Low-foaming amine oxide surfactant concentrate and method of manufacture

• US 5,972,875 A
• Filed: 10/15/1998
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: Tomah Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Janota, Timothy E., Crutcher, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): HARDEE, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US09/173,347
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 510/421, 510/433, 510/503
• US Class Current: 510/421
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/75 Amino oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0026 Low foaming or foam regulating compositions

Abstract

A pourable low-foaming alkoxylated amine oxide surfactant concentrate and method for making the concentrate are disclosed. The amine oxide concentrate has novel properties in that it is both highly concentrated and pourable at ambient temperatures. The amine oxides of the amine oxide concentrate include from about 3.5-30 moles of alkoxylated units and may be based on ether and/or fatty tertiary amine precursors. The low foaming properties and pourability of the amine oxide surfactant concentrate make the invention ideal for low-foam applications and for use in surfactant formulations.

Claims

1. A low-foaming amine oxide surfactant concentrate having from about amine oxides and which is pourable at room temperature comprising:

50-99% of an amine oxide constituent, such constituent including at least one amine oxide having the general structural formula;

##STR13## wherein R¹ is selected from an alkyl group having between 6 and 22 carbon atoms, and a substituted aryl group having between 7 and 22 carbon atoms;

R² is from 0 to 7 moles of alkoxylated units;

n is 0 or 1; and

R³ and R⁴ are each at least one alkoxylated unit and the total number of alkoxylated units present in R³ and R⁴ is about 3.5 to 30; and

less than 50% water, wherein said concentrate is essentially free of organic solvents.

2. The concentrate composition of claim 1 wherein the composition includes at least 80% amine oxide constituent and less than about 20% water.

3. The concentrate composition of claim 2 wherein the composition includes at least 90% amine oxide constituent and less than about 10% water.

4. The concentrate composition of claim 1 wherein R² is an alkoxylated unit selected from ethyleneoxy, propyleneoxy, butyleneoxy and mixtures thereof.

5. The concentrate composition of claim 1 wherein R³ and R⁴ are each alkoxylated units selected from ethyleneoxy, propyleneoxy, butyleneoxy and mixtures thereof.

6. The concentrate composition of claim 5 wherein R³ and R⁴ are each ethyleneoxy units.

7. The concentrate composition of claim 1 wherein the total number of alkoxylated units present in R³ and R⁴ is about 5 to 20.

8. The concentrate composition of claim 7 wherein the total number of alkoxylated units preset in R³ and R⁴ is about 5 to 15.

9. The concentrate composition of claim 1 wherein the viscosity is less than about 5000 centipoise.

10. The concentrate composition of claim 1 wherein the amine oxide has the has the general structural formula:

##STR14## wherein R¹ is selected from a substituted aryl group having between 7 and 22 carbon atoms and an alkyl group having between 6 and 22 carbon atoms; and

R³ and R⁴ are each at least one alkoxylated unit and the total number of alkoxylated units present in R³ and R⁴ is about 3.5 to 30.

11. The concentrate composition of claim 10 wherein R³ and R⁴ are each alkoxylated units, such units being selected from ethyleneoxy, propyleneoxy, and mixtures thereof.

12. The concentrate composition of claim 11 wherein R³ and R⁴ are each ethyleneoxy units.

13. The concentrate composition of claim 11 wherein the total number of alkoxylated units present in R³ and R⁴ is about 4 to 10.

14. The concentrate composition of claim 9 wherein the viscosity is less than about 5000 centipoise.

15. The concentrate composition of claim 1 wherein the amine oxide has the has the general structural formula:

##STR15## wherein R¹ is selected from an alkyl group having between 6 and 22 carbon atoms and a substituted aryl group having between 7 and 22 carbon atoms;

R³ and R⁴ are each from 1 to 30 moles of alkoxylated units and the total number of alkoxylated units present in R³ and R⁴ is about 3.5 to 30.

16. The composition of claim 15 wherein R³ and R⁴ are each alkoxylated units selected from ethyleneoxy, propyleneoxy, butyleneoxy and mixtures thereof.

17. The composition of claim 16 wherein R³ and R⁴ each are ethyleneoxy units.

18. The composition of claim 15 wherein the total number of alkoxylated units present in R³ and R⁴ is about 5 to 15.

19. The concentrate composition of claim 15 wherein the viscosity is less than about 5000 centipoie.

20. A method of making a low-foaming amine oxide surfactant concentrate, said concentrate being essentially free of organic solvents, said concentrate having from about 50-99% actives and being pourable at room temperature comprising the steps of:

providing a tertiary amine constituent having the general structural formula;

##STR16## wherein R¹ is selected from an alkyl group having between 6 and 22 carbon atoms, and a substituted aryl group having between 7 and 22 carbon atoms;

R² is from 0 to 7 moles of alkoxylated units;

n is 0 or 1; and

R³ and R⁴ are each at least one alkoxylated unit and the total number of alkoxylated units present in R³ and R⁴ is about 3.5 to 30;

placing the amine constituent in a reaction vessel and heating the amine to a reaction temperature of about 50-70°

C.;

adding to the heated amine constituent in the reaction vessel, 100-105 molar percent of hydrogen peroxide present in a solution of water in about equal amounts over a period of about 2-8 hours;

reacting the amine and hydrogen peroxide for about 8-48 hours at about 70-80°

C.;

adding at any point in the process less than 50% water as necessary to enhance pourability;

whereupon a high actives, pourable amine oxide surfactant concentrate is formed.

21. The method of claim 20 further including the step of adding a chelating agent to the amine constituent in the reaction vessel to stabilize the amine oxide.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the composition has a viscosity of about less than about 5000 centipoise.