Sulfonated poly-ethoxy/propoxy end-capped ester oligomers suitable as soil release agents in detergent compositions
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsEugene P. Gosselink, Robert Y. Pan, Patti J. Kellett, Robin G. Hall
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Abstract
Anionic sulfonated poly-ethoxy/propoxy, especially modified isethionate, end-capped esters useful as soil release agents in detergent compositions are presented. The terephthalate esters are homogeneously integrated with one or more crystallization-reducing stabilizers.
Claims28
A water-soluble or water-dispersible soil release agent comprising:
- A) at least about 10% by weight of a substantially linear sulfonated poly-ethoxy/propoxy end-capped ester having molecular weight ranging from about 500 to about 8,000;
- said ester consisting essentially of on a molar basis:
- i) from about 1 to about 2 moles of sulfonated poly-ethoxy/propoxy end-capping units of the formula:
- (MO.sub.3 S)(CH.sub.2 (.sub.m (CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O)(RO).sub.n --
- wherein M is a salt-forming cation such as sodium or tetraalkylammonium, m is 0 or 1, R is ethylene, propylene or a mixture thereof, and n is from 0 to 2;
- and mixtures thereof;
- ii) from about 0.5 to about 66 moles of units selected from the group consisting of:
- a) oxyethyleneoxy units;
- b ) a mixture of oxyethyl eneoxy and oxy- 1,2- propleneoxy units wherein said oxyethyleneoxy units are present in an oxyethyleneoxy to oxy-1,2-propleneoxy mole ratio ranging from 0.5:1 to about 10:1;
- and
- c) a mixture of a) or b) with poly(oxyethylene)oxy units wherein said poly(oxyethylene)oxy units have a degree of polymerization of from 2 to 4;
- provided that when said poly(oxyethylene)oxy units have a degree of polymerization of 2, the mole ratio of poly(oxyethylene)oxy units to total group ii) units ranges from 0:1 to about 0.33:1;
- and when said poly(oxyethylene)oxy units have a degree of polymerization of 3, the mole ratio of poly(oxyethylene)oxy units to total group ii) units ranges from 0:1 to about 0.22:1;
- and when said poly(oxyethylene)oxy units have a degree of polymerization of 4, the mole ratio of poly(oxyethylene)oxy units to total group ii) units ranges from 0:1 to about 0.14:1;
- iii) from about 1.5 to about 40 moles of terephthaloyl units;
- and
- iv) from 0 to about 26 moles of 5-sulfoisophthaloyl units of the formula
- --(O)C(C.sub.6 H.sub.3)(SO.sub.3 M)C(O)--
- wherein H is a salt forming cation;
- and
- B) from about 0.5%. to about 20% by weight of ester of one or more crystallization-reducing stabilizers.
A method of laundering fabrics and concurrently providing a soil release finish thereto, comprising contacting said fabrics with an aqueous laundry liquor containing conventional detersive ingredients and from about 1 to about 50 ppm of a soil release agent which is an oligomeric composition comprising at least 10% by weight of a substantially linear, sulfonated end-capped ester and one or more crystallization-reducing stabilizer.
A method of reducing the crystallization of oligomeric esters comprising combining one or more crystallization-reducing stabilizer with an oligomeric soil release agent comprising at least 10% by weight of a substantially linear, sulfonated end-capped ester.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.