Cleaning composition

Abstract

A dry cleaning pre-spotter composition including soap, anionic and nonionic detergents, and organic dry cleaning solvents.

Description

This invention relates to a dry cleaning pre-spotter formulation for treating textile materials before they are subjected to conventional dry cleaning operations.

Previously, considerable difficulty had been experienced in providing a pre-spotting formulation that will effectively remove a wide spectrum of spots from textile materials. Such spots on textile materials may be formed by paints, greases, oils, beverages, inks, chemicals, and the like. All of these stains may be found on one garment or in a random sampling of garments that come through a dry cleaning establishment during the course of a day. It is very difficult to determine in some instances precisely what the stain on the textile was caused by. If pre-spotting agents are used that are effective against one stain but are not effective in removing other types of stains, there is a risk that the wrong cleaner will be used, and the stain will remain or, worse, it will be fixed in place so that it will be impossible to remove it. There is a need for a universal pre-spotting composition.

According to the present invention, a substantially universal pre-spotting composition for use in dry cleaning is provided.

The pre-spotting composition of this invention is an admixture including a liquified soap, an anionic synthetic detergent, a nonionic detergent, and certain organic solvents.

The vehicle for providing the composition in an homogeneous liquid admixture is a conventional dry cleaning solvent; such as, the petroleum distillate solvents identified as Stoddard's solvent or 140.degree. Fahrenheit solvent or the chlorinated solvents; such as, carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, and perchloroethylene. The chlorinated solvents are preferred, and perchloroethylene is the most preferred solvent vehicle.

The pre-spotting composition includes a substantial proportion of an amyl acetate which is an effective solvent for a wide variety of organic materials that frequently occur in spots on textiles.

The soaps that are suitable for use in this composition are conventional soaps that are used as dry cleaning detergents, including generally the sodium, ammonium, and potassium salts of fatty acids containing from 12 to 18 carbon atoms. Typical soaps include sodium, potassium, and ammonium stearate; sodium, potassium, and ammonium palmitate; sodium, potassium, and ammonium oleate; sodium, ammonium, and potassium abietate; sodium, potassium, and ammonium ricinoleate; and the like. Also, the soap must be liquified in order to be incorporated in the pre-spotting composition. Conventional liquification procedures are employed and include, for example, admixing the soap with an organic solvent, a coupling agent, and water. As used herein, the term soap is intended to refer to the liquified sodium, potassium, and ammonium salts of the fatty acids containing from about 12 to 18 carbon atoms.

Synthetic anionic detergents that are suitable for inclusion in the pre-spotting composition of this invention include the sodium, potassium, and ammonium salts of the alkyl aryl sulfonates in which the aryl group is generally benzene, and the alkyl group contains about 10 to 15 carbon atoms. As used herein, the term anionic alkyl benzene sulfonate is intended to include the compounds wherein the cation is sodium, potassium, or ammonia, and the alkyl group contains about 10 to 15 carbon atoms.

Additional components of the pre-spotting composition include nonionic synthetic detergents; such as, fatty acid-alkanolamine condensates formed by condensing fatty acids with amines, such as diethanolamine; ethylene oxide-fatty acid condensate formed by the condensation of from about 12 to 15 mols of ethylene oxide with 1 mol of a fatty acid; and alkyl aryl polyether alcohols formed by the condensation of from about 9 to 12 mols of ethylene oxide with an alkyl phenol; various other surfactant glycols and ethers; and the like.

Throughout this specification parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise indicated.

A very effective and substantially universal pre-spotting composition of this invention is prepared according to the following formulation.

EXAMPLE ______________________________________ Water 0.6% Methyl Isobutyl Ketone 0.8% Cyclohexanol 2.9% Sodium Oleate 2.4% 2-Methylnaphthalene 0.9% 2,3-Bis(Dodeoxy)-1-Proponal 4.8% Amyl Acetate 12.5% Ammonium Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate 10.8% Neopentylene Glycol 0.3% Perchloroethylene 64.0% ______________________________________

This formulation is tested on a wide variety of stains and fabrics, including oil, carbon black, paint, blood, and ink on silk, cotton, wool, rayon acetate, nylon, polyesters, and the blends of wool and polyester.

The sodium oleate in this example is liquified by premixing it with the water, cyclohexanol, and methyl isobutyl ketone before admixing it with the balance of the composition.

The composition set forth in this example is the preferred composition; however, substitutions and alterations may be made therein without adversely affecting the spot removal capabilities of the composition. For example, carbon tetrachloride or trichloroethylene may be substituted for the perchloroethylene, and the proportion of the solvent may be varied from approximately 35 to 80 weight percent. Various soaps, such as ammonium stearate and potassium ricinoleate, may be substituted for the sodium oleate; and the proportion of the soap in the composition, including the agents required to liquify it, may range from about 4 to 15 percent by weight. Various liquification materials may be used; for example, methylcyclohexanol may be used instead of cyclohexanol and various ketones; such as, methylamyl ketone, ethylbutyl ketone methylcyclohexanone, may be used if desired. In general the quantity of materials required to liquify the soap are approximately equal to the weight of the solid soap before it is liquified for use in the composition of this invention. The proportion of amyl acetate in the composition may be varied from approximately 5 to 20 percent and is preferably employed in the range of from about 5 to 15 percent. Various nonionic surfactant materials may be utilized, such as polyalkylene oxide phenolic and fatty acid condensates. In general the nonionic materials are present in amounts ranging from approximately 1 percent to 10 percent and preferably from about 3 to 8 percent by weight. If desired, admixtures of various materials may be employed. For example, a mixture of sodium and ammonium oleate could be employed if desired. Likewise, admixtures of anionic or nonionic detergents may be used. The anionic alkyl benzene sulfonate may be present in amounts ranging from about 5 to 20 weight percent and is preferably employed in quantities ranging from about 8 to 15 weight percent of the composition.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A dry cleaning agent for textiles and the like comprising about 4 to 15 weight percent of a high molecule weight fatty acid soap, about 5 to 20 weight percent of anionic alkyl benzene sulfonate wherein the alkyl group contains from about 10 to 15 carbon atoms, about 5 to 20 weight percent amyl acetate, about 1 to 10 weight percent of a nonionic detergent, and from about 35 to 80 weight percent dry cleaning solvent.

2. The dry cleaning agent of claim 1 wherein the high molecular weight fatty acid soap is sodium stearate.

3. The dry cleaning agent of claim 1 wherein the anionic alkyl benzene sulfonate is ammonium dodecylbenzene sulfonate.

4. The dry cleaning agent of claim 1 wherein the nonionic detergent comprises 2,3-bis(alkoxy)-1-proponal wherein the alkoxy group contains from about 10 to 15 carbon atoms.

5. A dry cleaning agent for textiles and the like comprising a formulation having the ingredients and approximate weight percentage concentrations as follows: