Composition for cleaning or rinsing hard surfaces

1. A process of cleaning or rinsing a hard surface, comprising the step of treating a hard surface with a composition comprising in an aqueous or aqueous/alcoholic medium at least one surfactant and at least one polybetaine (B) comprising:

a homopolymer comprising betaine units comprising (-SPE-), (-SPP-), (-SHPE-), or (-SHPP-);

a copolymer comprising at least two different hetaine units of formulae (-SPE-), (-SPP-) (-SHPE-) or (-SHPP-);

a copolymer comprising identical or different betaine units of formulae (-SPE-), (-SPP-), (-SHPE-) or (-SHPP-) and methacrylic acid units,

wherein the amount of methacrylic acid units is less than 50 mol % of said copolymers; or

mixtures thereof.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polyhetaine (B) comprises up to 80% by weight of monomer units which are nonionic, noniogenic, anionic or potentially anionic at the pH of the composition or at the pH of use of the composition.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polybetaine (B) comprises up to 90 mol % of monomer units which are nonionic, noniogenic, anionic or potentially anionic at the pH of the composition or at the pH of use of the composition.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein

the polyhetaine (B) does not comprise monomer units other than betaine units carrying as many permanent anionic charges as permanent cationic charges at a pH ranging from 1 to 14, or

wherein the polybetaine (B) does not comprise monomer units other than betaine units carrying as many permanent anionic charges as permanent cationic charges at a pH ranging from 1 to 14, except that the polybetaine (B) comprises other potentially anionic units in an amount less than 50 mol %.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polybetaine (B) comprises homopolymers or copolymers comprising betaine units of formulae (-SPE-), (-SPP-), (-SHPE-) or (-SHPP-), and

further wherein said polybetaine (B) has an absolute weight-average molar mass ranging from 10,000 g/mol to 150,000 g/mol.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polybetaine (B) is present in an amount sufficient to provide surface antideposition and/or antiadhesion properties with regard to soiling substances capable of being deposited on said surface.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polybetaine (B) is present in an amount ranging from 0.001 to 10% of the weight of said composition, and the at least one surface-active agent is present in an amount ranging from 0.005 to 60% of the weight of said composition.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition further comprises: chelating agents, sequestering or scale-inhibiting agents, inorganic detergency adjuvants, bleaching agents, fillers, bleaching catalysts, agents that influence pH, polymers capable of controlling viscosity and/or foam stability, hydrotropic agents, hydrating agents, moisturizing agents, biocides, disinfectants, cleaning solvents, degreasing solvents, industrial cleaners, water-soluble organic solvents, co-solvents, antifoaming agents, abrasives, enzymes, fragrances, colorants or agents which inhibit the corrosion of metals.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition has a pH of at least 7.5 and comprises from 0.001 to 5% by weight of polybetaine (B).

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein said composition further comprises sequestering agents, scale-inhibiting agents, cationic biocides, disinfectants, surface-active agents, pH modifiers, water, cleaning organic solvents, degreasing organic solvents, co-solvents, water-soluble organic solvents, bleaching agents, or fragrances.

11. The process of claim 9 , wherein said composition comprises:

from 0.001 to 1% by weight of polybetaine (B),

from 1 to 10% by weight of a water-soluble solvent,

from 1 to 5% by weight of a cleaning or degreasing solvent,

from 0.1 to 2% by weight of monoethanolamine,

from 0 to 5% by weight of at least one noncationic surface-active agent, and

from 0 to 1% by weight of at least one disinfecting cationic surface-active agent,

wherein the total amount of surface-active agent(s) ranges from 1 to 50% by weight,

from 0 to 2% by weight of a dicarboxylic acid,

from 0 to 5% of a bleaching agent, and

from 70 to 98% by weight of water.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition has a pH of less than 5 and comprises an inorganic or organic acid agent and from 0.001 to 5% of polybetaine (B) by weight of said composition.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein said composition further comprises nonionic, amphoteric, zwitterionic or anionic surface-active agents, cationic biocides or disinfectants, thickening agents, bleaching agents, water, solvents, fragrances or abrasives.

14. The process of claim 12 , wherein said composition comprises:

from 0.05 to 5% by weight of polybetaine (B),

from 0.1 to about 40% by weight of at least one acidic cleaning agent,

from 0.5 to 10% by weight of at least one surface-active agent,

optionally, from 0.1 to 2% by weight of at least one disinfecting cationic surface-active agent

optionally from 0.1 to 3% by weight of at least one thickening agent,

optionally, from 1 to 10% by weight of at least one bleaching agent,

optionally, a preservative, a colorant, a fragrance or an abrasive, and

from 50 to 95% by weight of water,

wherein said composition has a pH ranging from 0.5 to 4.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises:

from 0.001 to 10% by weight of at least one polybetaine (B),

from 0.005 to 20% by weight of at least one nonionic and/or anionic surface-active agent,

from 0 to 10% by weight of at least one amphoteric surface-active agent,

water, and

from 0 to 30% by weight of at least one solvent, and

wherein said composition has a pH ranging from 6 to 11.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises:

from 0.01 to 5% by weight of at least one polybetaine (B),

from 0.2 to 10% by weight of at least one surface-active agent,

optionally up to 90% by weight of at least one detergency adjuvant,

up to 10% by weight of at least one auxiliary cleaning agent,

up to 30% by weight of at least one bleaching agent, optionally combined with a bleaching activator, and

up to 50% by weight of at least one filler,

wherein said composition has a pH ranging from 8 to 13.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises:

from 0.02 to 10% by weight of at least one polybetaine (B),

from 0.1 to 20% by weight of at least one surface-active agent,

from 0 to 10% by weight of at least one calcium-sequestering organic acid, and

from 0 to 15% by weight of at least one auxiliary detergency agent, and

wherein said composition has a pH ranging from 4 to 7.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises:

from 0.1 to 10% by weight of at least one polybetaine (B),

from 3 to 50% by weight of at least one surface-active agent,

at least one non-cationic bactericide or disinfectant,

at least one synthetic cationic polymer agent,

at least one polymer capable of controlling viscosity and/or foam stability,

at least one hydrotropic agent, and

at least one hydrating or moisturizing agent or agent for protecting the skin, and

wherein said composition has a pH ranging from 5 to 9.

19. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises:

from 0.005 to 10% by weight of at least one polybetaine (B),

from 0 to 30% by weight of at least one nonionic surface-active agent,

from 0 to 30% by weight of at least one anionic surface-active agent,

from 0 to 30% by weight of at least one amphoteric and/or zwitterionic surface-active agent,

from 0 to 30% by weight of at least one cationic surface-active agent,

from 0 to 99% by weight of at least one detergency adjuvant,

optionally, hydrotropic agents, fillers or pH modifiers,

wherein said composition has a pH ranging from 8 to 13.

20. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises:

from 0.02 to 5% by weight of at least one polybetaine (B),

from 0 to 30% by weight of at least one nonionic surface-active agent,

from 0 to 30% by weight of at least one anionic surface-active agent, the total amount of surface-active agent being present in an amount ranging from 0.5 to 50% by weight,

from 0 to 25% by weight of at least one detergency adjuvant, and

from 0 to 2% by weight of a foam modifier, and

wherein said composition has a pH ranging from 2 to 12.

21. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises:

from 0.02 to 5% by weight of at least one polybetaine (B),

from 0.5 to 5% by weight of at least one nonionic surface-active agent,

water,

optionally, at least one lower alcohol, and

optionally, from 0.01 to 5% by weight of at least one metal-chelating agent, and

wherein said composition has a pH ranging from 7 to 11.

22. The process of claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises:

from 0.01 to 5% by weight of at least one polybetaine (B),

from 0.1 to 1% by weight of at least one thickening agent,

from 10 to 60% by weight of at least one abrasive agent,

from 1 to 10% by weight of at least one nonionic surface-active agent,

from 0 to 7% by weight of at least one solvent, and

optionally, basifying or sequestering agents, and

wherein said composition has a pH ranging from 7 to 12.

23. The process Of claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises:

from 0.02 to 5% by weight of at least one polybetaine (B),

from 1 to 50% by weight of at least one alkali metal salt,

from 1 to 30% by weight of a mixture of surface-active agents,

from 0 to 30% by weight of at least one solvent,

wherein said composition has a pH ranging from 8 to 14.

24. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polybetaine comprises homopolymers comprising betaine units (-SPE-).

25. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polybetaine (B) has an absolute weight average molar mass ranging from 5,000 g/mol to 3,000,000 g/mol.

26. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polybetaine (B) comprises a backbone comprising a polyalkylene chain interrupted by one or more nitrogen and/or sulfur atoms.

27. A process of preventing the redeposition or adhesion of soiling substances on a hard surface, comprising the step of:

treating said hard surface with a composition comprising in an aqueous or aqueous/alcoholic medium at least one surfactant and at least one polybetaine (B) comprising:

a homopolymer comprising betaine units comprising (-SPE-), (-SPP-), (-SHPE-), or (-SHPP-);

a copolymer comprising at least two different betaine units of formulae (-SPE-), (-SPP-), (-SHPE-) or (-SHPP-);

a copolymer comprising identical or different betaine units of formulae (-SPE-), (-SPP-), (-SHPE-) or (-SHPP-) and methacrylic acid units,

wherein the amount of methacrylic acid units is less than 50 mol % of said copolymers; or

mixtures thereof.

28. The process of claim 27 , wherein the polybetaine (B) has an absolute weight average molar mass ranging from 5,000 g/mol to 3,000,000 g/mol.