Translucent or transparent, self-standing, automatic dishwashing gel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10150938-B2
Application number	US-201515500513-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2015
Priority date	Aug 11, 2014
Publication date	Dec 11, 2018
Grant date	Dec 11, 2018

Abstract

The present invention provides a transparent or translucent, self-standing, automatic dishwashing gel, comprising a water-soluble C14-C22 fatty acid salt, at least 50 wt % liquid non-ionic surfactant, less than 15 wt % water, and optionally a polar organic solvent.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A self-standing, automatic dishwashing gel comprising:
a water-soluble C 14 -C 22 fatty acid salt;
at least 65 wt % liquid non-ionic surfactant;
less than 15 wt % water; and
a polar organic solvent,
wherein the self-standing, automatic dishwashing gel is translucent or transparent.

2. The gel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid salt is a mixture of an alkali metal stearate salt and an alkali metal palmitate salt.

3. The gel as claimed in claim 1 comprising up to 10 wt % of the fatty acid salt.

4. The gel as claimed in claim 1 comprising less than 10 wt % water.

5. The gel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the polar organic solvent is one of a glycol or an ester of citric acid.

6. The gel as claimed in claim 1 comprising at least 70 wt % liquid non-ionic surfactant.

7. The gel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liquid non-ionic surfactant is a liquid alcohol alkoxylate.

8. The gel as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a polyol different from the organic solvent.

9. A water-soluble container, inside which is situated a gel as claimed in claim 1 , and
wherein the gel is in direct contact with a second composition.

10. A method of manufacturing the gel as claimed in claim 1 comprising:
combining the fatty acid salt, at least a portion of the non-ionic surfactant, and one or both of at least a portion of the water and the polar organic solvent, with stirring at between 10-40° C.;
heating the mixture to between 50-100° C.; and
cooling to form the gel.

11. An automatic dishwashing process comprising a step selected from the group consisting of using the gel as claimed in claim 1 and using the container as claimed in claim 9 in an automatic dishwasher.

12. The water-soluble container as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the second composition is a powder; and
wherein the gel further comprises a polyethylene imine.

13. The gel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fatty acid salt is a mixture of an alkali metal stearate salt and an alkali metal palmitate salt; and
wherein the alkali metal is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium and mixtures thereof.

14. The gel as claimed in claim 1 comprising between 1-5 wt % of the fatty acid salt.

15. The gel as claimed in claim 1 comprising between 1-6 wt % water.

16. The gel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the polar organic solvent is present in an amount of between 5-25 wt %.

17. The gel as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the liquid non-ionic surfactant is an alcohol propoxylate ethoxylate of the formula R 1 O-(EO) x —(PO) y —R 2 in which:
EO is ethoxylate;
PO is propoxylate;
the order of EO and PO groups may be varied;
x and y are independently 0-10, provided that the sum of x and y is at least 3;
R 1 is an alkyl or alkenyl group; and
R 2 is one of H and an optionally substituted alkyl or alkenyl group.

18. The gel as claimed in claim 1 further comprising one of trimethylolpropane and glycerol at between 1-5 wt %.

19. The method of manufacturing a gel as claimed in claim 10 ,
wherein the fluid formed by heating the mixture comprises an optical quality selected from the group consisting of transparent and translucent.

20. The gel as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the polar organic solvent is dipropylene glycol.

Assignees

• Reckitt Benckiser Brands Ltd

Inventors

• Roy Pavlinka
• Schmaelzle Claudia

Classifications

• C11D17/042

  Water soluble or water disintegrable containers or substrates containing cleaning compositions or additives for cleaning compositions · CPC title

• C11D17/0052

  Cast detergent compositions · CPC title

• C11D17/003 Primary

  Colloidal solutions, e.g. gels; Thixotropic solutions or pastes · CPC title

• C11D10/045

  based on non-ionic surface-active compounds and soap · CPC title

• C11D3/43

  Solvents · CPC title