Polyoxyalkylene surfactants

• US 6,153,577 A
• Filed: 10/26/1999
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Vinson, Phillip Kyle, Burckett-St. Laurent, James Charles Theophile Roger, Connor, Daniel Stedman, Cripe, Thomas Anthony, Willman, Kenneth William
• Primary Examiner(s): Gupta, Yogendra
• Assistant Examiner(s): INGERSOLL, CHRISTINE E
• Application Number:
  US09/426,594
• Time in Patent Office: 399 Days
• Field of Search: 510/505, 510/506, 510/356
• US Class Current: 510/356
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 43/11 Polyethers containing —O—(C—C—O—)n units with ≤ 2 n≤ 10
• 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

Abstract

Mid-chain branched primary alkyl polyoxyalkylene surfactants useful in laundry and cleaning compositions, especially granular and liquid detergent compositions. These surfactants are also suitable for formulation with other surfactants for the purpose of providing improved surfactant systems, especially for use in detergent compositions which will be used in laundry processes involving low water temperature wash conditions. The present invention also relates to novel mid-chain branched primary alkyl polyoxyalkylene surfactants suitable for use in the surfactant mixtures.

Claims

1. A bleaching detergent composition comprising from about 0.001% to about 99%, by weight, of one or more mid-chain branched primary alkyl polyoxyalkylenes having the formula:

##STR35## wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the branched primary alkyl moiety of this formula, including the R, R¹, and R² branching, but not including the carbon atoms in the EO/PO alkoxy moiety, is from 14 to 20, and wherein further the average total number of carbon atoms in the branched primary alkyl moieties having the above formula is within the range of greater than 14.5 to about 17.5;

R, R¹, and R² are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C₁ -C₃ alkyl, provided R, R¹, and R² are not all hydrogen and, when z is 1, at least R or R¹ is not hydrogen;

w is an integer from 0 to 13;

x is an integer from 0 to 13;

y is an integer from 0 to 13;

z is an integer of at least 1;

w+x+y+z is from 8 to 14; and

EO/PO are alkoxy moieties selected from the group consisting of ethoxy, propoxy, and mixed ethoxy/propoxy groups, wherein m is at least about 1; and

from about 1% to about 99.999%, by weight, of one or more detergent adjunct ingredients, said composition having a pH of 9 to 11 in use in an aqueous cleaning operation.

2. A composition according to either of claim 1 wherein R, R¹, and R² are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl.

3. A composition according to claim 1 comprising at least 2% of one or more mid-chain branched primary alkyl polyoxyalkylenes wherein z is at least 2.

4. A composition according to claim 1 comprising at least 20% of one or more mid-chain branched primary alkyl polyoxyalkylenes wherein z is at least 2.

5. A composition according to claim 1 comprising at least 5% of mid-chain branched primary alkyl polyoxyalkylenes wherein m is within the range of from about 3 to about 30.

6. A composition according to claim 1 comprising at least 20% of mid-chain branched primary alkyl polyoxyalkylenes wherein m is within the range of from about 5 to about 20.

7. A composition according to claim 1 comprising at least about 5% one or more mid-chain branched primary alkyl polyoxyalkylenes having the formula ##STR36## wherein R¹ and R² are each independently hydrogen or C₁ -C₃ alkyl;

x is from 0 to 12;

y is from 0 to 12;

z is at least 2;

x+y+z is from 11 to 14; and

EO/PO are alkoxy moieties selected from the group consisting of ethoxy, propoxy, and mixed ethoxy/propoxy groups, wherein m is within the range of from about 3 to about 30;

provided R¹ and R² are not both hydrogen.

8. A composition according to claim 1 comprising a mixture of branched primary alkyl polyoxyalkylenes having the formula ##STR37## wherein the total number of carbon atoms per molecule, including branching, is from 14 to 20, and wherein further for this surfactant mixture the average total number of carbon atoms in the branched primary alkyl moieties having the above formula is within the range of greater than 14.5 to about 17.5;

R, R¹, and R² are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C₁ -C₃ alkyl, provided R, R¹, and R² are not all hydrogen;

w is an integer from 0 to 13;

x is an integer from 0 to 13;

y is an integer from 0 to 13;

z is an integer of at least 1;

w+x+y+z is from 8 to 14;

EO/PO are alkoxy moieties selected from the group consisting of ethoxy, propoxy, and mixed ethoxy/propoxy groups, wherein m is within the range of from about 3 to about 30;

provided that when R² is C₁ -C₃ alkyl the weight ratio of surfactants having z equal to 2 or greater to surfactants having z of 1 is at least about 1;

1.

9. A detergent composition according to claim 1 comprising

(a) from about 0.001% to about 99% of one or more mid-chain branched primary alkyl polyoxyalkylene surfactants having the formula:

##STR38## and mixtures thereof;

wherein a, b, d, and e are integers, a+b is from 10 to 16, d+e is from 8 to 14 and wherein further

when a+b=10, a is an integer from 2 to 9 and b is an integer from 1 to 8;

when a+b=11, a is an integer from 2 to 10 and b is an integer from 1 to 9;

when a+b=12, a is an integer from 2 to 11 and b is an integer from 1 to 10;

when a+b=13, a is an integer from 2 to 12 and b is an integer from 1 to 11;

when a+b=14, a is an integer from 2 to 13 and b is an integer from 1 to 12;

when a+b=15, a is an integer from 2 to 14 and b is an integer from 1 to 13;

when a+b=16, a is an integer from 2 to 15 and b is an integer from 1 to 14;

when d+e=8, d is an integer from 2 to 7 and e is an integer from 1 to 6;

when d+e=9, d is an integer from 2 to 8 and e is an integer from 1 to 7;

when d+e=10, d is an integer from 2 to 9 and e is an integer from 1 to 8;

when d+e=11, d is an integer from 2 to 10 and e is an integer from 1 to 9;

when d+e=12, d is an integer from 2 to 11 and e is an integer from 1 to 10;

when d+e=13, d is an integer from 2 to 12 and e is an integer from 1 to 11;

when d+e=14, d is an integer from 2 to 13 and e is an integer from 1 to 12;

wherein for this surfactant mixture the average total number of carbon atoms in the branched primary alkyl moieties having the above formulas is within the range of greater than 14.5 to about 17.5; and

wherein EO/PO are alkoxy moieties selected from the group consisting of ethoxy, propoxy, and mixed ethoxy/propoxy groups, wherein m is from about 5 to about 20.

10. A composition according to claim 1, comprising mid-chain branched primary alkyl polyoxyalkylene surfactants having the formula ##STR39## wherein R¹ and R² are each independently hydrogen or methyl;

x is from 0 to 12;

y is from 0 to 12;

z is at least 2;

x+y+z is from 11 to 14; and

EO/PO are alkoxy moieties selected from the group consisting of ethoxy, propoxy, and mixed ethoxy/propoxy groups, wherein m is from about 5 to about 15;

provided R¹ and R² are not both hydrogen.

11. A composition according to claim 1, comprising a mid-chain branched alkyl polyoxyalkylene compound of formula:

##STR40## wherein;

a is an integer from 2 to 11, b is an integer from 1 to 10, and a+b is 12 or 13; and

EO/PO are alkoxy moieties selected from the group consisting of ethoxy, propoxy, and mixed ethoxy/propoxy groups, wherein m is within the range of from about 3 to about 30.

12. A composition according to claim 1 comprising:

mono-methyl branched primary alkyl ethoxylates selected from the group consisting of;

3-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 4-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 5-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 6-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 7-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 8-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 9-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 10-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 11-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 12-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 13-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 3-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 4-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 5-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 6-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 7-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 8-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 9-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 10-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 11-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 12-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 13-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 14-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, and mixtures thereof, wherein the mono-methyl branched primary ethoxylates have an average degree of ethoxylation of from about 5 to about 15.

13. A detergent composition according to claim 1 comprising a member selected from the group consisting of builders, alkalinity systems, organic polymeric compounds, suds suppressors, soil suspension and anti-redeposition agents, corrosion inhibitors, bleaches, bleach activators, enzymes, anionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof, and a nonionic surfactant which is a member selected from the group consisting of:

3-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 4-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 5-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 6-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 7-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 8-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 9-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 10-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 11-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 12-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 13-methyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 3-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 4-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 5-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 6-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 7-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 8-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 9-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 10-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 11-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 12-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 13-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, 14-methyl hexadecanol ethoxylate, and mixtures thereof, ethoxylated with an average degree of ethoxylation of from about 5 to about 15.

14. A detergent composition comprising a member selected from the group consisting of builders, alkalinity systems, organic polymeric compounds, suds suppressors, soil suspension and anti-redeposition agents, corrosion inhibitors, bleaches, bleach activators, enzymes, anionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof, and a nonionic surfactant which is a member selected from the group consisting of :

2,3-dimethyl tetradecanol ethoxylate, 2,4-dimethyl tetradecanol ethoxylate, 2,5-dimethyl tetradecanol ethoxylate, 2,6-dimethyl tetradecanol ethoxylate, 2,7-dimethyl tetradecanol ethoxylate, 2,8-dimethyl tetradecanol ethoxylate, 2,9-dimethyl tetradecanol ethoxylate, 2,10-dimethyl tetradecanol ethoxylate, 2,11-dimethyl tetradecanol ethoxylate, 2,12-dimethyl tetradecanol ethoxylate, 2,3-dimethyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 2,4-dimethyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 2,5-dimethyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 2,6-dimethyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 2,7-dimethyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 2,8-dimethyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 2,9-dimethyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 2,10-dimethyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 2,11-dimethyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, 2,12-dimethyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, and 2,13-dimethyl pentadecanol ethoxylate, and mixtures thereof, ethoxylated with an average degree of ethoxylation of from about 5 to about 15.