Primary or secondary alcohol-initiated nonionic surfactants and their uses, detergent compositions and liquid laundry products containing the nonionic surfactants

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a primary or secondary alcohol started nonionic surfactant having formula (I): JPEG2025511678000014.jpg20128 relates to primary or secondary alcohol started nonionic surfactants, wherein R' is selected from the group consisting of a linear primary alcohol moiety having a C16-18 alkyl chain or a secondary alcohol moiety having a C8-18 alkyl chain, R'' is a methyl or ethyl group, x is an integer selected from 2 to 4, y is an integer selected from 1 to 25, and z is an integer selected from 1 to 50. The primary or secondary alcohol started nonionic surfactants provide an outstanding combination of good detergency and improved viscosity control, as well as lower foaming properties in highly concentrated unit dose detergent formulations.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to primary or secondary alcohol-started nonionic surfactants and their uses, detergent compositions and liquid laundry products containing the nonionic surfactants. [Background technology]

[0002] With the increasing awareness of sustainable development, highly concentrated unit dose detergent formulations are an obvious market trend in both home care and industrial cleaning applications. In highly concentrated unit dose detergent formulations, the total surfactant content can reach about 50%-70% by weight or more, resulting in savings in packaging materials, reduced water in production and transportation, etc. However, high surfactant content can lead to high viscosity of the formulation, making it difficult to handle and use, long dissolution time in cold water, and cause gel formation during dissolution, which may result in increased energy consumption in cleaning.

[0003] Generally, highly concentrated detergent formulations mainly contain anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, some organic solvents, and other ingredients. Despite the good cleaning power of anionic surfactants in cleaning, common anionic surfactants such as AES (alcohol ether sulfates, especially sodium laureth sulfate) and LAS (linear alkylbenzene sulfonates) often form gels at high concentrations (30-70 wt%). Therefore, organic solvents are added to the formulation to reduce the viscosity and maintain its handling properties. However, organic solvents do not provide the same cleaning power as surfactants. On the contrary, organic solvents increase the cost of the formulation and are likely to cause odor problems. Linear primary alcohol ethoxylates (e.g., L-PAE-9) are the most common nonionic surfactants and indeed provide good cleaning performance among commercial nonionic surfactants, but their aqueous solutions at high concentrations of 30-60 wt% are also gels. As a result, L-PAE-9 increases the viscosity even in highly concentrated or unit dose detergent formulations. Branched alcohol-started alkoxylated nonionic surfactants such as ECOSURF™ EH-9 and LUTENSOL® XL-80 are flowable at high concentrations in water (e.g., concentrations of 40-60% by weight). Although branched alcohol-started alkoxylated nonionic surfactants have been widely used in highly concentrated or unit-dose detergent formulations as viscosity modifiers, their detergency is weaker compared to L-PAE-9.

[0004] Therefore, there is still an urgent need for cleaning customers to have nonionic surfactants that can provide a remarkable combination of good cleaning power and strong viscosity control in highly concentrated unit dose detergent formulations. In addition, if good viscosity reduction can help formulators to reduce the amount of solvent, this is an interesting and welcome performance. Furthermore, low foaming formulations are often preferred in industrial and institutional (I&I) cleaning, and in home care cleaning, this is necessary as well, since high foaming can extend rinse times and increase water consumption. In surfactant selection criteria, biodegradability is also a required property for cleaning customers. Summary of the Invention

[0005] After sustained research, the present inventors have surprisingly developed primary or secondary alcohol-started nonionic surfactants, as well as detergent compositions and liquid laundry products comprising said nonionic surfactants, which exhibit good cleaning power, improved viscosity control in highly concentrated unit dose detergent formulations (i.e., better flowability and no gel formation during its dissolution in water), and lower foaming properties (i.e., fast foam collapse).

[0006] In a first aspect of the disclosure, the disclosure provides a primary or secondary alcohol started nonionic surfactant having the formula (I):

[0007] [ka] wherein R' is selected from the group consisting of a linear primary alcohol moiety having a C16-18 alkyl chain or a secondary alcohol moiety having a C8-18 alkyl chain; R'' is a methyl group or an ethyl group; x is an integer selected from 2 to 4; y is an integer selected from 1 to 25; and z is an integer selected from 1 to 50.

[0008] In a second aspect of the disclosure, the disclosure provides for the use of a primary or secondary alcohol-started nonionic surfactant in a detergent composition.

[0009] In a third aspect of the disclosure, the disclosure provides a detergent composition comprising: (a) at least one anionic surfactant; (b) a primary or secondary alcohol-started nonionic surfactant; A detergent composition is provided, wherein component (a) and component (b) are in an amount of at least 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the detergent composition.

[0010] In a fourth aspect of the disclosure, the disclosure provides a liquid laundry product comprising the detergent composition.

[0011] In the present disclosure, the primary or secondary alcohol-started nonionic surfactants, as well as detergent compositions and liquid laundry products containing the surfactants, can exhibit improved detergency and good viscosity control in highly concentrated unit dose detergent formulations, as well as lower foaming properties.Furthermore, they also exhibit better flowability and do not form gels when dissolved in water.

[0012] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a comparison of Ross-Miles foam heights of Examples IE-1 to IE-4 and Comparative Examples CE-A and CE-B in the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a comparison of detergency (soil removal) of highly concentrated liquid laundry detergent formulations of Examples IE-1 to IE-4 and Comparative Examples CE-B, CE-C, and CE-D of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a comparison of detergency (soil removal) in unit dose laundry detergent formulations (a / b=60 / 40 weight ratio) of Examples IE-1 to IE-4 and Comparative Examples CE-B, CE-D, CE-E, and CE-F of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a comparison of the viscosities of unit dose laundry detergent formulations (a / b=60 / 40 weight ratio) of Examples IE-1 to IE-4 and Comparative Examples CE-A, CE-B, CE-C, and CE-F of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a comparison of the viscosities of unit dose laundry detergent formulations (a / b=70 / 30 weight ratio) of Examples IE-1 to IE-4 and Comparative Examples CE-A, CE-B, CE-C, and CE-F of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. As disclosed herein, "and / or" means "and, or alternatively" or "in addition, or alternatively." All ranges include endpoints unless otherwise indicated.

[0015] In the present disclosure, the primary or secondary alcohol started nonionic surfactant has the formula (I):

[0016] [ka] In the formula, R' is selected from the group consisting of a linear primary alcohol moiety having a C16-18 alkyl chain or a secondary alcohol moiety having a C8-18 alkyl chain, R'' is a methyl group or an ethyl group, x is an integer selected from 2 to 4, y is an integer selected from 1 to 25, and z is an integer selected from 1 to 50.

[0017] The term "C16-18 alkyl chain" herein refers to an alkyl chain having 16 to 18 carbon atoms, and the term "C8-18 alkyl chain" herein refers to an alkyl chain having 8 to 18 carbon atoms. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the linear C16-18 alkyl chain can be selected from n-hexadecyl, n-heptadecyl, n-octadecyl, or a mixture thereof.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the secondary alcohol is 2-octanol, 3-octanol, 4-octanol, 2-nonanol, 3-nonanol, 4-nonanol, 5-nonanol, 2-decanol, 3-decanol, 4-decanol, 5-decanol, 2-undecanol, 3-undecanol, 4-undecanol, 5-undecanol, 6-undecanol, 2-dodecanol, 3-dodecanol, 4-dodecanol, 5-dodecanol, 6-dodecanol, 2-tridecanol, 3-tridecanol, 4-tridecanol, 5-tridecanol, 6-tridecanol, 7-tridecanol, 2-tetradecanol, 3-tetradecanol, 4-tetradecanol, 5-tetradecanol, 6-tetradecanol, 7-tetradecanol, 2-pentadecanol, Examples of suitable ethanol include, but are not limited to, 3-pentadecanol, 4-pentadecanol, 5-pentadecanol, 6-pentadecanol, 7-pentadecanol, 8-pentadecanol, 2-hexadecanol, 3-hexadecanol, 4-hexadecanol, 5-hexadecanol, 6-hexadecanol, 7-hexadecanol, 8-hexadecanol, 2-heptadecanol, 3-heptadecanol, 4-heptadecanol, 5-heptadecanol, 6-heptadecanol, 7-heptadecanol, 8-heptadecanol, 2-octadecanol, 3-octadecanol, 4-octadecanol, 5-octadecanol, 6-octadecanol, 7-octadecanol, 8-octadecanol, 9-octadecanol, or any combination thereof.

[0019] In one embodiment of the disclosure, the secondary alcohol comprises 2-dodecanol, 3-dodecanol, 4-dodecanol, 5-dodecanol, 6-dodecanol, 2-tridecanol, 3-tridecanol, 4-tridecanol, 5-tridecanol, 6-tridecanol, 7-tridecanol, 2-tetradecanol, 3-tetradecanol, 4-tetradecanol, 5-tetradecanol, 6-tetradecanol, 7-tetradecanol, or any combination thereof.

[0020] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, x is an integer selected from 2, 3, and 4. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, y is an integer selected from 1 to 25, 1 to 20, 1 to 16, 1 to 12, 1 to 9, 1 to 4, 4 to 25, 4 to 20, 4 to 16, 4 to 12, 4 to 9, 9 to 25, 9 to 20, 9 to 16, 9 to 12, 12 to 25, 12 to 20, 12 to 16, 16 to 25, 16 to 20, and 20 to 25. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, z is an integer selected from 1 to 50, 1 to 40, 1 to 30, 1 to 20, 1 to 10, 1 to 5, 5 to 50, 5 to 40, 5 to 30, 5 to 20, 5 to 10, 10 to 50, 10 to 40, 10 to 30, 10 to 20, 20 to 50, 20 to 40, 20 to 30, 30 to 50, 30 to 40, and 40 to 50.

[0021] In alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, the sum of x and z is 3 to 54, 3 to 50, 3 to 40, 3 to 30, 3 to 20, 3 to 10, 3 to 5, 5 to 54, 5 to 50, 5 to 40, 5 to 30, 5 to 20, 5 to 10, 10 to 54, 10 to 50, 10 to 40, 10 to 30, 10 to 25, 10 to 20, 10 to 15, 15 to 54 , 15 to 50, 15 to 40, 15 to 30, 15 to 25, 15 to 20, 20 to 54, 20 to 50, 20 to 40, 20 to 30, 20 to 25, 25 to 54, 25 to 50, 25 to 40, 25 to 30, 30 to 54, 30 to 50, 30 to 40, 40 to 54, 40 to 50, and 50 to 54.

[0022] In alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, the number y is less than the sum of x and z. Alternatively, y may be equal to the sum of x and z, or y may be greater than the sum of x and z. In alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, y is greater than or equal to 8, 12, 16, or 20. In alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, the sum of x and z is greater than 20, 24, 28, or 32.

[0023] In the present disclosure, the linear C16-18 primary alcohol or C8-18 secondary alcohol-started triblock nonionic surfactant can increase the total surfactant concentration in the detergent formulation to a level much higher than the prior art, and the concentration of the anionic surfactant in the detergent composition can also be increased to a level much higher than the prior art. In this regard, the inventors can apply the primary or secondary alcohol-started nonionic surfactant to a detergent composition containing an anionic surfactant, so as to increase the total surfactant concentration and reduce the solvent content. In the present disclosure, the detergent composition is characterized by reduced solvent content, increased surfactant content, low viscosity, faster dissolution, good cleaning power, improved viscosity control (i.e., better flowability and no gel formation) in highly concentrated unit dose detergent formulations, and lower foaming properties (i.e., fast foam collapse), or a combination of two or more thereof.

[0024] In the present disclosure, the detergent composition may comprise (a) at least one anionic surfactant, and (b) at least one primary or secondary alcohol-started nonionic surfactant. In the present disclosure, the detergent composition may further comprise (c) at least one organic solvent.

[0025] In an embodiment of the present invention, the anionic surfactant used in the present invention as component (a) includes, but is not limited to, alkyl sulfate, alkyl ether sulfate, alkyl sulfonate, fatty acid salt, dialkyl sulfosuccinate, alkyl benzene sulfonate, alkyl phosphate, fatty acid soap, and α-olefin sulfonate. The anionic surfactant is preferably selected from among alkyl sulfate, alkyl ether sulfate, alkyl benzene sulfonate, alkanesulfonate, fatty acid salt, dialkyl sulfosuccinate, and any combination thereof. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the anionic surfactant is substantially free of any intermediate polar spacer inserted between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts of the anionic surfactant. In the present disclosure, the intermediate polar spacer generally comprises a chain of propylene oxide (PO), a chain of butylene oxide (BO), or any combination of ethylene oxide (EO), PO, and BO in block or random order.

[0026] Regarding optional organic solvents, they may be used alone in the detergent composition or in combination with other organic solvents in the detergent composition. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the organic solvent may be at least one solvent selected from the group of alcohols, glycols, and glycol ethers (e.g., ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, propylene glycol, etc.).

[0027] In embodiments of the present disclosure, components (a) and (b) are in an amount of at least 50 wt%, at least 60 wt%, at least 70 wt%, or at least 80 wt%, based on the total weight of the detergent composition.

[0028] In embodiments of the present disclosure, component (a) is in an amount of at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, or at least 80% by weight of the sum of components (a) and (b).

[0029] In embodiments of the present disclosure, the detergent compositions comprise less than 20%, less than 15%, less than 10%, less than 5%, or less than 1% by weight of component (c).

[0030] In the present disclosure, the detergent composition can be diluted with water to provide a liquid laundry product. In the present disclosure, the detergent composition may contain some water, and the amount of water can be adjusted according to the actual needs of cleaning. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the amount of water is generally low in highly concentrated detergent formulations. Meanwhile, since the packaging material of the unit dose detergent formulation is water-soluble, the unit dose detergent formulation generally cannot contain too much water. For example, the unit dose detergent formulation may contain 5-10% by weight of water.

[0031] The present disclosure provides nonionic surfactants that can provide the following properties: -Good cleaning power, -Good viscosity control in highly concentrated unit dose formulations, Low foaming or rapid foam collapse, and -Good product safety profile.

[0032] In addition to the remarkable combination of detergency and viscosity adjustment in highly concentrated unit-dose detergent formulations, it can effectively reduce the solvent usage in the formulation, which meets the sustainable development trend and helps formulators reduce formulation costs. EXAMPLES

[0033] Some embodiments of the present invention are now described in the following examples, in which all parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified.

[0034] Information on the raw materials used in the examples is listed in Table 1 below.

[0035] [Table 1]

[0036] Synthesis Examples The nonionic surfactants in the present disclosure can be obtained in a conventional manner by reacting an alcohol with an alkylene oxide, such as ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO), in the presence of a catalyst. The polymerization can be bulk or solution polymerization. Suitable catalysts for the polymerization of alkylene oxides can be found in the literature, for example, FEBailey, Jr., Joseph V. Koleske, "Alkylene Oxides and Their Polymers", Marcel Dekker, New York, 1991, p.35, and include anionic or basic catalysts, acidic or cationic catalysts, and coordination catalysts, for example, potassium hydroxide (KOH), boron trifluoride, or double metal cyanide complex (DMC) catalysts, such as zinc hexacyanocobaltate. The alkylene oxide is typically fed to a reactor containing a dry initiator and catalyst at temperatures ranging from 50 to 160°C. Polymerization is usually considered complete when the pressure in the reactor returns to approximately the same pressure as before the alkylene oxide was fed. The catalyst can be neutralized and removed by known means, such as filtration, adsorption and ion exchange, or left in the product, depending on the product and application.

[0037] Synthesis example 1: Formula: LC 16~18 -(EO) 4 -(PO) 14 -(EO) 5 Synthesis of a nonionic surfactant represented by the formula: 16~18 is a linear C 16~18 (Refers to part) 1.1 mol LC 16~18 Alcohol and an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide (45-50 wt%) were added to the reactor. The KOH content was added at about 0.17 wt% based on the weight of the final product. 2. The mixture was continued to be heated at about 50-60°C for 30 minutes. 3. The moisture content was adjusted to less than 1000 ppm after vacuum stripping at about 80°C, and then the mixture was maintained at about 110-140°C. 4. Then, the first portion of 4 moles of EO (4 molar equivalents of LC 16~18(equivalent to alcohol) was slowly fed into the reactor. 5. When the pressure in the reactor returns to approximately the same as the pressure before EO was fed, 14 moles of PO (14 mole equivalents of LC 16~18 The alcohol equivalent was slowly fed into the reactor and the reactor temperature was maintained at 110-140°C. 6. When the pressure in the reactor returns to approximately the same as the pressure before PO was added, add the last 5 moles of EO (5 mole equivalents of LC 16~18 (corresponding to alcohol) was slowly fed into the reactor at 110-140 °C. 7. When the pressure in the reactor returned to approximately the same as the pressure before EO was fed, the reaction was maintained at 110-140°C for an additional 2 hours to ensure complete consumption of EO. 8.N 2 After purging to remove residual oxides, the reactor was cooled to about 60° C. at ambient pressure. Acetic acid was then added to the reactor to neutralize the KOH catalyst. 9. After cooling to about 40°C, the desired product was obtained.

[0038] Synthesis example 2: Formula: LC 16~18 -(EO) 4 -(PO) 14 -(EO) 15 Synthesis of a nonionic surfactant represented by the formula: 16~18 - is a linear C 16~18 - Refers to the part) In the synthesis example 2, in step 6, the last portion of 15 moles of EO (15 mole equivalents of LC 16~18 The procedure was the same as in Synthesis Example 1, except that the alcohol (corresponding to the alcohol) was slowly fed into the reactor.

[0039] Synthesis example 3: Formula: LC 16~18 -(EO) 4 -(PO) 14 -(EO) 25 Synthesis of a nonionic surfactant represented by the formula: 16~18 - is a linear C 16~18 - Refers to the part) In the synthesis example 3, in step 6, the last portion of 25 moles of EO (25 mole equivalents of LC 16~18The procedure was the same as in Synthesis Example 1, except that the alcohol (corresponding to the alcohol) was slowly fed into the reactor.

[0040] Synthesis example 4: Formula: Sec-C 12~14 -(EO) 3 -(PO) 10 -(EO) 10 Synthesis of a nonionic surfactant represented by the formula: 12~14 - Second Class C 12~14 - Refers to the part) Synthesis Example 4 is LC 16~18 The same procedure was followed as in Synthesis Example 1, except that TERGITOL™ 15-S-3 was used instead of the alcohol. Since TERGITOL™ 15-S-3 already contains 3 moles of EO in each molecule, step 4 was omitted. In step 5, 10 moles of PO (corresponding to 10 molar equivalents of TERGITOL™ 15-S-3) were slowly fed into the reactor, and in step 6, the last portion of 10 moles of EO (corresponding to 10 molar equivalents of TERGITOL™ 15-S-3) was slowly fed into the reactor.

[0041] Examples 1 to 4 of the present invention and Comparative Examples A to F As shown in Table 2, the surfactants in Examples (IE) 1 to 4 of the present invention and Comparative Examples (CE) A to F were tested or evaluated according to the measurements described below.

[0042] [Table 2]

[0043] [Table 3] a : Cloud point data was measured in a 10 wt % aqueous solution. b : Foam height at 0 and 5 minutes.

[0044] As shown in Table 3, all four inventive examples IE-1, IE-2, IE-3 and IE-4 had low CMC values, which could lead to good surfactant efficiency. The Ross-Miles foam height in Table 3 and Figure 1 shows that all four inventive examples IE-1, IE-2, IE-3 and IE-4 provided moderate initial foam height and very fast foam collapse, which were found to be due to the linear CMC. 12~14 It was much faster than CE-A and CE-B based on alcohol ethoxylates. In most industrial applications, low foaming and fast foam collapse are desired. In Figure 1, the left vertical bar in each of the inventive examples IE-1, IE-2, IE-3 and IE-4 and comparative examples CE-A and CE-B represents the initial foam height, and the right vertical bar in each of the inventive examples IE-1, IE-2, IE-3 and IE-4 and comparative examples CE-A and CE-B represents the foam height after 5 minutes.

[0045] Preparation of detergent compositions A highly concentrated liquid laundry detergent formulation was formulated according to the following steps. 1. Water and propylene glycol were mixed in a beaker with mechanical stirring. 2. Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA), sodium laureth-2 sulfate (AES), oleic acid, and KOH were added to a beaker. 3. IE-1, IE-2, IE-3, and IE-4 and one of the non-ionic surfactants CE-B through CE-D were added to the beaker and the mixture was blended uniformly. 4. The pH of the mixture was adjusted to 8.0-8.5 with KOH to form a highly concentrated liquid laundry detergent composition.

[0046] [Table 4]

[0047] Different inventive examples (IE) 1-4 and comparative examples (CE) B-D as "nonionic surfactants" were evaluated in highly concentrated liquid laundry detergent formulations.

[0048] As shown in Figure 2, the detergency results showed that the triblock surfactants of the present invention, IE-1 and IE-4, had similar detergency to CE-B and CE-C, while IE-2 and IE-3 showed slightly better detergency than CE-B and CE-C, which were based on linear C12-14 alcohol-started ethoxylates or alkoxylates, and much improved detergency than CE-D, which was based on a branched fatty alcohol-started alkoxylate.

[0049] Unit dose liquid laundry detergent formulation A unit dose liquid laundry detergent formulation was formulated according to the following steps. 1. Water and propylene glycol were mixed in a beaker with mechanical stirring. 2. Dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA), sodium laureth-2 sulfate (AES), oleic acid, and monoethanolamine (MEA) were added to a beaker. 3. IE-1, IE-2, IE-3, and IE-4 and one of the non-ionic surfactants CE-B through CE-E were added to the beaker and the mixture was blended uniformly. 4. The pH was adjusted to 7.5 with MEA to form a unit dose liquid laundry detergent composition.

[0050] [Table 5] * a / b = weight of total anionic surfactants / weight of total nonionic surfactants

[0051] The formulations in Table 5 contained very high total surfactant content of about 80% by weight in the unit dose laundry formulation. The solvent amount (propylene glycol) was 10% by weight and the water content was 10% by weight (because AES (70%) also contains water). In addition, the formulations contained very high anionic surfactant content of 60% or 70% based on the total surfactant weight. In the formulations containing 60 / 40 anionic / nonionic surfactant by weight, IE-2 / IE-3 showed higher cleaning power compared to CE, as shown in Figure 3.

[0052] Viscosity comparison of highly concentrated preparations Original formulation in viscosity adjustment studies

[0053] [Table 6]

[0054] [Table 7] #: Nonionic surfactant used in the formulations in Table 6. * : "Unstable": After overnight storage at room temperature, phase separation was observed with a cloudy appearance.

[0055] [Table 8]

[0056] Compared with the formulation in Table 6, the formulation in Table 8 did not contain any solvent (propylene glycol), which may make it more difficult to maintain the formulation with good fluidity. In addition, L-PAE-9 was also substituted and included in "non-ionic surfactants". In evaluating different IEs and CEs as "non-ionic surfactants", we measured the formulation viscosity at two different temperatures (5°C and 20°C). The results are listed in Table 9.

[0057] [Table 9] #: Nonionic surfactant used in the formulations in Table 8. * : "Unstable": Phase separation was observed with a cloudy appearance.

[0058] Based on the data in Tables 7 and 9, the four surfactants of the present invention always provide formulations with lower viscosity than the comparative surfactants in highly concentrated liquid laundry detergent formulations. Also, the formulation stability by IE is more stable. Moreover, such performance advantages may be more interesting at low temperatures and may be beneficial in low temperature storage.

[0059] Viscosity measurements during dissolution of unit dose laundry detergent formulations Formulations containing CE and IE were prepared according to Table 5. The viscosities of the formulations were then measured before and after dilution with different amounts of water. For unit dose laundry formulations, if the unit dose laundry formulation forms a gel during dissolution, the dissolution of the formulation will be slowed down, thus affecting the cleaning power.

[0060] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the inventive examples in unit dose detergent formulations provided low viscosities before and after dilution with water. In contrast, the comparative formulations showed much higher viscosities. Thus, the good viscosity adjusting properties of IE are demonstrated in unit dose detergent formulations with low water and solvent contents. In Figures 4 and 5, the first to fourth vertical bars from the left of each of the inventive examples IE-1, IE-2, IE-3, and IE-4 and comparative examples CE-A, CE-B, CE-C, and CE-F respectively indicate the viscosity before dilution, the viscosity after dilution with 1 mL of deionized water, the viscosity after dilution with 2 mL of deionized water, and the viscosity after dilution with 3 mL of deionized water.

[0061] Testing and Evaluation Ross-Miles Foam Height Test according to GB / T 7462-94 Foaming Test - A 0.1 wt% active aqueous solution of surfactant was prepared in DI water. -Ross-Miles test tubes were rinsed with DI water and sample solution. -50mL of sample solution was poured into a test tube. - Once no more foaming was observed for this first 50 mL of sample solution, 200 mL of sample solution was added via a dropping pipette. The stopper of the dropping pipette was opened and the solution was allowed to flow down. -Once the solution flow had ceased, the initial foam height was recorded as the initial foam height. After -5 minutes the foam height was recorded as the final foam height.

[0062] Surface tension and CMC measurements Surface tension was measured using a KRUSS Force Tensiometer K100C. All tests were performed at room temperature. An aqueous solution of surfactant with an active content of 1% by weight as mother liquor and water as blank solution were prepared, respectively. - A known amount of surfactant mother liquor was slowly added to water. -The surface tension at different surfactant concentrations was recorded. The surface tension values ​​were plotted against the concentration and the CMC was determined from the break point of the plot.

[0063] Cloud Point Measurement An aqueous solution of the triblock nonionic surfactant (1 wt % concentration) was prepared by weighing 1.0.5 g of sample into 49.5 mL of distilled water. 2. The mixture was kept stirred until the surfactant was completely dissolved in the water, then 10 mL of the prepared solution was poured into a test tube and a thermometer was placed in the test tube. 3. The test tube was heated in a water bath set to a given temperature. 4. Once the test solution became cloudy, the temperature was recorded. 5. Steps 3-4 were repeated three times and the average value was considered as the cloud point.

[0064] Pour Point Determination The test procedure was based on ASTM D97-12 using the YuTong (YT-510E-3) instrument and included the steps described below. 1. Sample (approximately 45 mL) was poured into the test jar up to the level mark. 2. The sample was placed in an apparatus equipped with a kerosene thermometer for temperature measurement. 3. The device was turned on and the desired temperature value was set. 4. Once the set temperature was reached and stabilized, a visual inspection of the sample flowability was performed. Observations were not to exceed 5 seconds. 5. The set temperature was decreased in 3°C increments. If the temperature approached the estimated pour point, the temperature adjustment was decreased in 1°C increments. 6. The lowest temperature at which the sample was flowable could be recorded as its pour point. 7. The measurement was repeated three times and the average value was recorded as the final pour point.

[0065] Soil Removal Testing of Concentrated Liquid Laundry Detergent Formulations Cleaning process: -Equipment:Terg-o-tometer JB003-Sebum cloth -Application amount: 0.8g / L - Water hardness: 250 ppm calculated by CaCO3 (weight ratio - MgCl26H2O:CaCl2=20.37:16.7) -Temperature: 30℃ -Rotation speed: 120 rpm

[0066] GB Sebum contains synthetic sebum, gum pigment / cotton, supplied by China Research Institute of Daily Chemical Industry. 1.Stain removal test: Equipment: Konica Minolta spectrophotometer CM-3600A. 2. Steps: The color of the dried swatches was measured with a spectrophotometer before and after washing. Both sides of each piece were measured and the readings were averaged. The output of the color measurement was L * , a * , and b * The cleaning power was calculated based on the following formula: Dirt removal rate (%) = (L * Rear-L * Previous) / (96-L * Previous)×100%

[0067] Viscosity adjustment measurement: Formulation viscosity was measured on a Brookfield LVDV-II. Samples with a viscosity less than 1000 were processed at 30 rpm with a #62 spindle, and samples with a viscosity greater than 1000 were measured at 10 rpm with a #62 spindle.

[0068] Viscosity measurement during dissolution 2 mL of the unit dose formulation was added to an 8 mL glass tube. The initial viscosity was measured by the high-throughput TADM method, a pressure-based parallel viscometry method developed by Dow. It estimates the viscosity of the sample by monitoring the pressure change in the pipette. After the viscosity measurement, 1 mL of deionized water was added to the tube and the mixture was mixed until homogenous. The viscosity was then measured again by the TADM method. The process of water addition and viscosity measurement was repeated twice until 3 mL of deionized water was mixed into the unit dose formulation.

[0069] Based on all of the above performance comparisons, the triblock nonionic surfactants of the present invention exhibit unique and interesting surfactant properties: low CMC, medium foam with fast foam collapse.Evaluation in different types of detergent formulations shows that these triblock nonionic surfactants provide an exceptional combination of detergency and viscosity control, and none of the comparative benchmarks could provide such a well-balanced performance.More specifically and interestingly, the triblock nonionic surfactants of the present invention containing unit dose detergent formulations exhibiting low solvent and water content can maintain better fluidity and improved detergency in the dissolution stage.

Claims

1. A primary or secondary alcohol started nonionic surfactant having the formula (I): 【Chemistry 1】 wherein R' is selected from the group consisting of a straight chain primary alcohol moiety having a C16-18 alkyl chain or a secondary alcohol moiety having a C8-18 alkyl chain; R'' is a methyl or ethyl group; x is an integer from 2 to 4; y is an integer from 1 to 25; and z is an integer from 1 to 50.

2. 2. The primary or secondary alcohol started nonionic surfactant of claim 1, wherein y is an integer from 9 to 25, and the sum of x and z is an integer from 5 to 30.

3. 2. The primary or secondary alcohol started nonionic surfactant of claim 1, wherein y is an integer from 9 to 16, and the sum of x and z is an integer from 5 to 20.

4. 2. Use of the primary or secondary alcohol-started nonionic surfactant of claim 1 in a detergent composition.

5. 1. A detergent composition comprising: (a) at least one anionic surfactant; (b) a primary or secondary alcohol started nonionic surfactant according to claim 1, A detergent composition, wherein component (a) and component (b) are in an amount of at least 50% by weight, based on the total weight of the detergent composition.

6. 6. The detergent composition of claim 5, wherein components (a) and (b) are in an amount of at least 70% by weight, based on the total weight of the detergent composition.

7. 6. The detergent composition of claim 5, wherein component (a) is in an amount of at least 50% by weight of the total of components (a) and (b).

8. The detergent composition of claim 5, wherein the detergent composition further comprises (c) an organic solvent.

9. 9. The detergent composition of claim 8, wherein the detergent composition comprises less than 20% by weight of component (c).

10. 6. The detergent composition of claim 5, wherein the anionic surfactant is selected from alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, alkanesulfonates, fatty acid salts, alkylbenzenesulfonates, dialkylsulfosuccinates, and any combination thereof.

11. A liquid laundry product comprising the detergent composition of claim 5.

12. A single unit dose laundry product comprising the detergent composition of claim 5.

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