US1824809A - Manufacture of soap - Google Patents

Description

252. COMPOSITIONS,

Patented Sept. 29, 1931 PATENT OFFICE ERNST FLAMMER AND CHRISTIAN KELBER, OF HEILBRONN, GERMANY MANUFACTURE OF SOAP K0 Drawing. Original application filed November 16,

1925, Serial No. 69,488. Divided and this application filed August 16, 1926. Serial No. 129,657.

This application is a division of application No. 69,488, filed November 16, 1925.

The well-known soap powders comprising compounds containing active oxygen, more particularly containing per-salts, are made by mixing dry finely powdered soap and per-salts in the form of powder with or without addition of other drywashing agents in powder form.

These soap powders made of dried soap and er-salts become readily dissociated, as the slze of the granules as well as the specific weight of the constituents are different. Moreover the soap in powder-form dissolves quicker than the per-salt when they are employed and there is thus the danger that the less soluble per-salts of greater specific weight settle upon the articles being washed and, forming a concentrated solution, cause a strong local action and thus a damage to the materials.

According to the present process, however, water containing soap is used for the manufacture of soap flakes or soap bands containing per-salts. The soap with a relatively low water content, for instance from 8 to 14% water, are exceedingly brittle when used alone. It appeared to us that it would not be possible to form the soap into thin flakes or the like when adding per-salts to the soa The form of thin flakes or the like is of particular advantage, as it ensures a uniform solution of the soap and of the per-salts contained therein. In this form it is not possible for perborate granules liberated from the soap envelope to produce a strongly concentrated local bleaching solution which would cause holes to be formed in the articles being washed.

According to the present process soap having a small water content, say from 8 to 1 1% water, is intimately mixed with compounds in powder form, containing active oxygen, particularly per-salts, the mixture is then rolled out thin in rolling machines and cut up in a cutting machine into small pieces in flake form. The essential feature of the present process consists in mixing soap having a small water content and persalts, and bringing these mixtures into a form which with certainty prevents the constituents becoming dissociated, which would cause damage to the articles being washed, and ensures an exceedingly ready solubility.

The manufacture of flakes or bands of soap mixed with salts particularly per-salts has certain special advantages, if these flakes or bands are made translucent, as is the case according to various modifications of the present invention. Hitherto it has not been possible to make either non-translucent or translucent bands from such a mixture. The applicants have discovered, that translucent flakes or bands may be made, if the fatty acids required for the manufacture of the soaps contain a fairly large percentage of acids of the formula C H O and C H O With such an addition of acids a uniform band is formed on the rolls, from which readily soluble, translucent flakes or bands may be produced. Less saturated acids, for instance those of the formula C H O are not suitable for use as additions to these soaps, when per-salts, there is a danger of the formation of organic peroxides.

The products obtained with the admixture of the said acids are translucent and elastic and dissolve uniformly and readily. In this way soaps containing considerable quantities of salts or mixtures of salts in a suitable quantity may be made in the form of thin translucent, elastic flakes.

The invention is carried out for instance in the following manner:

1. A soap is made, the fatty acid mixture of which contains lauric and myristic acid along with 35% ricinolcic acid. The soap thus produced is dried, mixed with 20% sodium perborate and rolled in the rolling machine. Translucent flakes are obtained, which are readily soluble, even in cold water.

2. A soap is made, the fatty acid mixture of which contains lauric, myristic and palmitic acid together with erucic acid: this soap is dried and mixed with 15% sodium perborate. After rolling in the rolling machine translucent, readily soluble flakes are obtained.

In place of the one definite salt mixtures of salts particularly per-salts may of course be used. The selection of the acid to be added (for instance ricinoleic acid or erucic) depends on the kind and quantity of the combined salts particularly per-salts or mixtures of salts, particularly per-salts.

Another modification in the manufacture of translucent flakes or hands from a mixture of soap having a small water content and containing salts giving off oxygen consists in adding to the mixture hydrocarbons having the formula C H and C H w1th at least ten carbon atoms or their oxy-comounds, free or in the form of their esters. Flore strongly unsaturated hydrocarbons, for instance those having the formula C IL are not suitable, as they do not obviate the danger of the decomposition of the compounds which give off oxygen. In this case only the acids mentioned above are suitable.

In this modified form the invention may for instance be carried out as follows:

Ea-mnpZc 1.To a mixture of a soap having 84% fatty acid and sodium perborate the cetyl ester of palmitic acid is added, for instance 4%, and after the said ester has been mixed with the mixture of soap and compounds containing oxygen the mixture thus obtained is passed through a rolling machine, the lower roll of which is heated. Bands of good translucent-e are obtained.

Example 2.To the mixture of dried soap and oxygen-containing compounds is added for instance 5% of readily oxidized paraflin which by treatment with alkali is freed from the free fatty acid formed, the ingredients are mixed and the entire mixture is passed through the rolling machine. Smooth translucent flakes are obtained after the bands have been suitably divided. The oxidized paraflin may however be previously added to the water-containing soap. In that case the soap is first dried and worked up together with the oxygen-containing compound into flakes.

A third modification of the manufacture of translucent flakes or bands from soap mixed with salts consists in using for the manufacture of the soaps fatty acids which are partially converted into potassium salts, so that the soap which has a small water content or has been dried there will constitute a mixture of potash and soda soaps. If this mixture consisting of potash-soda soaps be mixed with salts which give off oxygen translucent and sufliciently elastic products may be made. Such oxygen-yielding salts are the perbora-tes and the percarbonates. The following is an example of the manufacture of such a soap:

A soap mixture is made containing 17% potash soaps and 83% soda soaps and the mixture is dried. To 80 parts of this dried soap mixture for instance 20 parts of sodium perborate are used and these raw materials are then intimately mixed together. A mlxture of potash-soda soaps is thus obtained with the addition of sodium perborate, which is passed through the rolling machine, and leaves it in the form of a smooth, elastic and translucent band, which may readily be cut up into elastic and translucent flakes.

This modification is not restricted to the limits of 17 potash and soaps and 83% soda soaps given in the above example and also not to the proportion of the soap mixture with the salts there given. The mixtures of salts may be used in place of the salt and the percentage of potash soaps may vary according to the kind and quantity of the added salt. The proportions of the soap mixture of potash and soda soaps will be chosen according to the kind and quantity of the added salt or mixtures of salts used.

Thus the main idea underlying the present invention consists in this, that for making soaps into a stable mixture with salts giving off oxygen soap having a water content of less than 15% has for the first time been used. Hitherto it has been assumed that the soap should be completely dry, in order to prevent the destruction of the persalts: it had not however been found possible to make bands or flakes from the dry soap combined with the per-salts, For the same reason it had been found still more difficult to make translucent flakes or bands, such as can be made according to the present invention. even with completely dried soap.

The above description should not be understood as limiting but rather descriptive of the best mode of carrying out our invention, which we claim to be:

1. A process for the manufacture of translucent soap flakes which comprises forming a mixture of sodium and potassium soaps, incorporating therewith a per-salt and forming the mass into flakes.

2. A process for the manufacture of translucent soap flakes which comprises forming a mixture of sodium and potassium soaps, incorporating therewith a perborateand forming the mass into flakes.

3. A process for the manufacture of translucent soap flakes which comprises partially converting the fatty acid constituents of a soap stock into potassium soaps and forming sodium soap from the remaining fatty acid constituents, partially drying said soap and incorporating a per-salt with the partially dry soap.

4. A process for the manufacture of translucent soap flakes which comprises partially converting the fatty acid constituents of a soap stock into potassium soaps and forming sodium soap from the remaining fatty acid constituents, partially drying said 252. COMPOSITIONS,

soap, and incorporating a perborate with the partially dry soap.

5. A process for the manufacture of translucent soap flakes which comprises forming a mixture of sodium and potassium soaps containing water but less than 15% thereof incorporating therewith a per-salt and forming the mass into flakes.

6. A process for the manufacture of translucent soap flakes which comprises forming a mixture of sodium and potassium soaps containing water but less than 15% thereof and incorporating therewith a perborate and forming the mass into flakes.

7. A composition of matter which comprises soap flakes containing a sodium soap, a potassium soap and a per-salt.

8. A composition of matter which comprises soap flakes containing a sodium soap, a potassium soap and a perborate.

9. A composition of matter which comprises soap flakes containing a mixture of a sodium soap and a potassium soap, water but less than 15% thereof and a per-salt.

10. A composition of matter which comprises soap fiakes containing a mixture of a sodium soap and a potassium soap, water but less than 15% thereof and a perborate.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

ERNST FLAMMER. CHRISTIAN KELBER.