GB759143A - Improvements relating to detergent compositions - Google Patents

Abstract

A detergent composition comprises an ionic detergent and an alkyl mono-amine which enhances its detergent properties, the amine having only one alkyl group containing 7 carbon atoms or more. The amine may be a primary secondary or tertiary amine and the alkyl group containing 7 or more carbon atoms may be a straight or a branched chain and preferably contains 7-12 carbon atoms. The amine may contain one or two alkyl groups containing less than 7 carbon atoms. Examples of suitable amines are n-heptyl, octyl, decyl and dodecylamine, and also dimethyl-n-decylamine. The ionic detergent may be soap or a synthetic detergent, particularly a synthetic anionic detergent such as an alkylaryl sulphonate such as sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate or a primary alkyl sulphate such as sodium lauryl sulphate or sodium cetyl sulphate. The detergent may on the other hand be a cationic detergent such as cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide or cetyl pyridinium bromide. The amine may be dissolved in an aqueous solution of the detergent or, if not readily soluble, may be dissolved in the form of its more readily soluble salts, especially the hydrochlorides, the amine being then liberated from the salt by the addition of an alkali such as sodium carbonate. The amine may be applied to the material to be cleaned, e.g. in the form of an aqueous solution of the free amine or of a salt thereof prior to applying to the material an aqueous solution of the ionic detergent. If the material is to be subjected to a process involving the application to the material of a substance which is subsequently to be removed, e.g. the application of oil to wool during its processing, the amine may be incorporated in the substance, e.g. oil, prior to its application to the material so that the subsequent removal of the substance from the processed material by means of an aqueous solution of an ionic detergent may be facilitated. In the above procedure the proportion of amine may be about 1/4 -1 per cent of the weight of the detergent and when directly incorporated in the detergent solution may be about 3-20 per cent of the weight of the detergent. In an example woollen fibres cut into short lengths and extracted with ether and alcohol are impregnated with 3.6 per cent by weight of liquid paraffin and 2 grams of the impregnated fibres agitated for 3 minutes at 60 DEG C. with 300 cc of an aqueous solution containing 0.25 per cent of a mixture of 40 per cent by weight of sodium dodecylbenzene sulphonate and 60 per cent of sodium sulphate, 0.1 per cent of sodium carbonate and 0.1 per cent of n-octylamine hydrochloride. The woollen fibres are then filtered, and washed twice with water and the percentage of residual liquid paraffin (based on the amount originally present in the impregnated fibres) determined by extraction with ethyl ether. It is found that this percentage is 2 compared with 39 when the same procedure is followed with the amine omitted.