Surfactant system

• US 4,203,872 A
• Filed: 12/18/1978
• Issued: 05/20/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John J. Flanagan
• Original Assignee: John J. Flanagan
• Inventors: Flanagan, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Albrecht, Dennis L.
• Application Number:
  US05/970,134
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 252/89, 252/106, 252/153, 252/173, 252/156, 252/158, 252/528, 252/547, 252/DIG. 1, 252/DIG. 14, 252/527, 252/546, 252/357, 252/356, 252/542, 252/174.21 , 252/174.22
• US Class Current: 516/67
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/10 Amino carboxylic acids; Imino carboxylic acids; Fatty acid condensates thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/44 Ethers of polyoxyalkylenes with amino alcohols; Condensation products of epoxyalkanes with amines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/62 Quaternary ammonium compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/72 Ethers of polyoxyalkylene glycols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/722 Ethers of polyoxyalkylene glycols having mixed oxyalkylene groups; Polyalkoxylated fatty alcohols or polyalkoxylated alkylaryl alcohols with mixed oxyalkylele groups C11D1/721 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/75 Amino oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/835 Mixtures of non-ionic with cationic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/90 Betaines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 516/06 Protein or carboxylic compound containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 516/07 Organic amine, amide, or n-base containing

Abstract

An improved surfactant system comprising a mixture of a non-ionic detergent, a tertiary amine oxide or amphoteric detergent, and a quaternary ammonium halide. The surfactant system of the invention is combined with other ingredients to yield 14 different commercially useful cleaners. Each of these cleaners has improved detergent properties compared with prior art cleaners.

Claims

1. A surfactant system comprising:

A. about 25-75% by weight of a non-ionic detergent which is a mixture of about 25% by weight of a condensation product of 4-5 moles of ethylene oxide with 1 mole of nonyl phenol, and about 75% by weight of a condensation product of 8-12 moles of ethylene oxide with 1 mole of nonyl phenol;

B. about 5-65% by weight of

(1) a tertiary amine oxide selected from the group consisting of

(a) alkyl di (lower alkyl) amine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 10-20 carbon atoms and the lower alkyl groups have about 1-7 carbon atoms;

(b) alkyl di (hydroxy lower alkyl) amine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 10-20 carbon atoms and contains from 0 to 1 ether linkages and has one alkyl moiety which contains from about 10 to 15 carbon atoms and no ether linkages, and the lower alkyl groups have about 1-7 carbon atoms;

(c) alkylamidopropyl di (lower alkyl) amine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 10-20 carbon atoms and the lower alkyl groups have about 1-7 carbon atoms; and

(d) alkyl morpholine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 10-20 carbon atoms;

or

(2) an amphoteric detergent selected from the group consisting of

(a) betaine detergents having the formula ##STR12## (b) alkyd bridged betaine detergents having the formula ##STR13## (c) imidazoline detergents having the formula ##STR14## (d) alkyliminopropionate detergents having the formula ##STR15## (e) alkyliminodipropionate detergents having the formula ##STR16## (f) ether bridged alkyliminopropionate detergents having the formula ##STR17## (g) ether bridged alkyliminodipropionate detergents having the formula ##STR18## (h) cocoimidazoline based amphoteric detergents having the formula ##STR19## wherein R₁ is an alkyl radical containing from about 10 to about 14 carbon atoms,

R₂ and R₃ are each selected from the group consisting of methyl and ethyl radicals, and

R₄ is selected from the group consisting of methylene, ethylene and propylene radicals;

C. about 8-50% by weight of a quaternary ammonium halide having the formula ##STR20## wherein X is a halide and wherein R₅ is an alkyl or phenyl-substituted alkyl group having about 10-20 carbon atoms, R₆ is lower alkyl, R₇ is [--CH₂ CH₂ O--]_x H, and R₈ is [--CH₂ CH₂ O--]_y H, wherein the sum of x and y is between 2 and 5; and

D. the remainder water.

3. The surfactant system of claim 1, wherein said amine oxide is lauryl dimethyl amine oxide.

4. The surfactant system of claim 1, wherein said amine oxide is bis(2-hydroxyethyl) tridecyloxypropyl amine oxide.

2. The surfactant system of claim 11, and further comprising about 1-6% by weight of isopropanol.

5. A method for emulsifying vegetable oil and petroleum oils, said method including the steps of preparing a surfactant system comprising

A. about 25-75% by weight of a non-ionic detergent which is a condensation product of about 4-16 moles of ethylene oxide with one mole of a compound selected from the group consisting of

(1) an alkyl phenol having about 7-10 carbon atoms in the alkyl group;

(2) an alkyl amine having about 12-16 carbon atoms in the alkyl group;

(3) an aliphatic alcohol having about 10-20 carbon atoms; and

(4) a hydrophobic base formed by condensing propylene oxide with propylene glycol; and

B. about 5-65% by weight of

(1) an amine oxide selected from the group consisting of

(a) alkyl di (lower alkyl) amine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 10-20 carbon atoms and the lower alkyl groups have about 1-7 carbon atoms;

(b) alkyl di (hydroxy lower alkyl) amine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 10-20 carbon atoms and contains from 0 to 2 ether linkages and has one alkyl moiety which contains from about 10 to 15 carbon atoms and no ether linkages, and the lower alkyl groups have about 1-7 carbon atoms;

(c) alkylamidopropyl di (lower alkyl) amine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 10-20 carbon atoms and the lower alkyl groups have about 1-7 carbon atoms; and

(d) alkyl morpholine oxides in which the alkyl group has about 10-20 carbon atoms;

or

(2) an amphoteric detergent selected from the group consisting of

(a) betaine detergents having the formula ##STR21## said method comprising the step of adding to said aqueous solution C. about 8-50% by weight of a quaternary ammonium halide having the formula ##STR22## wherein X is a halide and the quaternary ammonium radical is selected from the group consisting of

(1) radicals wherein R₅ and R₆ are lower alkyl, R₇ is a lower alkyl group or a benzyl group, and R₈ is an alkyl group having about 1-18 carbon atoms substituted with a phenyl group, or an alkyl group having about 8-20 carbon atoms;

(2) radicals wherein R₅, R₆ and R₇ are lower alkyl, and R₈ is an alkyl or phenyl-substituted alkyl group having about 8-20 carbon atoms; and

(3) radicals wherein R₅ is an alkyl or phenyl-substituted alkyl group having about 10-20 carbon atoms, R₆ is lower alkyl, R₇ is [--CH₂ CH₂ O--]_x H, and R₈ is [--CH₂ CH₂ O--]_y H, wherein the sum of x and y is between 2 and 5,

said method further comprising

D. combining 1 part by weight of said surfactant system with from about 1 to about 3 parts by weight of alkaline builders and with up to about 100 parts by weight of water to provide a detergent concentrate;

E. diluting 1 part by weight of said detergent concentrate with up to about 50 parts by weight of water to provide a detergent solution, and

F. mixing said detergent solution and oil to emulsify the oil within said solution.