Aqueous flowable surfactant concentrates and process therefor

Claim 2

An aqueous surfactant concentrate comprising (a) at least about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the aqueous surfactant concentrate, of at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of (i) a water-soluble salt of an alkylpolyglycolether sulfosuccinate of formula I below: ##STR3## wherein the --SO 3 M group can alternatively be present on the other hydrogen-containing carbon atom of the succinyl group, R 1 is a hydrocarbon group of a nonaromatic alcohol, A is a C 2 -C 5 alkylene group, n is an integer between 1 and 100, M is a cation of a water-soluble salt, and Z is either --OM or --[O--A] n --O--R 1 wherein A, R 1 and n have the meaning given above; and (ii) a water-soluble salt of an alkylarylpolyglycolether sulfosuccinate of the formula II below: ##STR4## wherein the --SO 3 M group can alternatively be present on the other hydrogen-containing carbon atom of the succinyl group, R 2 is a straight chain or branched chain, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group, m is an integer of from 1 to 3, Ar is a phenylene group or a naphthalene group, A is a C 2 -C 5 alkylene group, n is an integer between 1 and 100, M is a cation of a water-soluble salt, and Z is --OM or --[O--A] n --O--Ar--R 2 m wherein M, A, Ar, R 2 , m and n have the same meaning as given above; and (b) from about 0.1 to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the aqueous surfactant concentrate of at least one viscosity regulator selected from the group consisting of (i) a lower polyalkyleneether glycol having a molecular weight of at least about 1500, (ii) a water-soluble salt of a monosulfosuccinate of a lower polyalkyleneether glycol having a molecular weight of at least about 600, and (iii) a water-soluble salt of a disulfosuccinate of a lower polyalkyleneether glycol having a molecular weight of at least about 600.

Claim 3

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein the polyalkyleneether glycol or sulfosuccinate derivative thereof in the viscosity regulator in (b) is a polyethyleneether glycol or a polypropylene-ether glycol.

Claim 4

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein the molecular weight of the polyalkyleneether glycol in (b) (ii) and (b) (iii) is in the range of from about 1000 to about 6000.

Claim 5

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein the water-soluble salts in (a) and (b) have as the cation an alkali metal cation, an alkaline earth metal cation, an ammonium cation, an amine cation, or a mixture of two or more of the above cations.

Claim 6

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein the quantity of component (b) is in the range of from about 0.1 to about 10% by weight.

Claim 7

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein the quantity of component (b) is in the range of from about 2 to about 5% by weight.

Claim 8

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein the surfactant in (a) is present in an amount of from about 25% to about 80% by weight.

Claim 9

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein said concentrate also contains other surface active compounds.

Claim 10

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein the lower polyalkyleneether glycol in (b) (i) has a molecular weight in the range of from about 2000 to about 6000.

Claim 11

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein the lower polyalkyleneether glycol in (b) (i) has a molecular weight in the range of from about 3000 to about 5000.

Claim 12

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein in (a) (i) the R 1 group contains from 4 to 24 carbon atoms.

Claim 13

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 11 wherein the R 1 group contains from 10 to 18 carbon atoms.

Claim 14

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein A in (a) (i) is an ethylene group or a 1,2-propylene group.

Claim 15

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein in (a) (ii) the R 2 group is an alkyl group containing from 4 to 16 carbon atoms.

Claim 16

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 14 wherein the R 2 group contains from 6 to 14 carbon atoms.

Claim 17

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 14 wherein the R 2 group contains from 8 to 12 carbon atoms.

Claim 18

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein in (a) (ii) m is 1.

Claim 19

An aqueous surfactant concentrate in accordance with claim 1 wherein Ar is the phenylene group.

Claim 20

A process for improving the flowability of viscous aqueous surfactant concentrates which contain at least about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the aqueous surfactant concentrate, of at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of (i) a water-soluble salt of an alkylpolyglycolether sulfosuccinate of formula I below: ##STR5## wherein the --SO 3 M group can alternatively be present on the other hydrogen-containing carbon atom of the succinyl group, R 1 is a hydrocarbon group of a nonaromatic alcohol, A is a C 2 -C 5 alkylene group, n is an integer between 1 and 100, M is a cation of a water soluble salt, and Z is either --OM or --[O--A] n --O--R 1 wherein A, R 1 and n have the meaning given above; and (ii) a water-soluble salt of an alkylarylpolyglycolether sulfosuccinate of the formula II below: ##STR6## wherein the --SO 3 M group can alternatively be present on the other hydrogen-containing carbon atom of the succinyl group, R 2 is a straight chain or branched chain, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group, m is an integer of from 1 to 3, Ar is a phenylene group or a naphthalene group, A is a C 2 -C 5 alkylene group, n is an integer between 1 and 100, M is a cation of a water-soluble salt, and Z is --OM or --[O--A] n --O--Ar--R 2 m wherein M, A, Ar, R 2 , m and n have the same meaning as given above comprising adding thereto from about 0.1 to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the aqueous surfactant concentrate, of at least one viscosity regulator selected from the group consisting of A. a lower polyalkyleneether glycol having a molecular weight of at least about 1500, B. a water-soluble salt of a monosulfosuccinate of a lower polyalkyleneether glycol having a molecular weight of at least about 600, and C. a water-soluble salt of a disulfosuccinate of a lower polyalkyleneether glycol having a molecular weight of at least about 600.

Claim 21

A process for improving the flowability of viscous aqueous surfactant concentrates which contain at least about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the aqueous surfactant concentrate, of at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of (i) a water-soluble salt of an alkylpolyglycolether sulfosuccinate of formula I below: ##STR5## wherein the --SO 3 M group can alternatively be present on the other hydrogen-containing carbon atom of the succinyl group, R 1 is a hydrocarbon group of a nonaromatic alcohol, A is a C 2 -C 5 alkylene group, n is an integer between 1 and 100, M is a cation of a water soluble salt, and Z is either --OM or --[O--A] n --O--R 1 wherein A, R 1 and n have the meaning given above; and (ii) a water-soluble salt of an alkylarylpolyglycolether sulfosuccinate of the formula II below: ##STR6## wherein the --SO 3 M group can alternatively be present on the other hydrogen-containing carbon atom of the succinyl group, R 2 is a straight chain or branched chain, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group, m is an integer of from 1 to 3, Ar is a phenylene group or a naphthalene group, A is a C 2 -C 5 alkylene group, n is an integer between 1 and 100, M is a cation of a water-soluble salt, and Z is --OM or --[O--A] n --O--Ar--R 2 m wherein M, A, Ar, R 2 , m and n have the same meaning as given above comprising adding thereto from about 0.1 to about 20% by weight, based on the total weight of the aqueous surfactant concentrate, of at least one viscosity regulator selected from the group consisting of A. a lower polyalkyleneether glycol having a molecular weight of at least about 1500, B. a water-soluble salt of a monosulfosuccinate of a lower polyalkyleneether glycol having a molecular weight of at least about 600, and C. a water-soluble salt of a disulfosuccinate of a lower polyalkyleneether glycol having a molecular weight of at least about 600.