# US 2020/0399563 A1 · Solidifying nonionic surfactants

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2020/0399563 A1
- Document ID: US20200399563A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/946,436
- Filed: 2020-06-22
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2019-06-21
- Assignees: Ecolab USA Inc.
- Applicants: Ecolab USA Inc.
- Inventors: Wendy Lo; Minlong He; Katherine J. Molinaro; Erik C. Olson; Mark Peterson; Kevin D. Lewis, JR.
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200399563A1

## CPC

- C11D 1/66: Non-ionic compounds {(C11D1/002, C11D1/004, C11D1/008 take precedence)}
- C11D 3/042: {Acids}
- C11D 3/046: {Salts}
- C11D 3/10: Carbonates {; Bicarbonates}
- C11D 3/2075: {Carboxylic acids-salts thereof}
- C11D 3/222: {Natural or synthetic polysaccharides, e.g. cellulose, starch, gum, alginic acid or cyclodextrin}
- C11D 3/323: {urea or derivatives thereof}
- C11D 3/3418: {Toluene -, xylene -, cumene -, benzene - or naphthalene sulfonates or sulfates}
- C11D 3/37: Polymers {(polymeric surface-active agents C11D1/008; polysaccharides C11D3/222)}
- C11D 3/3707: {Polyethers, e.g. polyalkyleneoxides}
- C11D 3/3761: {in solid compositions}
- C11D 3/38: Products with no well-defined composition {, e.g. natural products}
- 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 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 1/143: {Sulfonic acid esters}
- C11D 1/146: {Sulfuric acid esters}
- 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 nonionic surfactants with a binder, carrier, or both binder and carrier to form a solidified surfactant composition. In particular, the invention relates to solidification of liquid nonionic surfactants utilizing drying device(s), wherein the feed composition contains at least one liquid nonionic surfactant and the binder, carrier, or binder and carrier to form a solidified surfactant composition. The solidified surfactant compositions can be useful in various cleaning compositions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A solidified liquid surfactant composition comprising:
a liquid nonionic surfactant; and
a solid binder comprising a natural polymer, urea, a urea derivative, a polyacrylate, a chelant, a PEG, an inorganic acid and/or salt thereof, an organic salt and/or salt thereof, aromatic sulfonates or a combination thereof; wherein the solid binder and the liquid surfactant are in a ratio of between about 4:1 to about 1:60 by actives;
wherein the composition is a solid and the liquid surfactant is solidified in the composition.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 1, wherein the solid binder and the liquid surfactant are in a ratio of between about 3:1 and about 1:50 actives.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 1, wherein the liquid nonionic surfactant is a block copolymers, alcohol alkoxylates, alkoxylated surfactants, reverse EO/PO copolymers, alkylpolysaccharides, alkoxylated amines, fatty acid alkoxylates, fatty amide alkoxylate, alkanoates, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 3, wherein the binder is urea, a urea derivative, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 3, wherein the binder is sodium acetate, sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, sodium xylene sulfonate, an alkali metal carbonate, a PEG having a melting point of at least about 40° C., or a combination thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 3, wherein the binder is a gum, a cellulose, a cellulose ester, a chitin, a chitosan, a starch, a chemically modified starch, a protein, a lignin, a natural rubber, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 3, wherein the binder comprises a chelant; and wherein the chelant is an aminocarboxylate.

### Claim 8

The solidified surfactant composition of 1, further comprising a carrier; wherein the carrier comprises alpha olefin sulfonate, linear alkyl sulfonate, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium alkyl sulfate, sodium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, sodium acetate, magnesium acetate, sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, sodium chloride, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 8, wherein the binder and carrier have a water solubility of about 0.2 g/L or more at 20° C.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 1, wherein the solidified surfactant composition has less than about 12 wt-% water.

### Claim 11

A solidified liquid surfactant composition comprising:
a liquid nonionic surfactant; and
a carrier comprising an anionic surfactant, an inorganic acid and/or salt thereof, an organic salt and/or salt thereof, or a combination thereof; wherein the carrier and the liquid surfactant are in a ratio of between about 5:1 to about 1:30 by actives;
wherein the composition is a solid and the liquid surfactant is solidified in the composition, and wherein the solidified surfactant composition.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 11, wherein the carrier and the liquid surfactant are in a ratio of between about 2:1 and about 1:20 actives.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 11, wherein the liquid nonionic surfactant is a block copolymers, alcohol alkoxylates, alkoxylated surfactants, reverse EO/PO copolymers, alkylpolysaccharides, alkoxylated amines, fatty acid alkoxylates, fatty amide alkoxylate, alkanoates, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 11, wherein the carrier is an alpha olefin sulfonate, a linear alkyl sulfonate, a sodium lauryl sulfate, a sodium alkyl sulfate, is sodium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, sodium acetate, magnesium acetate, sodium sulfate, magnesium acetate, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 11, wherein the carrier has a water solubility of about 0.2 g/L or more at 20° C.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The solidified surfactant composition of claim 11, wherein the solidified surfactant composition has less than about 5 wt-% water and contain at least about 10 wt. % active surfactants.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

A method of preparing a solidified surfactant composition of claim 11 comprising:
adding the liquid nonionic surfactant, carrier, and water to a drying device;
drying the liquid surfactant, water, and carrier to form a solidified surfactant composition; wherein the liquid surfactant is solidified in the solidified surfactant composition.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The solidified surfactant method of claim 17, wherein the drying device is a continuous tunnel dryer, rotary dryer, vacuum dryer, tower contractor, vibrating conveyor contractor, drum dryer, screw conveyor dryer, fluidized bed, spouted bed, pneumatic conveyor, spray dryer, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A solid cleaning composition comprising:
the solidified surfactant composition of claim 1; and
a solidification agent;
wherein the cleaning composition is a warewash composition, a rinse aid composition, a laundry composition, or a hard surface composition.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The cleaning composition of claim 19, further comprising an alkalinity source selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkali metal carbonate, a metal silicate, a metal borate, an alkanol amine, and combinations thereof.