Low-foaming warewash detergent containing mixed cationic / nonionic surfactant system for enhanced oily soil removal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025109361-A1
Application number	US-202418981088-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 13, 2024
Priority date	Nov 12, 2015
Publication date	Apr 3, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention includes ware detergent compositions which provides superior cleaning and removal of oily and fatty soils, without the production of excessive foam. According to the invention applicants have discovered that use of a quaternary cationic surfactant in combination with a nonionic low foaming surfactant can provide oily soil removal from ware that is superior to traditional warewash detergent formulations. Compositions for alkaline, preferably solid, warewash detergents are disclosed, as well as their use in dish machines and methods of manufacture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A warewash alkaline detergent composition comprising:
from about 40 wt. % to about 90 wt. % of an alkalinity source; from about 1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % of a surfactant component comprising a nonionic low foaming surfactant represented by the formula: RO—(PO) x (EO) y (PO) x H, wherein R is C8-18 alkyl, PO is propylene oxide; EO is ethylene oxide; x is 1-8 and y is 1-20, and a cationic quaternary surfactant represented by the formula:

wherein R represents a C8-C18 alkyl or alkenyl; R 1 and R 2 are C1-C4 alkyl groups; n is 10-25; and x is an anion selected from a halide or methyl sulfate, said surfactants in a ratio of greater than 1:1;

from about 0.1 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of a defoaming nonionic surfactant which is different from the low foaming surfactant;
from about 0.01 wt. % to about 20 wt. % of a water conditioning agent or polymer, wherein the conditioning agent or polymer comprises a phosphonate, and/or homopolymers, copolymers or terpolymers of polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, or polymaleates, and mixtures thereof; and
one or more of a metal protector, an enzyme, a chelant, a bleaching agent, a solidification aid, and/or a carrier.

2 . The composition of claim 1 wherein said alkalinity source comprises an alkali metal carbonate.

3 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising a metal protector, wherein said metal protector comprises one or more of a polyacrylic or polymaleic acid polymer or an alkali metal silicate.

4 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising a chelant, wherein said chelant comprises one or more of MGDA, GLDA, or EDTA.

5 . The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an oxidizer.

6 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein said quaternary cationic surfactant is a quaternary coco alkyl amine ethoxylate surfactant and wherein said low foaming surfactant is an alcohol alkoxylate surfactant.

7 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein said quaternary cationic surfactant is present in an amount of from about 0.1 wt. % to about 5 wt. % and wherein said low foaming surfactant is present from about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. %.

8 . The composition of claim 1 wherein, said composition is substantially free of an enzyme.

9 . The composition of claim 1 wherein said nonionic low foaming surfactant is an alcohol alkoxylate and is present from about 0.1 wt. % to about 5 wt. %.

10 . The composition of claim 1 wherein said ratio of said nonionic low foaming surfactant to quaternary amine alkoxylate surfactant is less than 10:1.

11 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein said composition is a pressed, extruded, or cast solid.

12 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein said composition is diluted to form a use composition and has a pH of at least about 9.

13 . A method of cleaning oily and fatty soils from ware comprising:
applying the detergent composition of claim 1 to ware surface in a dish machine; and thereafter rinsing said ware, wherein said detergent provides improved oily soil removal and acceptable foaming for dish machine performance.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said detergent is diluted to form a use solution having a pH of at least about 9.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said nonionic low foaming surfactant and said quaternary amine cationic surfactant are present in a ratio of greater than 1:1 and less than 5:1 by weight.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said quaternary cationic amine surfactant is a quaternary coco alkyl amine ethoxylate surfactant and wherein said nonionic low foaming surfactant is alcohol alkoxylate surfactant.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said dish machine is an institutional dish machine or a clean in place machine.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said detergent is a pressed, extruded or cast solid.

19 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the use solution is generated within a ware washing machine.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Dotzauer David
• Fu Richard
• Sanders Lisa M
• Roerdink Lander Monique
• Mansergh John
• Silvernail Carter M
• Luedtke Matthew

Classifications

• C11D3/361

  Phosphonates, phosphinates or phosphonites · CPC title

• C11D3/08

  Silicates · CPC title

• C11D3/1246

  Silicates, e.g. diatomaceous earth · CPC title

• C11D3/3757

  (Co)polymerised carboxylic acids, -anhydrides, -esters in solid and liquid compositions · CPC title

• C11D3/10

  Carbonates {; Bicarbonates} · CPC title