Surfactant composition and method for decontamination

1. A non-corroding vehicle cleaning composition comprising:

a) an alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant having the chemical structure:

Formula (I)

wherein:

R 1 is selected from group consisting of a C 5-13 alkyl,

R 2 is a C 3 alkyl; and

x is 1;

b) an alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant having the chemical structure:

Formula (II)

wherein R 3 is a C 6-10 alkyl;

c) a C 8-18 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant comprising from 0 to about 20 ethoxylate groups per C 8-18 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant molecule;

d) a C 12-14 secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant comprising from about 14 to about 20 ethoxylate groups per C 12-14 secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant molecule;

e) a sodium nitrite corrosion inhibitor;

f) sodium metasilicate; and

g) a pH from 6.0 to 8.0.

2. The cleaning composition of claim 1 , wherein the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (I) is cocoamidopropyl dimethylamine oxide.

3. The cleaning composition of claim 1 , wherein the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (II) is octyldimethylamine oxide.

4. The cleaning composition of claim 1 , wherein the C 8-18 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant is a C 10-14 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant comprising from 0 to about 6 ethoxylate groups per C 10-14 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant molecule.

5. The cleaning composition of claim 1 , wherein the C 8-18 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant is polyoxyethylene (4) sorbitan monolaurate.

6. The cleaning composition of claim 1 , wherein the C 12-14 secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant is a branched secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant.

7. The cleaning composition of claim 1 , wherein:

the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (I) comprises from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the cleaning composition;

the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (II) comprises from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the cleaning composition;

the C 8-18 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant comprises from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the cleaning composition; and

the C 12-14 secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant comprises from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of the cleaning composition.

8. The cleaning composition of claim 1 , wherein:

the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (I) comprises from about 0.5% to about 3% by weight of the cleaning composition;

the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (II) comprises from about 0.5% to about 3% by weight of the cleaning composition;

the C 8-18 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant comprises from about 0.5% to about 3% by weight of the cleaning composition; and

the C 12-14 secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant comprises from about 0.5% to about 3% by weight of the cleaning composition.

9. The cleaning composition of claim 1 , wherein:

the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (I) comprises from about 1% to about 2% by weight of the cleaning composition;

the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (II) comprises from about 1% to about 2% by weight of the cleaning composition;

the C 8-18 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant comprises from about 1% to about 2% by weight of the cleaning composition; and

the C 12-14 secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant comprises from about 1% to about 2% by weight of the cleaning composition.

10. The cleaning composition of claim 1 , wherein the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (I), the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (II), the C 8-18 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant, and the C 12-14 secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant comprise a 1:1:1:1 ratio by weight in the cleaning composition.

11. The cleaning composition of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning composition is effective to remove chemical warfare agents from exterior surfaces of a vehicle upon application thereto.

12. A cleaning composition for cleaning exterior surfaces of a vehicle, the cleaning composition comprising:

a) from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of a alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant having the chemical structure:

wherein:

R 1 is selected from group consisting of a C 5-13 alkyl,

R 2 is a C 3 alkyl; and

x is 1;

b) from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of a alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant having the chemical structure:

wherein R 3 is a C 6-10 alkyl;

c) from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of a C 10-14 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant comprising from 0 to about 6 ethoxylate groups per C 8-18 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant molecule;

d) from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of a C 12-14 secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant comprising from about 14 to about 20 ethoxylate groups per C 12-14 secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant molecule;

e) a sodium nitrite corrosion inhibitor;

f) sodium metasilicate; and

g) a pH from 6.0 to 8.0;

wherein: the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (I), the alkyl dimethylamine oxide surfactant according to Formula (II), the C 10-14 alkyl polyethylene glycol sorbitan fatty ester surfactant, and the C 12-14 secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant comprise a 1:1:1:1 ratio by weight in the cleaning composition, and

the cleaning composition is effective to remove chemical warfare agents from the exterior surfaces of the vehicle upon application thereto.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning composition further conforms to both the Heat Stability and Total Immersion Corrosion test specifications of MIL-PRF-87937D.

14. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the cleaning composition removes over 90% of a chemical warfare agent simulant that has been applied as ten 1-microliter droplets on a vehicle surface.

15. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the vehicle surface is a Navy Topcoat coated surface.