United States Patent (19) 11) Patent Number: 5,401,326 Mihelic Et Al
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US00540 1326A United States Patent (19) 11) Patent Number: 5,401,326 Mihelic et al. 45) Date of Patent: Mar. 28, 1995 (54) MCROEMUSON CLEANSERS AND 56) References Cited THER USES U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS (75) Inventors: Joseph Mihelic, Sparta; Lionel B. 2,418,909 4/1947 Skinner ................................. 134/39 4,146,499 3/1979 Rosano ................................ 252/186 Luttinger, Andover, both of N.J. 4,689,168 8/1987 Requejo .............................. 252/139 73 Assignee: Drew Chemical Corporation, 5,100,571 3/1992 Hartman ............................... 252/75 Boonton, N.J. 5,112,516 5/1992 Koetzle ............................... 252/162 Primary Examiner-Paul Lieberman 21 Appl. No.: 99,209 Assistant Examiner-Douglas J. McGinty 22 Filed: Jul. 29, 1993 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-David L. Hedden 57 ABSTRACT 51 int. Cl'........................ B08B 3/08; C23G 5/036; C11D 1/83; C11D 3/16 This invention relates to microemulsion cleaners con 52 U.S.C. ........................................ 134/40; 134/38; prising (a) an organic solvent (b) a surfactant blend 134/39; 252/153; 252/172; 252/174; comprising an anionic and nonionic surfactant (c) a 252/174.21; 252/DIG. 1; 252/559; 252/174.15; glycol ether (d) morpholine, and (e) water. These clean 252/173; 252/162 ers can be used for removing baked-on oil and carbon 58) Field of Search ........... 252/153, 172, 174, 174.21, deposits. 252/392, 403, 405, DIG. 1, 559, 174.15, 173, 162; 134/38, 39, 40 23 Claims, No Drawings 5,401,326 1. 2 limitations. Water-based formulations are ineffective on MCROEMUSON CLEANSERS AND THER oil and soils. Solvent-based detergents possess flash USES points which render them hazardous when applied to thermally or electrically "live' equipment. FIELD OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY This invention relates to microemulsion cleaners comprising (a) an organic solvent (b) a surfactant blend This invention relates to microemulsion cleaners comprising an anionic surfactant and a nonionic surfac comprising: tant (c) a glycol ether (d) morpholine, and (e) water. (a) an organic solvent; These cleaners can be used for removing oil, grease, and O (b) an anionic/nonionic surfactant blend; baked-on carbon deposits from metal surfaces. (c) a glycol ether; (d) morpholine; and BACKGROUND (e) water. The importance of industrial and marine cleaners These microemulsion cleaners show many advan which clean metal parts effectively is clearly recog 15 tages when compared to the macroemulsion cleaners nized. Although such cleaners are available in the mar currently used for industrial and marine cleaning. They ketplace, there is a need for improved cleaners which can be formulated as concentrates, or as ready-to-use can be easily handled and used. Typically the cleaners products by further dilution with water when manufac used for such applications are either solutions or macro tured. The ready-to-use cleaners do not have to be pre emulsion cleaners. However, there are disadvantages in 20 pared at the application site, as do the more conven using such products. tional unstable macroemulsions. The cleaners do not One of the major disadvantages of these macroemul foam and are stable at temperatures up to 74° C. for at sion cleaners is that they are not convenient to use since least several months. they must be prepared as a water emulsion just prior to The cleaners are all purpose cleaners, and are highly use due to the instability of the macroemulsion. Water 25 effective for cleaning metals and air coolers. They ef. emulsions are cumbersome to use and a significant fectively remove baked-on oil, carbon, and engine var source of cleaning failures, especially under shipboard nish deposits from metal surfaces, particularly steel. conditions, because they break into two phases. Fur The cleaners are easy to handle, mildly alkaline and thermore, mixing can result in inconsistent results due have a clear to slightly hazy appearance. Although the to variations in the concentration of components of the 30 macroemulsion as prepared. cleaners incorporate organic solvents and volatile cor Another major disadvantage of such cleaners is that rosion inhibitors, they are safe to use because they do they are milky emulsions which leave milky residues on not have flash points up to 104 C. or their boiling cleaned equipment and require a further water rinse points. which is undesirable." 35 These cleaners are used in spray and soak cleaning. Additionally, solution cleaners based upon solvents, They are free draining and no heavy water rinse of and even many macroemulsion cleaners often have low cleaned equipment is required since these cleaners do flash points which can be unsafe when the cleaners are not leave a milky residue. used for cleaning hot equipment, particularly air coolers ENABLING DISCLOSURE AND BEST MODE on diesel engine trains. The air cooler of a diesel train is conventionally cleaned using such a freshly prepared Various organic solvents can be used in the micro macroemulsion in water. The water is added to elimi emulsion cleaners, such a aromatic and aliphatic organic nate the flash point, which would otherwise create a solvents. These organic solvents are flammable or com potential hazard on the hot equipment. bustible organic solvents, yet, in the subject cleaners, Even so, due to the vagaries in macroemulsion prepa 45 their flash points are eliminated by the addition of mor ration on shipboard just prior to use, a potentially haz pholine and water. ardous flashpoint may occur. Usually these macroemul Examples of suitable organic solvents are dichlorotol sion cleaners are stable for only a few hours. Conse uene, monochlorotoluene, ortho dichlorobenzene, quently, if the personnel involved in the cleaning are methyl naphthalene, alkyl esters such as Exxon EXXA suddenly needed elsewhere during the course of the air 50 TE(R) 900 solvent (a C9 alkyl acetate), m-pyrol sold by cooler cleaning treatment or do not carry out the mac GAF and BASF, and terpenes such as GLIDSOL(R) roemulsification properly, the emulsion and water 180 sold by SCM and GLIDCO. Preferred solvents are could separate with the result that the emulsion would Exxon aromatic solvents 200 and 200 ND (largely again have a low flashpoint. This could result in a ha methyl naphthalene) and dichlorotoluene sold by Oxy zard and also in reduced cleaning effectiveness. 55 Chemical, and Exxon EXXATE 900. In addition to these major disadvantages, there are The amount of organic solvent used in the ready-to several other deficiencies macroemulsion cleaners have use cleaner is from 5 to 40 weight percent, typically when used to clean industrial and marine equipment: from 5-25 weight percent, preferably from 7-18 weight (a) The cleaners do not drain effectively which re percent, and most preferably 10-12 weight percent, sults in excessive post rinsing. where said weight percent is based upon the total (b) The cleaners generate foam during the cleaning weight of the microemulsion cleaner. In the concen process. trate, typically from 10-30 weight percent, preferably (c) Cleaning effectiveness is sometimes inadequate. 18 to 25 weight percent, where said weight percent is (d) These cleaners are available only as a concentrate. based upon the total weight of the microemulsion The use of such concentrates requires on-site mix 65 cleaner. 1ng. Surfactant blends comprising an anionic surfactant The other major class of cleaners consist of deter and a nonionic surfactant are used in the microemulsion gents in solutions of water or solvents which also have cleaners in weight ratios of 20:1 to 1:20, preferably 10:1 5,401,326 3. 4 to 1:10, most preferably 4:1 to 1:4 based upon the total DPM. If DPM is used, the amount of glycol ether used weight of the surfactants in the blend. The total amount in the microemulsion cleaner is from 5 to 40 weight of surfactant in the microemulsion cleaner is from 5 to percent, preferably 10 to 25 weight percent, most pref. 35 weight percent, preferably 10 to 25 weight percent, erably 18 to 22 weight percent, said weight percent is most preferably 12 to 18 weight percent. based upon the total weight of the microemulsion These figures refer to the “ready to use’ microemul cleaner. For the concentrate, the quantity of DPM is sions. The concentrate preferably contains 7 to 50 preferably from 15-40 weight percent, most preferably weight percent, typically 10 to 40 weight percent, pref 25-35 weight percent. erably 15-25 weight percent total surfactants. If TPM is used, the amounts used are optimally about The anionic surfactants used are typically sulfonates, 10 15 percent greater than if DPM is used. sulfates, or alkyl sulfonates such as dodecyl benzene The microemulsion cleaners also contains morpho sulfo succinate salts having an average molecular line in an amount of from 4 to 40 weight percent, prefer weight of about 300 to about 3000. Examples of anionic ably 5 to 10 weight percent based upon the total weight surfactants which can be used in the microemulsion of the microemulsion cleaner. Although more than 10 cleaner include diisooctyl sulfo succinate (AERSOL (R) 15 weight percent of morpholine can be used, amounts OT from American Cyanamid), NAXEL (RAAS-40 S more than 10 weight percent are not cost effective, most and 45 S anionic surfactants (from Rutgers Nease or primarily 10 to 15 weight percent and above. from CONOCO). The NAXEL surfactants are 40 per In addition to flashpoint inhibition, the morpholine cent solutions of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate in acts as a vapor phase, contact phase, and interphase Water. 20 corrosion inhibitor in the cleaner equipment by inhibit The nonionic surfactants used are most typically ing flash rusting which is often observed after conven reaction products of long-chain alcohols with several tional cleaning.