Granted Patent B2

US 7,959,685 · App. 12/227,960 · Granted Jun 14, 2011

Abstract

Claims (53)

1. A laundry detergent composition comprising:

a) a polyaspartate derivative, comprising at least one aspartate moiety derivatised with a hydrophilic group and at least one other aspartate moiety derivatised with a different hydrophilic group, and optionally one or more aspartate and/or succinimide groups;

b) one or more surfactants; and

c) optionally other ingredients,

wherein at least one of the two hydrophilic groups is a zwitterionic hydrophilic group, and the level of the polyaspartate derivative is from 0.001% to 20% by weight of the total composition.

2. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 1 , wherein the zwitterionic group is selected from the group consisting of amine oxides, carbobetaines and sulfobetaines.

3. A laundry detergent composition comprising:

a) a polyaspartate derivative in an amount from 0.001% to 20% by weight of the total composition,

b) one or more surfactants, and

c) optionally other ingredients,

wherein the polyaspartate derivative has the formula:

wherein:

the sum of w+x+y+z is from 2 to 200;

w and x are independently at least one;

R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are selected from the same groups as defined for R 4 and R 5 , or hydrogen;

M is an ammonium cation or an alkali metal ion;

R 4 is a zwitterionic hydrophilic group selected from the group consisting of amine oxides, carbobetaines and sulfobetaines, or a non-zwitterionic hydrophilic group linked to the polyaspartate chain by a heteroatom that is S, O or N;

R 5 is a zwitterionic hydrophilic group selected from the group consisting of amine oxides, carbobetaines and sulfobetaines, linked to the polyaspartate chain by a heteroatom that is S, O or N, with the proviso that if both R 4 and R 5 are zwitterionic groups, then they are different.

4. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 3 , wherein the polyaspartate derivative has the formula:

wherein:

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 8 and R 9 are hydrogen;

R 6 is a zwitterionic hydrophilic group selected from the group consisting of amine oxides, carbobetaines and sulfobetaines, or a non-zwitterionic hydrophilic group —(CH 2 ) 1-20 —(OC 2 -C 4 ) 1-50 OR 10 , wherein the C 2 -C 4 group can be linear or branched;

R 7 is a zwitterionic hydrophilic group selected from the group consisting of amine oxides, carbobetaines and sulfobetaines, with the proviso that if both R 6 and R 7 are zwitterionic groups, then they are different; and,

R 10 is H, C 1 -C 22 linear or branched alkyl, C 2 -C 22 unsaturated alkyl, C 6 -C 12 aryl, C 7 -C 24 aralkyl or alkaryl.

5. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 4 , wherein the zwitterionic hydrophilic group is selected from the group consisting of amine oxides and carbobetaines.

6. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 5 , wherein the polyaspartate derivative comprises a non-zwitterionic hydrophilic group which is an alkylene oxide.

7. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 6 , wherein the alkylene oxide comprises units of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, or mixtures thereof.

8. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 7 , wherein the polyaspartate derivative is endcapped with amine groups, carboxylate groups or alkali metal salts thereof.

9. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 8 , wherein the surfactant comprises an anionic, non-ionic, zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactant.

10. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 9 , wherein the surfactant is present at a level of from 1% to 80% by weight of the total composition.

11. A process for making a laundry detergent composition comprising:

a) providing a surfactant base;

b) mixing the polyaspartate derivative according to claim 1 with the surfactant base, and,

c) optionally adding other ingredients.

12. A method for treating a fabric article comprising:

a) providing a solution or dispersion of the polyaspartate derivative according to claim 1 in a laundry detergent composition, and,

b) contacting a fabric article with said solution or dispersion,

wherein the treatment occurs during a laundry cleaning process.

13. The method according to claim 12 , comprising removing oily soil.

14. The method according to claim 12 , comprising removing particulate soil.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the treatment occurs during the main wash of the laundry process.

16. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 3 , wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are hydrogen; and M is sodium ion.

17. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 4 , wherein:

R 6 is a non-zwitterionic hydrophilic group selected from the group consisting of —(CH 2 ) 1-20 —(OCH 2 CH 2 ) 1-50 OR 10 ; —(CH 2 ) 1-20 —(OCH 2 C(CH 3 )H) 1-50 OR 10 ; —(CH 2 ) 1-20 —(OCH 2 CH 2 ) x (OCH 2 C(CH 3 )H) y OR 10 , where x+y is from 1 to 50; —(CH 2 ) 1-20 —(OCH 2 CH(OH)) 1-50 OR 10 ; —(CH 2 ) 1-20 —)CH(OH)CH(OH)) 1-50 OR 10 ; —(CH 2 ) 1-20 —(CH(OH)CH 2 ) 1-50 OR 10 ; and —(CHR 11 ) x′ (CHR 12 ) y′ R 13 , where x′+y′ is from 1 to 20, wherein R 11 , R 12 and R 13 are the same or different and are independently selected from the group consisting of H, OH, OC 1 -C 4 , CO 2 R 14 , SO 2 R 14 and SO 3 R 14 , wherein R 14 is H, or a monovalent cation, with the proviso that at least one of R 11 , R 12 and R 13 is a non-hydrogen and/or non hydrocarbon substituent.

18. A process for making the laundry detergent composition of claim 3 comprising:

a) providing a surfactant base;

b) mixing the polyaspartate derivative with the surfactant base; and,

c) optionally adding other ingredients.

19. A method for treating a fabric article comprising:

a) providing the laundry detergent composition of claim 3 ; and

b) contacting a fabric article with the laundry detergent,

wherein the treatment occurs during a laundry cleaning process.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the treatment occurs during the main wash of the laundry process.

Assignments (8)