Foaming cleaning agent for car washes that provides a water-repellent coating

Abstract

To provide a foam washing agent used as a washing agent for a car washing machine which has excellent foaming property and defoaming property and also offers good repellent coating after washing with the foam washing agent.SOLUTION: The above problem can be solved by providing a composition of a foam washing agent which is made up of fatty acid alkali salt composed of aliphatic acid whose carbon number is 20 or more, alkyl benzene sulfonic acid and a salt thereof, and a chelate agent and glycol ethers.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a foaming detergent for use in a car wash, which is suitable for washing automobiles and the like, particularly for washing the automobile surface in a portal-type car wash and then applying a good water-repellent coating thereto. [Background technology]

[0002] When a portal-type car wash is used to wash an automobile and then apply a water-repellent coating, a water-rinsing process, a foaming cleaning process, application of a water-repellent coating, drying, etc. are performed while the portal-type traveling frame moves forward or backward. Here, in the foaming cleaning process, a foaming cleaning agent is foamed in a foaming device and polished to perform cleaning, and then the foam is washed away by a water-rinsing process, after which the water-repellent coating is performed. Such foaming cleaners are required to be able to clean automobiles efficiently, i.e., to have good foaming properties and foam well, and to have excellent defoaming properties that can be removed by rinsing with a small amount of water. In particular, foaming cleaners for car washes are usually used after being diluted about 100 to 200 times, but even when diluted to a low concentration, they must have good foaming properties during cleaning to thoroughly clean the surface to be cleaned, and excellent defoaming properties when rinsed with a small amount of water after cleaning.

[0003] Several prior art techniques have been reported regarding cleaning compositions for cleaning automotive surfaces. Patent Document 1 describes a foaming cleaner containing potassium fatty acid, an anionic surfactant, a chelating agent, and a saturated aliphatic dicarboxylate, and in particular discloses a foaming cleaner suitable for use in car washes such as portal-type car washes. Patent Document 2 describes a cleaner containing a fatty acid salt, in which a coated surface is cleaned with a cleaner containing a fatty acid salt, and then the cleaned painted surface of the automobile is treated with an emulsion of an amino-modified silicone with a nonionic surfactant.

[0004] However, after washing a car, a water-repellent coating is applied, and during this process, components of the cleaning agent that could not be washed away by rinsing remain on the surface of the car body, which often results in the water-repellent coating not sticking well. Under such circumstances, there is a demand for a foaming cleaning agent that has good water repellency when used for applying a water repellent coat after rinsing. Although some foaming cleaning agents for conventional car washes have good foaming and defoaming properties, cleaning agents with these characteristics often cannot provide sufficient water repellency when applied with a water repellent coat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-129193 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2001-294892 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a foaming cleaning agent for car washes, which exhibits good foaming properties even when diluted to a low concentration during washing in car washing such as car washing using a car wash, exhibits excellent defoaming properties even when rinsed with a small amount of water after washing, and in addition does not adversely affect the application of a water-repellent coat after rinsing with water. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In conventional foaming detergents for car washes, fatty acid alkali salts are often used as foaming components, and fatty acid alkali salts composed of fatty acids with low carbon numbers are usually used. Even in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2, the carbon numbers of the fatty acid alkali salts actually used in the examples were up to 18 at most. As a result of extensive research into developing a car wash detergent having the above-mentioned properties, the inventors have discovered that by examining the structure of the hydrocarbon group of the fatty acid that constitutes the fatty acid alkali salt, which is a component of the foaming detergent, it is possible to obtain a foaming detergent that maintains foaming and defoaming properties and does not adversely affect the application of a water-repellent coat. The inventors of the present invention have found that the above object can be achieved by making the fatty acid in the fatty acid alkali salt used in conventional detergents a longer-chain hydrocarbon group having 20 or more carbon atoms. They have also found that it is even more desirable for the fatty acid to have an unsaturated group in order to achieve the object. The present invention is based on these novel discoveries.

[0008] The foaming detergent for car washes according to the present invention is a detergent containing a fatty acid alkali salt having a specific structure, alkylbenzenesulfonic acid and its salts, a chelating agent, and glycol ethers. That is, the present invention includes the following technical items. [1] A foaming cleaning agent for car washes that has good water repellency and contains the following ingredients: (A) Alkaline salt of fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms (B) Alkylbenzenesulfonates and their salts (C) Chelating agent (D) Glycol ethers [2] A foaming cleaning agent for car washes, characterized in that in the fatty acid alkali salt of [1], the fatty acid constituting the fatty acid alkali salt has an unsaturated hydrocarbon group. [3] A foaming cleaning agent for car washes, characterized in that in the fatty acid alkali salt of [1] or [2], the alkali that neutralizes the fatty acid of the fatty acid alkali salt is an alkali metal, an amine, or ammonia. [4] The foaming cleaning agent for car wash machines according to any one of [1] to [3], further comprising a fatty acid alkali salt made of a fatty acid having less than 20 carbon atoms. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The foaming cleaning agent for car washes according to the present invention exhibits good foaming properties during cleaning, exhibits good defoaming properties when rinsed with a small amount of water after cleaning, and further has good rinsing properties that do not affect the application of water-repellent coatings, and therefore has excellent properties as a cleaning agent for car washes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The detergent of the present invention contains a fatty acid alkali salt as a main component. The fatty acid alkali salt may be one that is used as a main component of soap, and the fatty acid that constitutes the fatty acid alkali salt is a long-chain fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms. The fatty acid is preferably an unsaturated hydrocarbon group. The form of the salt is not particularly limited, but preferably, sodium salts, potassium salts, ammonium salts (salts with ammonia, salts with various amines, such as monoethanolamine salts, diethanolamine salts, triethanolamine salts, etc.) are used. At least one of these salts can be used as the form of the salt of the fatty acid used.

[0011] In the present invention, the hydrocarbon group of the fatty acid constituting the fatty acid alkali salt is preferably a long chain having 20 or more carbon atoms. The inventors speculate that the reason for this is as follows. However, the present invention should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner based on the following speculation. In other words, fatty acid salts with long-chain hydrocarbon groups can be used to remove hard water components (Ca) contained in tap water during the rinsing process. 2+ , Mg 2+ When metal soap is formed by the above-mentioned processes, the molecular weight is larger than that of short-chain hydrocarbon groups because the hydrocarbon portion is long, and even if the same ratio (weight %) of fatty acid salt is mixed, all of the fatty acid salt will change to metal soap with a small amount of hard water components. Also, because the molecular weight is large, the amount of metal soap produced is small, and it is thought that it can be easily rinsed off with a small amount of water.

[0012] In addition, it is preferable that the hydrocarbon group constituting the fatty acid is a long chain having 20 or more carbon atoms and is an unsaturated hydrocarbon. This is because, when fatty acids were examined, it was found that unsaturated fatty acids having double bonds tended to foam and rinse better than saturated fatty acids, even when the fatty acids had the same number of carbon atoms.

[0013] The alkylbenzenesulfonic acid used in the present invention generally has excellent properties in terms of cleaning power, foaming power, and penetration power in a cleaning agent composition. In the present invention, a chelating agent and a glycol ether are further contained. The chelating agent improves cleaning power as a cleaning auxiliary, and the glycol ether has the property of reducing the viscosity of the cleaning agent.

[0014] The foaming detergent of the present invention may further contain a fatty acid alkali salt made of a fatty acid having less than 20 carbon atoms. For this purpose, any fatty acid alkali salt used in conventional foaming detergents may be used. By replacing a small portion of the fatty acid alkali salt of a fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms, which is component (A) of the present invention, with a fatty acid alkali salt of a fatty acid having less than 20 carbon atoms, it is expected that the long-term stability of the detergent solution will be improved. This is because fatty acid salts with a large number of carbon atoms have lower solubility in water than fatty acid salts with a small number of carbon atoms, but by mixing with fatty acid salts with a small number of carbon atoms, the solubility is improved, which contributes to the long-term stability of the detergent solution. In addition, since the amount of component (A) used can be reduced, there is also the economic advantage of lowering the overall unit price of raw materials.

[0015] The foaming detergent of the present invention is used in the form of an aqueous solution of a fatty acid salt at an appropriate concentration. In normal use, it is diluted 100 to 200 times, so the concentration is preferably 0.05% by weight or more, more preferably about 0.1 to 1.0% by weight.

[0016] The foaming cleaner of the present invention uses a fatty acid alkali salt as its main component, and in particular uses soap as its main component, which provides sufficient cleaning effect and allows easy and thorough rinsing. Therefore, when the process proceeds to the water-repellent coating process, there is no decrease in the adhesion of the water-repellent agent due to the detergent components remaining on the treated surface.

[0017] When the foaming detergent of the present invention is used to wash an automobile, dirt can be easily removed by performing normal dirt removal procedures, such as spraying with a car wash machine, wiping by hand with a sponge or rag, etc. When the washed surface is then washed off with water (rinsing step), dirt and remaining detergent components can be easily washed off with a small amount of water, and the water repellent effect of the water repellent used in the subsequent water repellent coating is particularly excellent.

[0018] The water repellent used in the water repellent coating performed after washing with the foaming cleaner for car wash of the present invention can be one that uses an emulsion of amino-modified silicone emulsified with a nonionic surfactant as its active ingredient. Amino-modified silicone is generally known as amino-modified silicone oil (see "Silicone Materials Handbook," edited and published by Toray Dow Corning Silicone Co., Ltd., August 1993), or a commercially available product can be used. For example, an amino-modified polysiloxane in which a part of the methyl group of dimethylpolysiloxane is substituted with at least one organic group having an amino group or a substituted amino group (which may contain other substituents), such as aminoalkyl groups, e.g., aminomethyl, aminoethyl, aminopropyl, aminobutyl, and aminoalkyl-substituted aminoalkyl groups, e.g., aminoethyl-substituted aminopropyl, can be used.

[0019] In the above amino-modified product, the amino equivalent is preferably 600 g / mol or more, more preferably about 1000 to 7000 g / mol, and the viscosity is 600 mm 2 It is preferable to use an amino-modified silicone having a molecular weight of at least 800 / s, more preferably about 800 to 20,000 / s, in order to achieve a more excellent water repellency.

[0020] The viscosity of the amino-modified silicone used in the water-repellent coating of the present invention is 600 mm 2 If the amino equivalent is less than 600 g / mol (too low a molecular weight), it is difficult to form a film that completely covers the surface of the car to be coated, and sufficient water repellency cannot be imparted. Also, the amino groups of amino-modified silicone have the ability to adsorb to the surface to be coated, but because they are hydrophilic, if the amino equivalent is less than 600 g / mol (too many amino groups), sufficient water repellency and other properties cannot be imparted.

[0021] The emulsifier used in the water repellent used in the water repellent coating is a non-ionic surfactant. There is no limitation on the type, but it is preferable to use those that do not contain ionic hydrophilic groups, such as polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkyl phenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and fatty acid monoglycerides, among which polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers are preferred.

[0022] The water repellent used in the water repellent coating of the present invention is not necessarily preferred because the addition of alkyl ammonium salts results in insufficient film formation. Therefore, it is more preferable not to add such alkyl ammonium salts. In addition, rust inhibitors, ultraviolet absorbers, etc. can be appropriately added within a range that does not impair the purpose and effect of the present invention.

[0023] There is no particular difficulty in preparing the above emulsion. A nonionic surfactant is preferably used in an amount of about 10 to 100% by weight relative to the amino-modified silicone oil used, and the mixture is stirred and emulsified to form an aqueous emulsion. When actually used, the concentration can be adjusted so that the amino-modified silicone content is about 0.01 to 1% by weight.

[0024] There is no particular difficulty in using the water repellent used in the water repellent coating of the present invention, and it is advisable to carry out surface treatment using a water repellent, such as spraying or applying a diluted solution to a certain concentration as described above to the surface of an automobile. It can also be automatically applied using various car washes such as spray car washes. Thereafter, by drying as necessary, a coating film that is excellent in water repellency, gloss (luster), etc. for a long period of time can be formed on the painted surface of the automobile, particularly on the entire exterior surface of the automobile, including the painted surface, glass surface, and rubber surface. EXAMPLES

[0025] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to examples, comparative examples, and reference examples. However, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to these examples. In addition, percentages are expressed by weight percent unless otherwise specified.

[0026] The properties of the foaming cleaner were evaluated from the following viewpoints. (1) Foam volume (ml): Foaming Put 10 ml of the sample composition prepared in advance into a 100 ml measuring cylinder with a stopper, and shake it by hand 30 times in 15 seconds (shake by hand). Read the volume of the foam immediately after shaking on the scale of the measuring cylinder with the stopper. (2) Required amount of water (g): Antifoaming Into the measuring cylinder in which the amount of foaming was measured in (1), slowly pour water down the wall of the measuring cylinder, and measure the weight of the water poured until the foam disappears. (3) Contact angle (°): Water repellency Prepare a black test piece measuring 10cm x 20cm. This test piece is a cold-rolled steel plate specified in JIS G3141 that has been subjected to cathodic electrocoating and then melamine coating. Spray the entire surface of this test piece with a 100-fold diluted sample composition six times using a mold cleaner spray, then spray tap water six times using a regular spray to wash away the foam. After that, spray the entire test piece with Product F (existing product: water repellent) diluted 200 times four times using a spray. Measure the contact angle of the sample remaining on the test piece using a contact angle meter.

[0027] [Comparative Example 1] Using a commercially available water repellent (product N:B Co., Ltd.), the foaming property, defoaming property and water repellency were measured. [Table 1]

[0028] [Table 2] Product N contains Teika Power L-124 (alkylbenzene sulfonic acid), which is also used as component (B) in the present invention. Unfortunately, it does not contain fatty acid salts, so although it foams well, it does not rinse off easily (requires a large amount of water). The contact angle is also only 76.6°.

[0029] [Comparative Example 2, Reference Examples 1 and 2] Next, since Product X (Yokohama Oil & Fats Co., Ltd.) contains fatty acid salts and is known as a foaming detergent with excellent foaming and defoaming properties, the structure of the fatty acid constituting the fatty acid salt, such as the number of carbon atoms, was changed and the properties of the foaming detergent containing this were investigated. Comparative Example 2 is the composition of Product X, and the fatty acid constituting the fatty acid salt contained in Product X was an unsaturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms. Therefore, in Reference Example 1, a saturated fatty acid with 12 carbon atoms was used as the constituting fatty acid, and in Reference Example 2, a saturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms was used.

[0030] [Example] In the examples, the constituent fatty acids are unsaturated fatty acids having a carbon number of 20 or more. The compositions of the foaming cleaning compositions investigated are summarized in Table 3. In Examples 1 and 2, unsaturated fatty acids with 22 and 24 carbon atoms were used. In Example 1-1, since the foaming cleanser composition of Example 1 showed better results in foaming and defoaming properties than Product X of Comparative Example 2, in order to make the foaming properties equivalent to those of Product X of Comparative Example 2, the amount of Teika Power L-124, which is a factor in foaming, among the ingredients of Example 1 was reduced to 80% of that of Example 1, and erucic acid, which is a factor in foam break-down (defoaming properties), was reduced to 90%, and the characteristics were evaluated. In Example 3, the amount of erucic acid was further reduced, and an unsaturated fatty acid with 18 carbon atoms was added instead.

[0031] [Table 3]

[0032] The properties of each foaming cleaner are summarized in Table 4 below. In all cases, the properties were measured after diluting the foaming cleaner composition 100 times. [Table 4]

[0033] The following becomes clear from Table 4. In Example 1-1, the contents of the components that mainly contribute to foaming and the components that contribute to foam-breaking were reduced compared to the composition of Example 1, but it can be evaluated that there was no substantial difference from Example 1 in terms of foaming properties and foam-breaking properties. It was also found that the foaming capacity increases as the number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid increases, and that the foaming capacity improves. And when the number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid exceeds 20, the amount of water required to eliminate the foam decreases, improving the defoaming capacity, and the contact angle increases, improving the application of the water repellent. It was also confirmed that, if the number of carbon atoms in fatty acids is the same, unsaturated fatty acids having double bonds tend to foam better and have better foam-removal properties than saturated fatty acids (Comparative Example 2, Reference Example 2). In Example 3, a part of the unsaturated fatty acid having 22 carbon atoms was replaced with a fatty acid having less than 20 carbon atoms, but the foaming property, foam breaking time, contact angle, and other properties were equivalent to those of the other Examples. It was confirmed by observation that the foaming detergent of Example 3 has improved long-term stability of the detergent.

Claims

1. A foaming cleaning agent for car washes used as a pre-treatment for water-repellent coatings, containing the following ingredients: (A) a fatty acid alkali salt of a fatty acid having 20 or more carbon atoms (B) Alkylbenzenesulfonic acid and its salts (C) Chelating agent (D) Glycol ethers

2. 2. The foaming detergent for car washing machines according to claim 1, wherein the fatty acid constituting the fatty acid alkali salt has an unsaturated hydrocarbon group.

3. 3. A foaming detergent for a car wash according to claim 1, wherein the alkali which neutralizes the fatty acid in the fatty acid alkali salt is an alkali metal, an amine or ammonia.

4. The foaming detergent for car washes according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a fatty acid alkali salt of a fatty acid having less than 20 carbon atoms.

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