the anion.

15. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises about 1 to about 50 wt % water.

16. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, or combinations thereof.

17. The composition of claim 16, wherein the surfactant is a nonionic low foaming surfactant.

18. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises:

about 5 to about 30 wt % of the conversion agent; and

about 20 to about 75% of the alkalinity source.

19. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises;

about 10 to about 20 wt % of the conversion agent; and

about 25 to about 65 wt % of the alkalinity source.

20. A solid cleaning composition comprising:

about 3 to about 30 wt % of a conversion agent comprising a water insoluble compound; and

about 5 to about 90 wt % of an ingredient selected from the group consisting of a salt, a detergent filler, a surfactant, a processing aid, water and combinations thereof, wherein the conversion agent causes calcium hardness ions in a water source to substantially precipitate in a non-calcite crystalline form.

21. The composition of claim 20, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal hydroxides, and combinations thereof.

22. The composition of claim 21, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, and combinations thereof.

23. The composition of claim 21, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, titanium hydroxide and combinations thereof.

24. The composition of claim 20, wherein the non-calcite crystalline form is aragonite.

25. The composition of claim 21, wherein the conversion agent further comprises aragonite.

26. The composition of claim 25, wherein the conversion agent further comprises about 1 to about 50 wt % of aragonite.

27. The composition of claim 20, wherein the composition comprises about 1 to about 50 wt % of a salt.

28. The composition of claim 27, wherein the salt is selected from the group consisting of monovalent alkali compounds having halide or sulfate as the anion.

29. The composition of claim 20, wherein the composition comprises about 1 to about 50 wt % water.

30. The composition of claim 20, wherein the composition further comprises a surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, or combinations thereof.

31. The composition of claim 30, wherein the surfactant is a nonionic low foaming surfactant.

32. The composition of claim 20, wherein the composition further comprises about 1 to about 7 wt % of a builder.

33. The composition of claim 20, wherein the composition is substantially free of a builder.

34. The composition of claim 20, wherein the composition comprises less than 1 wt % phosphate.

35. The composition of claim 20, wherein the composition comprises less than 1 wt % phosphorus.

36. A method of cleaning an article, the method comprising:

(a) providing a solid cleaning composition comprising;

(i) about 1 to about 50 wt % of a conversion agent comprising a water insoluble compound; and

(ii) about 10 to about 95 wt % of an alkalinity source, wherein the conversion agent causes calcium hardness ions in a water source to substantially precipitate in a non-calcite crystalline form;

(b) dissolving at least a portion of the solid cleaning composition to create a use solution; and

(c) contacting the article with the use solution, such that the article is cleaned.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal hydroxides, and combinations thereof.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, and combinations thereof.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, titanium hydroxide and combinations thereof.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of a medical device, a laundry article, an article of ware, a hard surface, and combinations thereof.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein the method is used in a presoak application.

42. The method of claim 36, wherein the method is used in a rinse application.

43. A method of cleaning an article, the method comprising:

(a) providing a solid cleaning composition consisting essentially of;

(i) about 3 to about 30 wt % of a conversion agent comprising a water insoluble compound; and

(ii) about 5 to about 90 wt % of an ingredient selected from the group consisting of a salt, a detergent filler, a surfactant, a processing aid, water and combinations thereof, wherein the conversion agent causes calcium hardness ions in a water source to substantially precipitate in a non-calcite crystalline form;

(b) dissolving at least a portion of the solid cleaning composition to create a use solution; and

(c) contacting the article with the use solution, such that the article is cleaned.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal hydroxides, and combinations thereof.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, titanium oxide, and combinations thereof.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the conversion agent is selected from the group consisting of magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide, titanium hydroxide and combinations thereof.

47. The method of claim 43, wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of a medical device, a laundry article, an article of ware, a hard surface, and combinations thereof.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the method is used in a presoak application.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the method is used in a rinse application.