Alpha-oxyalkylene amine oxide compounds useful in detergents

Claim 2

A compound of the formula: ##STR5## wherein R 1 is hydrogen or a C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group; R 2 is a C 2 -C 6 alkylene group; n is from 1 to about 20; each R 3 is a C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group or a C 2 -C 3 alkylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 10 alkylene oxide units; each R 4 is hydrogen, a C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group or a C 2 -C 3 alkylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 10 alkylene oxide units; and X is hydrogen, a water-soluble metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium cation, a C 1 -C 8 hydrocarbyl group or a C 2 -C 3 alkylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 10 alkylene oxide units; provided that the total number of carbon atoms in hydrocarbyl groups at the R 1 , R 3 , and X or R 4 substituents is from about 8 to about 40.

Claim 3

A compound according to claim 1 wherein the total number of carbon atoms in hydrocarbyl groups at the R 1 , R 3 , and X or R 4 substituents is from about 12 to about 30.

Claim 4

A compound according to claim 1 wherein R 1 is a C 10 -C 16 alkyl group and each R 3 is a C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbyl group or an ethylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 5 ethylene oxide units.

Claim 5

A compound according to claim 1 wherein R 2 is a C 2 -C 3 alkylene group.

Claim 6

A compound according to claim 4 wherein R 2 is an ethylene group.

Claim 7

A compound according to claim 1 wherein n is from 1 to about 10.

Claim 8

A compound according to claim 6 wherein n is from 1 to about 3.

Claim 9

A compound according to claim 7 wherein n is 1.

Claim 10

A compound according to claim 1 wherein R 2 is an ethylene group and n is from 1 to about 3.

Claim 11

A compound according to claim 9 wherein R 1 is a C 10 -C 16 alkyl group and each R 3 is a C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbyl group or an ethylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 5 ethylene oxide units.

Claim 12

A compound according to claim 10 wherein each R 3 is a methyl, ethyl, 2-hydroxyethyl or 2-hydroxypropyl group.

Claim 13

A compound of the formula: ##STR6## wherein R 1 is a C 8 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group; n is from 1 to about 10; each R 3 is a C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbyl group; and X is a water-soluble alkali-metal cation.

Claim 14

A compound of the formula: ##STR6## wherein R 1 is a C 8 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group; n is from 1 to about 10; each R 3 is a C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbyl group; and X is a water-soluble alkali-metal cation.

Claim 15

A compound according to claim 12 wherein R 1 is a C 10 -C 16 alkyl group.

Claim 16

A compound according to claim 12 wherein n is from 1 to about 3.

Claim 17

A compound according to claim 12 wherein X is sodium.

Claim 18

A compound according to claim 15 wherein R 1 is a C 10 -C 16 alkyl group and n is 1.

Claim 19

A compound according to claim 16 wherein each R 3 is a methyl, ethyl, 2-hydroxyethyl or 2-hydroxypropyl group.

Claim 20

A compound of the formula: ##STR7## wherein R is a C 8 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group; n is from 1 to about 10; each R 3 is a C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbyl group; and each R 4 is hydrogen, a C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbyl group or an ethylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 5 ethylene oxide units.

Claim 21

A compound of the formula: ##STR7## wherein R is a C 8 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group; n is from 1 to about 10; each R 3 is a C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbyl group; and each R 4 is hydrogen, a C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbyl group or an ethylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 5 ethylene oxide units.

Claim 22

A compound according to claim 18 wherein R 1 is a C 10 -C 16 alkyl group.

Claim 23

A compound according to claim 18 wherein n is from 1 to about 3.

Claim 24

A compound according to claim 18 wherein each R 4 is a methyl, ethyl, 2-hydroxyethyl or 2-hydroxypropyl group.

Claim 25

A compound according to claim 21 wherein R 1 is a C 10 -C 16 alkyl group and n is 1.

Claim 26

A compound according to claim 22 wherein each R 3 is a methyl, ethyl, 2-hydroxyethyl or 2-hydroxypropyl group.

Claim 27

A detergent composition comprising from about 0.005% to about 99% by weight of an amine oxide surfactant of the formula: ##STR8## wherein R 1 is hydrogen or a C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group; R 2 is a C 2 -C 6 alkylene group; n is from 1 to about 20; each R 3 is a C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group or a C 2 -C 3 alkylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 10 alkylene oxide units; each R 4 is hydrogen, a C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group or a C 2 -C 3 alkylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 10 alkylene oxide units; and X is hydrogen, a water-soluble metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium cation, a C 1 -C 8 hydrocarbyl group or a C 2 -C 3 alkylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 10 alkylene oxide units; provided that the total number of carbon atoms in hydrocarbyl groups at the R 1 , R 3 , and X or R 4 substituents is from about 8 to about 40.

Claim 28

A detergent composition comprising from about 0.005% to about 99% by weight of an amine oxide surfactant of the formula: ##STR8## wherein R 1 is hydrogen or a C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group; R 2 is a C 2 -C 6 alkylene group; n is from 1 to about 20; each R 3 is a C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group or a C 2 -C 3 alkylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 10 alkylene oxide units; each R 4 is hydrogen, a C 1 -C 20 hydrocarbyl group or a C 2 -C 3 alkylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 10 alkylene oxide units; and X is hydrogen, a water-soluble metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium cation, a C 1 -C 8 hydrocarbyl group or a C 2 -C 3 alkylene oxide group containing from 1 to about 10 alkylene oxide units; provided that the total number of carbon atoms in hydrocarbyl groups at the R 1 , R 3 , and X or R 4 substituents is from about 8 to about 40.

Claim 29

A composition according to claim 24 comprising from about 1% to about 40% by weight of the amine oxide surfactant.

Claim 30

A composition according to claim 25 comprising from about 3% to about 15% by weight of the amine oxide surfactant.

Claim 31

A composition according to claim 24 further comprising from about 0.01% to about 60% by weight of an anionic, cationic, nonionic, ampholytic, or zwitterionic cosurfactant, or mixtures thereof.

Claim 32

A composition according to claim 27 comprising from about 3% to about 20% by weight of the cosurfactant.

Claim 33

A composition according to claim 27 wherein the cosurfactant is an ethoxylated alcohol or alkyl phenol of the formula R(OCH 2 CH 2 ) n OH, wherein R is a C 8 -C 18 hydrocarbyl group or a C 8 -C 15 alkyl phenyl group and n is from about 3 to about 12.

Claim 34

A composition according to claim 29 wherein R is a C 9 -C 15 alkyl group and n is from about 4 to about 8.

Claim 35

A composition according to claim 24 further comprising from about 1% to about 95% by weight of a detergent builder material.

Claim 36

A composition according to claim 31 comprising from about 5% to about 75% by weight of the detergent builder material.

Claim 37

A composition according to claim 32 wherein the detergent builder material is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal phosphates, polyphosphates, phosphonates, polyphosphonates, carbonates, silicates, borates, polyhydroxysulfonates, polyacetates, carboxylates, polycarboxylates, and aluminosilicates, and mixtures thereof.

Claim 38

A composition according to claim 31 further comprising from about 0.01% to about 60% by weight of an anionic, cationic, nonionic, ampholytic, or zwitterionic cosurfactant, or mixtures thereof.

Claim 39

A composition according to claim 24, 27, 31 or 34 wherein, in the amine oxide surfactant, R 1 is a C 10 -C 16 alkyl group, R 2 is an ethylene group, and n is from 1 to about 3, and each R 3 is a C 1 -C 4 hydrocarbyl group.