Soil release agent

• US 7,655,609 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Original Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Inventors: Torres, Eduardo, Michaels, Emily W., Valenti, Dominick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Douyon; Lorna M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Tri V
• Application Number:
  US11/601,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 510228-437, 510/528
• US Class Current: 510/299
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/82 Compounds containing silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0021 Dye-stain or dye-transfer inhibiting compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0036 Soil deposition preventing compositions; Antiredeposition agents
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/162 containing Si
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3715 Polyesters or polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3788 Graft polymers

Abstract

The invention relates to a soil release agent comprising a multi-branched soil release/wetting agent having an oxygen-containing polyfunctional base compound and at least two surfactant branches attached thereto, wherein each surfactant branch includes at least one hydrophilic and at least one hydrophobic constituent and a polyester release agent in an aqueous solution.

Claims

1. A soil release agent in an aqueous solution or dispersion comprising a multi-branched soil release/wetting agent comprising:

a polyol compound of tri-to octa-hydric alcohol selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, pentaertythritol sucrose, saccharose, galactose, leucrose, fructose, mannose, and glucose and at least five surfactant branches attached thereto, wherein each surfactant branch includes at least one hydrophilic and at least one hydrophobic constituent, and wherein each surface branch comprises alkylene oxide moieties selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylenes oxide, and mixtures thereof; and

,

a polyester release aid.

2. The soil release agent of claim 1, wherein the polyester release aid comprises a transesterification/condensation product of a poly(ethylene terephthalate) and a polyethylene glycol.

3. The soil release agent of claim 1, wherein the soil release agent further comprises a fabric conditioner.

4. The soil release agent of claim 1, wherein the soil release agent comprises between 10 and 90 percent by weight the multi-branched soil release/wetting agent and between 10 and 90 percent by weight the polyester release aid.