Unit dose detergent pack including an opacified liquid detergent composition free of a microplastic opacifier

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12077729-B2
Application number	US-202015929432-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2020
Priority date	May 1, 2020
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A unit dose detergent pack is disclosed. The unit dose detergent pack includes a pouch formed from a water-soluble film and an opacified liquid detergent composition releasably disposed within the pouch. The opacified liquid detergent composition includes a plurality of neutralizing agents including more than 50 mole percent of sodium hydroxide and a remainder alkanolamine based on a total of 100 mole percent of the sodium hydroxide and the alkanolamine together. The composition further includes a fatty acid and water. A weight ratio of the sodium hydroxide and the fatty acid is from about 0.3:1 to about 0.8 to 1. The opacified liquid detergent composition is free of a microplastic opacifier and has a turbidity of at least 250 NTUs measured utilizing a turbidity meter at about 24° C. Also disclosed is an opacified liquid detergent composition and a method of making the same.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A unit dose detergent pack comprising:
a pouch formed from a water-soluble film; and
an opacified liquid detergent composition releasably disposed within said pouch and comprising:
a plurality of neutralizing agents including more than 50 mole percent of sodium hydroxide and a remainder of alkanolamine present based on a total of 100 mole percent of said plurality of neutralizing agents;
a fatty acid; and
at least one surfactant;
a bittering agent; and
less than 30% by weight of water,
wherein a weight ratio of said sodium hydroxide to said fatty acid is from about 0.3:1 to about 0.8:1, and
wherein said opacified liquid detergent composition is free of a microplastic opacifier and has a turbidity of at least 250 turbidity units (NTU) measured utilizing a turbidity meter at about 24° C.

2. The unit dose detergent pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said opacified liquid detergent composition includes from about 75 to about 90 mole percent of said sodium hydroxide based on a total of 100 mole percent total of said plurality of neutralizing agents.

3. The unit dose detergent pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said alkanolamine is monoethanolamine (MEA).

4. The unit dose detergent pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said opacified liquid detergent composition includes from about 4 to about 10% by weight of said fatty acid based on a total weight of said opacified liquid detergent composition.

5. The unit dose detergent pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fatty acid is obtained from palm kernel oil and has a backbone including from 12 to 20 carbon atoms.

6. The unit dose detergent pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fatty acid is a coconut fatty acid.

7. The unit dose detergent pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said opacified liquid detergent composition includes from about 10% to about 20% by weight of said water based on a total weight of said opacified liquid detergent composition.

8. The unit dose detergent pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said opacified liquid detergent composition includes from about 20 to about 50% by weight of at least one surfactant based on a total weight of said opacified liquid detergent composition.

9. The unit dose detergent pack as set forth in claim 8 wherein said at least one surfactant is linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS).

10. The unit dose detergent pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said opacified liquid detergent composition has a turbidity of at least 1000 turbidity units (NTU) measured utilizing a turbidity meter at 24° C.

11. The unit dose detergent pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said opacified liquid detergent composition has a pH of from about 6 to about 8.

12. An opacified liquid detergent composition comprising:
2.0% to 5.0% by weight of sodium hydroxide;
0.3% to 5% by weight of an alkanolamine;
20.0% to 50.0% of a surfactant;
4.0% to 10.0% by weight of a fatty acid;
greater than 0% to 0.05% of a bittering agent;
less than 30% by weight of water;
wherein said opacified liquid detergent composition includes from about 75 to about 90 mole percent of said sodium hydroxide based on a total of 100 mole percent total of said plurality of neutralizing agents;
wherein said opacified liquid detergent composition is free of a microplastic opacifier and has a turbidity of at least 250 turbidity units (NTU) measured utilizing a turbidity meter at about 24° C.

13. The opacified liquid detergent composition as set forth in claim 12 wherein said opacified liquid detergent composition has a turbidity of at least 1000 turbidity units (NTU) measured utilizing a turbidity meter at about 24° C.

14. The opacified liquid detergent composition as set forth in claim 12 wherein a weight ratio of said sodium hydroxide to said fatty acid is from about 0.3:1 to about 0.8:1.

15. The opacified liquid detergent composition as set forth in claim 12 wherein said opacified liquid detergent composition includes from about 10% to about 20% by weight of said water based on a total weight of said opacified liquid detergent composition.

16. The unit dose detergent pack as set forth in claim 1 wherein said surfactant comprises one or more of an anionic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant.

17. A method of making an opacified liquid detergent composition for a unit dose detergent pack, said method comprising the steps of:
combining an alkanolamine and sodium hydroxide to form a combination with the sodium hydroxide present in an amount of more than 50 mole percent based on a total of 100 mole percent of the sodium hydroxide and the alkanolamine together;
adding a surfactant, a bittering agent, and water to the combination to form a mixture; and then
adding a fatty acid to the mixture to form the opacified liquid detergent composition that is free of a microplastic opacifier and has a turbidity of at least 250 turbidity units (NTU) measured utilizing a turbidity meter at 24° C.;
wherein a weight ratio of said sodium hydroxide to said fatty acid is from about 0.3:1 to about 0.8:1; and
encapsulating the opacified liquid detergent composition into a pouch formed from a water-soluble film.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the surfactant is a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate and the step of adding the surfactant is further defined as adding from about 20 to about 50% by weight of the linear alkylbenzene sulfonate to the combination to form the mixture.

19. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the fatty acid is a coconut fatty acid and the step of adding the fatty acid is further defined as adding from about 4 to about 10% by weight of the coconut fatty acid to the mixture to form the opacified liquid detergent composition.

Assignees

• Henkel Ag & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Piorkowski Daniel Thomas

Classifications

• C11D3/044

  Hydroxides or bases · CPC title

• C11D1/22

  derived from aromatic compounds · CPC title

• C11D3/202

  fatty or with at least 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain · CPC title

• C11D3/30

  Amines; Substituted amines {; Quaternized amines} · CPC title

• C11D3/0089

  Pearlescent compositions; Opacifying agents · CPC title