Patent GB-704391-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to synthetic detergent compositions
Inventor: VITALE PETER TAMBURO
IPC: C11D1/52
Filed: 1950-11-28
Abstract: A detergent composition comprises a water-soluble sulphated or sulphonated alkyl aromatic or fatty acylcontaining detersive compound and minor proportions of an aliphatic monohydric or dihydric alcohol having at least 8 carbon atoms in the molecule and a fatty acid amide having 10 to 20 carbon atoms in the acyl group.  The detersive compounds and fatty acid amides may be those described in Specification 704,390.  The detergents, used as their water-soluble salts, may comprise 10 to 50 per cent. by weight of the total solids, built compositions having preferably 20 to 50 per cent.  The fatty acid amides may comprise from 1 to 10 per cent., preferably 1 to 5 per cent. by weight.  The alcohols may be the monohydric and dihydric alcohols containing 10 to 22 and preferably 14 to 18 carbon atoms. The monohydric alcohols may be primary or secondary, saturated or unsaturated, saturated straightchain primary alcohols being preferred.  Specified examples include lauryl, myristyl, cetyl, stearyl, palmityl, oleyl, and mixtures thereof, as well as the commercial materials. The preferred dihydric alcohols are the aliphatic glycols having a straight chain of 10 to 20, preferably 12 to 18 carbon atoms and adjacent hydroxyl groups at or near the end of the chain.  Glycols containing slightly branched chains may be used provided there remains a long straight-chain hydrophobic portion in the molecule. Specified examples include hexadecane-1, 2-diol, tetradecane-1, 2-diol, octadecane-1, 2-diol, dodecane-1, 2-diol, hexadecane-2, 3-diol, and mixtures (including commercial mixtures) thereof. The monohydric alcohols may be obtained from fats, oils and waxes of animal, vegetable or mineral origin or from fatty acids, esters or aldehydes by reduction, or may be recovered from oxidised petroleum stocks.  The dihydric alcohols may be obtained from cracked paraffin waxes as by oxidation of long-chain olefins. They may be used in amounts from 1 to 10 per cent. by weight, preferably 1 to 5 per cent.  Inorganic and organic builders may be included in the compositions, such as silicates, alkali metal phosphates (e.g. hexametaphosphate, tetrapyrophosphate), alkali metal sulphates and carbonates, carboxymethylcellulose, and esters such as ethylene glycol stearate and methyl palmitate. Tripolyphosphates of formula M5P3O10, where M is an alkali metal or ammonium, give an increased detergency.  A ration of tripolyphosphate to active ingredient of about 1 : 1 is preferred.  The compositions may be prepared by the processes described in Specification 704,390, the tripolyphosphate being added to a slurry of the active ingredient prior to, during or after the addition of the higher alcohols an amides.  High temperatures during drying should be avoided to prevent decomposition of the tripolyphosphate.  In an example 1 per cent. of cetyl alcohol and 2 per cent. of palmitylethanolamide are added to a detergent composition comprising 20 per cent. of the sodium salts of coconut oil monoglyceride sulphate, 50 per cent. sodium tripolyphosphate, 3 per cent. sodium silicate and the remainder sodium sulphate.  U.S.A. Specification 2,315,983 also is referred to.