Block polyesters and like compounds useful as soil release agents in detergent compositions

Claim 2

A compound of formula: wherein the A moieties are essentially moieties; the R 1 moieties are essentially 1,4-phenylene moieties; the R moieties are essentially ethylene moieties, or substituted ethylene moieties having C 1 -C 4 alkyl or alko xy substituents; the R 3 moieties are substituted C 2 -C 18 hydrocarbylene moieties having at least one -S0 3 M, -COOM, -O-⁅(R 5 O) m (CH 2 CH 2 O) n -⁆-X or -A-⁅-(R 2 -A-R 4 -A)⁆ w ⁅(R 5 O) m (CH 2 CH 2 O) n ⁆-X substituent or at least one moiety -⁅(R 2 -A-R 4 -A)-⁆ w -R 2 -A- crosslinked to another R 3 moiety; the R 4 moieties are R 1 or R 3 moieties, or a mixture thereof; each R 5 is C 3 -C 4 alkylene, or the moiety -R 2 -A-R 6 -, wherein R 6 is a C 1 -C 12 alkylene, alkenylene, arylene or alkarylene moiety; each M is H or a water-soluble cation; each X is H, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or , wherein R 7 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl; m and n are numbers such that the moiety -(CH 2 CH 2 0)- comprises at least about 50% by weight of the moiety -[-(R 5 O) m (CH 2 CH 2 O) n -]-, provided that when R 5 is the moiety -R -A-R -, m is 1; each n is at least about 10; u and v are numbers such that the sum of u + v is from about 3 to about 25; w is 0 or at least 1; and when w is at least 1, u, v and w are numbers such that the sum of u + v + w is from about 3 to about 25.

Claim 3

The compound of Claim 1, wherein each A is and each R' moiety is a 1,4-phenylene moiety.

Claim 4

The compound of Claim 2, wherein v is 0.

Claim 5

4 . The compound of Claim 3, wherein said R2 moieties comprise from about 20 to 100% ethylene moieties, 1,2-propylene moieties or mixtures thereof.

Claim 6

5 . The compound of Claim 3 , wherein m is 0 and each n is from about 12 to about 119.

Claim 7

6 The compound of Claim 4, wherein each n is from about 12 to about 43.

Claim 8

7 . Polyesters of formula: wherein each R 1 moiety is a 1,4-phenylene moiety; the R 2 moieties are essentially ethylene moieties, 1,2-propylene moieties or mixtures thereof; the R 3 moieties are potassium or sodium 5-sul- fo-1,3-phenylene moieties or substituted 1,3-phenylene moieties having the substituent at the 5 position; the R 4 moieties are R 1 or R 3 moieties, or a mixture thereof; each X is ethyl or methyl; each n is from about 12 to about 43; when w is 0, u + v is from about 3 to about 10; when w is at least 1, u + v + w is from about 3 to about 10.

Claim 9

7 . Polyesters of formula: wherein each R 1 moiety is a 1,4-phenylene moiety; the R 2 moieties are essentially ethylene moieties, 1,2-propylene moieties or mixtures thereof; the R 3 moieties are potassium or sodium 5-sul- fo-1,3-phenylene moieties or substituted 1,3-phenylene moieties having the substituent at the 5 position; the R 4 moieties are R 1 or R 3 moieties, or a mixture thereof; each X is ethyl or methyl; each n is from about 12 to about 43; when w is 0, u + v is from about 3 to about 10; when w is at least 1, u + v + w is from about 3 to about 10.

Claim 10

8, The polyesters of Claim 7, wherein v is 0.

Claim 11

The polyesters of Claim 8, wherein said R 2 moieties comprise from about 80 to 100% of said ethylene moieties, 1,2-propylene moieties, or mixtures thereof.

Claim 12

A detergent composition which comprises: (a) from about 1 to about 75% by weight of a nonionic, anionic, ampholytic, zwitterionic, or cationic detergent surfactant, or mixture thereof; and (b) a soil release component which comprises an effective amount of a soil release compound of formula: wherein the A moieties are essentially moieties; the R 1 moieties are essentially 1,4-phenylene moieties; the R moieties are essentially ethylene moieties, or substituted ethylene moieties having C 1 -C 4 alkyl or alkoxy substituents; the R 3 moieties are substituted C 2 -C 18 hydrocarbylene moieties having at least one -SO 3 M, -COOM, -O-⁅(R 5 O) m (CH 2 CH 2 O) n ⁆X or -A-⁅-(R 2 -A-R 4 -A)- w -⁅(R 5 O) m (CH 2 CH 2 O)-⁆-X substituent or at least one moiety -A-⁅(R 2 -A-R 4 -A)-⁆- w R 2 -A- crosslinked to another R 3 moiety; the R 4 moieties are R 1 or R 3 moieties, or a mixture thereof; each R 5 is C 3 -C 4 alkylene, or the moiety -R 2 -A-R 6 -, wherein R 6 is a C 1 -C 12 alkylene, alkenylene, ary'ene or alkarylene moiety; each M is H or a water-soluble cation; each X is H, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or wherein R 7 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl; m and n are numbers such that the moiety -( CH2CH20 )- comprises at least about 50% by weight of the moiety -⁅-(R 5 O) m (CH 2 CH 2 O) n -⁆-, provided that when R 5 is the moiety -R -A-R -, m is 1; each n is at least about 6; u and v are numbers such that the sum of u + v is from about 3 to about 25; w is 0 or at least 1; and when w is at least 1, u, v and w are numbers such that the sum of u + v + w is from about 3 to about 25.

Claim 13

A detergent composition which comprises: (a) from about 1 to about 75% by weight of a nonionic, anionic, ampholytic, zwitterionic, or cationic detergent surfactant, or mixture thereof; and (b) a soil release component which comprises an effective amount of a soil release compound of formula: wherein the A moieties are essentially moieties; the R 1 moieties are essentially 1,4-phenylene moieties; the R moieties are essentially ethylene moieties, or substituted ethylene moieties having C 1 -C 4 alkyl or alkoxy substituents; the R 3 moieties are substituted C 2 -C 18 hydrocarbylene moieties having at least one -SO 3 M, -COOM, -O-⁅(R 5 O) m (CH 2 CH 2 O) n ⁆X or -A-⁅-(R 2 -A-R 4 -A)- w -⁅(R 5 O) m (CH 2 CH 2 O)-⁆-X substituent or at least one moiety -A-⁅(R 2 -A-R 4 -A)-⁆- w R 2 -A- crosslinked to another R 3 moiety; the R 4 moieties are R 1 or R 3 moieties, or a mixture thereof; each R 5 is C 3 -C 4 alkylene, or the moiety -R 2 -A-R 6 -, wherein R 6 is a C 1 -C 12 alkylene, alkenylene, ary'ene or alkarylene moiety; each M is H or a water-soluble cation; each X is H, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or wherein R 7 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl; m and n are numbers such that the moiety -( CH2CH20 )- comprises at least about 50% by weight of the moiety -⁅-(R 5 O) m (CH 2 CH 2 O) n -⁆-, provided that when R 5 is the moiety -R -A-R -, m is 1; each n is at least about 6; u and v are numbers such that the sum of u + v is from about 3 to about 25; w is 0 or at least 1; and when w is at least 1, u, v and w are numbers such that the sum of u + v + w is from about 3 to about 25.

Claim 14

The composition of Claim 10, wherein each A is and wherein said soil release compound comprises from about 0.1 to about 10% by weight of the composition.

Claim 15

The composition of Claim 11, which is an isotropic liquid.

Claim 16

13 . The composition of Claim 11, wherein said detergent surfactant comprises from about 10 to about 50% by weight of the composition.