Liquid detergents

Claim 2

A liquid detergent composition comprising a dispersion of lamellar droplets in an aqueous continuous phase, the composition having a pH less than 12.5 and yielding no more than 2% by volume phase separation when stored at 25°C for 21 days from the time of preparation, and further comprising a deflocculating polymer having a hydrophilic backbone and at least one hydrophobic side-chain.

Claim 3

A liquid detergent composition which yields no more than 2% by volume phase separation when stored at 25°C for 21 days from the time of preparation and comprises a dispersion of lamellar droplets in an aqueous continuous phase, and also comprises a deflocculating polymer having a hydrophilic backbone and at least one hydrophobic side-chain, with the proviso that when the composition comprises from 3% to 12% of a potassium alkyl benzene sulphonate, from 2% to 8% of a potassium fatty acid soap, from 0.5 to 5% of a nonionic surfactant, and from 1 to 25% of sodium tripolyphosphate and/or tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, all percentages being by weight, the weight ratio of said sulphonate to said soap being from 1:2 to 6:1, the weight ratio of said sulphonate to said nonionic surfactant being from 3:5 to 25:1, and the total amount of said sulphonate, soap and nonionic surfactant being from 7.5 to 20% by weight, then the decoupling polymer does not consist solely of from 0.1 to 2% by weight of a partially esterified, neutralised co-polymer of maleic anhydride with vinylmethyl ether, ethylene or styrene.

Claim 4

A liquid detergent composition which yields no more than 2% by volume phase separation when stored at 25°C for 21 days from the time of preparation and comprises a dispersion of lamellar droplets in an aqueous continuous phase, and also comprises a deflocculating polymer having a hydrophilic backbone and at least one hydrophobic side-chain, with the proviso that when the composition comprises from 3% to 12% of a potassium alkyl benzene sulphonate, from 2% to 8% of a potassium fatty acid soap, from 0.5 to 5% of a nonionic surfactant, and from 1 to 25% of sodium tripolyphosphate and/or tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, all percentages being by weight, the weight ratio of said sulphonate to said soap being from 1:2 to 6:1, the weight ratio of said sulphonate to said nonionic surfactant being from 3:5 to 25:1, and the total amount of said sulphonate, soap and nonionic surfactant being from 7.5 to 20% by weight, then the decoupling polymer does not consist solely of from 0.1 to 2% by weight of a partially esterified, neutralised co-polymer of maleic anhydride with vinylmethyl ether, ethylene or styrene.

Claim 5

A composition according to either preceding claim, wherein the polymer has the general formula (I) wherein: z is 1; (x + y) : z is from 4 : 1 to 1,000 : 1; in which the monomer units may be in random order; y being from 0 up to a maximum equal to the value of x; and n is at least 1; R¹ represents -CO-O-, -O-, -O-CO-, -CH₂-, -CO-NH- or is absent; R² represents from 1 to 50 independently selected alkyleneoxy groups, or is absent, provided that when R³ is absent and R⁴ represents hydrogen or contains no more than 4 carbon atoms, then R² must contain an alkyleneoxy group with at least 3 carbon atoms; R³ represents a phenylene linkage, or is absent; R⁴ represents hydrogen or a C₁₋₂₄ alkyl or C₂₋₂₄ alkenyl group, with the provisos that a) when R¹ represents -O-CO-, R² and R³ must be absent and R⁴ must contain at least 5 carbon atoms; b) when R² is absent, R⁴ is not hydrogen and when R³ is absent, then R⁴ must contain at least 5 carbon atoms; R⁵ represents hydrogen or a group of formula -COOA⁴; R⁶ represents hydrogen or C₁₋₄ alkyl; and A¹, A², A³ and A⁴ are independently selected from hydrogen, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium and amine bases and C₁⁻₄. or of formula (II): wherein: Q² is a molecular entity of formula (IIa): wherein z and R¹⁻⁶ are as defined for formula (I); A¹⁻⁴, are as defined for formula (I) or ( C₂H₄O ) t H, wherein t is from 1-50 , and wherein the monomer units may be in random order; Q¹ is a multifunctional monomer, allowing the branching of the polymer, wherein the monomers of the polymer may be connected to Q¹ in any direction, in any order, therewith possibly resulting in a branched polymer. n and z are as defined above; v = 1 and (x + y + p + q + r ) : z is from 4 : 1 to 1,000 : 1, in which the monomer units may be in random order; R⁷ and R⁸ represent -CH₃ or -H; R⁹ and R¹⁰ represent independantly selected groups selected from -SO₃Na, -CO-O-C₂H₄-OSO₃Na, -CO-O-NH-­C(CH₃)₂-SO₃Na, -CO-NH₂, -O-CO-CH₃, -OH;

Claim 6

A composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the polymer is of formula III: wherein: x is from 4 to 1,000, n, z and R¹⁻⁶ are as defined in formula I, wherein the monomers units may be in random order; A¹ is as defined above for formula I, or -CO-CH₂-­C(OH)-CO₂A¹-CH₂-CO₂A¹, or may be a branching point whereto other molecules of formula (III) are attached.

Claim 7

A composition according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is of the formula (IV) Wherein : z, n and A¹ are as defined above for formula I; (x+y):z is from 4:1 to 1,000:1, wherein the monomers may be in random order. R¹ is as defined above for formula I,or can be -­CH₂-O-, -CH₂-O-CO-, -NH-CO-; R²⁻⁴ are as defined in formula I; R¹¹ represents -OH, -NH-CO-CH₃, or -OSO₃A¹; R¹² represents -OH, -CH₂OH, -CH₂OSO₃A¹, COOA¹, -­CH₂-OCH3; or of formula (V): Wherein: z, n and R¹⁻⁶ are as defined above for formula I; and x is as defined for formula III;

Claim 8

A composition according to claim 1, wherein the polymer has the formula VI : wherein: If z is the total of R⁴ groups, then the ratio (x+y) : z is from 4 : 1 to 1,000 : 1,; R⁴* is R⁴ or -H. R² and R⁴ are as defined above for formula I; and S is selected from -H, -COOA¹, -CH₂COOA¹, -CH(COOA¹)₂, (CH₂COOA¹)₂H, wherein A¹ is as defined for formula I or is R⁴; with the proviso that at least one R⁴ group is present as a side chain; or of formula (VII): Wherein: x,z,S and R⁴ are as defined above for formula VI ; and wherein at least one R⁴ group is present as a side chain; v is 0 or 1

Claim 9

A composition according to one or more of the preceeding claims, wherein the average molecular weight of the polymer is from 500 to 500,000 as determined by gel permeation chromatography, using polyacrylate standards.

Claim 10

A composition according to claim 7, wherein said average molecular weight if from 1000 to 30,000.

Claim 11

A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the total amount of deflocculating polymer is from 0.01 to 5% by weight of the total composition.

Claim 12

A composition according to claim 9, wherein the amount of the polymer is from 0.1 to 2% by weight of the total composition.

Claim 13

A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the deflocculating polymer has a specific viscosity less than 0.1 (1g in 100ml methylethylketone at 25°C).

Claim 14

A composition according to any preceding claim, having a pH less than 11.

Claim 15

A composition according to claim 12, having a pH less than 10.

Claim 16

A composition according to any preceding claim, having solid suspending properties.

Claim 17

A composition according to any preceding claim, containing solid particles in suspension.

Claim 18

A composition according to any preceding claim, which yields less than 0.1% by volume visible phase separation after storage at 25°C for 90 days from the time of preparation.

Claim 19

A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the viscosity of the aqueous continuous phase is less than 25 mPas when measured with a capillary viscometer.

Claim 20

A composition according to claim 17, wherein the viscosity of the aqueous continuous phase is less than 10 mPas.

Claim 21

A composition according to any preceding claim, comprising at least 20% by weight of detergent active material.

Claim 22

A composition according to any preceeding claim, comprising at least 30% by weight of detergent active material.

Claim 23

A composition according to any preceding claim, having a viscosity of no greater than 2.5 Pas at a shear rate of 21s⁻¹.

Claim 24

A composition according to claim 21, having a viscosity of no greater than 1 Pas at a shear rate of 21s⁻¹.

Claim 25

A composition according to claim 22, having a viscosity of no greater than 750 mPas at a shear rate of 21s⁻¹.

Claim 26

A composition according to any preceding claim, which exhibits less phase separation on storage and has a lower viscosity than an equivalent composition without any of the deflocculating polymer.

Claim 27

A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the volume fraction of the lamellar phase is at least 0.5.

Claim 28

A composition according to claim 25, wherein the volume fraction of the lamellar phase is at least 0.6.

Claim 29

A composition according to any preceding claim, further comprising from 0.5 to 4.5% by weight of a viscosity reducing polymer which is only partly dissolved in the aqueous continuous phase.

Claim 30

A composition according to claim 27, wherein the partly dissolved viscosity reducing polymer comprises a co-polymer which includes an alkali metal salt of a polyacrylic, polymethacrylic or maleic acid or anhydride.

Claim 31

A composition according to claim 28, having a pH above 8.0.

Claim 32

A composition according to any preceding claim, further comprising from 0.05 to 20% of a second polymer which is substantially totally soluble in the aqueous phase and has an electrolyte resistance of more than 5 grams sodium nitrilotriacetate in 100ml of a 5% by weight aqueous solution of the polymer, said second polymer also having a vapour pressure in 20% aqueous solution, equal to or less than the vapour pressure of a reference 2% by weight or greater aqueous solution of polyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight of 6000; said second polymer having a molecular weight of at least 1000.

Claim 33

A composition according to claim 30, wherein the second polymer has an average molecular weight of at least 2,000.

Claim 34

A composition according to one or more of the preceeding claims comprising less than 45% by weight of water.

Claim 35

Use of a deflocculating polymer having a hydrophilic backbone and at least one hydrophobic side-chain for increasing the stability and/or reducing the viscosity of a liquid detergent composition.

Claim 36

Use of a deflocculating polymer having a hydrophilic backbone and at least one hydrophobic side-chain for increasing the stability and/or reducing the viscosity of a liquid detergent composition.

Claim 37

Use of a liquid detergent composition of one or more of the preceding claims in the washing of fabrics.