# US 12,006,488 B2 · Solidifying liquid amine oxide, betaine, and/or sultaine surfactants with a carrier

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- Number: US 12,006,488 B2
- Document ID: US12006488B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/456,678
- Filed: 2021-11-29
- Published: 2022-03-17
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-26
- Assignees: Ecolab USA Inc.
- Applicants: Ecolab USA Inc.
- Inventors: Wendy Lo; Erik C. Olson; Jon D. Hansen; Katherine Molinaro; Corey Rosenthal
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006488B2

## CPC

- C11D 11/0082: {one or more of the detergent ingredients being in a liquefied state, e.g. slurry, paste or melt, and the process resulting in solid detergent particles such as granules, powders or beads}
- C11D 1/02: Anionic compounds {(C11D1/002, C11D1/004, C11D1/008 take precedence)}
- C11D 1/72: Ethers of polyoxyalkylene glycols
- 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)}
- C11D 1/75: Amino oxides
- C11D 1/83: Mixtures of non-ionic with anionic compounds
- C11D 1/90: Betaines
- C11D 1/92: Sulfobetaines {; Sulfitobetaines}
- C11D 3/0078: {Compositions for cleaning contact lenses, spectacles or lenses}
- C11D 3/04: Water-soluble compounds
- C11D 3/046: {Salts}
- C11D 3/06: Phosphates, including polyphosphates
- C11D 3/10: Carbonates {; Bicarbonates}
- C11D 3/2075: {Carboxylic acids-salts thereof}
- C11D 3/26: containing nitrogen {(C11D3/162, C11D3/164, C11D3/166, C11D3/168 take precedence)}
- C11D 3/28: Heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen in the ring
- C11D 3/48: Medical, disinfecting agents, disinfecting, antibacterial, germicidal or antimicrobial compositions
- C11D 11/0088: {the liquefied ingredients being sprayed or adsorbed onto solid particles}
- C11D 11/02: Preparation in the form of powder by spray drying
- C11D 17/06: Powder; Flakes; Free-flowing mixtures; Sheets
- C11D 1/143: {Sulfonic acid esters}
- C11D 1/146: {Sulfuric acid esters}
- C11D 1/22: derived from aromatic compounds
- C11D 1/29: Sulfates of polyoxyalkylene ethers
- C11D 1/94: Mixtures with anionic, cationic or non-ionic compounds
- C11D 2111/44: Multi-step processes
- C11D: DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS DETERGENTS; SOAP OR SOAP-MAKING; RESIN SOAPS; RECOVERY OF GLYCEROL

## Abstract

The invention relates to solidification of liquid amine oxide, betaine, and/or sultaine surfactants with a carrier to form a solidified surfactant composition. In particular, the invention relates to solidification of liquid surfactants utilizing drying device(s), wherein the feed composition contains at least one liquid surfactant and a carrier to form a solidified surfactant composition. The solidified surfactant compositions can be useful in various cleaning compositions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of preparing a solidified surfactant composition comprising:
adding a liquid surfactant comprising one or more of an amine oxide, a betaine, and a sultaine, and a carrier comprising an alkaline earth metal sulfate to a drying device; wherein the drying device is a spray dryer;
drying the liquid surfactant and carrier to form a solidified surfactant composition;
wherein the liquid surfactant is solidified in the solidified surfactant composition;
wherein the solidified surfactant composition has at least 60 wt-% active solidified surfactant and less than about 5 wt-% water;
wherein the solidified surfactant composition is a free flowing powder; and
wherein the carrier and the liquid surfactant are in a weight ratio of between 1:1 to about 1:30 by actives.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method claim 1, further comprising one or more additional drying devices placed in series or in parallel with the spray dryer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more additional drying devices are a continuous tunnel dryer, rotary dryer, vacuum dryer, tower contractor, vibrating conveyor contractor, drum dryer, screw conveyor dryer, fluidized bed, spouted bed, pneumatic conveyor, second spray dryer, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the drying is performed in a batch system.

### Claim 5

The method of 1, wherein the drying is performed in a continuous system.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the spray dryer has an inlet and an outlet; wherein the inlet temperature is between about 20° C. and about 250° C.; and wherein the outlet temperature is less than about 150° C.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the inlet temperature is between about 100° C. and about 250° C.; and wherein the outlet temperature is between about 20° C. and about 100° C.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid surfactant is dodecyldimethylamine oxide, tridecyldimethylamine oxide, tetradecyldimethylamine oxide, pentadecyldimethylamine oxide, hexadecyldimethylamine oxide, heptadecyldimethylamine oxide, octadecyldimethylamine oxide, dodecyldipropylamine oxide, tetradecyldipropylamine oxide, hexadecyldipropylamine oxide, tetradecyldibutylamine oxide, octadecyldibutylamine oxide, bis(2-hydroxyethyl)dodecylamine oxide, bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-dodecoxy-1-hydroxypropylamine oxide, dimethyl-(2-hydroxydodecyl)amine oxide, 3,6,9-trioctadecyldimethylamine oxide, 3-dodecoxy-2-hydroxypropyldi-(2-hydroxyethyl)amine oxide, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid surfactant is coconut acylamidopropyldimethyl betaine, hexadecyl dimethyl betaine, C12-14 acylamidopropylbetaine, C8-14 acylamidohexyldiethyl betaine, C16-18 acylamidodimethylbetaine, C12-16 acylamidopentanediethylbetaine, C12-16 acylmethylamidodimethylbetaine, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid surfactant is a compound having the formula (R(R1)2N+R2SO3−, wherein R is a C6-C18 hydrocarbyl group, wherein R1 is a C1-C3 alkyl, and wherein R2 is a C1-C6 hydrocarbyl group.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier is magnesium sulfate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier has a water solubility of about 0.2 g/L or more at 20° C.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising a combining the solidified surfactant composition with a solidification agent to form a solid cleaning composition, wherein the solid cleaning composition is a granular solid, pelletized solid, cast solid, extruded solid block, or pressed solid.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method claim 13, further comprising combining at least one additional ingredient with the solidification agent and the solidified surfactant composition; wherein the at least one additional ingredient is an acid source, an activator, an additional surfactant, an anti-redeposition agent, a bleaching agent, a chelating agent, a dye, an odorant, a filler, a functional polydimethylsiloxone, a hardening agent, a hydratable salt, a polymer, or a sanitizer; and wherein the additional surfactant is selected from the group consisting of nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, semi-polar nonionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the solidification agent comprises an alkalinity source; wherein the alkalinity source is selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkali metal carbonate, a metal silicate, a metal borate, an alkanolamine, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising a combining the solidified surfactant composition with an alkalinity source to form a solid cleaning composition.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier further comprises an anionic surfactant, an organic salt, an inorganic salt, or a combination thereof in addition to the alkaline earth metal sulfate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the carrier comprises an alkali metal carbonate, an alkaline metal carbonate, an alkali metal acetate, an alkaline metal acetate, an alkali metal sulfate, sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, sodium acetate, sodium sulfate, magnesium acetate, or a combination thereof in addition to the alkaline earth metal sulfate.