Composition for the de-inking of printed waste paper by the washing process

A de-inking composition consisting essentially of:

• (A) a salt of a fatty acid of the formula
• R--COO--M
• wherein R represents one or more saturated and/or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups having from 9 to 21 carbon atoms, and wherein M is Na or K, said fatty acid salt being present in an amount between 15% and 32% with respect to the weight of the entire composition;
• (B) a non-ionic surfactant consisting of an ethoxylated fatty alcohol of the formula:
• R.sub.1 O--(CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 O).sub.n --H
• wherein R.sub.1 O represents the hydrophobic portion of the molecule and is derived from a primary or secondary fatty alcohol of the formula ##STR10## wherein R", R"', and R"" are alkyl groups and n is a number between 4 and 25;
• said non-ionic surfactant being present in an amount of about 10% to about 25% by weight, based upon the entire composition, the weight ratio between said one-ionic surfactant and the anionic surfactant (C) hereinafter being at least 2.5:1, the nature of the composition being more lipophilic than hydrophilic;
• (C) an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of sulphonates of the formula
• R.sup.2 --SO.sub.3 --M';
• sulphates of the formula
• R.sup.3 --O--SO.sub.3 --M';
• and mixtures thereof, wherein;
• R.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting of a linear paraffin group, an olefin group, and an alkylaryl group;
• R.sup.3 is a paraffin group;
• and
• M' is selected from the group consisting of Na, K, NH.sub.4 and mono-, di-, tri-substituted alkylamines;
• said anionic surfactant being present in an amount between 2% and 8% with respect to the weight of the entire composition;
• (D) a sodium carboxylmethylcellulose present in an amount between 1% and 5% with respect to the weight of the entire composition;
• and
• (E) an alkaline inorganic salt selected from the group consisting of metasilicate, disilicate, carbonate, borate, and polyphosphates, said alkaline inorganic salt present in an amount between 30% and 80% with respect to the weight of the entire composition;
• the percentages of the components (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E) totaling essentially 100%.