Laundry detergent bar
By Joshi,David
An antibacterial detergent laundry bar based on alkyl benzene sulfonate which has good foamability and skin mildness is disclosed. The formulation consists of about 10 to 35 percent alkyl benzene sulfonate, about 10 to 35 percent higher fatty alcohol sulfate, about 1 to 10 percent cocoamido propylamine oxide, about 0.2 to 2 percent phenoxy ethanol antibacterial agent and about 5 to 20 percent water.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an antibacterial detergent bar based on alkyl benzene sulfonate which has good foamability and skin mildness, good bar texture, physical hardness and the ability to sanitize clothes and remove germs for an antiseptic wash.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of this invention to provide an antibacterial synthetic detergent bar having good foamability, skin mildness and physical hardness which, when used, will sanitize the clothes and remove germs for an antiseptic wash.
Another object of this invention is to provide a manufacturing procedure which produces an antibacterial synthetic laundry bar which has good foamability and skin mildness.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Soap bars have long been employed for washing the human body and for "doing laundry". Before the advent of washing machines dictated the employment of detersive materials in powder, disintegrable briquette or liquid forms, laundry was washed with "laundry soap" bars made from suitable soaps of higher fatty acids, such as sodium soaps of mixed tallow and rosin fatty acids. Such laundry soap bars were especially suitable for being rubbed onto badly stained or soiled portions of fabrics being laundered, as on a washboard, to deposit a high concentration of the soap on the soiled area, and they provided mechanical means for applying energy to such surfaces to assist in removing the stains and soils.
Despite the fact that after the introduction of synthetic organic detergents and washing machines the amount of soap employed for laundry use diminished greatly, soap in bar or cake form is still the personal cleaning agent of choice in most of the world, and laundry soaps and detergents in bar form are also still preferred by many consumers in various regions. Detergent laundry bars based on alkylbenzene sulfonate detergents have been successfully marketed. They have been characterized as the equivalents in washing abilities of powdered laundry detergents based on similar alkylbenzene sulfonates, and are considered by many consumers to be more convenient to use. To use them does not require the purchase of a washing machine and, as was previously indicated, the bar form of the product allows it to be used in such manner that a comparatively high concentration of detersive material may be readily applied to a heavily stained or soiled area with accompanying physical force or energy, as on a washboard, so as more readily to loosen and remove such soil or stain.
Efforts to incorporate antibacterial agents into laundry products have been well known. They are to sanitize the clothes and remove germs for an antiseptic wash. Many bactericides, such as trichloro carbanilide, diphenyl ethers etc. have been tried. The use of these compositions has not been satisfactory because of their high cost when used at useful levels. In addition the compounds frequently break down at high pH or under high temperature processing conditions. In addition high levels of fragrances have to be used to maintain an adequate scent to the final product.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It has now been found that an effective antigerm agent, phenoxy ethanol, is effective against major bacteria species and is quite safe and stable. This compound is quite inexpensive and in addition has a pleasant fragrance of its own and thus decreases or eliminates the need for the addition of perfumes to the formulation. The compound has a pleasant fragrance of its own and is substantive on the clothes to provide a long lasting protection against germs and bad odor.
A search for the prior art has resulted in the finding of various patents which, while they refer to bactericides in general, do not make the present invention obvious to one skilled in the art. The most relevant of these references is British patent 566,139 which describes ethers of ethylene glycol in which one of the hydroxyl groups is etherified by an aromatic group. The reference discloses the compounds may have bactericidal properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,190 to Winicov describes the use of diol esters and diol ethers as bactericides.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,190 gives a general review of patents on phenols as disinfectants.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,308 to Hooper et al states that germicides have limited effectiveness as a sole deodorant agent in soap bars in combatting the problems of body malodour.
None of these references anticipate or makes obvious the subject matter of the present invention, providing a soap bar that when used, provides long lasting protection against germs and bad odor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As pointed out above the essential feature of the invention is the inclusion of from 0.2 to 2% of a phenoxy ethanol antibacterial agent in a laundry detergent bar having good foamability and skin mildness characteristics.
The higher fatty alcohol sulfate is one in which the fatty alcohol is normally in the range of 10 to 18 carbon atoms. The cations will almost invariably be sodium although other cation, such as potassium, ammonium, magnesium and calcium may be present, usually in minor amounts with a sodium detergent normally constituting more than 50%, preferably more than 75% and most preferably substantially all the fatty alcohol sulfate content of a laundry bar.
The fatty alcohol sulfate is preferably derived from coconut oil although palm and/or palm kernel oils may also be used.
The combination also preferably contains approximately an equal amount of an alkylene benzene sulfonate. The alkyl moiety of the sulfonate can be in a range of 10 to 18 carbon atoms. The cation will almost invariable be sodium although potassium, ammonium, magnesium and calcium may also be present, normally in minor amounts.
Various water-soluble builder salts usually sodium salts may be incorporated into laundry bars. One of the most important being the phosphates particularly the poly phosphates, such as sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium pyrophosphate. Other builder salts of the chelating or precipitating type may also be used. The inorganic salts are preferred the preferred salts are sodium carbonate and sodium silicate. The Na.sub.2 O to SiO.sub.2 ratio and the sodium silicate can be approximately 1.1 to 1.6 to 1 to 3 preferably 1 to 2 to 1 to 3. In addition to the watersoluble builder insoluble materials can also be used, such as detergent building calcium ion exchange zeolites including the hydrated zeolites. Zeolite A is preferred.
Water-insoluble particulate material components of being present bar hereinafter referred to as bodying agents contributes significantly to the formulation of a firm processable laundry bar and help to regulate the release of a detergent from the bar when in use. While many insoluble material may be employed, such as clays, talc, calcium silicate, magnesium silicate, calcium sulfate, silica, calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate, the most often used material is calcium carbonate often obtained from calcite. The calcium carbonate and other insolubles will normally be in finely divided form and often substantially all passed through a number two seive.
The formulation also contains 1 to 10% preferably 3 to 5% cocoamido propylamine oxide. The addition of this component to the formulation has been found to impart foamability, processability and skin mildness of the laundry bar.
Various adjuvants may be employed in the present detergent bars for their individual desirable effects. Among these adjuvants are dyes, such as red or blue dyes and aquamarine blue pigment and whitening agents, such as titanium oxide. Perfumes and brighteners can also be present.
The essential feature of the invention is pointed out above as is the addition of from 0.2 to 2% phenoxy ethanol antibacterial agent. This agent is particularly desirable since it has a pleasant odor and thus decreases or eliminates the need for the addition of perfume to the soap formulation.
In addition to the other components water will be present in a laundry bar while it is preferred to employ deionized water, tap water or city water may be used. The water serves as a mutual solvent and plasticizing agent for various components of the detergent bar and facilitates the hydration of some of the hydratable materials, such as sodium polyphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, etc.
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