Cleaning implement comprising a modified open-cell foam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11259680-B2
Application number	US-201715815733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2017
Priority date	Nov 23, 2016
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning implement that includes a melamine-formaldehyde foam. The melamine-formaldehyde foam cleaning implement has a d90/d10 ratio above 1.65 and a compression deflection force above 3.25 psi. Additionally the present invention encompasses processes for making and methods for cleaning hard surfaces with a cleaning implement according to the present invention.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning implement comprising melamine-formaldehyde foam, wherein the melamine-formaldehyde foam has a compression deflection force above 4.25 psi, wherein the melamine-formaldehyde foam comprises 0.5 weight % of linear polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of 4000 g/mol, wherein the cleaning implement is obtained by foaming and crosslinking a mixture of a melamine-formaldehyde precondensate and the linear polyethylene glycol.

2. The cleaning implement according to claim 1 , wherein the melamine-formaldehyde foam has a density is in the range from about 8 to about 12 kg/m 3 .

3. The cleaning implement according to claim 1 , wherein the melamine-formaldehyde foam has a compression set after 24 hours below about 25%.

4. The cleaning implement according to claim 1 , wherein the melamine-formaldehyde foam has a Ram Pressure above about 35 N.

5. The cleaning implement according to claim 1 , wherein the melamine-formaldehyde foam is formed by the process of heating and foaming an aqueous mixture M using microwave radiation, said mixture M comprising at least one melamine-formaldehyde precondensate, at least one curative, at least one surfactant, at least one blowing agent and at least one linear polymer.

6. The cleaning implement according to claim 5 , wherein said mixture M comprises a surfactant mixture comprising a mixture of 50 to 90 wt % of an anionic surfactant and 10 to 50 wt % of nonionic surfactants, wherein the weight percentages are each based on the total weight of the surfactant mixture.

7. The cleaning implement according to claim 5 , wherein the curative is formic acid.

8. The cleaning implement according to claim 5 , wherein the blowing agent is pentane.

9. The cleaning implement according to claim 1 , wherein the melamine-formaldehyde foam comprises a benefit agent selected from the group consisting of a detergent composition; surfactants; dyes; inks; pigments; scents; acids; bases; oils; salts; bleach;
antimicrobial agents; fragrances; solvents; biocides; hydrophobicizing agents; agents influencing haptics; agents influencing the soil release behavior; formaldehyde scavengers;
abrasives.

10. The cleaning implement according to claim 1 , further comprising a second layer.

11. The method of cleaning a hard surface comprising bringing the cleaning implement according to claim 1 into contact with a hard surface.

12. A process of producing the cleaning implement according to claim 10 , comprising the steps of:
a) producing an aqueous mixture M comprising
100 parts by weight of the melamine-formaldehyde precondensate,
2 to 4 parts by weight of the curative,
0.2 to 5 parts by weight of a surfactant mixture,
0.1 to 5 parts by weight of at least one salt of an inorganic acid and/or of an organic carboxylic acid,
1 to 40 parts by weight of the blowing agent,
0.1 to 5 parts by weight of the at least one linear, polymer,
0 to 20 parts by weight of one or more further additives, and
25 to 60 parts by weight of water,

b) heating and foaming said mixture M using microwave radiation,
c) annealing the foam using hot air and/or nitrogen in a temperature range from 150° C. to 290° C.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Pung David John
• Roberts Megan Showell
• Szeifert Johann Martin

Classifications

• A47L13/16 Primary

  Cloths; Pads; Sponges (metal scraping sponges A47L13/07) · CPC title

• C08G8/08

  of formaldehyde, e.g. of formaldehyde formed in situ · CPC title

• A47L13/17 Primary

  containing cleaning agents (A47L13/19 takes precedence {; chemical compositions C11D17/049}) · CPC title

• C08G12/30

  with substituted triazines · CPC title

• C08J2201/022

  premixing or pre-blending a part of the components of a foamable composition, e.g. premixing the polyol with the blowing agent, surfactant and catalyst and only adding the isocyanate at the time of foaming · CPC title