Cleaning compositions and emulsions or microemulsions employing extended chain nonionic surfactants
Synergistic combinations of extended chain surfactants and co-surfactants, emulsions or microemulsions and cleaning compositions incorporating the same are provided. In certain embodiments a surfactant system is disclosed which includes extended nonionic surfactants, and a linker surfactant. This system forms stable emulsions or microemulsions with oils, including non-trans fats and fatty acids and these emulsions or microemulsions are stable, irreversible and can be created at low temperature. The cleaning compositions may include the surfactant system alone, a stable emulsion or microemulsion with oil and the surfactant system, a pre-spotter or other pre-treatment or soft surface and hard surface cleaning compositions comprising the surfactant combination.
1. A surfactant system for forming stable emulsions or microemulsions with oils comprising:
an extended chain nonionic surfactant having an intermediate polarity linking chain between a lipophilic segment and a hydrophilic segment of said surfactant, wherein said linking chain is selected from the group consisting of (PO) x , (EO) x , (PO) x (EO) x and combinations thereof, wherein x is from 1 to 16, wherein said extended surfactant comprises a compound of formula:
R-[L] x -[O—CH2—CH2] y
where R is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical having from about 8 to 20 carbon atoms, L is a linking group, x is the chain length of the linking group ranging from 5-15, and y is the average degree of ethoxylation ranging from 1 to 5;
a linker co-surfactant selected from the group consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, fatty acids, fatty diacids and combinations thereof wherein said link co-surfactant has a small hydrophilic head and/or surfactants with twin or bulky hydrophobic tail(s);
wherein the system is capable of forming a stable emulsion or microemulsion with oils.
2. The surfactant system of claim 1 wherein said linker co-surfactant is a monoglyceride or diglyceride.
3. The surfactant system of claim 2 wherein said extended chain nonionic surfactant and linker co-surfactant are present in a weight percent ratio of about 7 to 1.
4. The surfactant system of claim 1 wherein said linker co-surfactant is a fatty acid or fatty diacid.
5. The surfactant system of claim 4 wherein said extended chain nonionic surfactant and linker co-surfactant are present in a weight percent ratio of about 2 to 1.
6. An emulsion or microemulsion comprising the surfactant system of claim 1 and an oil component selected from the group consisting of an oil, fatty acid, or triglyceride.
7. The emulsion or microemulsion of claim 6 wherein said oil is a vegetable oil.
8. The emulsion or microemulsion of claim 6 wherein said oil is a synthetic oil.
9. The emulsion or microemulsion of claim 6 wherein said oil is a triglyceride.
10. The emulsion or microemulsion of claim 6 wherein said oil is a non-trans fat.
11. The surfactant system of claim 1 wherein said emulsion or microemulsion is irreversible.
12. The surfactant system of claim 1 wherein said extended nonionic surfactant is one or more of the following:
C 6-10 —(PO) 3 (EO) 6 , C 6-10 —(PO) 3 (EO) 8 , C 10 —(PO) a (EO) b, 2-Ethyl Hexyl (PO) m (EO) n , C 6-12 (PO) 3-4 (EO) 4 , C 6-12 (PO) 3-4 (EO) 7 , C 16-18 (PO) 4 (EO) 5 -carboxylic acid, C 16-18 (PO) 4 (EO) 2 -carboxylic acid, Iso C 9 ——(PO) 2 EO 2 -carboxylic acid, and C 12-14 —(PO) 16 (EO) 12 .
13. The surfactant system of claim 1 wherein said system is used as a pre-spotter.
14. A cleaning composition including the surfactant system of claim 1 .
15. The cleaning composition of claim 14 wherein said cleaning composition is a hard surface cleaner.
16. The cleaning composition of claim 14 wherein said cleaning composition is a laundry detergent.
17. A method for removing a soil from a hard surface comprising applying a cleaning composition containing the surfactant system according to claim 1 to the hard surface and rinsing and/or wiping the cleaning composition from the hard surface.
18. A method for removing a soil from a soft surface comprising applying a cleaning composition containing the surfactant system according to claim 1 to the soft surface and rinsing and/or wiping the cleaning composition from the soft surface.
19. A method of laundering an article that is contacted with a non-trans fat, comprising:
providing a cleaning article that has been contacted with a non-trans fat;
washing the cleaning article;
rinsing the cleaning article;
drying the cleaning article; and
treating the cleaning article with an effective amount of a composition comprising a surfactant system according to claim 1 , wherein the treating occurs prior to or during the washing step.
20. A method of neutralizing a non-trans fat from fire risk, comprising:
treating the non-trans fat with an effective amount of the surfactant system of claim 1 so that an emulsion or microemulsion is formed with the non-trans fat.
21. The surfactant system of claim 1 wherein said surfactant system is essentially free of unreacted alcohols.