CLEANING COMPOSITIONS CONTAINING WATER SOLUBLE MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS AND METHODS OF USING THEM

• US 20100234262A1
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Sanders, Lisa M., Smith, Kim R., Olson, Keith E., Besse, Michael E., Tjelta, Brenda L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,922,827 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 and methods employing a water soluble magnesium compound. Such compositions can be used for reducing scale, rinsing, hard surface cleaning, ware washing, and corrosion inhibition.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning a hard surface comprising:

contacting the hard surface with a composition comprising water, a water soluble magnesium salt, and an ingredient selected from the group consisting of source of alkalinity, surfactant, and a mixture thereof, wherein the aqueous composition during contacting comprises magnesium ion in a molar amount equal to or in excess over a molar amount of calcium ion; and

achieving a hard surface with an acceptable amount of hard water spotting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hard surface is selected from the group consisting of ceramic tile, a window, hard surface in a kitchen, rinsing ware, presoaking ware, medical instrument, vehicle, ceramic tile and bathroom surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the water soluble magnesium salt comprises an anion that forms a soluble calcium salt.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the water soluble magnesium salt is selected from the group consisting of magnesium acetate, magnesium benzoate, magnesium bromide, magnesium bromate, magnesium chlorate, magnesium chloride, magnesium chromate, magnesium citrate, magnesium formate, magnesium hexafluorosilicate, magnesium iodate, magnesium iodide, magnesium lactate, magnesium molybdate, magnesium nitrate, magnesium perchlorate, magnesium phosphinate, magnesium salicylate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium sulfite, magnesium thiosulfate, a hydrate thereof, and a mixture thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the water soluble magnesium salt comprises an anion that forms a sparingly soluble calcium salt; and

the aqueous composition during contacting comprises magnesium ion in a molar amount equal to or greater than two-times the molar amount of calcium ion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an acceptable amount of hard water spotting comprises up to about one quarter of the surface containing spots.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing precipitation of calcium salt or reducing scaling or reducing solid deposits.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the aqueous composition during contacting comprises magnesium ion at a molar ratio of magnesium to calcium greater than or equal to one.

9. A cleaning composition comprising:

about 1 to about 60 wt-% water soluble magnesium salt;

about 0 to about 60 wt-% source of alkalinity;

about 0 to about 90 wt-% water; and

about 0 to about 20 wt-% surfactant;

10. The composition of claim 9, wherein the composition is substantially free of chelating agent.

11. The composition of claim 9, wherein the composition further comprises about 1 to about 7% of a chelating agent.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the aqueous composition is substantially free of threshold agent.