Crystallization seed-containing detergent composition

Claim 2

DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS CAPABLE OF RAPIDLY REDUCING THE FREE POLYVALENT METAL ION CONTENT OF AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION WHEN ADDED THERETO, SAID COMPOSITIONS CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF: A. FROM 0.15 TO ABOUT 10% BY WEIGHT OF ALKALI METAL ALUMINATES HAVING AN ALKALI METAL2O/AL2O3 MOLE RATIO OF FROM ABOUT 2:1 TO 1:2; B. FROM ABOUT 10% TO ABOUT 80% BY WEIGHT OF A MATERIAL CAPABLE OF FORMING, AT A PH OF 6 OR ABOVE, A WATERINSOLUBLE REACTION PRODUCT WITH FREE POLYVALENT METAL IONS, SAID WATER-INSOLUBLE REACTION PRODUCT HAVING A SOLUBILITY IN WATER OF LESS THAN 1.4 X 10**-2 WEIGHT PERCENT AT 25*C.; C. FROM ABOUT 5% TO ABOUT 50% BY WEIGHT OF A WATER-SOLUBLE ORGANIC DETERGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ANIONIC, NONIONIC, AMPHOLYTIC AND ZWITTERIONIC DETERGENTS AND MIXTURES THEREOF; AND D. FROM ABOUT 5% TO ABOUT 35% BY WEIGHT OF A CRYSTALLIZATION SEED CAPABLE OF PROVIDING GROWTH SITES IN AQUEOUS SILUTION FOR THE REACTION PRODUCTS OF (A) AND (B), SAID CRYSTALLIZATION SEED HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE OF FROM 0.01 MICRON TO 5.0 MICRONS.

Claim 3

The detergent compositions of claim 1 wherein the aluminate component is sodium aluminate having a mole ratio of Na2O/Al2O3 of about 1:1 and is present in an amount of from about 2% to about 10% by weight.

Claim 4

The detergent compositions of claim 1 wherein the material capable of forming a water-insoluble reaction product with free polyvalent metal ions provides a water-insoluble reaction product having a solubility in water of less than 7.2 X 10 3 weight percent at 25* C.

Claim 5

The detergent compositions of claim 3 wherein said material capable of forming a water-insoluble reaction product is present to the extent of from about 10% to 50% by weight and is selected from the group consisting of the water-soluble salts of carbonates, bicarbonates, sesquicarbonates, silicates, oxalates, and fatty acids having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms.

Claim 6

The detergent compositions of claim 4 wherein the crystallization seed is a material that will not completely dissolve in water within 120 seconds at 25* C.

Claim 7

The detergent compositions of claim 5 wherein the crystallization seed is selected from calcium carbonate, calcium and magnesium oxalate, barium sulfate, calcium, magnesium and aluminum silicates, calcium and magnesium oxide, calcium and magnesium salts of fatty acids having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, calcium and magnesium hydroxide, calcium fluoride, barium carbonate and cellulose derivatives.

Claim 8

The detergent composition of claim 6 wherein the water-soluble organic detergent is selected from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic, ampholytic and zwitterionic detergents and mixtures thereof and is present in an amount of from about 5% to about 35% by weight.

Claim 9

The detergent composition of claim 7 wherein the aluminate component is sodium aluminate having a ratio of Na2O/Al2O3 of about 1:1 and is present in an amount of from about 2% to about 10% by weight.

Claim 10

The detergent composition of claim 7 wherein the material capable of forming a water-insoluble reaction product with free polyvalent metal ions is sodium carbonate.

Claim 11

The detergent composition of claim 7 wherein the crystallization seed is calcium carbonate.

Claim 12

Detergent compositions capable of rapidly reducing the free polyvalent metal ion content of an aqueous solution when added thereto, said composition consisting essentially of: a. from about 2% to about 10% by weight of sodium aluminate having a mole ratio of Na2O/Al2O3 of about 1:1; b. from about 10% to about 50% by weight of sodium carbonate; c. from about 5% to about 35% by weight of calcium carbonate having a particle size of from 0.01 micron to 5.0 microns; and d. from about 5% to about 35% by weight of a water-soluble organic detergent selected from the group consisting of sodium linear C10-18 alkyl benzene sulfonate; sodium tallow alkyl sulfate; sodium 2-acetoxytridecane-1-sulfonate; sodium methyl-Alpha -sulfopalmitate; sodium Beta -methoxyoctadecyl sulfonate; sodium coconut alkyl ethylene glycol ether sulfonate; the sodium salt of the sulfated condensation product of tallow alcohol with from about 3 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of nonylphenol with about 9 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of nonylphenol; the condensation product of coconut fatty alcohol with about 6 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of coconut fatty alcohol; the condensation product of tallow fatty alcohol with about 11 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of tallow fatty alcohol; the condensation product of a secondary fatty alcohol containing about 15 carbon atoms with about 9 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of secondary fatty alcohol; sodium 3(N,N-dimethyl-N-alkylammonio)-2-hydroxypropane-1-sulfonate; sodium 3(N,N-dimethyl-N-alkylammonio)-propane-1-sulfonate whereby for these two compounds the alkyl group averages 14.8 carbon atoms in length; sodium 3(N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecylammonio)-propane-1-sulfonate; sodium 3(N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecylammonio)-2-hydroxypropane-1-sulfonate; sodium 3-(N-dodecylbenzyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)acetate; sodium 3-(N-dodecylbenzyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)propionate; 6-(N-dodecylbenzyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)-hexanoate; sodium(N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecylammonio)acetate; and mixtures thereof.

Claim 13

Detergent compositions capable of rapidly reducing the free polyvalent metal ion content of an aqueous solution when added thereto, said composition consisting essentially of: a. from about 2% to about 10% by weight of sodium aluminate having a mole ratio of Na2O/Al2O3 of about 1:1; b. from about 10% to about 50% by weight of sodium carbonate; c. from about 5% to about 35% by weight of calcium carbonate having a particle size of from 0.01 micron to 5.0 microns; and d. from about 5% to about 35% by weight of a water-soluble organic detergent selected from the group consisting of sodium linear C10-18 alkyl benzene sulfonate; sodium tallow alkyl sulfate; sodium 2-acetoxytridecane-1-sulfonate; sodium methyl-Alpha -sulfopalmitate; sodium Beta -methoxyoctadecyl sulfonate; sodium coconut alkyl ethylene glycol ether sulfonate; the sodium salt of the sulfated condensation product of tallow alcohol with from about 3 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide; the condensation product of nonylphenol with about 9 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of nonylphenol; the condensation product of coconut fatty alcohol with about 6 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of coconut fatty alcohol; the condensation product of tallow fatty alcohol with about 11 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of tallow fatty alcohol; the condensation product of a secondary fatty alcohol containing about 15 carbon atoms with about 9 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of secondary fatty alcohol; sodium 3(N,N-dimethyl-N-alkylammonio)-2-hydroxypropane-1-sulfonate; sodium 3(N,N-dimethyl-N-alkylammonio)-propane-1-sulfonate whereby for these two compounds the alkyl group averages 14.8 carbon atoms in length; sodium 3(N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecylammonio)-propane-1-sulfonate; sodium 3(N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecylammonio)-2-hydroxypropane-1-sulfonate; sodium 3-(N-dodecylbenzyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)acetate; sodium 3-(N-dodecylbenzyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)propionate; 6-(N-dodecylbenzyl-N,N-dimethylammonio)-hexanoate; sodium(N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecylammonio)acetate; and mixtures thereof.

Claim 14

The detergent composition of claim 11 wherein the water-soluble organic detergent is the sodium salt of the sulfated reaction product of tallow alcohol with from about 3 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of tallow alcohol and is present in an amount from about 10% to about 25% by weight.

Claim 15

The detergent composition of claim 11 wherein the water-soluble organic detergent is a mixture of the sodium salt of the sulfated reaction product of tallow alcohol with from about 3 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of tallow alcohol in combination with nonionic water-soluble organic detergents whereby the weight ratio of said nonionics to said anionics is from 2:1 to 1:2 and the total surfactant concentration is from about 10% to about 25% by weight.