Patent ID: 8287616

Claim:
An aqueous composition, comprising: (I) cyanide; (II) at least one anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of a C 8 - to C 22 -sulfated ethoxylated alcohol, a C 8 - to C 24 -alkanesulfonate, a linear C 8 - to C 20 -alkylbenzenesulfonate, a C 8 - to C 24 -olefin sulfonate, and a C 8 - to C 24 -olefin disulfonate; and (III) a block-like isotridecanol alkoxylate nonionic surfactant of formula (Va): Râ€”Oâ€”(C 2 H 4 O) x â€”(C n H 2n O) y â€”Hâ€ƒâ€ƒ(Va), wherein: R is an isotridecyl radical; n is 3 or 4; x and y are each independently a number from 1 to 20; and a ratio of x to y is in a range from 1:1 to 4:1, wherein: the aqueous composition has a contact angle on glass of less than 40Â°; and the nonionic surfactant is selected such that when the nonionic surfactant is added in a concentration of from 0.01 to 0.2% by weight to an aqueous solution consisting of sodium hydroxide and water and adjusted to a pH of from 9.8 to 10.2 at 23Â° C., the contact angle of the surfactant-containing sodium hydroxide aqueous solution on glass after 1 second is reduced by at least 10Â° relative to the contact angle of the aqueous solution before the nonionic surfactant is added.