IP Library Granted Patent US 12,312,563
Granted Patent B2
US 12,312,563 · App. 17/541,311 · Granted May 27, 2025

Liquid detergent compositions

Inventors: Patrick Christopher Stenger (Fairfield, OH); Erin Juliette Aultman (West Chester, OH); Brian Joseph Loughnane (Sharonville, OH); Vincent John Becks (Liberty Township, OH)
Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
C11D3/182C11D3/201C11D3/3409C11D2111/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,312,563
App. No.
17/541,311
Granted
May 27, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Liquid detergent compositions can include a first surfactant which is a mixture of surfactant isomers of Formula 1 and surfactants of Formula 2: wherein from about 50% to about 100% by weight of the first surfactant are isomers having m+n=11; wherein between about 25% to about 50% of the mixture of surfactant isomers of Formula 1 have n=0; wherein from about 0.001% to about 25% by weight of the first surfactant are surfactants of Formula 2; and wherein X is a hydrophilic moiety; and a second surfactant including a C 12 -C 15 alkyl ethoxy sulfate with an average degree of ethoxylation of about 1.5 to about 3.

Claims (41)

1. A liquid detergent composition comprising:

a) from about 1% to about 30%, by weight of the composition of a first surfactant consisting essentially of a mixture of surfactant isomers of Formula 1 and surfactants of Formula 2:

wherein from about 50% to about 100% by weight of the first surfactant are isomers having m+n=11;

wherein between about 25% to about 50% of the mixture of surfactant isomers of Formula 1 have n=0; wherein from about 0.001% to about 25% by weight of the first surfactant are surfactants of Formula 2; and

wherein X is a hydrophilic moiety;

b) from about 1% to about 30%, by weight of the composition of a second surfactant comprising a C 12 -C 16 alkyl ethoxy sulfate with an average degree of ethoxylation of about 1.5 to about 3;

where each C 12 -C 16 alkyl ethoxy sulfate comprises an alkyl chain;

wherein the second surfactant comprises from about 40 wt % to about 70 wt %, by weight of the second surfactant, of the C 12 -C 16 alkyl ethoxy sulfate having fifteen carbon atoms in the alkyl chain;

wherein the second surfactant comprises no more than about 30 wt %, by weight of the second surfactant, of the C 12 -C 16 alkyl ethoxy sulfate an alkyl ethoxylated sulfate having fourteen carbon atoms in the alkyl chain;

wherein the second surfactant comprises from about 15% to about 50%, by weight of the second surfactant, of the C 12 -C 16 alkyl ethoxy sulfate having thirteen carbon atoms in the alkyl chain; and

c) a detergent adjunct.

2. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1 , wherein the liquid detergent composition has a greater stain removal score versus the combination of scores of a first reference composition comprising the first surfactant and a second reference composition comprising the second surfactant.

3. The liquid detergent composition of claim 2 , wherein the stain comprises make-up, dust sebum, discriminative sebum, cooked beef, bacon grease, grass, or American tea.

4. The liquid detergent composition of claim 3 , wherein the ratio by weight of the first surfactant to the second surfactant is from about 10:1 to about 1:2.

5. The liquid detergent composition of claim 3 , wherein the ratio by weight of the first surfactant to the second surfactant in about 1:1.

6. The liquid detergent composition of claim 4 , further comprising an additional surfactant comprising a nonionic surfactant, an anionic surfactant, or a combination thereof.

7. The liquid detergent composition of claim 6 , wherein the additional surfactant comprises a combination of linear alkyl benzene sulfonate and a nonionic surfactant.

8. The liquid detergent composition of claim 6 , wherein the additional surfactant comprises an anionic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant comprising an ethoxylated alcohol.

9. The liquid detergent composition of claim 4 , wherein the detergent adjunct comprises an enzyme, an enzyme stabilizer, a builder, a hueing agent, anti-soil redeposition agent, a bleach, or a combination thereof.

10. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition has an actual stain removal index which is 0.5 or more greater than that of an expected stain removal index, the expected stain removal index representing the summation of stain removal indexes of a first reference composition representing the liquid detergent composition without the second surfactant and a second reference composition representing the liquid detergent without the first surfactant.

11. The liquid detergent composition of claim 10 , wherein the stain removal is measured on dust sebum, discriminative sebum, cooked beef, bacon grease, grass, or American tea.

12. The liquid detergent composition of claim 1 , wherein the alkyl chain has a weight average molecular weight of about 211 to about 220 daltons.

13. A liquid detergent composition, comprising:

a) a first surfactant consisting essentially of a mixture of surfactant isomers of Formula 1 and surfactants of Formula 2:

wherein from about 50% to about 100% by weight of the first surfactant are isomers having m+n=11;

wherein between about 25% to about 50% of the mixture of surfactant isomers of Formula 1 have n=0;

wherein from about 0.001% to about 25% by weight of the first surfactant are surfactants of Formula 2; and wherein X is a hydrophilic moiety; and

b) a second surfactant comprising a C 12 -C 15 alkyl ethoxy sulfate with an average degree of ethoxylation of about 1.5 to about 3;

where each C 12 -C 15 alkyl ethoxy sulfate comprises an alkyl chain;

wherein the second surfactant comprises from about 40 wt % to about 70 wt %, by weight of the second surfactant, of the C 12 -C 15 alkyl ethoxy sulfate sulfate having fifteen carbon atoms in the alkyl chain;

wherein the second surfactant comprises no more than about 30 wt %, by weight of the second surfactant, of the C 12 -C 15 alkyl ethoxy sulfate having fourteen carbon atoms in the alkyl chain;

wherein the second surfactant comprises from about 15% to about 50%, by weight of the second surfactant, of the C 12 -C 15 alkyl ethoxy sulfate having thirteen carbon atoms in the alkyl chain; and

wherein the ratio by weight of the first surfactant to the second surfactant is from about 15:1 to about 1:5.

14. The liquid detergent composition of claim 13 , wherein between about 15% to about 40% by weight of the first surfactant, of the mixture of surfactant isomers of Formula 1 have n=1.

15. The liquid detergent composition of claim 13 , wherein about 60% to about 90% by weight of the first surfactant, of the mixture of surfactant isomers of Formula 1 have n<3.

16. The liquid detergent composition of claim 13 , wherein about 90% to about 100%, by weight of the first surfactant, surfactant isomers having m+n=11.

17. The liquid detergent composition of claim 16 , wherein the alkyl chain has a weight average molecular weight of about 211 to about 220 daltons.

18. The liquid detergent composition of claim 17 , wherein the composition has an actual stain removal index which is 0.5 or more greater than that of an expected stain removal index, the expected stain removal index representing the summation of stain removal indexes of a first reference composition representing the liquid detergent composition without the second surfactant and a second reference composition representing the liquid detergent without the first surfactant;

wherein the stain removal is measured on dust sebum, discriminative sebum, cooked beef, bacon grease, grass, or American tea.

19. The liquid detergent composition of claim 18 , wherein the composition has a ratio by weight of the first surfactant to the second surfactant of about 10:1 to about 1:2.

20. The liquid detergent composition of claim 19 with from about 1% to about 10%, by weight of the composition of a first surfactant and from about 1% to about 10%, by weight of the composition of a second surfactant.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 28, 2022
From: STENGER, PATRICK CHRISTOPHER; AULTMAN, ERIN JULIETTE; LOUGHNANE, BRIAN JOSEPH; BECKS, VINCE JOHN
To: THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 060336/0650 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2022
From: STENGER, PATRICK CHRISTOPHER; AULTMAN, ERIN JULIETTE; LOUGHNANE, BRIAN JOSEPH; BECKS, VINCE JOHN
To: THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY
Reel/Frame 059729/0090 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230174901A1 · Jun 8, 2023
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