GB800706A - Liquid detergent compositions - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid detergent composition comprises an organic synthetic detergent and a water-soluble inorganic alkaline builder salt and a minor proportion of a substantially water-insoluble wax or wax-like substance in an aqueous alcoholic medium, the inorganic builder being present in an amount in excess of its normal solubility in the amount of liquid present, the excess constituting a permanent non-caking suspension in the liquid. The detergent, which is present in amounts of 5-30 per cent, may be either anionic, such as the sulphate esters of polyhydric alcohols incompletely esterified with higher fatty acids, the higher fatty esters of low molecular weight alkylol sulphonic acids, the higher fatty acid ethanolamide sulphates, and the higher fatty acid amides of amino-alkylsulphonic acids, or non-ionic, such as ethylene oxide condensates with higher fatty acid alkanolamides, with higher fatty alcohols or acids, with tall oil acids, with higher allyl mercaptans, amides, or polypropylene glycols. The preferred detergents, however, are the higher alkylaryl sulphonates such as dodecylbenzene sulphonate, or the higher alkyl sulphates such as lauryl sulphate, where the detergent is present as the sodium, potassium, ammonium, isopropanolamine or mono or tri-ethanolamine salt and contains 8-15 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, or the condensation product of 8-30 mols. of ethylene oxide with 1 mol. of a higher alkyl phenol. The preferred builder salts, which are present in amounts of 15-45 per cent, are the sodium and potassium condensed phosphates, but soda ash and borax may also be used. Wax-like substances which may be used are hydrogenated castor oil, fatty acids, alcohols and amides having more than 18 carbon atoms, natural waxes such as carnauba, candelilla, montan and beeswax, ozokerite and ceresin, or synthetic wax-like substances such as esters of higher fatty acid alkanolamides, and are usually incorporated in amounts of 0.1-1.0 per cent. The composition generally also includes 0.1-10 per cent of either an inorganic colloidal siliceous material such as aluminium-magnesium silica gel ("Veegum"), bentonite, or magnesium silicate, or a polyvalent metal soap such as a calcium, magnesium or zinc soap. The compositions have thixotropic properties, and to ensure this 2-20 per cent of urea or thiourea is normally included. The compositions usually contain 5-20 per cent both of water and of a saturated lower aliphatic alcohol such as ethanol, propanol and isopropanol, and also 0.25-5 per cent of a soil anti-redeposition agent such as a cellulose ether, particularly sodium carboxymethyl cellulose. The total solids content is 60-90 per cent. Perfumes, colouring material, corrosion and tarnish inhibitors, germicides, hydrotropes, bleaching agents and optical bleaches may also be incorporated.