Machine dishwashing detergents containing low-foaming nonionic surfactants
AssigneeBASF Wyandotte Corporation
InventorThomas M. Kaneko
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Machine dishwashing detergents containing a novel homogeneous blend of a conventional low-foaming nonionic surfactant and a second low foaming nonionic surfactant having relatively low cloud point unexpectedly provide effective detergency and result in dishes and other utensils being cleaned to a sparkling clean spot-free condition without the use of conventional phosphate ester defoamers such as monostearyl acid phosphate. The machine dishwashing detergent compositions of the invention are effective on dishes and other utensils encrusted with soils comprising egg and other milk-derived protein soils.
Claims18
A low-foaming homogeneous, nonionic surfactant blend consisting essentially of a blend of
- A. at least one conventional polyoxyalkylene-based low-foaming nonionic surfactant and
- B. a second nonionic surfactant consisting of a block or heteric/block polyoxyalkylene having a cloud point in a 1 weight percent aqueous solution of about 10.degree. C. to about 30.degree. C. selected from the group consisting of at least one of the polyoxyalkylenes having the formulas:
- Y[(EO/A).sub.m (A).sub.n H].sub.x I
- Y[(A).sub.o (EO).sub.m (A).sub.n H].sub.x II
- Y[(A).sub.o (EO/A).sub.m (A).sub.n H].sub.x III
- Y[(EO/A).sub.m (EO/A).sub.n H].sub.x IV
- wherein EO represents ethylene oxide which is present in the polymer in the proportion of about 5 to about 60 percent by weight;
- Y represents the nucleus of an active hydrogen-containing organic compound having a functionality of x and (1 ) about 2 to about 6 carbon atoms and at least two reactive hydrogen atoms or (2) about 7 to about 18 carbon atoms and at least one reactive hydrogen atom;
- A represents a lower alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of propylene oxide, butylene oxide, tetrahydrofuran or mixtures thereof wherein up to 25 percent by weight of A is reacted directly with said organic compound either alone in formulas II and III or in admixture with ethylene oxide in formulas I and IV and 75 percent by weight or more of A is subsequently reacted to produce said polymer;
- m, n and o are integers individually selected such that the average total molecular weight of the polymer is about 500 to about 25,000;
- and wherein said conventional nonionic surfactant is present in the proportion of about 10 to about 90 percent by weight and said second nonionic surfactant is present in the proportion of about 10 to about 90 percent by weight or
- C. a second nonionic surfactant characterized as a block polyoxyalkylene having a cloud point of about 10.degree. C. to about 20.degree. C. selected from the group consisting of at least one of the polyoxyalkylenes having the formula
- Y[(EO).sub.m (A).sub.n H].sub.x V
- wherein Y, EO, A, m, n, x, molecular weight, and useful proportions are as defined above.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.