Fluid compositions containing polyhydroxy fatty acid amides

• US 5,620,952 A
• Filed: 03/11/1996
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Fu, Yi-Chang, Mather, Peter G., Foley, Peter R., Dyet, Julie A., Mermelstein, Robert, Roselle, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGinty, Douglas J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Delcotto, Gregory R.
• Application Number:
  US08/614,922
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 510/336, 510/337, 510/350, 510/361, 510/433, 510/434, 510/501
• US Class Current: 510/350
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/525 Carboxylic amides (R1-CO-NR2R3), where R1, R2 or R3 contain two or more hydroxy groups per alkyl group, e.g. R3 being a reducing sugar rest
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 11/0094 Process for making liquid detergent compositions, e.g. slurries, pastes or gels
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2075 Carboxylic acids-salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2082 Polycarboxylic acids-salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2086 Hydroxy carboxylic acids-salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2089 Ether acids-salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/32 Amides; Substituted amides

Abstract

Stock solutions of polyhydroxy fatty acid amide surfactants at high concentrations are characterized by their unfortunate tendency to thicken, or gel, on storage. Mild heating and the inclusion of carboxylates such as oxydisuccinate, citrate or tartrate-succinate maintain the viscosity of such solutions below about 2,000 centipoise, even at temperatures around 30° C.

Claims

1. An improved process for preparing a stable, concentrated, fluidized mixture of a polyhydroxy fatty acid amide surfactant consisting of:

(a) preparing a stock mixture consisting of from about 30% to about 60%, by weight, of said polyhydroxy fatty acid amide surfactant in an aqueous solvent consisting of water or water containing about 15%, or less of organic solvents selected from the group consisting of methanol, ethanol, 1,2-propandiol, and mixtures thereof;

(b) heating said stock mixture to about 50°

C.-80°

C. sufficiently to provide an isotropic solution of said polyhydroxy fatty acid amide in said aqueous solvent;

(c) concurrently with or following step (b), adding an effective, viscosity controlling amount of a sodium salt of a carboxylate functional material selected from the group consisting of citrate, oxydisuccinate, tartrate, tartrate monosuccinate, tartrate disuccinate, gluconate, saccharate, and mixtures thereof to said isotropic solution of polyhydroxy fatty acid amide, whereby the viscosity of said solution remains at a pumpable viscosity below about 2000 cps, as measured at a temperature of about 30.6°

C.