Detergent composition for dispersing oil spills

Claim 1

An oil and water miscible composition suitable for dispersing oil spilt on water or beaches consisting essentially of i. from 25 to 50% wt of an ester of a polyoxyethylene glycol and a C 10 -C 24 fatty acid, the ester having the general formula: ##STR2## where R is selected from the group consisting of C 9 -C 23 alkyl and C 9 -C 23 groups alkenyl groups and x is from 2 to 7, ii. from 5 to 45% wt of a detergent selected from the group consisting of organic sulphate detergents and organic sulphonate detergents having a molecular weight of from 200 to 500 and selected from the group consisting of an alkyl sulphate, an alkyl sulphonate, alkyl ether sulphate, alkyl ether sulphonate, alkyl aromatic sulphate, alkyl aromatic sulphonate and a salt of any one thereof, and iii. from 5 to 65% wt of an alkylene oxide condensate of an alkanol having molecular weight of 90 to 250.