Neutral floor cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9512384-B2
Application number	US-201514681784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2015
Priority date	Feb 17, 2012
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

Compositions and methods for improved cleaning using neutral cleaners are disclosed. In particular, neutral pH cleaning compositions according to the invention employ a synergistic combination of water insoluble surfactants and an anionic hydrotropes capable of forming a stable, low-foaming solution. The neutral cleaning solutions provide significant benefits over water insoluble microemulsions traditionally used for neutral cleaning compositions and provide at least equivalent cleaning efficacy as non-neutral cleaning compositions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ready-to-use neutral floor treatment composition comprising:
about 7.8 parts per million (ppm) to about 3.9 wt-% of at least two water-insoluble surfactants,
wherein a first surfactant is a branched alcohol alkoxylate and a second surfactant is an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer; and

about 7.8 ppm to about 3.9 wt-% of a water-soluble anionic hydrotrope; and
at least 90 wt-% water, wherein the composition has a pH from about 6 to 9 and forms a clear solution.

2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the branched alcohol alkoxylate is a Guerbet ethoxylate having the formula

wherein R 1 is a C2-C20 alkyl, R 2 is a H or C1-C4 alkyl, n is 2-20, and m is 1-40.

3. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the ethylene Oxide/propylene oxide copolymer copolymer, is selected from the group consisting of an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer copolymer, a reverse ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer copolymer and combinations thereof.

4. The composition according to claim 2 , wherein the water-insoluble Guerbet ethoxylate is about 30 wt-% to about 60 wt-% ethylene oxide, wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer is a reverse copolymer, and wherein the anionic hydrotrope is selected from the group consisting of xylene sulfonate and its salts, cumene sulfonate and its salts, and a C6-C10 fatty acid and its salts.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of said second surfactant to said first surfactant are from about 2:1 to about 20:1, wherein the weight ratio of said first surfactant to said hydrotrope are from about 1:20 to about 5:1, and wherein the weight ratio of said second surfactant to said hydrotrope are from about 1:10 to about 10:1.

6. A ready-to-use neutral floor treatment composition comprising:
about 7.8 parts per million (ppm) to about 0.78 wt-% of a water-insoluble Guerbet ethoxylate having the following formula;

wherein R 1 is a C2-C20 a 1 kyl, R 2 is a H or C1-C4 alkyl, n is 2-20 and m is 1-40;
about 7.8 parts per million (ppm) to about 3.9 wt-% of a water-insoluble ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer;

about 7.8 ppm to about 3.9 wt-% of a water-soluble anionic hydrotrope,
at least 90 wt-% water wherein the composition has a pH from about 6 to 9 and forms a clear solution.

7. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the Guerbet ethoxylate is prepared from a Guerbet alcohol by dimerization of an alkene.

8. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the water-insoluble Guerbet ethoxylate is about 30 wt-% to about 60 wt-% ethylene oxide, and wherein the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer has a molecular weight less than about 10,000 and is selected from the group consisting of an elthylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer, a reverse ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer and combinations thereof.

9. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the compositions retains phase stability at elevated temperatures of up to about 50° C.

10. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the water-insoluble Guerbet ethoxylate is about 30 wt-% to about 60 wt-% ethylene oxide, and wherein the anionic hydrotrope is selected from the group consisting of xylene sulfonate and its salts, cumene sulfonate and its salts, and a C6-C10 fatty acid and its salts.

11. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the weight ratio of said ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer surfactant to said water-insoluble Guerbet ethoxylate surfactant is from about 2:1 to about 20:1, wherein the weight ratio of said water-insoluble Guerbet ethoxylate surfactant to said anionic hydrotrope are from about 1:20 to about 5:1, and wherein the weight ratio of said ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer surfactant to said anionic hydrotrope are from about 1:10 to about 10:1.

12. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the composition does not contain any agents selected from the group consisting of a builder, chelant, sequestrant, threshold agent/inhibitor and combinations thereof.

13. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the composition does not include a viscosity modifier and/or organic solvent.

14. A kit comprising:
a liquid detergent composition, wherein said composition is the ready-to-use neutral cleaning composition according to claim 6 ;
a container; and
instructions for use of the kit.

15. The kit of claim 14 , further comprising a removal agent for use in applying the neutral cleaning compositions and removing a plurality of soils.

16. A method for cleaning a hard surface comprising:
applying to the hard surface a ready-to-use neutral cleaning composition comprising about 7.8 parts per million (ppm) to about 0.8 wt-% a water-insoluble Guerbet ethoxylate surfactant having the following formula;

wherein R 1 is a C2-C20 aikyl, R 2 is a H or C1-C4 alkyl, n is 2-20, and m is 1-40;
about 7.8 ppm to about 3.9 wt-% of a water-insoluble ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer copolymer surfactant, about 7.8 ppm to about 3.9 wt-% of a water-soluble anionic hydrotrope and at least 90 wt-% of water, wherein the composition has a pH from about 6 to 9 and forms a clear solution.

17. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising a step of preparing the ready-to-use neutral cleaning composition, said preparation comprising diluting a concentrated neutral floor treatment composition into a use solution with water before applying the composition to a hard surface, and wherein the dilution provides a dispensing rate of a use solution of the neutral cleaning composition from about 0.1 oz./gal to about 10 oz./gal.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the ready-to-use neutral cleaning composition provides at least equivalent cleaning efficacy in comparison to alkaline cleaning solutions.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the neutral cleaning composition does not require use of personal protective equipment by an end-user.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising removing soil from the hard surface using a removal agent selected from the group consisting of a mop, auto scrubber, spray dispenser, compressed air and combinations thereof.

21. A composition according to claim 1 , comprising about 7.8 ppm to about 2.3 wt-% of at least two water-insoluble surfactants, wherein a first surfactant is a branched alcohol alkoxylate and a second surfactant is an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer; and
about 7.8 ppm to about 2.3 wt-% of a water-soluble anionic hydrotrope.

22. A composition according to claim 1 , comprising about 7.8 ppm to about 1.6 wt-% of at least two water-insoluble surfactants, wherein a first surfactant is a branched alcohol alkoxylate and a second surfactant is an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer; and
about 7.8 ppm to about 1.6 wt-% of a water-soluble anionic hydrotrope.

23. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of said second surfactant to said hydrotrope is about 1:1, and wherein the weight ratio of said first surfactant to said hydrotrope is from about 1:1.

24. The composition according to claim

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Hanson Catherine
• Wold Andrew
• Gioino Traci
• Smith Kim R
• Killeen Yvonne Marie

Classifications

• C11D3/3409

  Alkyl -, alkenyl -, cycloalkyl - or terpene sulfates or sulfonates · CPC title

• C11D1/722

  Ethers of polyoxyalkylene glycols having mixed oxyalkylene groups; {Polyalkoxylated fatty alcohols or polyalkoxylated alkylaryl alcohols with mixed oxyalkylele groups (C11D1/721 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B08B3/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays · CPC title

• C11D3/0047

  pH regulated compositions · CPC title

• C11D1/825

  Mixtures of compounds all of which are non-ionic · CPC title