Cleaning compositions containing branched alkyl sulfate surfactants and short-chain nonionic surfactants

Abstract

To solve the problem in which conventional laundry detergents may provide a laundering experience at one or more of these touch points but never realize any product providing consumers with an optimized sudsing profile at all four of these touch points (while also providing cleaning efficacy).SOLUTION: Cleaning compositions with improved sudsing profiles are provided. The cleaning compositions contain one or more branched unalkoxylated C6-C14 alkyl sulphate anionic surfactants in combination with one or more linear or branched C4-C11 alkyl or aryl alkoxylated alcohol nonionic surfactants. Such cleaning compositions are particularly suitable for use in hand-washing fabrics.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to cleaning compositions, particularly laundry or dish detergent compositions, and more particularly to detergent compositions specially designed for manual / hand or semi-automatic cleaning of fabrics or dishware. [Background technology]

[0002] Detergents containing anionic detersive surfactants for cleaning fabrics have been known for many years. Historically, laundry cleaning was defined primarily as a process involving stain removal. Following this historical approach to cleaning, laundry detergent designers focused on formulating detergents with longer carbon chain surfactants to ensure maximum surfactant activity and achieve the most effective soil removal.

[0003] Such long-chain surfactants can generate a large amount of foam during the wash cycle of a fabric laundering process. Therefore, consumers consider high foam volume to be the first and most desirable cleaning signal. For consumers who hand wash, which remains the majority in most developing countries, high foam volume is particularly desirable because consumers can directly feel and touch the foam generated during the hand washing process and intuitively associate high foam volume with adequate fabric cleaning.

[0004] Paradoxically, a large amount of foam during the wash cycle usually leads to more foam in the subsequent rinse cycle. When consumers observe foam during the rinse cycle, they immediately assume that surfactant residues may still be present on the fabric. Surfactant residues remaining on the fabric can cause skin irritation and can cause the fabric to feel "sticky" after drying, making it more likely to attract dirt when worn. As a result, consumers may feel the need to rinse the fabric two or three more times until the foam has completely or substantially disappeared from the rinse solution, indicating that the fabric is now "clean" and free of surfactant residues. However, in many cases, one or two rinses are sufficient to remove most or all of the surfactant residues from the fabric, despite the substantial amount of foam remaining in the rinse solution. In other words, additional rinsing is unnecessary and excessive. Such excessive rinsing requires additional time, effort, energy, and water. Excessive rinsing is particularly undesirable in resource-scarce regions, especially those suffering from water shortages.

[0005] Therefore, the sudsing properties of a detergent composition during both the wash and rinse cycles of the fabric laundering process are important to the overall consumer laundry experience, especially for consumers who hand wash.

[0006] There is a need to provide an improved laundry cleaning (i.e., wash) experience to consumers, particularly those accustomed to either washing their laundry entirely by hand (i.e., entirely by hand / hand wash) or washing their laundry manually in combination with machine wash (i.e., semi-automatic wash). Specifically, this improved laundry experience is enabled by desirable sudsing characteristics defined by at least four key points observed by the consumer (hereinafter referred to as "touch points"), which together indicate to the consumer that the laundry has been thoroughly washed and rinsed. A lack of any of these touch points can result in a consumer having a less than ideal laundry experience.

[0007] These four touch points are referred to herein as "Flash Suds," "Suds Mileage," "Initial Rinse Suds," and "End Rinse Suds," and are described below with reference to FIG. 1, which illustrates a typical laundry process having a wash cycle followed by a rinse cycle.

[0008] Prior to the wash cycle, ie, during the pre-wash step, the consumer dissolves the laundry detergent product in a specific amount of water to form an aqueous wash solution and contacts the laundry to be treated with the wash solution.

[0009] The wash cycle begins with mechanical agitation of laundry in the wash solution, either in the washing machine or directly by the consumer, resulting in an initial foam buildup characterized by a significantly larger amount of foam (measured by height) generated at a relatively fast rate (within the first 2-3 minutes of the wash cycle) during the first stage of the wash cycle, i.e., the "W-1" stage shown in Figure 1. This initial foam buildup, known as "flash foam," constitutes the first touchpoint and indicates that the surfactants in the laundry detergent are effectively functioning to clean the laundry. The second touchpoint requires maintaining or sustaining a relative level of wash foam volume or height, i.e., "foam effect," throughout the second, subsequent stage of the wash cycle (the "W-2" stage shown in Figure 1).

[0010] These two early touchpoints indicate to consumers that the laundry detergent is effective at cleaning laundry and that it is maintained throughout the entire wash cycle. If there is no flash suds or the flash suds volume is not large enough in the W-1 stage, consumers may interpret the laundry detergent product as ineffective. If the suds effect is not maintained throughout the majority of the W-2 stage of the wash cycle, consumers may interpret the laundry detergent product as losing its cleaning effectiveness or that there are not enough surfactants in the detergent to effectively clean all of the laundry load.

[0011] After the wash cycle and before the rinse cycle, i.e., in the intermediate step, the thoroughly washed laundry is separated from the wash liquid. The wash liquid is drained or otherwise disposed of. The laundry is squeezed or spun to remove excess wash liquid, and then the laundry is contacted with clean water or rinse liquid. The foam volume (measured by height) during this intermediate step is not measured as it is not important to the consumer; the dotted line only shows the approximate foam volume (measured by height) during this step for illustrative purposes.

[0012] During the rinse cycle, mechanical agitation (machine or manual) is also applied to the laundry in the rinse liquor in an attempt to rinse away any carryover or residual surfactant and soil from the laundry. During the first stage of the rinse cycle, i.e., the "R-1" stage in FIG. 1, some initial suds may be observed in the rinse liquor, referred to as "initial rinse suds." A portion of these initial suds, as shown in FIG. 1, is carried over from the wash cycle by the laundry, i.e., residual suds attached to the laundry. The remaining portion of the initial suds is generated by mechanical agitation of the rinse liquor due to the presence of carryover or residual surfactant therein. These initial suds constitute the third touchpoint, which is preferably of medium volume (measured by height). Given the surfactant carryover from the washed laundry, consumers expect some initial suds. The complete absence of initial suds may cause consumers to question the effectiveness of the wash cycle so far.

[0013] The fourth touchpoint requires a rapid and significant collapse of suds (indicated by the dotted arrow) during the second subsequent stage of the rinse cycle (the "R-2 stage" in FIG. 1 ) to a zero or near-zero "final rinse suds" volume (measured by height). Despite continued agitation, the rinse suds volume (measured by height) significantly and quickly decreases to a zero or near-zero level during this stage. It should be noted that both the magnitude and rate of this collapse of suds during the R-2 stage are important because they both indicate effective rinsing of the laundry. At the end of the R-2 stage, the rinse suds are removed or nearly removed, indicating to the consumer that most or all residual surfactant has been rinsed from the laundry and that the consumer can proceed with post-rinse operations (e.g., drying and / or ironing the laundry). The consumer can then confidently stop rinsing and end the laundry process, which may help save not only water but also time.

[0014] During the R-2 stage, if rinse suds do not decrease sufficiently or quickly enough to reach a final rinse suds volume (measured by height) of zero or near-zero, this indicates to the consumer that residual surfactants still remain in the washed laundry or rinse liquor. As a result, the consumer may feel that rinsing is not yet complete and may unnecessarily spend additional time rinsing and / or using additional rinse water until all or most of the suds are removed. Therefore, it is important that a fourth touchpoint exists to indicate that the detergent product can be easily rinsed from the washed laundry, i.e., an easy-rinse formulation, which can provide a key differentiator for laundry detergent products.

[0015] A laundry detergent product that provides optimized foaming characteristics at all four of the above touchpoints suggests the laundry detergent product's benefits of not only high cleaning effectiveness, but also ease of rinsing. It can also help consumers conserve water and / or reduce the time it takes users to rinse their laundry. While traditional laundry detergents may provide a laundry experience at one or more of these touchpoints, there has never been a product that provides consumers with optimized foaming characteristics at all four of these touchpoints (while also providing cleaning effectiveness). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0016] Therefore, there is a need for such a laundry detergent product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] The present invention provides cleaning compositions having a branched alkyl sulfate surfactant in combination with a short-chain nonionic surfactant, which exhibit excellent sudsing characteristics throughout both the wash and rinse cycles of a dishwashing or fabric laundering process. Specifically, the cleaning compositions contain: (a) from about 5% to about 50% by weight of the total cleaning composition (hereinafter simply referred to as "wt. %) of one or more branched, non-alkoxylated C6-C alkyl sulfate surfactants; 14 (b) from about 0.05% to about 10% by weight of one or more linear or branched C4-C alkyl sulphate (AS) surfactants having a weight average degree of alkoxylation ranging from 1 to 10; 11 and (c) one or more additional ingredients. Unless otherwise specified, as used herein and in the following sections, the one or more additional ingredients are typically provided in amounts that make up 100% of the total weight of the respective composition.

[0018] The cleaning compositions of the present invention are characterized by optimized foaming properties at all four of the above touch points during the wash and rinse cycles, which is particularly pleasant for consumers who hand wash their hands.

[0019] Correspondingly, the present invention also relates to the use of the above cleaning composition for hand-washed dishes or fabrics. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for treating soiled materials, the method comprising the steps of (a) preparing the above cleaning composition, (b) contacting the cleaning composition with at least a portion of the soiled material, and (c) rinsing the soiled material. Preferably, steps (b) and (c) are both performed by hand, and the soiled material is more preferably a soiled fabric.

[0020] In particular, the present invention relates to laundry detergent compositions comprising: (a) from about 1% to about 30%, preferably from about 2% to about 25%, more preferably from about 3% to about 20%, and most preferably from about 5% to 15% by weight of a branched, non-alkoxylated C 12 AS surfactant, (b) from about 1% to about 30%, preferably from about 2% to about 25%, more preferably from about 3% to about 20%, and most preferably from about 5% to 15% by weight of branched non-alkoxylated C 13 (c) about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, preferably about 0.5% to about 10% by weight, more preferably about 1% to about 8% by weight, and most preferably about 2% to about 5% by weight of a linear C6AA surfactant having a weight average degree of ethoxylation in the range of about 4 to about 6; and (d) one or more additional ingredients.

[0021] Additionally, the present invention relates to concentrated laundry detergent compositions comprising: (a) from about 20% to about 50%, preferably from about 25% to about 45%, and more preferably from about 30% to about 40% by weight of a branched, non-alkoxylated C 12 AS surfactant, (b) about 20% to about 50%, preferably about 25% to about 45%, and more preferably about 30% to about 40%, by weight of branched non-alkoxylated C 13(c) about 5% to about 30% by weight, preferably about 8% to about 20% by weight, and more preferably about 10% to about 15% by weight, of a linear C6AA surfactant having a weight average degree of ethoxylation in the range of about 4 to about 6; and (d) one or more additional ingredients.

[0022] These and other features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a graph illustrating desirable sudsing profiles with four touch points at various stages of the wash and rinse cycles of a laundry process. [Figure 2] Photographs of wash liquor and first rinse liquor formed using an inventive powder laundry detergent composition showing wash foam and rinse foam volume during a hand wash process. [Figure 3] Photographs of wash liquor and first rinse liquor formed using an inventive liquid laundry detergent composition showing wash foam and rinse foam volume during a hand wash process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] definition As used herein, "foam" refers to a non-equilibrium dispersion of gas bubbles in a relatively small volume of liquid. The terms "suds," "foam," and "lather" may be used interchangeably within the meaning of the present invention.

[0025] The term "suds profile" as used herein refers to the property of a detergent composition related to its ability to foam during the wash and rinse cycles. Suds profile may include, but is not limited to, the initial rate of foam generation upon dissolution in the wash liquor, foam volume and retention during the wash cycle, the appearance and feel of the generated foam, the amount of residual foam carried over to the rinse liquor, and the rate of foam decay or disappearance during the rinse cycle, all of which are relevant to the consumer's fabric washing experience. Preferably, suds profile may include the initial wash suds volume (measured by height in centimeters), foam effectiveness (measured by height in centimeters), wash suds retention (%), rinse suds at 0 minutes (volume measured by height in centimeters), rinse suds at 1 minute (volume measured by height in centimeters), and rinse suds decay rate (% / min), all of which are measured using the suds profile test described below. More preferably, the suds profile of the detergent composition of the present invention is defined by the initial wash suds volume (cm), foam effectiveness (cm), and rinse suds decay rate (% / min), all of which are measured using the suds profile test described below. These three parameters assess the four touch points described above for the wash and rinse cycles. The suds profile may also include other suds-related parameters.

[0026] As used herein, the term "cleaning composition" refers to a liquid or solid composition for treating fabrics, hard surfaces, and any other surface in the fabric and home care field, including, for example, cleaning and / or treating hard surfaces, including floor and bathroom cleaners (e.g., toilet bowl cleaners); hand dishwashing detergents or light-duty dishwashing detergents, especially high-foaming types; dishwasher detergents; personal care compositions; pet care compositions; automotive care compositions; and household care compositions. In one embodiment, the cleaning composition of the present invention is a laundry detergent composition and may be in the form of a liquid, powder, paste, gel, single dose, pouch, or tablet. In another embodiment, the cleaning composition is a dishwashing detergent composition and may be in the form of a liquid, powder, paste, gel, single dose, pouch, or tablet.

[0027] As used herein, the term "soiled material" is used non-specifically and may refer to any type of flexible material made of a network of natural or man-made fibers, including, but not limited to, natural, man-made, and synthetic fibers such as cotton, linen, wool, polyester, nylon, silk, acrylic, and the like, as well as various blends and combinations. Soiled material may also refer to any type of hard surface, including natural, man-made, or synthetic surfaces (such as, but not limited to, glass, metal, plastic, porcelain, or ceramic cooking utensil or cookware surfaces, and table, countertop, or floor surfaces formed from tile, granite, grout, composite, vinyl, hardwood, and the like, as well as blends and combinations).

[0028] As used herein, the term "laundry detergent composition" is a subset of "cleaning compositions" and includes all-purpose or "heavy-duty" cleaning agents for fabrics (especially cleaning detergents in liquid, powder, paste, gel, single dose, pouch or tablet form), as well as cleaning aids such as bleaches, rinse aids, additives or pre-treats. In one embodiment, the laundry detergent composition is a heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent, and in another embodiment, the laundry detergent composition is a free-flowing granular laundry detergent.

[0029] As used herein, the term "C4-C 11 "Alkyl or aryl alkoxylated alcohol" broadly refers to at least one C4-C6 alkyl or aryl alkoxylated alcohol having a linear or branched structure. 11 Alkyl group or C4-C 11 It refers to alkoxylated alcohols containing aryl groups. In other words, C4-C 11 The C4 to C6 carbon atoms in the alkyl or aryl group are defined, not the total number of carbon atoms in the alkoxylated alcohol compound. 11 The aryl group may be unsubstituted or substituted with either a linear or branched alkyl group, provided that the total number of carbon atoms in the group does not exceed 11. 11 When the aryl group contains an alkyl substituent, it is C4-C 11The aryl group can be attached to the alkoxylated alcohol either through a ring carbon or through alkyl substitution.

[0030] As used herein, articles such as "a" and "an" used in the claims are understood to mean one or more of what is claimed or described.

[0031] As used herein, "include," "includes," and "including" mean open-ended. The term "consisting of" means exclusive, i.e., excluding any elements or components not specifically listed except when they are present as impurities, whereas the term "consisting essentially of" allows for the presence of other elements or components as long as they do not interfere with the function of the specifically listed elements or components.

[0032] As used herein, the term "substantially free of" refers to the presence of an indicator in a composition in an amount of 0.5% or less, preferably 0.2% or less, and more preferably 0.1% or less, of the total weight of such composition.

[0033] As used herein, the term "essentially free of" means that the indicator material is not intentionally added to the composition, or preferably is not present in concentrations detectable by analysis. It is meant to encompass compositions in which the indicator material is present only as an impurity of one of the other intentionally added materials.

[0034] As used herein, the term "solid" includes granular, powder, bar and tablet product forms.

[0035] As used herein, the term "fluid" includes liquid, gel, paste and gas product forms.

[0036] As used herein, the term "liquid" refers to a liquid at 25°C and 20 seconds. -1 Viscosity at a shear rate of about 1 to about 2000 mPa * In some embodiments, the viscosity of the liquid is 20 s at 25°C. -1 At a shear rate of about 200 to about 1000 mPa * In some embodiments, the viscosity of the liquid may range from 20 s at 25°C. -1 At a shear rate of about 200 to about 500 mPa * Viscosity can be measured using a Brookfield viscometer, No. 2 spindle, at 60 RPM / s.

[0037] All temperatures herein are in degrees Celsius (°C) unless otherwise specified. All measurements herein are made at 20°C and atmospheric pressure unless otherwise specified.

[0038] In all embodiments of the present invention, all percentages are by weight of the total composition unless otherwise specified. All percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified.

[0039] The dimensions and values disclosed herein should not be understood to be strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Rather, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "approximately 40 mm."

[0040] It will be understood that the values of each of the parameters of Applicants' invention described and claimed herein must be measured using the test methods disclosed in the Test Methods section of this application.

[0041] Foam-optimized surfactant system The inventors of the present invention have discovered that branched anionic surfactants (i.e., branched non-alkoxylated C6-C 14 alkyl sulfates), short-chain nonionic surfactants (i.e., linear or branched C4-C 11 We have found that cleaning compositions containing a combination of a hydroxypropyl methyl alcohol (a hydroxypropyl methyl alcohol) and a hydroxypropyl methyl alcohol (a hydroxypropyl methyl alcohol) exhibit improved foaming characteristics, characterized by a large "flash suds" volume in the W-1 stage of the wash cycle and good "suds effectiveness" in the W-2 stage, a moderate amount of "initial rinse suds" in the R-1 stage of the rinse cycle, and a dramatic and rapid decrease and disappearance of rinse suds, with zero or nearly zero "final rinse suds" in the R-2 stage of the rinse cycle.

[0042] These unique foaming characteristics provide consumers washing their hands with a pleasant washing and rinsing experience, especially during the rinse stage. The foam volume generated and its persistence / stability during the wash cycle are sufficiently high, indicating to consumers that effective cleaning is occurring. A moderate amount of foam is observed early in the rinse cycle. This is expected by consumers after observing a large amount of foam generated during washing as a sign of effective cleaning. However, once the rinse cycle begins, the foam undergoes a dramatic and rapid decrease and disappearance during the first minute or two of rinsing. Consumers washing their hands, in particular, will have the opportunity to visually observe the dramatic and rapid decrease and disappearance of rinse foam, ultimately resulting in a clear rinse with little or no foam at the end of the first rinse cycle. The consumer's visual recognition of the decrease and disappearance of foam clearly indicates that the items to be washed have undergone effective cleaning, have been thoroughly rinsed, and are now free of soil and residual surfactants. Therefore, consumers will feel comfortable stopping the laundry process after the first rinse cycle. Thus, the need for further rinsing is eliminated, potentially enabling a one-rinse concept.

[0043] The surprising and unexpected foam profile achieved by the cleaning compositions of the present invention is characterized by a high initial wash foam volume, high foam effectiveness, and a fast rinse foam decay rate, as measured using the Lather Profile Test described below. Specifically, the unique foam profile is defined by the following: a) an initial wash foam volume (measured by height) of about 30 cm or greater; b) foam effectiveness (measured by height) of about 30 cm or greater; and c) a rinse foam decay rate of about 40% / min or greater, as measured using the Lather Profile Test described below. The initial wash foam volume evaluates the first touchpoint, i.e., the aforementioned "flash foam" during the W-1 stage of the wash cycle. The foam effectiveness evaluates the second touchpoint (hence the name) during the W-2 stage of the wash cycle. The rinse foam decay rate evaluates both the third and fourth touchpoints, i.e., the aforementioned "initial rinse foam" and "final rinse foam" during the R-1 and R-2 stages of the rinse cycle.

[0044] The initial lather volume may be about 45 cm high and may range from about 30 cm to about 45 cm. Preferably, the initial lather volume of the cleaning composition is about 35 cm or more, and preferably about 40 cm or more. More preferably, the initial lather volume ranges from about 33 cm to about 44 cm, and preferably from about 34 cm to about 43 cm.

[0045] The foam coverage also has an upper limit of about 45 cm and may range from about 30 cm to about 42 cm. Preferably, the foam coverage of the cleaning composition is about 31 cm or greater, preferably about 32 cm or greater, and more preferably about 33 cm or greater. More preferably, the foam coverage is in the range of about 31 cm to about 42 cm, and preferably about 32 cm to about 41 cm.

[0046] The cleansing foam retention rate is calculated from the initial foam volume and foam effect and may be in the range of 60% to 120%. Preferably, it is 65% or more, or 70% or more, or 75% or more. More preferably, the cleansing foam retention rate is in the range of about 65% to about 100%.

[0047] The rate of reduction of rinsing foam is preferably in the range of about 40% / min to 100% / min. Preferably, it is in the range of about 50% / min to 100% / min. More preferably, it is in the range of about 60% / min to 100% / min. Even more preferably, it is in the range of about 70% / min to 100% / min. Even more preferably, it is in the range of about 80% / min to 100% / min.

[0048] This foaming property is achieved by using one or more branched non-alkoxylated C6-C 14 one or more linear or branched C4-C alkyl sulfate (AS) surfactants having a weight average degree of alkoxylation ranging from about 1 to about 10; 11 This can be achieved by combining with an alkyl or aryl alkoxylated alcohol (AA) surfactant. When combined together, these two surfactants synergize to achieve the improved and desirable lather characteristics described above.

[0049] The surfactant system of the present invention comprises a branched, non-alkoxylated C6-C 14 AS surfactants and linear or branched C4-C 11 One or more additional surfactants other than the alkyl or aryl AA surfactants may be included, so long as such additional surfactants do not adversely affect the optimized lathering characteristics achieved by the AS and AA surfactants or otherwise interact with the functionality of the AS and AA surfactants. Such additional surfactants may be selected from other anionic surfactants, other nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, and mixtures thereof.

[0050] Anionic surfactants: branched non-alkoxylated alkyl sulfates Anionic surfactants suitable for the practice of the present invention are branched, non-alkoxylated C6-C 14The most common type of AS surfactant is alkyl sulfate (hereinafter "AS"). European Patent No. 2119764, Example 12 of Table 4, discloses the combination of a relatively short-chain nonionic surfactant (i.e., an alkylene glycol ether 1 having a C8 alkyl group and a PO2.3) with an alkoxylated AS surfactant (i.e., sodium polyoxyethylene lauryl ether sulfate). However, it has been found that even a relatively low degree of alkoxylation of the branched AS surfactant (e.g., a weight average degree of about 1) can adversely affect the foaming characteristics of the cleaning composition. Specifically, a significantly higher amount of foam is observed early in the rinse cycle. This decreases little or not at all throughout the rinse, leaving a substantial amount of foam at the end of the first rinse cycle. Foam can only be removed by one or more additional rinses. Therefore, it is desirable to use a non-alkoxylated branched AS surfactant instead. Preferably, but not necessarily, the cleaning compositions of the present invention are substantially free of either linear or branched alkoxylated alkyl sulfate surfactants. More preferably, the cleaning compositions of the present invention are substantially free of any alkoxylated alkyl sulfate surfactants.

[0051] Furthermore, C6 to C in AS surfactants 14 Branching of the alkyl chain is important to ensure stability of the foam generated during the wash cycle of the laundry process. In US Patent Application Publication No. 2005 / 0124738, in Example 18, a medium chain nonionic surfactant (C 10 Alcohol ethoxylate) linear C 12 ~C 14 The combination of AS surfactants with alkyl chains has been disclosed. However, it has been found that the use of linear AS rather than branched AS results in insufficient foam stability during the wash cycle, and the resulting cleaning composition unfortunately exhibits poor foaming properties. Although not essential, the cleaning composition of the present invention is preferably substantially free of linear alkyl sulfate surfactants.

[0052] Furthermore, the branched AS surfactants of the present invention are characterized by relatively short alkyl chains (i.e., having about 6 to about 14 carbon atoms). Preferably, the branched AS surfactants of the present invention have branched alkyl moieties of varying carbon chain lengths, with the weight average carbon number of all branched alkyl moieties ranging from about 9 to about 14, more preferably from about 10 to about 13, and most preferably from about 11 to about 13. WO 9739088 discloses mid-chain branched alkyl sulfates containing branched alkyl moieties with a total carbon number ranging from 14 to 20, with their average total carbon number exceeding 14.5 (see WO 9739088, page 11, lines 8-12). Specifically, Example 11 of WO 9739088 describes a C9-C mid-chain branched AS surfactant having an average total carbon number of 16.5. 11 The present invention discloses a combination of AS surfactants with alcohol ethoxylate nonionic surfactants. However, it has been found that branched AS surfactants with longer alkyl chains (e.g., having more than 14 total carbon atoms, or an average total carbon number of 14 or more) have a detrimental effect on the foaming properties of cleaning compositions. Specifically, the amount of foam carried over from the wash cycle to the rinse cycle is significantly increased compared to branched AS surfactants with shorter alkyl chains. Furthermore, the carried-over foam is little or not reduced during rinsing, and at the end of the first rinse, a significant amount of foam still remains on the surface of the rinse liquid. This foam can only be removed by further rinsing. Therefore, relatively short alkyl chains (i.e., C6-C 14 ), preferably characterized in that the branched alkyl moiety has a weight average carbon number ranging from about 9 to about 14, more preferably from about 10 to about 13, and most preferably from about 11 to about 13. Preferably, but not necessarily, cleaning compositions of the present invention do not contain longer molecular chains (i.e., C), either linear or branched. 15 It is substantially free of alkyl sulfate surfactants (above).

[0053] The branched non-alkoxylated AS surfactant of the present invention may exist in an acid form, which may be neutralized to form a salt. Typical neutralizing agents include hydroxides, such as metal counterion bases, such as NaOH or KOH. Further suitable neutralizing agents for anionic surfactants in acid form include ammonia, amines, or alkanolamines. Non-limiting examples of alkanolamines include monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, and other linear or branched alkanolamines known in the art. Suitable alkanolamines include 2-amino-1-propanol, 1-aminopropanol, monoisopropanolamine, or 1-amino-3-propanol. Amine neutralization may be complete or partial; for example, a portion of the anionic surfactant mixture may be neutralized with sodium or potassium, and a portion of the anionic surfactant mixture may be neutralized with an amine or alkanolamine.

[0054] In a preferred, but not required, embodiment of the present invention, branched non-alkoxylated C-C 14 AS surfactants have the general formula (I):

[0055] [ka] In the formula, M is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium, amine, or alkanolamine cation, x and y are independently selected from integers ranging from 0 to about 10, z is an integer ranging from about 1 to about 4, the sum of x+y is greater than or equal to z, and the sum of x+y+z is in the range of from about 3 to about 11. Preferably, z is about 1, and the sum of x+y is about 8 to about 9.

[0056] Non-limiting examples of suitable branched, non-alkoxylated AS surfactants of the present invention include those having the following chemical structure:

[0057] [ka]

[0058] The cleaning composition of the present invention comprises two or more branched non-alkoxylated C6 to C6- 14 It is particularly preferred to include an AS surfactant. More preferably, such a mixture comprises: (1) a branched, non-alkoxylated C surfactant in an amount ranging from about 20% to about 80%, preferably from about 30% to about 70%, and more preferably from about 35% to about 50% of the total weight of the mixture; 12 AS surfactant and (2) a branched non-alkoxylated C in an amount ranging from about 20% to about 80%, preferably from about 30% to about 70%, and more preferably from about 35% to about 50% of the total weight of the mixture. 13 Most preferably, the mixture is a branched non-alkoxylated C AS surfactant. 12 AS surfactants and branched non-alkoxylated C 13 Consisting of, or consisting essentially of, an AS surfactant.

[0059] Branched non-alkoxylated AS surfactants are commercially available as a mixture of linear and branched isomers with various chain lengths and degrees of branching, and are available from Sasol. 12~13 Sulfated Isalchem® 123 and Shell C 12~13 and 20% branching.

[0060] The cleaning composition of the present invention comprises the above-mentioned branched non-alkoxylated C6-C 14 The AS surfactant may be present in the range of about 5% to about 50%, preferably about 6% to about 40%, more preferably about 8% to about 30%, and most preferably about 10% to about 20% by weight of the total cleaning composition. In more concentrated formulations with 2x, 3x, or 4x compaction ratios, branched non-alkoxylated C6-C 14 The AS surfactant may be present in higher amounts ranging from 30% to 50%, preferably 35% to 45% and more preferably 40% to 45% by weight of the concentrate formulation.

[0061] Nonionic surfactants: short-chain alkoxylated alcohols Nonionic surfactants suitable for the practice of the present invention are either linear or branched alkyl or aryl alkoxylated alcohols (sometimes referred to as alcohol alkoxylates or simply AA), and are generally: (1) alkyl or aryl alkoxylated alcohols having a relatively short carbon chain or a relatively small aromatic ring, i.e., C4-C6 11 Alkyl or aryl moiety, preferably C4-C 10 (2) the C4-C8 alkyl or aryl moiety of the AA surfactant has a weight average degree of alkoxylation, i.e., the weight average number of alkoxylated moieties contained in the AA surfactant, ranging from about 1 to about 10, preferably from about 2 to about 8, more preferably from about 3 to about 7, and most preferably from about 4 to about 6. 11 The aryl moiety may be unsubstituted or substituted with either a linear or branched alkyl group, provided that the total number of carbon atoms in the group does not exceed 11. 11 If the aryl moiety contains alkyl substituents, C4-C 11 The aryl moiety can be attached to the alkoxylated alcohol either through a ring carbon or alkyl substitution. Preferably, the AA surfactants used in the practice of this invention are C4-C 11 Contains an alkyl moiety.

[0062] Longer carbon chains (e.g., C 12 ~C 20 Nonionic AA surfactants having alkyl moieties (e.g., C4 to C6) are known in the art for use in cleaning compositions, including laundry detergent compositions. However, short chain AA surfactants, e.g., C4 to C6 11 Those with alkyl moieties are much less commonly used in this regard due to their poor lathering properties. When used alone, such short chain AA surfactants produce little or no cleansing lather.

[0063] Therefore, such short chain AA surfactants are suitable for use in the above-mentioned branched C6-C14 It is a surprising and unexpected discovery in the present invention that cleaning compositions can be produced that interact with AS anionic surfactants to produce larger volumes of foam that are more stable (i.e., have better foaming properties) during the wash cycle, while only carrying over a moderate amount of foam into the rinse, which then dissipates almost completely within a minute or two of the first rinse cycle, resulting in a rinse with little or no foam remaining at the end of the first rinse cycle.

[0064] Furthermore, branched C6~C 14 When combined with AS anionic surfactants, longer chain AA surfactants (e.g., C 12 and / or C. 14 It has been found that longer chain AA surfactants (containing alkyl moieties) exhibit poor rinse foam properties compared to the short chain AA surfactants of the present invention. Specifically, a much higher amount of wash foam is carried over from the wash cycle to the rinse cycle, with little or no foam reduction during rinsing. Furthermore, such longer chain AA surfactants are less likely to produce a foam that is less than that of the branched C6-C 14 When combined with AS anionic surfactants, they exhibit poorer foam stability and significantly less foam effectiveness during the wash cycle compared to the shorter chain nonionic AA surfactants of the present invention. 11 It is desirable to use short chain nonionic AA surfactants having alkyl or aryl moieties. Preferably, but not necessarily, the cleaning compositions of the present invention do not contain longer chain AA surfactants (i.e., C 12 The alkyl moiety is substantially free of the above alkyl groups.

[0065] The short-chain AA surfactants of the present invention may contain one or more alkoxylated moieties. Such alkoxylated moieties may be either linear or branched. Each such alkoxylated moiety may contain from 1 to 10 carbon atoms. Preferably, the alkoxylated moieties are selected from the group consisting of methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, butoxy, pentoxy, hexoxy, and mixtures thereof.

[0066] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the short chain AA surfactant has the general formula:

[0067] [ka] In the formula, R 1 Linear or branched C4-C 11 alkyl or aryl (e.g., phenyl or substituted phenyl), and R 2 is a linear or branched C1-C8 alkyl, and R 3 is hydrogen, linear or branched C1-C6 alkyl, benzoyl, acetyl, acryloyl, or methacryloyl, n has a weight average value ranging from 0 to about 5, m has a weight average value ranging from about 1 to about 10, m>n, and further n+m is about 10 or less.

[0068] Preferably, R 1 is C4~C 11 Alkyl, more preferably C4-C 10 alkyl and even more preferably C4-C8, and most preferably C4-C6 alkyl. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, R 1 is a linear C4-C 11 Alkyl, more preferably linear C4-C 10 Alkyl and even more preferably linear C4 to C8 alkyl, and most preferably linear C4 to C6.

[0069] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, R 1 is preferably phenyl or substituted phenyl. The substituent on the phenyl group may be a linear or branched C1-C5 alkyl, optionally further substituted with one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of amide, imide, carboxyl ester, halide, and ether. Preferably, the substituent on the phenyl group is an unsubstituted C1-C5 alkyl group.

[0070] Particularly preferred R 1The radicals are derived from the following alcohols: hexanol, phenol, butanol (especially n-butanol and isobutanol), pentanol, ter-amyl alcohol, heptanol, octanol (especially n-octanol and 2-ethylhexanol), isononanol, decanol, isodecanol, 2-propylheptanol, and mixtures thereof. Furthermore, it is possible to use a C4-C8 alcohol cut or a mixture of C5-C9 alcohol cuts.

[0071] R 2 is preferably C1-C4 alkyl, more preferably methyl or ethyl and most preferably methyl.

[0072] R 3 is preferably hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl and more preferably hydrogen, methyl or ethyl and most preferably hydrogen. 3 When the group is other than hydrogen, it functions as what is commonly referred to as an end-group cap to stabilize the AA surfactant, for example, when in alkaline solution.

[0073] Generally, in the alkoxylation of alcohols, the degree of alkoxylation varies, and therefore the values of n and m represent weight average values. The sum of n + m is preferably from about 2 to about 8, more preferably from about 3 to about 7, and most preferably from about 4 to about 6. This means that the total weight average degree of alkoxylation of the short-chain AA surfactants of the present invention may be in the range of from about 2 to about 8, preferably from about 3 to about 7, and more preferably from about 4 to about 6.

[0074] In a preferred embodiment, n has a weight average value of about 2 or less (hereinafter simply referred to as the value of n), and m has a weight average value (hereinafter simply referred to as the value of m) ranging from about 3 to about 10. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, n is 0, meaning that the short-chain AA surfactants of the present invention are predominantly ethoxylated. In this context, m may preferably range from 2 to about 8, more preferably from about 3 to about 7, and most preferably from about 4 to about 6.

[0075] In a further preferred embodiment, R 1 When R is phenyl, n is 0 and m ranges from about 3 to about 9. In a more preferred embodiment, R 1 When is a C4-C6 alkyl, n is about 2 or less and m is in the range of about 3 to about 6.

[0076] Both alkoxylation groups, i.e. CH2-CHR 2 When -O- and CH2-CH2-O- groups are present in such short chain AA surfactants, they can be distributed randomly or in blocks. 1 These alkoxyl groups are introduced into the short-chain AA surfactants of the present invention by reaching -OH with an alkylene oxide compound selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, pentylene oxide, and the like. Preferably, the compound is selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and mixtures thereof. When using different alkylene oxides, the reaction can be carried out with the different alkylene oxides arranged in blocks (sequentially or alternating) or simultaneously (randomly or mixed).

[0077] The following are exemplary short-chain AA surfactants for practicing the present invention: ethoxylated butanol with a weight-average EO value of about 3, ethoxylated butanol with a weight-average EO value of about 4, ethoxylated butanol with a weight-average EO value of about 5, ethoxylated butanol with a weight-average EO value of about 6, ethoxylated hexanol with a weight-average EO value of about 3, ethoxylated hexanol with a weight-average EO value of about 4, ethoxylated hexanol with a weight-average EO value of about 5, ethoxylated hexanol with a weight-average EO value of about 6, ethoxylated phenol with a weight-average EO value of about 3, ethoxylated phenol with a weight-average EO value of about 4, ethoxylated phenol with a weight-average EO value of about 5, ethoxylated phenol with a weight-average EO value of about 6, and the like. The listed EO values are rounded. AA surfactants based on hexanol and phenol are particularly preferred.

[0078] Commercially available short chain AA surfactants that can be used in the practice of the present invention include, but are not limited to, BASF's Emulan® HE50, a C6 alcohol with a weight average ethoxylation number of about 5, and Dow Chemical's EcoSurf® 6, a C8 alcohol with a weight average ethoxylation number of about 6.

[0079] The cleaning compositions of the present invention may contain the above-described short chain AA surfactants in the range of about 0.05% to about 10%, preferably about 0.1% to about 6%, more preferably about 0.5% to about 5%, and most preferably about 1% to about 4% by weight of the total cleaning composition. In more concentrated formulations having 2x, 3x, or 4x compression ratios, the short chain AA surfactants may be present in higher amounts, ranging from 15% to 30% and preferably 20% to 25% by weight of the concentrated formulation.

[0080] Weight ratio of branched AS surfactant to short-chain AA surfactant The above-mentioned branched C6 to C 14 AS surfactants, linear or branched, C4-C 11The weight ratio of AA to surfactant preferably ranges from about 20:1 to about 1:2, more preferably from about 10:1 to about 1:1, even more preferably from about 8:1 to about 2:1, and most preferably from 5:1 to 4:1.

[0081] It has been found that different weight ratios of branched AS surfactant to short-chain AA surfactant have different effects on the lathering properties of the resulting cleaning composition. When such weight ratio is greater than 1:1 (i.e., there is more branched AS surfactant than short-chain AA surfactant in the cleaning composition), preferably greater than 2:1, and more preferably about 4:1 to about 5:1, improved lather stability and better lather performance during the wash cycle are achieved.

[0082] Additional surfactants In addition to the branched AS surfactants and short-chain AA surfactants described above, the surfactant systems of the present invention may include one or more additional surfactants selected from the group consisting of other anionic surfactants (different from the branched AS surfactants described above), other nonionic surfactants (different from the short-chain AA surfactants described above), cationic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, and mixtures thereof. Such additional surfactants may be present in the cleaning compositions of the present invention in a total amount ranging from about 1% to about 75%, preferably from about 2% to about 35%, and more preferably from about 5% to about 10%, by weight of the total composition.

[0083] Other anionic surfactants In some examples, the additional surfactant may include one or more other anionic surfactants, hi some examples, the additional surfactant may consist essentially of, or consist of, one or more other anionic surfactants.

[0084] Specific, non-limiting examples of suitable other anionic surfactants include any conventional anionic surfactant. For example, conventional soaps, which are water-soluble salts of fatty acids, can be used as other anionic surfactants. Suitable soaps include alkali metal (e.g., sodium, potassium, etc.), ammonium, and alkylammonium salts of higher fatty acids containing from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms, and preferably from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms. Particularly useful are the sodium and potassium salts of mixtures of fatty acids derived from coconut oil and tallow, i.e., sodium or potassium tallow and coconut soap.

[0085] Non-soap synthetic anionic surfactants are also suitable for use herein, including, but not limited to, alkyl sulfonates, alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkoxylated alkyl sulfates (also known as alkyl ether sulfates or alkyl polyethoxylate sulfates), linear alkyl sulfates, alkyl ester sulfates, alkyl ester sulfonates, alkyl phosphates or phosphonates, alkyl carboxylates, alkyl ether carboxylates, and the like. Other preferred non-soap anionic surfactants are selected from the group consisting of: (1) linear C alkyl esters, alkyl ether carboxylates, alkyl ether carboxylates, and the like. 10 ~C 20 Alkylbenzene sulfonate, (2) linear or branched C alkyl benzene sulfonate with an average degree of alkoxylation of 0.1 to 5.0 10 ~C 20 Alkyl alkoxy sulfate, (3) linear or branched C 10 ~C 20 Alkyl ester sulfate or sulfonate, (4) linear or branched C 10 ~C 20 Alkyl sulfonates, phosphates, phosphonates or carboxylates and combinations thereof.

[0086] In addition to the branched AS surfactants and short-chain AA surfactants described above, one or more linear C10 ~C 20 Surfactant systems containing alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) are preferred in the practice of the present invention. The LAS can be present in an amount ranging from 0% to about 50%, preferably from about 1% to about 45%, more preferably from about 5% to about 40%, and most preferably from about 10% to about 35% of the total weight of the surfactant system. One or more linear or branched C alkyl benzene sulfonates having an average degree of alkoxylation ranging from about 0.1 to about 5, and preferably from about 0.5 to about 3, are also preferred. 10 ~C 20 Also preferred are surfactant systems further comprising alkyl alkoxy sulfates (AxS). AxS can be present in an amount ranging from 0% to about 30%, preferably from about 1% to about 20%, more preferably from about 2% to about 15%, and most preferably from about 5% to about 10% of the total weight of the surfactant system. Additional suitable anionic surfactants include methyl ester sulfonates and alkyl ether carboxylates.

[0087] Other nonionic surfactants In some embodiments, the additional surfactant comprises one or more other nonionic surfactants. In some embodiments, the cleaning composition may comprise such other nonionic surfactants in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 40%, preferably from about 0.5% to about 10%, and more preferably from about 1% to about 5%, by total weight of the cleaning composition.

[0088] Suitable other nonionic surfactants may include any conventional nonionic surfactant. These include, for example, C 12 ~C 20 Longer chain alkoxylated alcohols with alkyl or aryl moieties, medium chain, branched C 14 ~C 22 Examples include alcohols, alkyl polysaccharides (specifically, alkyl polyglycosides), amine oxides, and polyhydroxy fatty acid amides.

[0089] cationic surfactants In some embodiments, the additional surfactant comprises one or more cationic surfactants. In certain embodiments, the cleaning compositions of the present invention comprise such cationic surfactants in a total amount of from about 0.1% to about 10%, preferably from about 0.1% to about 5%, and more preferably from about 0.1% to about 2%, by weight of the total composition.

[0090] Non-limiting examples of cationic surfactants include quaternary ammonium surfactants containing a functional group with 26 or fewer carbon atoms (such as alkoxylated quaternary ammonium (AQA) surfactants or alkyl quaternary ammonium surfactants, dimethylhydroxyethyl quaternary ammonium or dimethylhydroxyethyl lauryl ammonium chloride), polyamine cationic surfactants, cationic ester surfactants, and amino surfactants, specifically amidopropyldimethylamine (APA). Suitable quaternary ammonium compounds have the general formula (R)(R1)(R2)(R3)N + X - wherein R is a linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted C 6~18 R1 and R2 are independently selected from methyl or ethyl moieties, R3 is a hydroxy, hydroxymethyl or hydroxyethyl moiety, and X is an anion that provides electroneutrality. Suitable anions include, for example, halides such as chloride, sulfates and sulfonates. Suitable cationic detersive surfactants include mono-C 6~18 Alkyl mono-hydroxyethyl di-methyl quaternary ammonium chloride. Highly suitable cationic detersive surfactants are mono-C 8~10 Alkylmono-hydroxyethyldi-methyl quaternary ammonium chloride, mono-C 10~12 Alkyl mono-hydroxyethyl di-methyl quaternary ammonium chloride, and mono-C 10 Alkyl mono-hydroxyethyl di-methyl quaternary ammonium chloride.

[0091] Suitable cationic surfactants may also include alkyl pyridinium compounds, alkyl quaternary phosphonium compounds, alkyl ternary sulfonium compounds, and mixtures thereof.

[0092] Zwitterionic surfactants Suitable zwitterionic surfactants include: secondary and tertiary amine derivatives, derivatives of quaternary ammonium, quaternary phosphonium or tertiary sulfonium compounds, betaines including alkyl dimethyl betaine and cocodimethylamidopropyl betaine, C8-C 18 (For example, C 12 ~C 18 ) amine oxides and sulfo- and hydroxybetaines such as N-alkyl-N,N-dimethylamino-1-propanesulfonates. The alkyl groups are C8 to C 18 , in one embodiment C 10 ~C 14 It could be.

[0093] amphoteric surfactants Examples of suitable amphoteric surfactants include aliphatic derivatives of secondary or tertiary amines or aliphatic derivatives of heterocyclic secondary and tertiary amines, where the aliphatic group may be linear or branched, one of the aliphatic substituents contains at least about 8 carbon atoms, typically about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms, and at least one of the aliphatic substituents contains an anionic water-soluble group, such as carboxy, sulfonate, or sulfate. Examples of compounds that fall within this definition are sodium 3-(dodecylamino)propionate, sodium 3-(dodecylamino)propane-1-sulfonate, sodium 2-(dodecylamino)ethyl sulfate, sodium 2-(dimethylamino)octadecanoate, disodium 3-(N-carboxymethyldodecylamino)propane-1-sulfonate, disodium octadecyl-iminodiacetate, sodium 1-carboxymethyl-2-undecylimidazole, and sodium N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-sulfato-3-dodecoxypropylamine. Suitable amphoteric surfactants also include sarcosinates, glycosinates, taurinates, and mixtures thereof.

[0094] Cleaning Composition As used herein, the phrases "cleaning composition" or "detergent composition" include compositions and formulations designed to clean soiled materials. Such compositions include, but are not limited to, laundry cleaning compositions and detergents (with normal surfactant activity or, in highly concentrated forms, with significantly higher surfactant activity), fabric softening compositions, fabric strengthening compositions, fabric deodorizing compositions, laundry pre-wash solutions, laundry pre-treatments, laundry additives, spray products, dry cleaning agents or compositions, laundry rinse additives, cleaning additives, post-rinse fabric treatments, ironing aids, dishwashing compositions, hard surface cleaning compositions, single-dose formulations, delayed-delivery formulations, detergents contained on or within porous substrates or nonwoven sheets, and other suitable forms that may be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. Such compositions may be used as pre-laundry treatments, post-laundry treatments, or may be added during the rinse or wash cycle of a laundry operation. The cleaning compositions may have a form selected from liquid, powder, single-phase or multi-phase single dose, pouch, tablet, gel, paste, bar, or flake.

[0095] Because the surfactant system itself provides the desired sudsing benefit, the cleaning compositions of the present invention do not require any suds suppressors, such as silicone antifoams or suds-collapsing polymers, which serves to minimize manufacturing and processing costs associated with such cleaning compositions. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the cleaning compositions are substantially free, and more preferably essentially free, of silicone suds suppressors. In more preferred embodiments of the present invention, the cleaning compositions are substantially free or essentially free of any suds suppressors.

[0096] The cleaning compositions of the present invention may be formulated or designed as either automatic machine-washing or semi-automatic detergent products or hand-washing detergent products. Since the improved lathering properties of such compositions are most noticeable to consumers during hand-washing, it is preferred to design the detergent products specifically for hand-washing to emphasize their lathering benefits and delight consumers.

[0097] The cleaning composition can be a laundry detergent composition. Preferably, but not necessarily, such a laundry detergent composition has conventional surfactant activity levels and contains: (1) from about 1% to about 30%, preferably from about 2% to about 25%, more preferably from about 3% to about 20%, and most preferably from about 5% to about 15% by weight of a branched C 12 AS surfactant, (2) about 1 wt % to about 30 wt %, preferably about 2 wt % to about 25 wt %, more preferably about 3 wt % to about 20 wt %, and most preferably about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of a branched C 13 AS surfactant and (3) a linear C6AA surfactant having a weight average degree of ethoxylation ranging from about 4 to about 6, of about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, preferably about 0.5% to about 10% by weight, more preferably about 1% to about 8% by weight, and most preferably about 2% to about 5% by weight.

[0098] Alternatively, such laundry detergent compositions are in a highly concentrated form, e.g., having two, three, or four times the activity of conventional surfactants. Preferably, concentrated laundry detergent compositions contain: (1) about 20% to about 50% by weight, preferably about 25% to about 45% by weight, and more preferably about 30% to about 40% by weight, of a branched C 12 AS surfactant, (2) about 20% to about 50% by weight, preferably about 25% to about 45% by weight, and more preferably about 30% to about 40% by weight of branched C 13 AS surfactant and (3) a linear C6AA surfactant having a weight average degree of ethoxylation ranging from about 4 to about 6, of about 5% to about 30%, preferably about 8% to about 20%, and more preferably about 10% to about 15%, by weight.

[0099] Because the surfactant system itself provides the desired sudsing benefit, the cleaning compositions of the present invention do not require any suds suppressors, such as silicone antifoams or suds-collapsing polymers, which serves to minimize manufacturing and processing costs associated with such cleaning compositions. Specifically, in preferred embodiments of the present invention, the cleaning compositions are substantially free, and more preferably essentially free, of any suds suppressors.

[0100] In a preferred, but not required, embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning composition is a granular or powder detergent composition, more preferably a granular or powder laundry detergent composition having a density ranging from 250 g / l to about 1000 g / l, more preferably from about 300 g / l to about 900 g / l, and most preferably from about 400 g / l to about 850 g / l. The powder or granular detergent may comprise: (a) 0.1% to 40%, preferably 0.5% to 30%, and more preferably 3% to 25% of a water-soluble alkali metal carbonate (such as sodium carbonate) by total weight of the granular detergent composition; and / or (b) 10% to 95%, preferably 20% to 90%, and more preferably 30% to 80% of a water-soluble alkali metal sulfate (such as sodium sulfate) by total weight of the granular detergent composition; and / or (c) about 10% to about 95%, preferably about 20% to about 90%, and more preferably about 30% to about 80% of a water-soluble alkali metal chloride (such as sodium chloride) by total weight of the granular detergent composition. Such granular laundry detergent compositions may further comprise one or more adjunct ingredients commonly used in formulating granular laundry detergent compositions (e.g., builders, carriers, structuring agents, flocculating aids, chelating agents, dye transfer inhibitors, enzymes, enzyme stabilizers, catalytic materials, bleach activators, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen peroxide sources, preformed peracids, polymeric dispersants, clay soil removal / anti-redeposition agents, brighteners, suds suppressors, dyes, perfumes, structural elastomers, fabric softeners, hydrotropes, processing aids, pigments and / or aesthetic particles, etc.).

[0101] Powder or granular detergent compositions preferably contain only low levels of phosphate or zeolite builder, or more preferably are substantially free of phosphate or zeolite builder, or most preferably are completely free of phosphate or zeolite builder.

[0102] In another embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning composition is a liquid detergent composition, preferably a detergent composition that is scrubbed at 25°C for 20 seconds. -1 The liquid laundry detergent composition has a viscosity in the range of about 200 to about 800 mPa·s, measured at a shear rate of 100°C. The liquid detergent composition may be packaged in a single-phase or multi-phase unit dose form, i.e., contained within a single- or multi-compartment water-soluble pouch formed, for example, by a water-soluble polymer, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and / or polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP).

[0103] In addition to the above components, the liquid detergent composition of the present invention may further contain about 0.1% to about 10%, preferably about 0.5% to about 8%, and more preferably about 1% to about 5% of one or more acids (such as citric acid, boric acid, and mixtures thereof) based on the total weight of the liquid detergent composition. Preferably, the liquid detergent composition contains about 1% to about 3% by weight of citric acid and / or about 1% to about 3% by weight of boric acid. Furthermore, fatty acids, particularly C 12 ~C 18 Fatty acids or salts thereof may be included in the liquid laundry detergent compositions of the present invention in a total amount ranging from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight, preferably from about 0.5% to about 4% by weight, and more preferably from about 0.7% to about 3% by weight.

[0104] The liquid detergent compositions of the present invention typically contain one or more carriers, such as water. The liquid detergent compositions can contain water alone or a mixture of water and an organic solvent(s) as the carrier. Suitable organic solvents include linear or branched lower C1-C8 alcohols, diols, glycerol, or glycols, lower molecular weight amine solvents such as C1-C4 alkanolamines, and mixtures thereof. Particularly preferred organic solvents include 1,2-propanediol, ethanol, glycerol, monoethanolamine, and triethanolamine. The carrier is typically present in the liquid detergent compositions of the present invention at a concentration ranging from about 10% to about 95%, preferably from about 25% to about 75%, of the total weight of the liquid detergent composition. In certain embodiments, water is present in an amount ranging from about 85% to about 100% by weight of the carrier. In other embodiments, water is absent, and the compositions are anhydrous. Highly preferred compositions obtained by the present invention are clear, isotropic liquids.

[0105] In a further preferred, but not required, embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning composition is in the form of a unit dose and comprises a liquid laundry detergent encapsulated in a water-soluble film. Preferred film materials are preferably polymeric materials selected from polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyalkylene oxide, acrylamide, acrylic acid, cellulose, cellulose ether, cellulose ester, cellulose amide, polyvinyl acetate, polycarboxylic acids and salts, polyamino acids or peptides, polyamides, polyacrylamides, maleic / acrylic acid copolymers, polysaccharides including starch and gelatin, and natural gums such as xanthan and cara gum. More preferred polymers are selected polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), and combinations thereof.

[0106] The cleaning compositions of the present invention may also contain one or more cleaning adjunct additives. Suitable cleaning adjunct additives include builders, fillers, carriers, structurants or thickeners, clay soil removal / anti-redeposition agents, polymeric soil release agents, polymeric dispersants, polymeric grease cleaners, enzymes, enzyme stabilizing systems, amines, bleaching compounds, bleaches, bleach activators, bleach catalysts, brighteners, dyes, fabric hueing agents, dye transfer inhibitors, chelating agents, softeners or conditioners (such as cationic polymers or silicones), perfumes (including perfume encapsulates), hygiene and malodor treatment agents, and the like.

[0107] More specifically, the cleaning aid additives include transition metal catalysts, imine bleach boosters, bleaching enzymes such as amylase, carbohydrase, cellulase, laccase, lipase, oxidase, and peroxidase, enzymes such as protease, pectate lyase, and mannanase, and peroxygen sources such as percarbonate and / or perborate (sodium percarbonate is preferred. The peroxygen source is preferably at least partially coated, and preferably completely coated, with a coating component such as carbonate, sulfate, silicate, borosilicate, or a mixture containing a mixed salt thereof.), bleach activators such as tetraacetylethylenediamine, oxybenzenesulfonate bleach activators such as nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate, caprolactam bleach activators, imide bleach activators such as N-nonanoyl-N-methylacetamide, preformed peracids such as N,N-phthaloylaminoperoxycaproic acid, nonylamidoperoxyadipic acid, or dibenzoyl peroxide, whitening agents, hueing agents, photobleaches, fabric softeners such as clays, silicones, and / or quaternary ammonium compounds, flocculating agents such as polyethylene oxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly 4-vinylpyridine N-oxide, and / or vinylpyrrolidone and vinylimide. dye transfer inhibitors such as copolymers with imidazole; fabric integrity components such as oligomers formed by the condensation of imidazole with epichlorohydrin; soil dispersants and soil anti-redeposition aids such as alkoxylated polyamines and ethoxylated ethyleneimine polymers; anti-redeposition components such as polyester and / or terephthalate polymers, polyethylene glycols including polyethylene glycols substituted with vinyl alcohol and / or vinyl acetate pendant groups; perfumes such as perfume microcapsules, Schiff base perfume / polymer complexes, polymer-assisted perfume delivery systems including starch-encapsulated perfume accords; soaping; colored noodles dyes; fillers such as sodium sulfate (although it may be preferred that the compositions are substantially free of fillers); carbonates such as sodium carbonate and / or sodium bicarbonate; silicates such as sodium silicates including 1.6R and 2.0R sodium silicate or sodium metasilicate; cellulosic polymers such as copolyesters of dicarboxylic acids and diols, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethoxycellulose, or other alkyl or alkylalkoxycelluloses, and hydrophobically modified celluloses; carboxylic acids and / or their salts, including citric acid and / or sodium citrate, and any combination thereof.

[0108] A wide variety of other ingredients may be used in the cleaning compositions herein, including other active ingredients, carriers, hydrotropes, processing aids, dyes or pigments, liquor solvents and solid or other liquid fillers, erythrosine, colloidal silica, waxes, probiotics, surfactin, aminocellulose polymers, zinc ricinoleate, perfume microcapsules, rhamnolipids, sophorolipids, glycopeptides, methyl ester sulfonates, methyl ester ethoxylates, sulfonated estolides, degradable surfactants, biopolymers, silicones, modified silicones, aminosilicones, deposition aids, locust bean gum, cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose polymers, cationic guar, hydrotropes (especially cumene sulfonate, toluene sulfonate, xylene sulfonate, and naphthalene salts), antioxidants, BHT, PVA particle-encapsulated dyes or perfumes. The following ingredients may be used in the preparation of cosmetic compositions: pigments, pearlizing agents, foaming agents, color change systems, silicone polyurethanes, opacifiers, tablet disintegrants, biomass fillers, quick-drying silicones, glycol distearate, hydroxyethyl cellulose polymers, hydrophobically modified cellulose polymers or hydroxyethyl cellulose polymers, starch flavor encapsulating agents, emulsified oils, bisphenol antioxidants, microfibrous cellulose structuring agents, pre-flavorings, styrene / acrylate polymers, triazines, soaps, superoxide dismutase, benzophenone protease inhibitors, functionalized TiO2, dibutyl phosphate, silica flavor capsules and other adjunct ingredients, silicate salts (e.g., sodium silicate, potassium silicate), choline oxidase, pectate lyase, mica, titanium dioxide coated mica, bismuth oxychloride, and other active agents.

[0109] The cleaning compositions described herein may also contain vitamins and amino acids, such as water-soluble vitamins and their derivatives, water-soluble amino acids and their salts and / or derivatives, insoluble amino acid viscosity modifiers, dyes, non-volatile solvents or diluents (water-soluble and insoluble), pearlizing aids, additional surfactants or non-ionic co-surfactants, pediculicides, pH adjusters, fragrances, preservatives, chelating agents, proteins, skin active agents, sunscreens, UV absorbers, vitamins, niacinamide, caffeine, and minoxidil.

[0110] The cleaning compositions of the present invention may also contain pigment materials such as nitroso, monoazo, disazo, carotenoid, triphenylmethane, triarylmethane, xanthene, quinoline, oxazine, azine, anthraquinone, indigoid, thionindigoid, quinacridone, phthalocyanine, vegetable colorants, and natural colorants, including water-soluble ingredients such as those having CI names. The cleaning compositions of the present invention may also contain antimicrobial agents.

[0111] How to use The present invention includes methods for cleaning soiled materials using the cleaning compositions of the present invention. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the cleaning compositions of the present invention are suitable for use in laundry pre-treatment applications, laundry cleaning applications, and home care applications.

[0112] Preferably, such a method is a method of cleaning soiled materials using the detergent composition of the present invention, and includes, but is not limited to, the following steps: providing a detergent composition as described above (either in neat form or diluted in a wash liquor), contacting such detergent composition with at least a portion of the soiled materials, and subsequently rinsing the soiled materials.

[0113] For use in laundry pretreatment applications, the method may include contacting soiled fabrics with the cleaning compositions described herein. After pretreatment, the soiled fabrics may be laundered in a washing machine or otherwise rinsed.

[0114] The cleaning compositions of the present invention are particularly suitable for hand washing applications or for combined hand washing and semi-automatic washing applications, where the consumer directly contacts the soiled material with the cleaning composition, manually or semi-manually cleans the soiled material, and subsequently rinses the soiled material in one or more rinse cycles.

[0115] Alternatively, the cleaning compositions of the present invention are suitable for machine washing methods, which may comprise treating soiled laundry with an aqueous wash solution in a washing machine into which an effective amount of a machine washing cleaning composition according to the present invention has been dissolved or dosed.

[0116] Another method involves contacting a soiled material with a nonwoven substrate impregnated with an embodiment of the cleaning composition. As used herein, "nonwoven substrate" can include any conventional nonwoven sheet or web having suitable basis weight, caliper (thickness), absorbency, and strength characteristics. Non-limiting examples of suitable commercially available nonwoven substrates include those available from DuPont under the trade name SONTARA® and from James River Corp. under the trade name POLYWEB®.

[0117] An "effective amount" of cleaning composition means about 10 g to about 300 g of product dissolved or dispersed in a volume of about 5 L to about 65 L of wash liquor. Water temperature can range from about 5°C to about 100°C. The ratio of water to soiled material (e.g., fabric) can be about 1:1 to about 30:1. The composition may be used in a solution at a concentration of about 500 ppm to about 15,000 ppm, preferably about 1,000 ppm to about 10,000 ppm, and more preferably about 3,000 ppm to about 5,000 ppm. In the context of fabric laundering compositions, the use concentration can also vary depending on the type and severity of soiling and staining, as well as the temperature of the wash water, the volume of the wash water, and the type of washing machine (e.g., top-loading, front-loading, top-loading, vertical-axis Japanese automatic washing machine).

[0118] The cleaning compositions herein can be used for laundering fabrics at low wash temperatures. These methods of laundering fabrics include delivering the laundry cleaning composition to water to form a wash liquor and adding the fabrics to be laundered to the wash liquor, wherein the wash liquor has a temperature of about 0°C to about 20°C, or about 0°C to about 15°C, or about 0°C to about 9°C. The fabrics may be contacted with water before, after, or simultaneously with contacting the cleaning composition with water.

[0119] Test Method Various techniques for characterizing compositions containing the branched AS surfactants and short-chain nonionic AA surfactants of the present invention are known in the art, however, the following assays must be used to fully understand the invention described and claimed herein.

[0120] Test 1: Foaming Properties Test (to determine various foaming parameters) Herein, the foaming properties of test detergent compositions are measured using a foam cylinder tester (SCT). The SCT has a set of eight cylinders. Each cylinder is a plastic cylinder approximately 66 cm long, with a uniform inner diameter of 50 mm along its length, and can be covered or sealed with a rubber stopper during rotation. All eight cylinders are attached at their center to a horizontal axis. All eight cylinders are aligned perpendicular to the horizontal axis but parallel to each other. The cylinders are equally spaced apart and can rotate together around the horizontal axis in a vertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal axis at a speed of 20 to 22 revolutions per minute (rpm).

[0121] The following factors should be carefully controlled as they may affect the measurement results: (a) the concentration of the test detergent composition in the wash and rinse solutions, (b) the hardness of the water used to form the wash and rinse solutions, (c) the water temperature, (d) the rotation speed and number of revolutions of the SCT cylinder, (e) the type of soil used and the amount of soil used in the wash, and (f) the cleanliness of the inside of the SCT cylinder.

[0122] The following steps are followed to achieve foam measurements for each test detergent composition. 1. Weigh out 1.5 g of the test detergent composition (granular or liquid form) and dissolve it in 300 mL of reverse osmosis (RO) water at room temperature with a hardness of approximately 274 mg / L (16 gpg) (formed by mixing 21.9 mg / L CaCl2·2H2O and 111.3 mg / L MgCl2·6H2O with a Ca / Mg ratio of 4:1). 2. Agitate the mixture for at least 15 minutes to form a wash liquor sample containing the test detergent composition at 5000 ppm. 3. Pour the test solution into the SCT cylinder and close tightly using the rubber stopper to secure the cylinder in place and prepare it for rotation. To simultaneously perform foam measurements of different test detergent compositions, other SCT cylinders can be filled with sample solutions formed using other test detergent compositions. 4. Turn on the power to the SCT and rotate the cylinder 10 times at a speed of 22 rpm. 5. Stop rotation by the SCT and lock the SCT cylinder in an upright position. 6. Wait one minute before recording the foam volume (expressed as absolute foam height) in each SCT. This is the foam volume produced by the test detergent composition after 10 rotations. Because all SCT cylinders have the same inner diameter, the foam volume at any given point can simply be expressed as the absolute foam height in centimeters (cm) in each SCT cylinder, which is measured by subtracting the height of the wash or rinse liquor from the combined height of the foam and the wash or rinse liquor. 7. Turn on the SCT and continue to rotate the cylinder for an additional 20 revolutions at 22 rpm, stop the SCT, and record the lather volume as the lather volume at 30 revolutions. 8. Repeat step 7 and record the foam volume at 50 and 70 revolutions at a speed of 22 rpm. 9. Stop the SCT rotation, remove the rubber stoppers from the cylinders, and place one piece of fabric with Beijing viscosity (BJ viscosity) and one piece of fabric with dirty cooking oil (DCO) into each SCT cylinder. The preparation of these fabrics is described below. Fabrication of fabric with BJ clay attached 20 g of BJ clay (collected from 15 cm below the ground surface in Beijing, China, dried at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, then blended in a high-power blender and passed through a 150-200# sieve) is dispersed in 80 mL of deionized water by stirring to form a clay suspension. Alternatively, Arizona clay (i.e., Arizona Test Dust with a median particle size of about 0.889 micrometers and an average particle size of about 0.942 micrometers, manufactured by Powder Technology Inc., USA) can be used instead of BJ clay. While continuing to stir the clay suspension, 2 g of the clay suspension was applied to the center of a 10 cm x 10 cm piece of CW98 white knitted cotton (100%) fabric (supplied by DaXinFangZHi, Beijing, China) to form a circular stain with a diameter of approximately 5 cm. • The cotton fabric is then left to dry at room temperature before use. Fabrication of DCO-attached fabric • 20g of salted fish was fried in 100g of peanut oil for 2 hours at 150-180°C to form DCO. 0.6 mL of DCO was dropped onto the center of the 10 cm x 10 cm cotton fabric described above to form a circular stain approximately 5 cm in diameter. • Cut the cotton fabric into two equal pieces and use one piece for each performance evaluation. 10. Put the rubber stopper back into the SCT cylinder. 11. Turn on the SCT and continue to rotate the cylinder for an additional 40 revolutions at 22 rpm, stop the SCT, and record the lather volume as the lather volume at 110 revolutions. 12. Repeat steps 9-11 and record the foam volume as foam volume at 150 revolutions. Note that adding more soiled fabrics to the wash liquor in the SCT cylinder simulates actual washing conditions, where more soil gradually dissolves from the fabric into the wash liquor as the wash cycle continues. Therefore, this test is concerned with measuring the initial foam generation by the test detergent composition and the foam effectiveness maintained throughout the wash cycle while more soil gradually dissolves into the wash liquor. 13. Gently pour 37.5 mL of the wash liquor sample (without any treated fabric pieces) from the SCT cylinder into a 300 mL beaker. Add 262.5 mL of RO water, whose hardness is 274 mg / L (16 gpg) (Ca / Mg 4:1), to the beaker to form a diluted solution (referred to as "rinse liquor") with a total volume of 300 mL. Clean up the remaining test solution and any stained fabric shreds from the SCT cylinder and rinse the SCT cylinder with tap water. Pour the 300 mL rinse liquor from the beaker back into the cleaned SCT cylinder. Repeat these steps for the test solution in each of the remaining SCT cylinders. 14. Turn on the SCT and continue rotating the cylinder at 22 rpm for an additional 20 revolutions, then stop the SCT. Take a picture immediately after stopping the SCT and read the foam height from the picture (this is done to ensure accuracy of the data, as the foam collapses very quickly in the inventive sample). Record this as the foam volume at 0 minutes after 170 revolutions. This foam data, measured after the wash solution, replaces the rinse solution. Therefore, it is recorded as "rinse foam at 0 minutes." 15. Another reading of the suds volume in the SCT cylinder is taken 1 minute after the SCT has been stopped at 170 revolutions (this is referred to as "1 minute rinse suds"). 16. Calculate the rate of foam reduction from 0 minutes to 1 minute using rinse solution during the first rinse as follows:

[0123]

number

[0124] [Table 1] [Example]

[0125] Example 1: Powder laundry detergent formulation Powder laundry detergent formulations containing the branched AS surfactants and short-chain AA nonionic surfactants of the invention are prepared in accordance with the present invention. Below is a detailed compositional breakdown of the formulations:

[0126] [Table 2] 1 Isalchem® 123, available from Sasol. 12 AS and C over 40% 13 Contains AS. All are branched, non-alkoxylated, and have at least 90% branching. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50.

[0127] The powder laundry detergent formulation of the present invention is used to form a wash liquor by dissolving 15 g of detergent in 3 liters of tap water at a temperature of approximately 20°C. The wash liquor is then used to manually treat 300 g of dry fabrics. The fabrics include half a soiled shirt and a clean piece of cotton fabric to adjust the weight. The treatment involves manually scrubbing the soiled shirt half 20 times and each cotton fabric piece 10 times. The treated fabrics are then wrung two to three times to a wet weight of approximately 900 g. A rinse liquor is then formed by diluting the wash liquor carried over by the wet treated fabrics into 4 liters of tap water.

[0128] 2 shows a photograph of the wash liquor formed using an inventive powder laundry detergent formulation on the left hand side and a photograph of the corresponding rinse liquor on the right hand side. It is clear that the inventive powder laundry detergent composition is capable of producing a sufficient amount of stable cleaning foam during the wash cycle of a hand washing process, but leaves little or no rinse foam at the end of the first rinse cycle of the hand washing process.

[0129] Example 2: Liquid laundry detergent formulation that produces "zero rinse foam" when washed by hand Liquid laundry detergent formulations containing the branched AS surfactants and short chain AA nonionic surfactants of the invention are prepared in accordance with the present invention. Below is a detailed compositional breakdown of the formulations:

[0130] [Table 3] * Note that unless otherwise stated, the component concentrations in this and all other examples refer to the concentration of the pure material in the final composition, not the concentration of added ingredients. 1 Isalchem® 123, commercially available from Sasol. 0.6% NaOH, 0.8% sodium sulfate, 1-1.3% C carried over from alkyl sulfate synthesis. 12 ~C 13 It provides 75% of the active ingredient with residual alcohol and the remainder water. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50. It is provided as 100% active raw material.

[0131] The powder laundry detergent formulation of the present invention is used to form a wash liquor by dissolving 15 g of detergent in 3 liters of tap water at a temperature of approximately 20°C. The wash liquor is then used to manually treat 300 g of dry fabrics. The fabrics include half a soiled shirt and a clean piece of cotton fabric to adjust the weight. The treatment involves manually scrubbing the soiled shirt half 20 times and each cotton fabric piece 10 times. The treated fabrics are then wrung two to three times to a wet weight of approximately 900 g. A rinse liquor is then formed by diluting the wash liquor carried over by the wet treated fabrics into 4 liters of tap water.

[0132] 3 shows a photograph of the wash liquor formed by the inventive liquid laundry detergent formulation on the left hand side, and a photograph of the corresponding rinse liquor on the right hand side. It is clear that the inventive liquid laundry detergent composition is capable of producing a sufficient amount of stable cleaning foam during the wash cycle of a hand washing process, but leaves little or no rinse foam at the end of the first rinse cycle of the hand washing process.

[0133] Example 3: Comparative Example Demonstrating Improved Lathering Properties of Inventive Powder Laundry Detergent Compositions Four powder laundry detergent compositions were prepared: (1) a control composition containing no branched AS surfactant and no short-chain AA surfactant ("Control 1"); (2) a control composition similar in formulation to the control composition but containing an additional 12 wt. % branched C surfactant; 12 ~C 13 (3) Comparative composition A ("Comparative A") having an AS surfactant (commercially available from Sasol as Isalchem® 123); (4) Comparative composition B ("Comparative B") having a similar formulation to the control composition but with an additional 3 wt. % of a linear C6 alkyl ethoxylated alcohol having a weight average ethoxylation degree of about 5 (commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50); and (5) Comparative composition B ("Comparative B") having a similar formulation to the control composition but with an additional 12 wt. % of a branched C 12 ~C 13 An inventive composition having an AS surfactant and an additional 3 wt. % of a linear C6 alkyl ethoxylated alcohol ("Inventive Example 1").

[0134] Detailed compositional breakdowns of the four powder laundry detergent compositions are provided below.

[0135] [Table 4] 1 Isalchem® 123 available from Sasol. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50.

[0136] The four powder laundry detergent compositions described above were subjected to the lathering properties test described in Test 1 and had the following test results:

[0137] [Table 5] * In this test, the data on the foam of the 1 / 8 rinse solution at 0 minutes and the rate of rinse foam reduction are not recorded.

[0138] Inventive Example 1 produces more initial foam during the beginning of the wash cycle than both Comparative Examples A and B (either alone or together), and also has better foam effectiveness throughout the wash. Furthermore, the rinse foam for Inventive Example 1 during the first rinse cycle is significantly less (similar to Comparative Example A). Thus, Inventive Example 1 is a branched C 12 ~C 13 Combining AS surfactants with linear C6AA alcohols provides desirable sudsing properties for powder laundry detergent applications.

[0139] Example 4: Comparative Example Demonstrating Improved Lathering Properties of Inventive Liquid Laundry Detergent Compositions Four liquid laundry detergent compositions were prepared: (1) a control composition containing no branched AS surfactant and no short-chain AA surfactant ("Control 2"); (2) a control composition similar in formulation to the control composition but containing an additional 12% by weight of the same branched C surfactant as described above in Example 3; 12 ~C 13 (3) Comparative composition A ("Comparative Example C") with AS surfactant; (4) Comparative composition B ("Comparative Example D") with a similar formulation to the control composition but with an additional 3 wt. % of a linear C6AA alcohol, identical to that described above in Example 3; and (5) Comparative composition B ("Comparative Example D") with a similar formulation to the control composition but with an additional 12 wt. % of a branched C6AA alcohol. 12 ~C 13 An inventive composition having an AS surfactant and an additional 3 wt. % linear C6AA alcohol ("Inventive Example 2").

[0140] Detailed compositional breakdowns of the four liquid laundry detergent compositions are provided below.

[0141] [Table 6] 1 Isalchem® 123 available from Sasol. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50.

[0142] The four liquid laundry detergent compositions described above were subjected to the Lathering Properties Test described in Test 1 and had the following test results:

[0143] [Table 7] * In this test, the data on the foam of the 1 / 8 rinse solution at 0 minutes and the rate of rinse foam reduction are not recorded.

[0144] Inventive Example 2 produces more initial foam during the beginning of the wash cycle than both Comparative Examples C and D (considered either alone or when added together), and also has better foam effectiveness throughout the wash. Furthermore, the rinse foam for Inventive Example 1 during the first rinse cycle is significantly less (similar to Comparative Example C). Thus, Inventive Example 1 is superior to the branched C 12 ~C 13 Combining AS surfactants with linear C6AA alcohols also provides desirable sudsing properties for liquid laundry detergent applications.

[0145] Example 5. Comparative Example Demonstrating Improved Lathering Properties of Inventive Powder Laundry Detergent Compositions Compared to Comparative Compositions Containing Linear AS Surfactants An inventive powder laundry detergent composition ("Inventive Example 3") was prepared using branched C 12 ~C 13 Not AS surfactant, but linear C 12 ~C 14It is compared to a comparative composition E ("Comparative Example E"), which is similar in formulation to Inventive Example 3 except that it contains AS surfactant. The compositional breakdown of Inventive Example 3 and Comparative Example E is provided side by side below.

[0146] [Table 8] 1 Isalchem® 123 available from Sasol. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50.

[0147] The two powder laundry detergent formulations described above were subjected to the sudsing properties test described in Test 1. The test results are as follows:

[0148] [Table 9]

[0149] Example 3 of the present invention (branched C 12 ~C 13 The comparative example E (containing linear C AS surfactant) was used during the wash. 12 ~C 14 The results show significantly better foam effectiveness and higher cleaning foam retention than the non-ionic surfactant (containing AS surfactant), while the rinse foam results for the two formulations are relatively comparable.

[0150] Example 6. Inventive Powder Laundry Detergent Compositions with Longer Chain (C 12 ~C 14 ) Comparative Example Showing Improved Lathering Properties Compared to Comparative Compositions Containing AA Nonionic Surfactants The same inventive powder laundry detergent composition described in Example 5 ("Inventive Example 3") was prepared using a longer chain, C6AA nonionic surfactant rather than a short chain, C6AA nonionic surfactant. 12 ~C 14Further comparison is made with Comparative Composition F ("Comparative Example F"), which is similar in formulation to Inventive Example 3 except that it contains an AA nonionic surfactant. The compositional breakdown of Comparative Example F is provided below alongside Inventive Example 3.

[0151] [Table 10] 1 Isalchem® 123 available from Sasol. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50.

[0152] The two powder laundry detergent formulations described above were subjected to the sudsing properties test described in Test 1. The test results are as follows:

[0153] [Table 11]

[0154] Inventive Example 3 (containing a short chain AA nonionic surfactant) of the present invention is compared to Comparative Example F (containing a longer chain C 12 ~C 14 Inventive Example 3 shows significantly better rinsing suds reduction rate than Comparative Example F (containing AA nonionic surfactant). The lather results for these two formulations are relatively comparable. Meanwhile, Inventive Example 3 has slightly better lather effect and higher lather retention during washing than Comparative Example F.

[0155] Example 7. Comparative Example Demonstrating Improved Lathering Properties of an Inventive Powder Laundry Detergent Composition Compared to a Comparative Composition Containing an Alkoxylated Branched AS Surfactant The same inventive powder laundry detergent composition described in Example 5 ("Inventive Example 3") was prepared using a branched, non-alkoxylated C 12 ~C 13 A branched alkoxylated C surfactant with an average degree of ethoxylation of about 1, which is not an AS surfactant. 12 ~C 13Further comparison is made with Comparative Composition G ("Comparative Example G"), which is similar in formulation to Inventive Example 3 except that it contains an AS surfactant. The compositional breakdown of Comparative Example G is provided below alongside Inventive Example 3.

[0156] [Table 12] 1 Isalchem® 123 available from Sasol. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50.

[0157] The two powder laundry detergent formulations described above were subjected to the sudsing properties test described in Test 1. The test results are as follows:

[0158] [Table 13]

[0159] Inventive Example 3 of the present invention (containing a branched, non-alkoxylated AS surfactant) exhibits significantly better rinse suds reduction rate than Comparative Example G (containing a branched, ethoxylated AS surfactant).

[0160] Example 8: Inventive powder laundry detergent compositions containing longer chain (C 14 ~C 15 ) Comparative Example Showing Improved Lathering Properties Compared to Comparative Compositions Containing Branched AS Surfactants The same inventive powder laundry detergent composition described in Example 5 ("Inventive Example 3") was added to C 12 ~C 13 Branched AS surfactants are not used, but rather longer-chain branched C surfactants. 14 ~C 15 Further comparison is made with Comparative Composition H ("Comparative Example H"), which is similar in formulation to Inventive Example 3 except that it contains an AS surfactant. The compositional breakdown of Comparative Example H is provided below alongside Inventive Example 3.

[0161] [Table 14] 1 Isalchem® 123 available from Sasol. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50. 3 Isalchem® 145 available from Sasol.

[0162] The two powder laundry detergent formulations described above were subjected to the sudsing properties test described in Test 1. The test results are as follows:

[0163] [Table 15]

[0164] Example 3 of the present invention (branched C 12 ~C 13 AS surfactant) is compared with Comparative Example H (longer chain branched C 14 ~C 15 AS surfactant) exhibits significantly better rinse suds reduction rate.

[0165] Example 9. Comparative Examples with Different AS:AA Weight Ratios Showing the Lathering Properties of Inventive Powder Laundry Detergent Compositions The same inventive powder laundry detergent composition described in Example 5 ("Inventive Example 3" or "IE3") was further compared to several other inventive powder detergent compositions ("Inventive Examples 4-7" or "IE4-7") similarly formulated except for different weight ratios of branched AS surfactant to short-chain AA nonionic surfactant. Specifically, Inventive Example 3 has an AS:AA weight ratio of 4:1, while Inventive Examples 4-7 have AS:AA weight ratios of 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, and 5:1. The compositional breakdown of Inventive Examples 4-7 is provided below alongside Inventive Example 3.

[0166] [Table 16] 1 Isalchem® 123 available from Sasol. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50.

[0167] All five of the above-described inventive powder laundry detergent formulations were subjected to the Lathering Properties Test described in Test 1 with the following results:

[0168] [Table 17]

[0169] All of the inventive examples 3-7 of the present invention exhibit significant foam reduction during the first rinse cycle, e.g., having rinse foam reduction rates of 70% or more. However, inventive examples 3, 6, and 7, which have higher AS:AA weight ratios (e.g., 2:1, 4:1, and 5:1), exhibit better foam effectiveness throughout the wash. Therefore, it is preferred (but not required) for the detergent compositions of the present invention to have higher AS:AA weight ratios (e.g., 2:1 to 5:1, and more preferably 4:1 to 5:1).

[0170] Example 10: Exemplary Powder Laundry Detergent Formulations Powder laundry detergent compositions 10A-10F are formulated in accordance with the present invention by mixing together the ingredients listed below.

[0171] [Table 18] 1 Isalchem® 123 available from Sasol. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50.

[0172] Example 11: Exemplary Liquid Laundry Detergent Formulations Liquid laundry detergent compositions 11A-11F are formulated in accordance with the present invention by mixing together the ingredients listed below.

[0173] [Table 19] 1 Isalchem® 123 available from Sasol. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50. 3 Proteases can be supplied by Genencor International (Palo Alto, California, USA) (e.g., Purafect Prime®, Excellase®) or Novozymes (Bagsvaerd, Denmark) (e.g., Liquanase®, Coronase®). 4 Available from Novozymes (Bagsvaerd, Denmark) (eg, Natalase®, Mannaway®). 5 Available from Novozymes (eg, Whitezyme®). 6 Polyethyleneimine (MW=600) with 20 ethoxylate groups per —NH 7 The random graft copolymer is a polyvinyl acetate-grafted polyethylene oxide copolymer having a polyethylene oxide backbone and multiple polyvinyl acetate side chains. The molecular weight of the polyethylene oxide backbone is about 6000, the weight ratio of polyethylene oxide to polyvinyl acetate is about 40:60, and no more than one grafting point per 50 ethylene oxide units. It is available from BASF as Sokalan PG101®. 8 The following general structure: bis((C2H5O)(C2H4O) n )(CH3)-N + -Cx H 2x -N + -(CH3)-bis((C2H5O)(C2H4O) n ) where n=20-30, x=3-8, or sulfated or sulfonated variants thereof, available from BASF as Lutenzit Z 96®. 9 DTPA is diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid supplied by The Dow Chemical Company (Midland, Michigan, USA). 10 Suitable fluorescent whitening agents are, for example, Tinopal® AMS, Tinopal® CBS-X, sulfonated zinc phthalocyanine (Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Basel, Switzerland), which may be provided in amounts ranging from 0 to 5%. 11 Suitable preservatives include methylisothiazolinone (MIT) or benzisothiazolinone (BIT), which may be provided in amounts ranging from 0 to 1%.

[0174] Example 12: Exemplary Single Dose Formulations (with Concentrated Liquid Detergent) The following concentrated liquid laundry detergent compositions 12A-12E are prepared and each is encapsulated in a multi-compartment pouch formed by a polyvinyl alcohol film.

[0175] [Table 20] 1 Isalchem® 123 available from Sasol. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50. * Examples include, but are not limited to, propanediol, glycerol, ethanol, dipropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, and polypropylene glycol.

[0176] Example 13: Exemplary Dishwashing Detergent (with High Concentration Liquid Detergent) Dishwashing detergent compositions 13A-13F are formulated in accordance with the present invention by mixing together the ingredients listed below.

[0177] [Table 21] 1 Isalchem® 123 available from Sasol. 2 It is commercially available from BASF as Emulan® HE50. * Minor ingredients include fragrances, dyes, and preservatives. VP: Vinylpyrrolidone DADMAC: N,N-dimethyldiallylammonium chloride

[0178] All percentages and ratios are calculated by weight unless otherwise specified. All percentages and ratios are calculated based on the total composition unless otherwise specified. Every maximum numerical limitation given throughout this specification should be understood to include every lower numerical limitation, as if such lower numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation given throughout this specification includes every higher numerical limitation, as if such higher numerical limitations were expressly written herein. Every numerical range given throughout this specification includes every narrower numerical range that falls within such broader numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly written herein.

[0179] All documents cited in this application, including cross-referenced or related patents or applications, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document shall not be deemed to be prior art to any invention disclosed or claimed herein, or to teach, suggest, or disclose any such invention, either alone or in combination with any other reference(s). Furthermore, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with a meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.

[0180] While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. 1. A cleaning composition comprising: (a) from 5% to 50% by weight of the total weight of the cleaning composition of one or more branched non-alkoxylated C 12 ~C 13 Alkyl sulfate (AS) surfactants, comprising one or more branched, non-alkoxylated C 12 ~C 13 the alkyl sulfate (AS) surfactant comprises a branched alkyl moiety having a weight average number of carbon atoms in the range of 10 to 13; (b) 0.05% to 10% by weight of the total weight of the cleaning composition of one or more linear C alkyl esters having a weight average degree of ethoxylation ranging from 4 to 6. 4 ~C 8 Alkyl ethoxylated alcohol (AA) surfactants, and (c) one or more additional ingredients selected from the group consisting of polymeric soil release agents, polymeric dispersants, polymeric grease cleaners, enzymes, amines, dyes, chelating agents, fragrances, solvents, and combinations thereof; The one or more branched non-alkoxylated C 12 ~C 13 The one or more linear C alkyl sulfate (AS) surfactants 4 ~C 8 a weight ratio of alkyl ethoxylated alcohol (AA) to surfactant in the range of 8:1 to 2:1; The one or more branched non-alkoxylated C 12 ~C 13 The alkyl sulfate (AS) surfactant is a mixture, said mixture comprising: (1) 20% to 80% by weight of the total weight of the mixture of branched non-alkoxylated C 12 AS surfactant, and (2) 20% to 80% by weight of the total weight of the mixture of branched non-alkoxylated C 13 Contains an AS surfactant, The branched non-alkoxylated C 12 ~C 13 The AS surfactant has the general formula (I): 【Chemical 1】 wherein M is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium, amine, or alkanolamine cation; x and y are independently selected from integers ranging from 0 to 10; z is an integer ranging from 1 to 4; the sum of x+y is greater than or equal to z; and the sum of x+y+z is from 9 to 10.

2. The one or more branched non-alkoxylated C 12 10. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the C13 AS surfactant is present in an amount ranging from 6% to 30% by weight of the total weight of the cleaning composition.

3. One or more linear C 4 ~C 8 3. The cleaning composition of claim 1, wherein the AA surfactant is ethoxylated.

4. The one or more linear C 4 ~C 8 A cleaning composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the AA surfactant is present in an amount ranging from 0.1% to 6% by weight of the total weight of the cleaning composition.

5. 5. The cleaning composition of claim 1, further comprising one or more additional surfactants selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, and combinations thereof.

6. Use of a cleaning composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 for hand washing dishes or fabrics.

7. 1. A method for treating soiled material, comprising: a) providing a cleaning composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5; b) contacting the cleaning composition with at least a portion of the soiled substrate; c) rinsing the soiled material; A method comprising:

8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein steps b) and c) are both performed by hand and the soiled material is soiled fabric.

9. 1. A laundry detergent composition comprising: (a) from 1% to 30% by weight of the total weight of the laundry detergent composition of a branched, non-alkoxylated C 12 AS surfactant, (b) from 1% to 30% by weight of the total weight of the laundry detergent composition of a branched, non-alkoxylated C 13 AS surfactant, (c) 0.1% to 15% by weight of the total weight of the laundry detergent composition of a linear C olefin copolymer having a weight average degree of ethoxylation ranging from 4 to 6. 6 AA surfactants and (d) one or more additional ingredients; The branched non-alkoxylated C 12 ~C 13 The AS surfactant has the general formula (I): 【Chemistry 2】 wherein M is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium, amine, or alkanolamine cation; x and y are independently selected from integers ranging from 0 to 10; z is an integer ranging from 1 to 4; the sum of x+y is greater than or equal to z; and the sum of x+y+z is from 9 to 10.

10. 1. A concentrated laundry detergent composition comprising: (a) from 20% to 50% by weight of the total weight of the concentrated laundry detergent composition of a branched, non-alkoxylated C 12 AS surfactant, (b) from 20% to 50% by weight of the total weight of the concentrated laundry detergent composition of a branched, non-alkoxylated C 13 AS surfactant, (c) from 5% to 30% by weight of the total weight of the concentrated laundry detergent composition of a linear C hydroxybenzoate having a weight average degree of ethoxylation ranging from 4 to 6; 6 AA surfactants and (d) one or more additional ingredients; The branched non-alkoxylated C 12 ~C 13 The AS surfactant has the general formula (I): 【Chemistry 3】 wherein M is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium, amine, or alkanolamine cation; x and y are independently selected from integers ranging from 0 to 10; z is an integer ranging from 1 to 4; the sum of x+y is greater than or equal to z; and the sum of x+y+z is from 9 to 10.

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