COMPOSITIONS, METHODS AND APPLICATIONS

Claims

1. A solid detergent composition comprising: (a) a salt of an amine and a fatty acid, wherein at least 50% of the fatty acid molecules have at least 16 carbon atoms; (b) at least one nitrogen-containing surfactant; (c) at least one anionic surfactant; (d) at least one solvent comprising at least one hydroxyl functional group; and (e) water; wherein water constitutes no more than 20% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.

2. A solid detergent composition according to claim 1, wherein component (a) comprises a salt of a monoalkanolamine having from 3 to 6 carbon atoms and a mixture of fatty acids in which at least 80% of the fatty acid molecules are C16-C18 fatty acids.

3. A solid detergent composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein component (b) comprises a nitrogen-containing surfactant selected from alkanolamides, amine oxides, betaines and mixtures thereof.

4. A solid detergent composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein component (c) comprises one or more anionic surfactants selected from alkyl or alkenyl sulfates, alkyl or alkenyl ether sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, alkenyl sulfonates, hydroxyalkyl sulfonates and taurates.

5. A solid detergent composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein component (d) comprises a solvent selected from polyhydric alcohols, alkoxy alcohols, aryloxy alcohols and mixtures thereof.

6. A solid detergent composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein component (a) is present in an amount of from 5% by weight to 30% by weight, preferably from 10% by weight to 25% by weight.

7. A solid detergent composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein component (b) is present in an amount of from 1 wt.% to 40 wt.%, preferably from 5 wt.% to 32 wt.%.

8. A solid detergent composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein component (c) is present in an amount of from 2 wt.% to 30 wt.%, preferably from 5 wt.% to 25 wt.%.

9. A solid detergent composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein component (d) is present in an amount of from 5% by weight to 40% by weight, preferably from 8% by weight to 38% by weight.

10. A solid detergent composition according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a non-ionic surfactant component (f).

11. A solid detergent composition according to any one of the preceding claims, in which component (a) is a salt of monoisopropanolamine and a mixture of fatty acids in which at least 80% of the fatty acid molecules are C16-C18 fatty acids; component (b) is selected from cocoamidopropyl betaine and amidopropyl betaines derived from C8 and / or C10 fatty acids; and component (c) is one or more anionic surfactants selected from alkyl or alkenyl sulfates, alkyl or alkenyl ether sulfates, alkyl sulfonates, alkenyl sulfonates, hydroxyalkyl sulfonates and taurates.

12. A solid detergent composition according to any of the preceding claims, presented in unit dose form.

13. A solid detergent composition according to claim 12, wherein each unit dose has a mass of 10 g to 50 g, preferably 15 g to 40 g, more preferably 20 g to 30 g.

14. A solid detergent composition according to any of the preceding claims, having a melting point of from 50°C to 65°C.

15. A solid detergent composition according to any one of the preceding claims, which has a dissolution rate of at least 0.6 g / min, preferably at least 0.7 g / min.

16. A solid detergent composition according to any of the preceding claims, which is transparent.

17. A method for producing a solid detergent composition, comprising the following steps: (i) preparing a molten composition containing at least the following components: (a) a salt of an amine and a fatty acid, wherein at least 50% of the fatty acid molecules have at least 16 carbon atoms; (b) at least one nitrogen-containing surfactant; (c) at least one anionic surfactant; (d) at least one solvent comprising at least one hydroxyl functional group; and (e) up to 20% by weight of water; and (ii) shaping and / or cooling the composition obtained in step (i).

18. A packaged detergent product comprising a container and a solid detergent composition, wherein the solid detergent composition comprises: (a) a salt of an amine and a fatty acid, wherein at least 50% of the fatty acid molecules have at least 16 carbon atoms; (b) at least one nitrogen-containing surfactant; (c) at least one anionic surfactant; (d) a solvent comprising at least one hydroxyl functional group; and (e) up to 20% by weight of water.

19. A packaged detergent product according to claim 18, which includes a container and a plurality of unit doses of the detergent composition, wherein the unit doses are preferably not individually packaged.

20. A method for washing items, comprising: loading the items into a washing machine, adding a solid detergent into the washing machine and starting a washing cycle in the washing machine, wherein the solid detergent composition contains: (a) a salt of an amine and a fatty acid, wherein at least 50% of the fatty acid molecules have at least 16 carbon atoms; (b) at least one nitrogen-containing surfactant; (c) at least one anionic surfactant; (d) a solvent comprising at least one hydroxyl functional group; and (e) up to 20% by weight of water.

21. Use of solid detergent composition in toilet care, automatic dishwashing, hand dishwashing, laundry, fabric care, kitchen care, carpet cleaning, air fresheners, vehicle care, polishing agents, machine cleaning and maintenance, pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, oilfield chemistry, marine and shipbuilding industries, personal hygiene, or institutional and industrial cleaning; wherein the solid detergent composition contains: (a) a salt of an amine and a fatty acid, wherein at least 50% of the fatty acid molecules have at least 16 carbon atoms; (b) at least one nitrogen-containing surfactant; (c) at least one anionic surfactant; (d) a solvent comprising at least one hydroxyl functional group; and (e) water; wherein water constitutes no more than 20% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.