Ether carboxylate detergent builders and process for their preparation
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsRodney D. Bush, Daniel S. Connor, Stephen W. Heinzman, Larry N. Mackey
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Abstract
Provided herein are ether carboxylate builder compositions comprising a combination of tartrate monosuccinic acid (or salts thereof) and tartrate disuccinic acid (or salts thereof). Such mixtures can be prepared by reacting water-soluble, mixed maleic acid salts with mixed tartaric acid salts. Both components of the resulting ether carboxylate mixture act as sequestering agents and are useful as detergency builders. Detergent and laundry additive compositions incorporating these ether carboxylates can be prepared without use of detergent builder components containing phosphorus or nitrogen.
Claims20
An ether carboxylate composition suitable for use as a builder in detergent formulations, said composition comprising
- (a) from about 1% to 99% by weight of a tartrate monosuccinate component of the structure:
- ##STR13## wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation;
- and (b) from about 1% to 99% by weight of a tartrate disuccinate component of the structure:
- ##STR14## wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation.
A tartrate monosuccinic acid, or a salt thereof, of the structure:
- ##STR15## wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation.
Tartrate disuccinic acid, or a salt thereof, of the structure:
- ##STR16## wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation.
A process for preparing a combination of ether carboxylates useful as a detergent builder, which method comprises
- (a) forming an aqueous reaction mixture comprising from about 20% to 60% by weight of both calcium and monovalent cation salts of maleic acid and tartaric acid, said mixture corresponding to the over-neutralized mixture which is formed by combining:
- (i) maleic and tartaric acids in a maleic to tartaric molar ratio of from about 0.5:1 to about 8:1;
- (ii) a source of calcium cations in an amount such that the molar ratio of calcium to tartaric acid ranges from about 0.1:1 to 2.0:1 with the ratio of moles of calcium to total moles of maleic and tartaric acid being less than 1;
- and
- (iii) a neutralizing agent comprising an hydroxide of a monovalent cation in an amount such that the ratio of moles of monovalent cation to moles of maleic acid plus moles of tartaric acid minus moles of calcium ranges from about 2.1:1 to 3.8:1 and
- (b) maintaining said aqueous reaction mixture at a temperature of from about 20.degree. C. to 120.degree. C. for a time period sufficient to form a reaction product mixture of
- (i) tartrate monosuccinate of the fomula:
- ##STR17## wherein X is a salt-forming cation;
- and (ii) tartrate disuccinate of the formula:
- ##STR18## wherein X is a salt-forming cation;
- and (c) reducing the calcium content of said reaction product mixture to the extent that the molar ratio of calcium to the tartrate succinate reaction products is less than about 1:10.
A detergent composition comprising from about 0.5% to 98% by weight of a surfactant and from about 2% to 99.5% by weight of a builder component selected from the group consisting of
- (a) tartrate monosuccinic acid, or salt thereof, of the structure ##STR19## wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation;
- (b) tartrate disuccinic acid, or salt thereof, of the structure:
- ##STR20## wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation, or (c) a combination of said tartrate monosuccinic acid or salt and said tartrate disuccinic acid or salt, in a weight ratio of tartrate monosuccinic acid or salt, to tartrate disuccinic acid or salt, of from about 97:3 to 20:80.
A laundry additive composition comprising
- (A) from about 2% to 99.5% by weight of a builder component selected from the group consisting of
- (i) tartrate monosuccinic acid, or salt thereof, of the structure ##STR21## wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation;
- (ii) tartrate disuccinic acid, or salt thereof, of the structure:
- ##STR22## wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation, or (iii) a combination of said tartrate monosuccinic acid or salt and said tartrate disuccinic acid or salt, in a weight ratio of tartrate monosuccinic acid or salt, to tartrate disuccinic acid or salt, of from about 97:3 to 20:80;
- and
- (B) from about 0.5% to 98% by weight of a laundry adjuvant selected from the group consisting of surfactants, additional detergent builders, chelating agents, enzymes, fabric whiteners and brighteners, sudsing control agents, solvents, hydrotropes, bleaching agents, bleach precursors, buffering agents, soil removal/anti-redeposition agents, soil release agents, fabric softening agents, perfumes, colorants, opacifiers and combinations of said laundry adjuvants.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.