Foamable, acidic cleaning compositions
AssigneeEconomics Laboratory, Inc.
InventorSheryl K. Casey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Soil comprising soap scum and hardness components can be efficiently removed by an acidic cleaning composition which comprises a major proportion of water, an acidic component comprising a mixture of a weak organic acid and a weak inorganic acid, a surfactant system comprising a major proportion of an amine oxide surfactant and a cosolvent, which is preferably applied to the soil as a foam from a pumpable or pressurized container.
Claims18
A foam-producing system which comprises a container, having a foam generating means, which contains an acidic cleaning composition comprising:
- a major proportion of water;
- a sufficient amount of an acidic component comprising a mixture of a weak inorganic acid and a weak organic acid to provide a pH of about 1 to 5 in a 1% solution in water of the cleaning composition;
- an effective amount of a cationic surfactant having the formula:
- (R.sub.1)(R.sub.2)(R.sub.3)N.fwdarw.O
- wherein R.sub.1 is a C.sub.8 -C.sub.20 -alkyl or C.sub.8 -C.sub.20 -alkylamido-C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 -alkyl and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are individually C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -lower alkyl or hydroxy-C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -lower alkyl;
- and,
- an effective amount of a cosolvent which can reduce surface tension and maintain the cleaning components in a stable mixture;
- wherein the foam generator produces a layer of cohesive foam having a depth of about 1 to about 30 millimeters in the substantial absence of airborn spray or mist of the cleaning composition.
A pumpable, foamable acidic cleaning composition which consists essentially of:
- a major proportion of water;
- a sufficient amount of an acidic component incorporating a mixture of a weak inorganic acid and a weak organic acid to provide a pH of about 1 to 5 in a 1% solution in water of the cleaning composition;
- an effective amount of a surfactant mixture comprising about 50-100% of a cationic amine oxide of the formula:
- (R.sub.1)(R.sub.2)(R.sub.3)N.fwdarw.O
- wherein R.sub.1 is a C.sub.8 -C.sub.20 -alkyl or C.sub.8 -C.sub.20 -alkylamido-C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 -alkyl and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are individually methyl, ethyl or 2-hydroxyethyl;
- and,
- an effective amount of a cosolvent which can reduce surface tension and maintain the cleaning components in a stable mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.