Woolscouring method and composition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9689088-B2
Application number	US-201314652357-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2013
Priority date	Dec 18, 2012
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of washing animal fibers comprising contacting the animal fibers with a surfactant composition comprising a mixture of alcohol ethoxylate surfactants and optionally at least one propoxylated surfactant.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of cleaning animal fibers comprising contacting the animal fibers with a surfactant composition comprising a mixture of alcohol ethoxylate surfactants, wherein the composition further comprises at least one propoxylated surfactant represented by the following formula:
R 3 —Y-[(PO) m1 /(EO) p1 ]-H

wherein:
R 3 is a hydrocarbon group having an average chain length in the range of from C 6 to C 16 ;
PO represents C 3 H 6 O, and EO represents C 2 H 4 O;
m 1 is in the range of from 0.5 to 6;
p 1 is in the range of from 0 to 9;
wherein (p 1 −m 1 ) is in the range of from 0.5 to 6; and
Y is —O—, —COO—, —CONH— or —NHCO—.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the animal fibers are wool.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surfactant composition comprises a blend of alcohol ethoxylates represented by the following formulae:
R 1 (OCH 2 CH 2 ) n1 —OH and R 2 (OCH 2 CH 2 ) n2 —OH

wherein:
R 1 and R 2 are, independently, linear alkyl groups having an average carbon chain length in the range of from C 5 to C 20 ;
n 1 is in the range of from 0.5 to 4;
n 2 is in the range of from 3.5 to 10; and
(n 2 −n 1 ) is in the range of from 2 to 8.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are in the range of from C 6 to C 10 .

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein one of R 1 and R 2 is in the range of from C 6 to C 10 and the other of R 1 and R 2 is in the range of from C 10 to C 18 .

6. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein n 1 is in the range of from 1 to 3 and/or n 2 is in the range of from 5 to 8.

7. A method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein (n 2 −n 1 ) is in the range of from 3 to 6.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein Y is —O—.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the propoxylated surfactant the (EO) group is attached to the R 3 —Y— group and the (PO) group is an endcap.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surfactant composition has an HLB value in the range of from 12.9 to 15.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 , in which the surfactant composition has an HLB value in the range of from 13.4 to 13.8.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the surfactant composition further comprises a second propoxylated surfactant.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the second propoxylated surfactant has the following formula:
R 4 —Y-[(PO) m2 /(EO) p2 ]-H

wherein:
R 4 is a hydrocarbon group having an average chain length in the range of from C 6 to C 16 ;
PO represents C 3 H 6 O, and EO represents C 2 H 4 O;
p 2 is in the range of from 0.25 to 3.5;
m 2 is in the range of from 2 to 10; and
Y is —O—, —COO—, —CONH— or —NHCO—.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 , in which the (EO) group in the second propoxylated surfactant is attached to the R 4 —Y— group and the (PO) group is an endcap.

15. A method of cleaning animal fibers comprising contacting the animal fibers with a surfactant composition comprising a mixture of alcohol ethoxylate surfactants, wherein the composition further comprises at least one propoxylated surfactant represented by the following formula:
R 3 —Y-[(PO) m1 /(EO) p1 ]-H

wherein:
R 3 is a hydrocarbon group having an average chain length in the range of from C 6 to C 16 ;
PO represents C 3 H 6 O, and EO represents C 2 H 4 O;
m 1 is in the range of from 0.5 to 6;
p 1 is in the range of from 0 to 9; and
Y is —O—, —COO—, —CONH— or —NHCO—;
wherein the surfactant composition further comprises a second propoxylated surfactant having the following formula:
R 4 —Y-[(PO) m2 /(EO) p2 ]-H

wherein:
R 4 is a hydrocarbon group having an average chain length in the range of from C 6 to C 16 ;
PO represents C 3 H 6 O, and EO represents C 2 H 4 O;
p 2 is in the range of from 0.25 to 3.5;
m 2 is in the range of from 2 to 10; and
Y is —O—, —COO—, —CONH— or —NHCO—.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 , in which the (EO) group in the second propoxylated surfactant is attached to the R 4 —Y— group and the (PO) group is an endcap.

Assignees

• Croda Int Plc

Inventors

• Goodwin Mahzad
• Murphy Peter Michael
• Flavin Simon Paul

Classifications

• C11D1/8255

  containing a combination of compounds differently alcoxylised or with differently alkylated chains · CPC title

• C11D1/72

  Ethers of polyoxyalkylene glycols · CPC title

• C11B11/005

  Lanolin; Woolfat · CPC title

• C11B1/10

  by extracting · CPC title

• D01C3/00 Primary

  Treatment of animal material, e.g. chemical scouring of wool · CPC title