Liquid detergents containing anionic surfactant, builder and proteolytic enzyme

• US 5,030,378 A
• Filed: 08/06/1990
• Issued: 07/09/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Venegas, Manuel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leslie, Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US07/563,884
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 252/174.12, 252/DIG. 12, 435/263, 435/264
• US Class Current: 510/321
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/04 Carboxylic acids or salts thereof soap C11D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/146 Sulfuric acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/22 derived from aromatic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/29 Sulfates of polyoxyalkylene ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/38618 Protease or amylase in liquid compositions only
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/38663 Stabilised liquid enzyme compositions

Abstract

Heavy-duty liquid laundry detergents containing anionic synthetic surfactant, detergency builder, specific proteolytic enzyme, and calcium ion are disclosed. The compositions provide improved cleaning performance, particularly through-the-wash, on enzyme-sensitive stains.

Claims

1. A heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent composition comprising, by weight:

(a) from about 7% to about 50% of an anionic synthetic surfactant which comprises a C₁₀ -C₁₈ alkyl sulfate, a C₁₀ -C₁₈ alkyl ethoxy sulfate containing an average of up to about 4 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alkyl sulfate, a C₁₁ -C₁₃ linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, or mixtures thereof;

(b) a detergency builder comprising a mixture of from about 5% to about 20% of a saturated fatty acid containing from about 10 to about 14 carbon atoms and from about 1% to about 20% of a water-soluble polycarboxylate builder;

(c) from about 0.01% to about 5% of the proteolytic enzyme characterized by the following amino acid sequence;

##STR6## or wherein the Gly at position 166 is replaced with Asn, Ser, Lys, Arg, His, Gln, Ala or Glu;

the Gly at position 169 is replaced with Ser;

the Met at position 222 is replaced with Gln, Phe, Cys, His, Asn, Glu, Ala or Thr;

the Gly at position 166 is replaced with Lys and the Met at position 222 is replaced with Cys;

or the Gly at position 169 is replaced with Ala and the Met at position 222 is replaced with Ala;

(d) from about 0.01 to about 50 millimoles of calcium ion per liter of composition; and

(e) from about 10% to about 80% of water;

said composition containing at least about 20% of (a)+(b) and having an initial pH of from about 6.5 to about 9.5 at a concentration of 0.2% in water at 20°

C.

2. A composition according to claim 1 comprising from about 15% to about 30% of the anionic synthetic surfactant.

3. A composition according to claim 2 comprising from about 1% to about 5% of an unethoxylated C₁₀ -C₁₈ alkyl sulfate surfactant.

4. A composition according to claim 2 wherein the polycarboxylate builder comprises citrate.

5. A composition according to claim 4 comprising from about 0.01% to about 1% of a water-soluble salt of ethylenediamine tetramethylenephosphonic acid, diethylenetriamine pentamethylenephosphonic acid, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, or diethyelenetriamine pentaacetic acid.

6. A composition according to claim 1 comprising from about 30% to about 50% of the anionic synthetic surfactant and detergency builder.

7. A composition according to claim 6 comprising from about 15% to about 30% of the anionic synthetic surfactant.

8. A composition according to claim 7 comprising from about 1% to about 5% of an unethoxylated C₁₀ -C₁₈ alkyl sulfate surfactant.

9. A composition according claim 8 comprising from about 10% to about 25% of the detergency builder.

10. A composition according to claim 9 wherein the polycarboxylate builder comprises citrate.

11. A composition according to claim 10 wherein the proteolytic enzyme is characterized by the following amino acid sequence ##STR7##