Drain formulation for enhanced hair dissolution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9487742-B2
Application number	US-201313950140-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2013
Priority date	Sep 10, 2012
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to drain cleaning compositions including relatively high concentrations of a hypochlorite oxidizing agent and a hydroxide (e.g., 4 to 12% and 2.5 to 10%, respectively. The composition further includes a surfactant (e.g., a surfactant blend, water, and exhibits a very high pH (e.g., at least 13). The composition is monophasic, even at high oxidizing and hydroxide concentrations. The surfactant may include a blend of an uncharged surfactant (e.g., an amphoteric surfactant or nonionic surfactant) and a charged surfactant (e.g., anionic, cationic, or a surfactant that becomes so under the high pH conditions of the composition). The ratio of charged to uncharged surfactant may be at least 1:10, e.g., from 1:10 to about 1:50.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drain cleaning composition consisting of:
(a) 4% to 12% by weight of a hypochlorite oxidizing agent;
(b) 2.5% to 10% by weight of a hydroxide;
(c) a charged surfactant which is coconut fatty acid;
(d) an uncharged surfactant which is one or more amine oxides;
(e) water;
(f) optionally, one or more adjuvants selected from the group consisting of: coloring agents, dyes, pigments, fragrances, opacifiers, corrosion inhibitors and any combinations thereof; and
wherein a ratio of charged surfactant to uncharged surfactant by weight is from 1:10 to 1:50; and the composition is viscoelastic and has a viscosity of at least 250 cP at 10/s, a zero-shear viscosity of at least 1000 cP at 25° C. and a critical shear rate of at least 1/sec.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hypochlorite oxidizing agent is sodium hypochlorite.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hydroxide is sodium hydroxide.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the charged surfactant is a mixture of alkyl fatty acids having carbon chain lengths from 6 to 18.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of charged surfactant to uncharged surfactant by weight is from 1:10 to 1:30.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the uncharged surfactant is lauryl dimethylamine oxide.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the uncharged surfactant is myristylamine oxide.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is monophasic.

9. A drain cleaning composition comprising:
(a) 4% to 12% by weight of a hypochlorite oxidizing agent;
(b) 2.5% to 10% by weight of a hydroxide;
(c) a charged surfactant which is a mixture of alkyl fatty acids having carbon chain lengths from 6 to 18;
(d) an uncharged surfactant comprising one or more amine oxides; and
(e) water;
wherein the composition is viscoelastic and has a viscosity of at least 250 cP at 10/s, has a zero-shear viscosity of at least 1000 cP at 25° C. and a critical shear rate of at least 1/sec; and wherein the composition is monophasic and a ratio of the charged surfactant to the uncharged surfactant by weight is from 1:10 to 1:50.

10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the hypochlorite oxidizing agent is sodium hypochlorite.

11. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the hydroxide is sodium hydroxide.

12. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the uncharged surfactant comprises lauryl dimethylamine oxide.

13. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the charged surfactant comprises coconut fatty acid.

14. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the composition has a pH of at least 13.

15. A drain cleaning composition consisting of:
(a) 4% to 12% by weight of a hypochlorite oxidizing agent;
(b) 2.5% to 10% by weight of a hydroxide;
(c) one or more of a charged surfactant which is a mixture of alkyl fatty acids having carbon chain lengths from 6 to 18;
(d) one or more of an uncharged surfactant which is one or more amine oxides;
(e) water; and
(f) optionally, one or more adjuvants selected from the group consisting of: dyes, pigments, fragrances, corrosion inhibitors and opacifiers; and
wherein the composition is monophasic and has a pH of at least 13 and wherein a ratio of charged surfactant to uncharged surfactant by weight is from 1:10 to about 1:50.

16. The composition of claim 15 , wherein the ratio of charged surfactant to uncharged surfactant by weight is from 1:10 to about 1:30.

17. The composition of claim 15 , wherein a zero shear viscosity of the composition at 25° C. is at least 1000 cP.

18. The composition of claim 15 , wherein a relaxation time of the composition is less than 0.1 s.

19. The composition of claim 15 , wherein a zero shear viscosity of the composition at 25° C. is at least 1000 cP and a critical shear rate is at least 1/s.

20. The composition of claim 15 , wherein a flocculation temperature of the composition is greater than 50° C.

Assignees

• Clorox Co

Inventors

• Khan Rashda
• Fritter Daniela
• Alcantara Lorinda
• Zhang Wenyu
• Helmer Miranda

Classifications

• C11D3/044 Primary

  Hydroxides or bases · CPC title

• C11D17/0026 Primary

  Structured liquid compositions, e.g. liquid crystalline phases or network containing non-Newtonian phase · CPC title

• C11D3/3953

  Inorganic bleaching agents (C11D3/3951 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C11D3/3956

  Liquid compositions · CPC title

• C11D3/30

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