# US 4,382,871 A · Detergent compositions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,382,871 A - Document ID: US4382871A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/206,216 - Filed: 1980-11-12 - Granted: 1983-05-10 - Earliest claimed: 1971-10-06 - Assignees: Lever Brothers Company - Inventors: Vincent Lamberti; Mark D. Ronort - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4382871A ## CPC - C11D 3/2089: {Ether acids-salts thereof} - C11D: DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS DETERGENTS; SOAP OR SOAP-MAKING; RESIN SOAPS; RECOVERY OF GLYCEROL ## Abstract Disclosed herein are detergent compositions containing a water soluble organic surfactant and as a builder therefor a compound of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein X and X' are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxys having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, carboxyl in salt form (i.e., --COOM), and carboxymethyloxy in salt form (i.e., --OCH.sub.2 COOM), with the provision that only one of X and X' can be hydrogen, alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, carboxyl in salt form or carboxymethyloxy in salt form; Y and Y' are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyls having from 1 to 2 carbon atoms, and hydroxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; in the cases where both X and Y' or X' and Y are hydrogen or alkyls, X' and Y or X and Y' taken together can constitute a single bond which connects the .alpha. and .alpha.' carbon atoms to form a three-membered heterocylic ring; and M and M' are selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, ammonium and substituted ammonium cations. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A detergent composition comprising a water-soluble organic detergent compound selected from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic and ampholytic detergent compounds and as a detergent builder a compound represented by the general formula: ##STR7## wherein X and X' are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxys having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, carboxy in salt form, and carboxymethyloxy in salt form, provided that X and X' can be of the same substituent group only when they are both chosen from alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and provided that when either X or X' is alkoxy, the other group cannot be carboxy in salt form or hydroxyalkyl and further provided that when either X or X' is hydrogen, the other group can only be alkoxyalkyl or hydroxyalkyl; Y and Y' are hydrogen; and, M and M' are selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, ammonium, methylammonium, (tetramethyl) ammonium, normal monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine salts, normal monoisopropylamine salts, normal isopropanolamine salts, normal morpholine salts, the weight ratio of detergent builder to detergent compound ranging from about 1:20 to about 50:1. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A detergent composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.,.alpha.'-dimethyl)-oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A detergent composition as defined in claim 1 wherein M and M' are sodium. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A detergent composition as defined in claim 1 wherein M and M' are lithium. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A detergent composition as defined in claim 1 wherein M and M' are potassium. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A detergent composition as defined in claim 1 wherein M and M' are ammonium. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A detergent composition as defined in claim 1 wherein M is sodium and M' is potassium. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A detergent composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of the detergent builder to the detergent compound ranges from about 1:20 to about 20:1. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.,.alpha.'-dialkyl)-oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-alkyl-.alpha.'-alkoxy)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-alkyl-.alpha.'-alkoxyalkyl)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-alkyl-.alpha.'-hydroxyalkyl)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-alkyl-.alpha.'-carboxy)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-alkyl-.alpha.'-carboxymethyloxy)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-alkoxy-.alpha.'-alkoxyalkyl)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-alkoxy-.alpha.'-carboxymethyloxy)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 17 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-alkoxyalkyl)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 18 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-alkoxyalkyl-.alpha.'-hydroxyalkyl)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 19 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-alkoxyalkyl-.alpha.'-carboxy)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 20 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-alkoxyalkyl-.alpha.'-carboxymethyloxy)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 21 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-hydroxyalkyl)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 22 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-hydroxyalkyl-.alpha.'-carboxy)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 23 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-hydroxyalkyl-.alpha.'-carboxymethyloxy)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 24 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-carboxy-.alpha.'-carboxymethyloxy)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 25 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-methoxy-.alpha.'-methyl)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 26 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-methoxy-.alpha.'-methoxymethyl)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 27 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-hydroxymethyl)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 28 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent builder is an (.alpha.-methoxymethyl)oxydiacetate salt. ### Claim 29 (depends on 8) A detergent composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the detergent compound is present in an amount ranging from about 5 to about 45 weight percent, based on the weight of the total composition and the detergent builder is present in an amount ranging from about 25 to about 75 weight percent, based on the weight of the total composition. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) A detergent composition as defined in claim 29 wherein an alkaline buffer is present in an amount sufficient to maintain a wash solution pH of about 7 to about 12.