Detergent compositions containing polyethyleneimines for enhanced stain removal

• US 5,904,735 A
• Filed: 08/04/1997
• Issued: 05/18/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Henkel IP & Holding GmbH (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Lever Brothers Company (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Wu, Shang-Ren, Gutierrez, Eddie, Racherla, Uday, Vermeer, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAMOND, ALAN D
• Application Number:
  US08/905,581
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 8/137, 510/320, 510/321, 510/323, 510/302, 510/303, 510/305, 510/392, 510/393, 510/367, 510/370, 510/374, 510/531, 510/533, 510/337, 510/341, 510/356, 510/361, 510/405, 510/421 , 510/433, 510/434, 510/499, 510/504
• US Class Current: 8/137
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3723 Polyamines or polyalkyleneimines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/38609 Protease or amylase in solid compositions only

Abstract

Detergent compositions, essentially free of peroxygen or chlorine bleach compounds, containing a surfactant, builder, enzyme and from about 0.001% to about 5% by weight polyethyleneimine (PEI) or salts thereof are disclosed. These compositions provide enhanced removal of organic stains, particularly on polyphenolic stains such as morello juice (cherry juice), blueberry juice, red wine, tea and coffee. Improvement was also demonstrated on certain non-polyphenolic stains such as grass.

Claims

1. A detergent composition consisting essentially of:

(a) from about 1% to about 75% by weight of a detergent surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, switterionic surfactants, ampholytic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and mixtures thereof;

(b) from about 5% to about 80% by weight of a detergency builder;

(c) from about 0.001% to about 5% by weight of an enzyme; and

(d) from about 0.001% to about 5% by weight polyethyleneimine, polyethyleneimine salt, or mixtures thereof, wherein said polyethyleneimine or salts thereof have an average molecular weight of at least about 1200 and wherein said composition is free of anionic surfactants.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the detergency builder component is selected from the group consisting of zeolite;

alkali metal silicates;

alkali metal carbonates;

alkali metal phosphates;

alkali metal polyphosphates;

alkali metal phosphonates;

alkali metal polyphosphonic acids;

C₈ -C₁₈ alkyl monocarboxylic acids, polycarboxylic acids, alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium salts thereof; and

mixtures thereof.

3. The composition of claim 1 comprising from 0.005% to about 4.5% of polyethyleneimine or the salts thereof, or mixtures thereof.

4. The composition of claim 3 wherein polyethyleneimine component is selected from the group consisting of polyethyleneimines, polyethyleneimine salts or mixtures thereof wherein each of the polyethyleneimines or salts thereof have a molecular weight of about 1200 to about 2,500,000.

5. The composition of claim 3 wherein the polyethyleneimine component is in the non-protonated, non-salt form.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the surfactant component comprises a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of C₁₀ -C₂₀ alcohols ethoxylated with an average of from about 4 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, alkyl polyglycosides, alkyl aldonamides, alkyl aldobionamides, alkyl glycamides and mixtures thereof.

19. A method for laundering fabrics comprising the agitation of said fabrics in an aqueous solution containing from about 0.01% to about 5% by weight of the composition of claim 1.

7. A liquid laundry detergent composition consisting essentially of:

(a) from about 5% to about 60% by weight of a detergent surfactant selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, ampholytic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and mixtures thereof;

(b) from about 7% to about 30% by weight of a detergency builder selected from the group consisting of zeolite;

alkali metal silicates;

alkali metal carbonates;

polyphosphonic acids;

C₈ -C₁₈ alkyl monocarboxylic acids, polycarboxylic acids, alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium salts thereof, and mixtures thereof;

(c) from about 0.001% to about 5% by weight of an enzyme; and

(d) from about 0.001% to about 5% by weight polyethyleneimine, polyethyleneimine salt or mixtures thereof, wherein said polyethyleneimine or salts thereof have an average molecular weight of at least about 1200 and wherein said composition is free of anionic surfactants.

8. The composition of claim 7 comprising from about 10% to about 28% by weight of a detergency builder selected from the group consisting of C₈ -C₁₈ alkyl monocarboxylic acids, polycarboxylic acids, and mixtures thereof.

9. The composition of claim 8 comprising, as the detergency builder, from about 5% to about 18% by weight of C₈ -C₁₈ alkyl monocarboxylic acid, and from about 0.2% to about 10% by weight of citric acid or salts thereof.

10. The composition of claim 7 comprising from about 0.005% to about 4.5% polyethyleneimine, polyethyleneimine salts, or mixtures thereof.

11. The composition of claim 10 wherein polyethyleneimine component is selected from the group consisting of polyethyleneimine, polyethyleneimine salts or mixtures thereof wherein each of the polyethyleneimines or salts thereof have a molecular weight of about 1200 to about 2,500,000.

12. The composition of claim 7 which is free of inorganic phosphates or polyphosphates.

13. The composition of claim 7 wherein the surfactant component comprises a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of C₁₀ -C₂₀ alcohols ethoxylated with an average of from about 4 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, alkyl polyglycosides, alkyl aldonamides, alkyl aldobionamides, alkyl glycamides and mixtures thereof.

14. The composition of claim 7 having a pH of from about 6 to about 12 at 1% by weight concentration in water.

20. A method for laundering fabrics comprising the agitation of said fabrics in an aqueous solution containing from about 0.01% to about 5% by weight of the composition of claim 7.

15. A granular laundry detergent composition consisting essentially of:

(a) from about 5% to about 60% by weight of a nonionic detergent surfactant;

(b) from about 10% to about 50% by weight of a detergency builder selected from the group consisting of zeolite;

alkali metal silicates, alkali metal carbonates, alkali metal phosphates, alkali metal polyphosphates, alkali metal polyphosphonic acids;

C₈ -C₁₈ alkyl monocarboxylic acids, polycarboxylic acids, alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium salts thereof, and mixtures thereof; and

(c) from about 0.001% to about 5% by weight of an enzyme; and

(d) from about 0.001% to about 5% by weight polyethyleneimine, polyethyleneimine salt or mixtures thereof,

(e) wherein said polyethyleneimine or salts thereof have an average molecular weight of at least about 1200 and wherein said composition is free of anionic surfactants.

16. The composition of claim 15 which comprises from about 0.005% to about 4.5% polyethyleneimine, polyethyleneimine salts, or mixtures thereof.

17. The composition of claim 16 wherein the polyethyleneimine component is selected from the group consisting of polyethyleneimines, polyethyleneimine salts or mixtures thereof wherein each of the polyethyleneimines or salts thereof have a molecular weight of about 1200 to about 2,500,000.

18. The composition of claim 15 wherein the surfactant component comprises a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of C₁₀ -C₂₀ alcohols ethoxylated with an average of from about 4 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, alkylpolyglycosides, alkyl aldonamides, alkyl aldobionamides, alkyl glycamides and mixtures thereof.

21. A method for laundering fabrics comprising the agitation of said fabrics in an aqueous solution containing from about 0.01% to about 5% by weight of the composition of claim 15.