[0001] This invention relates to liquid surfactant combinations which provide good laundry
detergency and, optionally, suds control and/or corrosion inhibition. Such compositions
can be built or unbuilt and can contain the usual auxiliary ingredients common to
such compositions.
[0002] Alkylpolyglucosides which are surfactants have been disclosed in U.S. Patents 3,598,865,
3,721,633 and 3,772,269. These patents also disclose processes for making alkylpolyglucoside
surfactants and built liquid detergent compositions containing these surfactants.
U.S. Patent 3,219,656 discloses alkylmonoglucosides and suggest their utility as foam
stabilisers for other surfactants. Various polyglucoside surfactant structures and
processes for making them are disclosed in U.S. Patents 2,974,134, 3,640,998, 3,839,318,
3,314,936, 3,346,558, 4,011,389 and 4,223,129.
[0003] Built detergent compositions containing aliylpolysaccharide surfactants are also
disclosed in copending published EP-A-075995 and EP-A-0075996.
[0004] All percentages, parts and ratios used herein are by weight unless otherwise specified.
[0005] This invention relates to the discovery of certain combinations of surfactants which
provide unusually good detergency, especially in cool water, for a variety of fabric
types. Specifically this invention relates to liquid laundry detergent compositions
comprising:
A. from 1% to 20%, preferably from 4% to 10% by weight, of an alkylpolyglucoside detergent
surfactant having the formula R20(CnH2nO)t(glucosyl)x wherein R2 is alkyl that contains from 12 to 18, preferably from 12 to 14 carbon atoms; n is
2 or 3, preferably 2; t is from 0 to 10, preferably 0; and x is from 1 % to 3, most
preferably from 1.6 to 2.7.
B. from 1% to 10%, preferably from 2% to 6%, by weight, of an amine oxide detergent
surfactant;
C. from 1 % to 10%, preferably from 1 % to 6%, by weight, of a water-soluble soap
which has an unsaturated straight chain of from 16 to 22 carbon atoms;
D. from 0% to 40%, preferably from 10% to 30%, by weight, of a water-soluble detergency
builder, preferably selected from the group consisting of pyrophosphates, nitrilotriacetates,
and mixtures thereof;
E. from 0% to 10%, preferably from 0% to 5%, by weight, of water-soluble synthetic
anionic detergent surfactant; and
F. up to 80% by weight of water.
[0006] Such detergent compositions can be formulated as flowing liquids and inhibit scum
formation and provide excellent detergency, do not damage washing machines unacceptably,
and can be formulated to provide different sudsing patterns by varying the amount
and types of synthetic anionic detergent surfactant and the amount of unsaturated
soap. Preferably such formulae do not contain more than 5% conventional ethoxylated
non-ionic surfactants. Sodium, potassium, ammonium and alkanolammonium cations are
preferred.
[0007] It has surprisingly been found that the cosurfactants interact with the alkylpolyglucoside
surfactant to provide good laundry detergency for a wide range of fabrics. The alkylpolyglucosides
are those having a hydrophobic alkyl group containing from 12 to 18 carbon atoms,
preferably from 12 to 16 carbon atoms and a a polyglucoside hydrophilic group containing
from 1 % to 3, most preferably from 1.6 to 2.7 glucoside units. Optionally the hydrophobic
group is attached at the 2, 3, 4, etc., positions thus giving a glucose as opposed
to a glucoside. The intersaccharide bonds can be, e.g., between the one position of
the additional glucoside units and the 2- , 3-, 4-, and/or 6 positions on the preceding
glucoside units. The glucoside is usually derived from glucose.
[0008] Optionally, and less desirably, there can be a polyalkoxide chain joining the hydrophobic
moiety and the polyglucoside moiety. The preferred alkoxide is ethylene oxide. Typical
hydrophobic groups include alkyl groups, either saturated or unsaturated, branched
or unbranched containing from 8 to 18, preferably from 10 to 16 carbon atoms. Preferably,
the alkyl group is a straight chain saturated alkyl group. The alkyl group can contain
up to 3 hydroxy groups and/or the polyalkoxide chain can contain up to 10, preferably
less than 5, most preferably 0 alkoxide moieties. Suitable alkyl polyglucosides are
tridecyl, tetradecyl, pentadecyl, hexadecyl, heptadecyl, and octadecyl, di- and tri-glucosides,
or- glucoses. Suitable mixtures include coconut alkyl, di- and tri-glucosides.
[0009] The glucosyl is preferably derived from glucose. To prepare compounds the alcohol
or alkylpolyethoxy alcohol is formed first and then reacted with glucose, or a source
of glucose, to form the glucoside (attachment at the 1-position). The additional glucosyl
units are attached between their 1-position and the preceding glucosyl units 2-, 3-,
4- and/or 6- position, preferably predominately the 2-position.
[0010] Preferably the content of alkylmonoglucoside is low, preferably less than 60%, more
preferably less than 50%.
[0011] Suitable water-soluble amine oxides containing one alkyl moiety of from 10 to 18
carbon atoms and 2 moieties selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups and
hydroxyalkyl groups containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms; water-soluble phosphine oxides
containing one alkyl moiety of 10 to 18 carbon atoms and 2 moieties selected from
the group consisting of alkyl groups and hydroxyalkyl group containing from 1 to 3
carbon atoms; and water-soluble sulfoxides containing one alkyl moiety of from 10
to 18 carbon atoms and a moiety selected from the group consisting of alkyl and hydroxyalkyl
moieties of from 1 to 3 carbon atoms.
[0012] Preferred semi-polar nonionic detergent surfactants are the amine oxide detergent
surfactants having the formula

wherein R is an alkyl, hydroxy alkyl, or alkyl phenyl group or mixtures thereof containing
from 10 to 18 carbon atoms, R' is an alkylene or hydroxy alkylene group containing
from 2 to 3 carbon atoms or mixtures thereof, x is from 0 to 2 and each R" is an alkyl
or hydroxy alkyl group containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms ora polyethylene oxide
group containing from one to 3 ethylene oxide groups and said R" groups can be attached
to each other, e.g., through an oxygen or nitrogen atom to form a ring structure.
[0013] Preferred amine oxide detergent surfactants are C
10-18 alkyl dimethyl amine oxide, C
8-
18 alkyl dihydroxy ethyl amine oxide, and C
S-12 alkoxy ethyl dihydroxy ethyl amine oxide.
The Unsaturated Soap
[0014] The unsaturated fatty acid soap contains from 16 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably in
a straight chain configuration. Preferably the number of carbon atoms in the unsaturated
fatty acid soap is from 16 to 18.
[0015] The unsaturated soap, in common with other anionic detergent and other anionic materials
in the detergent compositions of this invention, has a cation which renders the soap
water-soluble and/or dispersible. Suitable cations include sodium, potassium, ammonium,
monoethanolammonium, diethanolamonium, triethanolammonium or tetramethylammonium cations.
Sodium ions are preferred although in liquid formulations ammonium, and triethanolammonium
cations are useful.
[0016] A level of at least 1 % of the unsaturated fatty acid soap is desirable to provide
a noticeable reduction in sudsing and corrosion. Preferred levels of unsaturated fatty
acid soap are from 1% to 10%, most preferably from 2% to 5%. The unsaturated fatty
acid soap is preferably present at a level that will provide a level of from 15 ppm
to 200 ppm, preferably from 25 ppm to 125 ppm to 125 ppm in the wash solution at recommended
U.S. usage levels and from 30 ppm to 1000 ppm, preferably from 50 ppm to 500 ppm for
European usage levels.
[0017] Mono-, di-, and triunsaturated fatty acids are all essentially equivalent so it is
preferred to use mostly mono- unsaturated soaps to minimize the risk of rancidity.
Suitable sources of unsaturated fatty acids are well known. For example, see Bailey's
Industrial Oil and Fat Products, Third Edition, Swern, published by interscience Publisher
(1964).
[0018] Preferably, the level of saturated soaps is kept as low as possible, preferably less
than 60%, preferably less than 50% of the total soap is saturated soap. However, low
levels of saturated soaps can be used. Tallow and palm oil soaps can be used.
[0019] Useful synthetic anionic surfactants also include the water-soluble salts, preferably
the alkali metal, ammonium and alkylolammonium salts, of organic sulfuric reaction
products having in their molecular structure an alkyl group containing from 10 to
20 carbon atoms and a sulfonic acid of sulfuric acid ester group.
[0020] Such synthetic anionic detergent surfactants are desirable additives at a level of
from 1% to 10% to increase the overall detergency effect and, if desired, increase
the level of suds. (Included in the term "alkyl" is the alkyl portion of acyl groups.)
Examples of this group of synthetic surfactants are the sodium and potassium alkyl
sulfates, especially those obtained by sulfating the higher alcohols (C
8-C
l8 carbon atoms) such as those produced by reducing the glycerides of tallow or coconut
oil; and the sodium and potassium alkylbenzene sulfonates in which the alkyl group
contains from 9 to 15 carbon atoms, in straight chain or branched chain configuration,
e.g., those of the type described in U.S. Pats. 2,220,099 and 2,477,383. Especially
valuable are linear straight chain alkylbenzene sulfonates in which the average number
of carbon atoms in the alkyl group is from 11 to 13, abbreviated as Cq
1-
13 LAS.
[0021] Preferred anionic detergent surfactants are the alkyl polyethoxylate sulfates, particularly
those in which the alkyl contains from 10 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably from 12 to
18 and wherein the polyethoxylate chain contains from 1 to 15 ethoxylate moieties
preferably from 1 to 3 ethoxylate moieties. These anionic detergent surfactants are
particularly desirable for formulating heavy-duty liquid laundry detergent compositions.
[0022] Other anionic surfactants herein are the sodium alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonates,
especially those ethers of higher alcohols derived from tallow and coconut oil; sodium
coconut oil fatty acid monoglyceride sulfonates and sulfonates; sodium or potassium
salts of alkyl phenol ethylene oxide ether sulfates containing from 1 to 10 units
of ethylene oxide per molecule and wherein the alkyl groups contain from 8 to 12 carbon
atoms; and sodium or potassium salts of alkyl ethylene oxide ether sulfates containing
1 to 10 units of ethylene oxide per molecule and wherein the alkyl group contains
from 10 to 20 carbon atoms.
[0023] Other useful anionic surfactants herein include the water-soluble salts of esters
of alpha-sulfonated fatty acid containing from 6 to 20 carbon atoms in the fatty acid
group and from 1 to 10 carbon atoms in the ester group; water-soluble salts of2-acyioxy-aikane-1-suifonic
acids containing from 2 to 9 carbon atoms in the acyl group and from 9 to 23 carbon
atoms in the alkane moiety; alkyl ether sulfates containing from 10 to 20 carbon atoms
in the alkyl group and from 1 to 30 moles of ethylene oxide; water-soluble salts of
olefin sulfonates containing from 12 to 24 carbon atoms; and beta-alkyloxy alkane
sulfonates containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and from 8 to 20
carbon atoms in the alkane moiety.
[0024] The detergent compositions herein also contain from 0% to 40%, preferably from 5%
to 40%, and more preferably from 10% to 30% of a detergent builder.
[0025] Examples of detergency builders include water-soluble neutral or alkaline salts.
[0026] Useful water-soluble salts include the compounds commonly known as detergent builder
materials. Builders are generally selected from the various water-soluble, alkali
metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium phosphates, polyphosphates, phosphonates,
polyphosphonates, carbonates, silicates, borates, polyhydroxysulfonates, polyacetates,
carboxylates, and polycarboxylates. Preferred are the alkali metal, especially sodium,
salts of the above.
[0027] Specific examples of inorganic phosphate builders are sodium and potassium tripolyphosphate,
pyrophosphate, polymeric metaphate having a degree of polymerization of from 6 to
21, and orthophosphate. Examples of polyphosphonate builders are the sodium and potassium
salts ofethyiene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, the sodium and potassium salts of ethane 1-hydroxy-1
,1-diphosphonic acid and the sodium and potassium salts of ethane, 1,1,2-triphosphonic
acid. Other phosphorus builder compounds are disclosed in U.S. Patents 3,159,581;
3,213,030; 3,422,021; 3,422,137; 3,400,176 and 3,400,148.
[0028] Examples of nonphosphorus, inorganic builders are sodium and potassium carbonate,
bicarbonate, sesquicarbonate, tetraborate decahydrate, and silicate having a molar
ratio of Si0
2 to alkali metal oxide of from 0.5 to 4.0, preferably from 1.0 to 2.4.
[0029] Water-soluble, nonphosphorus organic builders useful herein include the various alkali
metal, ammonium and substituted ammonium polyacetates, carboxylates, polycarboxylates
and polyhydroxysulfonates. Examples of polyacetate and polycarboxylate builders are
the sodium, potassium, lithium, ammonium and substituted ammonium salts of ethylenediamine
tetraacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, oxydisuccinic acid, mellitic acid, benzene
polycarboxylic acids, and citric acid.
[0030] Highly preferred polycarboxylate builders herein are set forth in U.S. Patent No.
3,308,067, Diehl, issued March 7, 1967. Such materials include the water-soluble salts
of homo- and copolymers of aliphatic carboxylic acids such as maleic acid, itaconic
acid, mesaconic acid, fumaric acid, aconitic acid, citraconic acid and methylenemalonic
acid.
[0031] Other builders include the carboxylated carbohydrates of U.S. Patent 3,723,322, Diehl.
[0032] Other useful builders herein are sodium and potassium carboxymethyloxymalonate, carboxymethyloxysuc-
cinate, cis-cyclohexanehexacarboxylate, cis-cyclopentanetetracarboxylate phloroglucinol
trisulfonate, water-soluble polyacrylates (having molecular weights of from 2,000
to 200,000 for example), and the copolymers of maleic anhydride with vinyl methyl
ether or ethylene.
[0033] Other suitable polycarboxylates for use herein are the polyacetal carboxylates described
in U.S. Pat. 4,144,226, issued March 13, 1979 to Crutchfield et al, and U.S. Pat.
4,246,495, issued March 27, 1979 to Crutchfield et al. These polyacetal carboxylates
can be prepared by bringing together under polymerization conditions an ester of glyoxylic
acid and a polymerization initiator. The resulting polyacetal carboxylate ester is
then attached to chemically stable end groups to stabilize the polyacetal carboxylate
against rapid depolymerization in alkaline solution, converted to the corresponding
salt, and added to a surfactant.
[0034] Other detergency builder materials useful herein are the "seeded builder" compositions
disclosed in Belgian Patent No. 798,856, issued Oct. 29, 1973. Specific examples of
such seeded builder mixtures are: 3:1 wt. mixtures of sodium carbonate and calcium
carbonate having 5 micron particle diameter; 2.7:1 wt. mixtures of sodium sesquicarbonate
and calcium carbonate having a particle diameter of 0.5 µm; 20:1 wt. mixtures of sodium
sesquicarbonate and calcium hydroxide having a particle diameter of 0.01 µm; and a
3:3:1 wt. mixture of sodium carbonate, sodium aluminate and calcium oxide having a
particle diameter of 5 µm.
Nonionic Surfactant
[0035] Ethoxylated nonionic surfactants, including those having an HLB of from 5 to 17,
are well known in the detergency art. They can be included in the compositions of
the present invention together with the, e.g., alkylpolyglycoside surfactants defined
hereinbefore. They may be used singly or in combination with one or more of the preferred
alcohol ethoxylate nonionic surfactants, described below, to form nonionic surfactant
mixtures useful in combination with the alkylpolyglycosides. Examples of such surfactants
are listed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,630, Booth, issued Feb. 20,1973, and U.S. Pat. No.
3,332,880, Kessler et al, issued July 25, 1967. Nonlimiting examples of suitable ethoxylated
nonionic surfactants wich may be used in the present invention are as follows:
(1) The polyethylene oxide condensates of alkyl phenols. These compounds include the
condensation products of alkyl phenols having an alkyl group containing from 6 to
12 carbon atoms in either a straight chain or branched chain configuration with ethylene
oxide, said ethylene oxide being present in an amount equal to 5 to 25 moles of ethylene
oxide per mole of alkyl phenol. The alkyl substituent in such compounds can be derived,
for example, from polymerized propylene or diisobutylene. Examples of compounds of
this type include nonyl phenol condensed with 9.5 moles of ethylene oxide per mole
of nonyl phenol; dodecylphenol condensed with 12 moles of ethylene oxide per mole
of phenol; dinonyl phenol condensed with 15 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of phenol;
and diisooctyl phenol condensed with 15 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of phenol.
Commercially available nonionic surfactants of this type include Igepal® CO-630, marketed
by the GAF Corporation, and Titron® X-45, X-114, X-100, and X-102, all marketed by
the Rohm & Haas Company.
(2) The condensation products of aliphatic alcohols with from 1 to 25 moles of ethylene
oxide. The alkyl chain of the aliphatic alcohol can either be straight or branched,
primary or secondary, and generally contains from 8 to 22 carbon atoms. Examples of
such ethoxylated alcohols include the condensation product of myristyl alcohol condensed
with 10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol; and the condensation product
of 9 moles of ethylene oxide with coconut alcohol (a mixture of fatty alcohols with
alkyl chains varying in length from 10 to 14 carbon atoms). Examples of commercially
available nonionic surfactants in this type include Tergitol® 15-S-9, marketed by
Union Carbide Corporation, Neodol 45-9, Neodol® 23-6.5, Neodol® 45-7, and Neodol®
45-4, marketed by Shell Chemical Company, and Kyro EOB@, marketed by the Procter &
Gamble Company.
(3) The condensation products of ethylene oxide with a hydrophobic base formed by
the condensation of propylene oxide with propylene glycol. The hydrophobic portion
of these compounds has a molecular weight of from 1500 to 1800 and exhibits water
insolubility. The addition of polyoxyethylene moieties to this hydrophobic portion
tends to increase the water solubility of the molecule as a whole, and the liquid
character of the product is retained up to the point where the polyoxyethylene content
is 50% of the total weight of the condensation product, which corresponds to condensation
with up to 40 moles of ethylene oxide. Examples of compounds of this type include
certain of the commercially available Pluronic® surfactants, marketed by Wyandotte
Chemical Corporation.
(4) The condensation products of ethylene oxide with the product resulting from the
reaction of propylene oxide and ethylenediamine. The hydrophobic moiety of these products
consists of the reaction product of ethylenediamine and excess propylene oxide, said
moiety having a molecular weight of from 2500 to 3000. This hydrophobic moiety is
condensed with ethylene oxide to the extent that the condensation product contains
from 40% to 80% by weight of polyoxyethylene and has a molecular weight of from 5,000
to 11,000. Examples of this type of nonionic surfactant include certain of the commercially
available Tetronic@ compounds, marketed by Wyandotte Chemical Corporation.
[0036] Nonionic detergent surfactants (1)-(4) are conventional ethoxylated nonionic detergent
surfactants.
[0037] Preferred alcohol ethoxylate nonionic surfactants for use in the compositions of
the present invention are biodegradable and have the formula

wherein R
8 is a primary or secondary alkyl chain of from 8 to 22, preferably from 10 to 20,
carbon atoms and n is an average of from 2 to 12, particularly from 2 to 9. The nonionics
have an HLB (hydrophiliclipophilic balance) of from 5 to 17, preferably from 6 to
15. HLB is defined in detail in Nonionic Surfactants, by M. J. Schick, Marcel Dekker,
Inc., 1966, pages 606-613. In preferred nonionic surfactants, n is from 3 to 7. Primary
linear alcohol ethoxylates (e.g., alcohol ethoxylates produced from organic alcohols
which contain 20% 2-methyl branched isomers, commercially available from Shell Chemical
Company under the tradename Neodol) are preferred from a performance standpoint.
[0038] Particularly preferred nonionic surfactants for use in the compositions of the present
invention include the condensation product of C
10 alcohol with 3 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of tallow alcohol
with 9 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of coconut alcohol with 5
moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of coconut alcohol with 6 moles
of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of C
12 alcohol with 5 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of C
12-
13 alcohol with 6.5 moles of ethylene oxide, and the same condensation product which
is stripped so as to remove substantially all lower ethoxylate and nonethoxylated
fractions; the condensation product of C
12-13 alcohol with 2.3 moles of ethylene oxide, and the same condensation product which
is stripped so as to remove substantially all lower ethoxylate and nonethoxylated
fractions; the condensation product of C
12-13 alcohol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of C
14-
15 alcohol with 2.25 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of C
14-15 alcohol with 4 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of C
14-15 alcohol with 7 moles of ethylene oxide; and the condensation product of C
14-
15 alcohol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide.
[0039] The compositions of the present invention may contain mixtures of the preferred alcohol
ethoxylate non- ionic surfactants together with other types of ethoxylated nonionic
surfactants. One of the preferred nonionic surfactant mixtures contains at least one
of the preferred alcohol ethoxylate nonionics, and has a ratio of the preferred alcohol
ethoxylate surfactant (or surfactants) to the other nonionic surfactant (or surfactants)
of from 1:1 to 5:1. Specific examples of surfactant mixtures useful in the present
invention include a mixture of the con- densating product of C
14-15 alcohol with 3 moles of ethylene oxide (Neodol® 45-3) and the condensation product
of C
14-15 alcohol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide (Neodol® 45-9), in a ratio of lower ethoxylate
nonionic to higher ethoxylate nonionic of from 1:1 to 3:1; a mixture of the condensation
product of C
10 alcohol with 3 moles of ethylene oxide together with the condensation product of
a secondary C
15 alcohol with 9 moles of ethylene oxide (Tergitol® 15-S-9), in a ratio of lower ethoxylate
nonionic to higher ethoxylate nonionic of from 1:1 to 4:1; a mixture of Neodol® 45-3
and Tergitol® 15-S-9, in a ratio of lower ethoxylate nonionic to higher ethoxylate
non- ionic of from 1:1 to 3:1; and a mixture of Neodol 45-3 with the condensation
product of myristyl alcohol with 10 moles of ethylene oxide, in a ratio of lower ethoxylate
to higher ethoxylate of from 1:1 to 3:1.
[0040] Preferred nonionic surfactant mixtures may also contain alkyl glyceryl ether compounds
together with the preferred alcohol ethoxylate surfactants. Particularly preferred
are glyceryl ethers having the formula

wherein R
9 is an alkyl or alkenyl group of from 8 to 18, preferably 8 to 12, carbon atoms or
an alkaryl group having from 5 to 14 carbons in the alkyl chain, and n is from 0 to
6, together with the preferred alcohol ethoxylates, described above, in a ratio of
alcohol ethoxylate to glyceryl ether of from 1:1 to 4:1, particularly 7:3. Glyceryl
ethers of the type useful in the present invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.
4,098,713, Jones, issued July 4, 1978.
[0041] The ratio of alkylpolyglycoside detergent surfactant to nonionic detergent surfactant
is from 10:1 to 1:10, preferably from 3:1 to 1:3.
Other co-surfactants
[0042] In addition to the detergent surfactants described hereinbefore, the detergent compositions
herein contain from 1 % to 15%, preferably from 2% to 8%, of an organic surfactant
selected from the group consisting of zwitterionic, ampholytic, and cationic surfactants,
and mixtures thereof. Surfactants useful herein are listed in U.S. Pat. 3,664,961,
Norris, issued May 23, 1972, and U.S. Pat. 3,919,678, Laughlin et al, issued Dec.
30, 1975. Useful cationic surfactants also include those described in U.S. Pat. 4,222,905,
Cockrell, issued Sept. 16,1980, and in U.S. Pat. 4,239,659, Murphy, issued Dec. 16,
1980. The following are representative examples of surfactants useful in the present
compositions.
[0043] Ampholytic surfactants include derivatives of aliphatic or aliphatic derivatives
of heterocyclic secondary and tertiary amines in which the aliphatic moiety can be
straight chain or branched and wherein one of the aliphatic substituents contains
from 8 to 18 carbon atoms and at least one aliphatic substituent contains an anionic
water-solubilizing group.
[0044] Zwitterionic surfactants include derivatives of aliphatic quaternary ammonium, phosphonium,
and sulfonium compounds in which one of the aliphatic substituents contains from 8
to 18 carbon atoms.
[0045] Particularly preferred auxiliary surfactants herein include linear alkylbenzene sulfonates
containing from 11 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl group; tallowalkyl sulfates; coconutalkyl
glyceryl ether sulfonates; alkyl ether sulfates wherein the alkyl moiety contains
from 14 to 18 carbon atoms and wherein the average degree of ethoxylation is from
1 to 4; olefin or paraffin sulfonates containing from 14 to 16 carbon atoms; and alkyldimethylammonium
propane sulfonates and alkyldimethylammonium hydroxy propane sulfonates wherein the
alkyl group contains from 14 to 18 carbon atoms.
[0046] Specific preferred surfactants for use herein include: sodium, potassium, mono-,
di-, and triethanolammonium C
14-15 alkyl polyethoxylate
1-3 sulfates; sodium linear C
11-
13 alkylbenzene sulfonate; triethanolamine C
11-13 alkylbenzene sulfonate; sodium tallow alkyl sulfate; sodium coconut alkyl glyceryl
ether sulfonate; the sodium salt of a sulfated condensation product of a tallow alcohol
with 4 moles of ethylene oxide; 3-(N,N-dimethyl-N-coconutalkylammonio)-2hydroxypropane-1-sulfonate;
3-(N,N-dimethyl-N-coconutalkylammoniopro- pane-1-sulfonate; 6-(N-dodecylbenzyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)-hexanoate;
and coconut alkyldimethyl amine oxide.
[0047] Other adjunct components which may be included in the compositions of the present
invention, in their conventional art-established levels for use (i.e., from 0 to 90%),
include solvents, bleaching agents, bleach activators, soil-suspending agents, corrosion
inhibitors, dyes, fillers, optical brighteners, germicides, pH adjusting agents (monoethanolamine,
sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide), enzymes, enzyme-stabilizing agents, perfumes,
fabric softening components or static control agents.
[0048] Fatty acid amide detergent surfactants useful herein include those having the formula:

wherein R
6 is an alkyl group containing from 7 to 21 (preferably from 9 to 17) carbon atoms
and each R
7 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-4 alkyl, C
1-4 hydroxy alkyl, and -(C
2H
40)
xH where x varies from 1 to 3.
[0049] Preferred amides are C
8-20 ammonia amides, monoethanolammonium, diethanolamides, and isopropanol amides.
[0050] The compositions of the present invention can be used in the current U.S. laundering
processes by forming aqueous solution containing from 0.01 % to 1 %, preferably from
0.05% to 0.5%, and most preferably from 0.05% to 0.25% of the composition in water
and agitating the soiled fabrics in that aqueous solution. The fabrics are then rinsed
and dried. When used in this manner the preferred compositions of the present invention
yield exceptionally good detergency on a variety of fabrics.
[0051] The compositions of the invention provide excellent detergency, do not damage washing
machines unacceptably, and can be formulated to provide different sudsing patterns
by varying the amount and types of synthetic anionic detergent surfactant and the
amount of unsaturated soap. Preferably such formulas do not contain more than 5% conventional
ethoxylated nonionic surfactants. Sodium, potassium, ammonium, and alkanolammonium
cations are preferred.
[0052] All percentages, parts, and ratios herein are by weight unless otherwise specified.
[0053] The following examples illustrate the compositions of the present invention.
EXAMPLE I
[0054] Combinations of alkyl polyglucosides and semi-polar nonionic and/or amide detergent
surfactants are compatible with unsaturated soap, but not with saturated soap.

[0055] Compositions 1-3 and 5 were lower sudsing than formula 4 and were more compatible
with washing machine surfaces (less corrosive). Composition 3 formed an unsightly
soap scum in the rinse water despite the presence of materials known to inhibit formation
of such scums. Composition 3 also formed a thick gel rather than a free flowing, clear
liquid. It is clear that there must not be a substantial excess of saturated soap
over unsaturated. The soap must be at least about 40% unsaturated soap.
[0056] It has additionally been discovered that the performance of these compositions is
improved if the total free fatty alcohol containing from 8 to 20 carbon atoms is less
than 5%, preferably less than 2%, most preferably less than 1 %.