3,577,347 United States Patent Office Patented May 4, 1971 2 problem, they resulted in a composition which was un 3,577,347 stable if it contained a bleach. WATER-SOLUBLE SCOURING COMPOSITION Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide John Alexander Monick, 102 Jasper Ave., a stable, non-gritty, bleach containing scouring composi Teaneck, N.J. 07666 tion. No Drawing. Filed Apr. 3, 1968, Ser. No. 718,325 5 Int, C. Cld 7/56 Another object of the instant invention is to provide U.S. C. 252-99 4 Claims a stable chlorine bleach containing composition compris ing a chlorine bleach, detergent, and a water soluble salt. ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Another object of the instant invention is to provide 10 a stable chlorine containing cleanser comprising a chlorine A stable nongritty cleanser composition comprising a - containing compound, a hydrated water soluble salt, and detergent, bleach, and a water soluble salt, said salt hav a detergent. ing less than 6 molecules of water of hydration. Yet another object of the instant invention is to pro associal vide a stable cleanser composition containing a water soluble salt having less than 6 molecules of water of This invention is directed to a stable non-gritty chlorine hydration. bleach containing cleanser composition. Still another object of the instant invention is to provide It is well known in the art to use a bleach in composi a stable chlorine bleach containing cleanser composition tions which are intended for use as cleansers. In general 20 comprising a water soluble salt having less than 6 mole the compounds employed as bleaches are chlorine con cules of water of hydration, a detergent and a bleaching taining salts which, when contacted with Water, release compound containing chlorine. their chlorine which acts to remove stains. As an aid in Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a the removal of stains, it is also customary to include an scouring composition comprising more than fifty percent insoluble compound as an abrasive to loosen any surface of a water soluble abrasive compound having less than dirt which the scouring composition may be used to re 6 molecules of water of hydration, an anionic or non move. In the past the insoluble salts have included ground ionic surface active agent, and a bleach. quartz, marble, limestone, dolomite, pumice stone or The instant invention is directed to a composition com ground rock. Furthermore, it has been customary to in prising a detergent compound, a bleaching compound and clude in compositions of this type anionic and nonionic 30 a water soluble salt containing less than 6 molecules of detergents which impart surface active properties to the water of hydration. composition. The previously used anionic detergents have The useful detergents which may be used in conjunc included sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, potassium do tion with the instant scouring composition include anionic decylbenzenesulfonate, sodium laurylbenzenesulfonate, detergents such as alkylbenzene-sulfonic acid and its salts, sodium cetylbenzenesulfonate; the alkali metal salts of and compounds of the formula alkyl-phenyl-SO3-M, the higher alkylsulfonic acids and the alkali metal dialkyl wherein alkyl may be straight or branched and M is hydro sulfosuccinates, e.g., sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate, and gen or an alkali metal, which compounds comprise a well sodium dihexylsulfosuccinate, sodium sulfoethylphthalate, known class of anionic detergents and include sodium sodium oleyl-p-anisidinesulfonate; sodium tetradecanesul dodecylbenzene sulfonate, potassium dodecylbenzenesul fonate; sodium diisopropylnaphthalenesulfonate; sodium 40 fonate, sodium laurylbenzenesulfonate, sodium cetylben octylphenoxyethoxyethylsulfate, etc. and the alkali metal Zenesulfonate; the alkali metal salts of the higher alkyl alkyl sulfates, e.g. sodium lauryl sulfate. In addition, the Sulfonic acids and the alkali metal dialky sulfosuccinates, specific nonionic surface active agents have included e.g., sodium dioctylsulfoSuccinate, and sodium dihexylsul alkaryl polyglycol detergents such as alkyl-phenolethylene fosuccinate, sodium sulfoethylphthalate, sodium oley-p- oxide condensates (2-200 moles ethylene oxide), e.g., anisidinesulfonate; sodium tetradecanesulfonate; sodium p-isooctyl phenol-polyethylene oxide (10 ethylene oxide diisopropylnaphthalenesulfonate; sodium octylphenoxy units), long chain alcohol-ethylene oxide condensation ethoxyethylsulfonate, etc.; and the alkali metal alkyl sul products (2-200 moles ethylene oxide), e.g., dodecyl al fates, e.g., sodium lauryl Sulfate. cohol-polyethylene oxides having 4 to 16 ethylene oxide Among the above-noted alkylbenzene-sulfonic acid and units per molecule, polyglycerol monolaurate, glycol di 50 Salts thereof, there are included those which are biode oleate, sorbitan monolaurate, Sorbitan sesquioleate, the gradable and which are particularly characterized by a condensation products of ethylene oxide with sorbitan linear alkyl Substituent of from Co to C2 and preferably esters of long chain fatty acids (Tweens), alkylolamides, from C12 to C15. It is, of course, understood that the amine oxides, phosphine oxides, sulfoxides, etc. carbon chain length represents, in general, an average While compositions of this type have been effective, 55 chain length since the method for producing such products there have been certain problems associated with their usually employs alkylating reagents of mixed chain length. use, that is to say, that the insoluble compounds used It is clear, however, that substantially pure olefins as well as abrasives result in an unpleasant gritty residue which as alkylating compounds used in other techniques can and is left on the surface on which the composition has been do give alkylated benzene sulfonates wherein the alkyl employed. This necessitates expending considerable addi 60 moiety is substantially (i.e. at least 99%) of one chain tion effort to remove this undesirable gritty film. length, i.e., C12, C13, C14, or C15. The linear alkyl benzene In an effort to eliminate this problem, it has been con Sulfonates are further characterized by the position of ventional to substitute a soluble salt for all or part of the the benzene ring in the linear alkyl chain, with any of insoluble compound. By substituting a soluble salt for the position isomers (i.e. alpha to omega) being operable an insoluble one, one obtains a composition which rinses 65 and contemplated. away and leaves no residue, as all the components of the The linear alkyl benzene sulfonates are generally and composition are then soluble and are rinsed away in the conveniently prepared by sulfonating the corresponding normal cleaning process. The salts conventionally used in alkyl benzene hydrocarbons which in turn may be pre a composition of this type include hydrated salts such as pared by alkylating benzene with a linear alkyl halide, a carbonates, bicarbonates, phosphates, borates, and halo O 1-alkene or a linear primary or secondary alcohol. Pure gen salts of alkali and alkaline earth metals. While these isomers (of the 1-phenyl isomer) are prepared by reduc salts eliminated the gritty residue which was formerly a tion of the acylated benzene (alkyl phenyl ketone) using 3,577,347 3 4. a modification of the Wolff-Keshner reaction. The 2 It has unexpectedly been found that when one com phenyl isomer is obtained from n-undecyl phenyl ketone bines the above ingredients with more than fifty percent and methyl magnesium bromide to form the tertiary alco of a water soluble salt containing less than 6 molecules of hol which is dehydrated to the alkene and then hydro water of crystallization, one obtains a stable, nongritty genated. The 5-phenyl isomer is obtained similarly from scouring composition. While the use of compounds simi n-heptyl phenyl ketone and n-butyl magnesium bromide. lar to those generally described is old, the salts previously The other isomers are obtained in a similar manner from employed have included a lesser amount of salts such as: the appropriate n-alkyl phenylketone and n-alkyl magne sium bromide. sodium borate decahydrate In addition to the benzene sulfonates one may also em sodium sulfate decahydrate ploy the lower alkyl (C. to C4) analogs of benzene such O sodium carbonate decahydrate as toluene, xylene, the trimethyl benzenes, ethylbenzene, Sodium hypophosphate decahydrate isopropyl benzene and the like. The sulfonates are gen Sodium phosphate dodecal hydrate erally employed in the water soluble salt form which calcium chloride hexahydrate include as the cation, the alkali metals, ammonium, and 5 all of which result in a composition which is unstable due lower amine and alkanolamine. to deterioration of the chlorine containing components. It Examples of suitable linear alkylbenzene sulfonates: has now been found, however, that this can be overcome Sodium in-decyl benzene sulfonate by limiting the molecules of water of hydration that the Sodium n-dodecyl benzene sulfonate water soluble salt employed in the composition contains sodium n-tetradecyl benzene sulfonate 20 and by using more than fifty percent thereof. Useful Sodium n-pentadecyl benzene sulfonate water soluble salts may be exemplified by, but are not Sodium n-hexadecyl benzene sulfonate limited to: lithium phosphate hemihydrate and the corresponding lower alkyl substituted homologues lithium potassium tartrate monohydrate of benzene as well as the salts of the cations previously 25 lithium tartrate monohydrate referred to. Mixtures of these sulfonates