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US4587030A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Foamable, acidic cleaning compositions

Assignee: Ecolab Inc
•
Filing: 1984-06-13
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Granted: 1986-05-06
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Expires: 2004-06-13
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Abstract

Abstract Soil comprising soap scum and hardness components can be efficiently removed by an acidic cleaning composition which comprises a major proportion of water, an acidic component comprising a mixture of a weak organic acid and a weak inorganic acid, a surfactant system comprising a major proportion of an amine oxide surfactant and a cosolvent, which is preferably applied to the soil as a foam from a pumpable or pressurized container.

Inventors

  • 👤 Sheryl K. Casey

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 05:56
CPC Classifications
C; C11; C11D; C11D3/00; C11D3/0005; C11D3/0094; C11D1/00; C11D1/66; C11D1/75; C11D3/02; C11D3/04; C11D3/046; C11D7/00; C11D7/02; C11D7/04; C11D7/08; C11D7/22; C11D7/26; C11D7/265; C11D2111/00; C11D2111/40; C11D2111/42

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim 169 words
A foam-producing system which comprises a container, having a foam generating means, which contains an acidic cleaning composition comprising: a major proportion of water; a sufficient amount of an acidic component comprising a mixture of a weak inorganic acid and a weak organic acid to provide a pH of about 1 to 5 in a 1% solution in water of the cleaning composition; an effective amount of a cationic surfactant having the formula: (R.sub.1)(R.sub.2)(R.sub.3)N→O wherein R 1 is a C 8 -C 20 -alkyl or C 8 -C 20 -alkylamido-C 2 -C 5 -alkyl and R 2 and R 3 are individually C 1 -C 4 -lower alkyl or hydroxy-C 1 -C 4 -lower alkyl; and, an effective amount of a cosolvent which can reduce surface tension and maintain the cleaning components in a stable mixture; wherein the foam generator produces a layer of cohesive foam having a depth of about 1 to about 30 millimeters in the substantial absence of airborn spray or mist of the cleaning composition.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 169 words
A foam-producing system which comprises a container, having a foam generating means, which contains an acidic cleaning composition comprising: a major proportion of water; a sufficient amount of an acidic component comprising a mixture of a weak inorganic acid and a weak organic acid to provide a pH of about 1 to 5 in a 1% solution in water of the cleaning composition; an effective amount of a cationic surfactant having the formula: (R.sub.1)(R.sub.2)(R.sub.3)N→O wherein R 1 is a C 8 -C 20 -alkyl or C 8 -C 20 -alkylamido-C 2 -C 5 -alkyl and R 2 and R 3 are individually C 1 -C 4 -lower alkyl or hydroxy-C 1 -C 4 -lower alkyl; and, an effective amount of a cosolvent which can reduce surface tension and maintain the cleaning components in a stable mixture; wherein the foam generator produces a layer of cohesive foam having a depth of about 1 to about 30 millimeters in the substantial absence of airborn spray or mist of the cleaning composition.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the foam producing means comprises an aerosol foam producing means having the acidic cleaning composition in combination with a prepellant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 15 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the foam producing means comprises a hand-operated pump foamer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the inorganic acid comprises phosphoric acid or sulfamic acid and the organic acid comprises acetic acid, citric acid, hydroxy acetic acid and mixtures thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 53 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the acid component is present at a concentration of about 5 to 15 wt-% of the foamable, pumpable acidic composition and comprises a mixture of phosphoric acid and hydroxy acetic acid, containing about 1.5 to 5 parts of phosphoric acid per each part of hydroxy acetic acid.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 57 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the acidic component comprises a mixture of sulfamic acid and hydroxy acetic acid, containing about 5 to 1 parts of hydroxy acetic acid per each part of sulfamic acid, wherein the mixture of acids is present at a concentration of about 5 to 15 wt-% of the pumpable foamable acidic composition.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 47 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the surfactant comprises a surfactant of the formula: (R.sub.1)(R.sub.2)(R.sub.3)N→O wherein R 2 and R 3 are both methyl, ethyl or 2-hydroxyethyl, and which surfactant is present at a concentration of about 1 to about 10 wt-% of the foamable acidic composition.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 26 words
The system of claim 1 wherein the cosolvent comprises a water-miscible alcohol or a mono or diether of an alkylene glycol, dialkylene glycol, or trialkylene glycol.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 34 words
The system of claim 8 wherein the cosolvent comprises a mono(alkyl) ether of diethylene glycol which is present at a concentration of about 1 to about 15 wt-% of the foamable, pumpable acidic cleaner.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 126 words
A pumpable, foamable acidic cleaning composition which consists essentially of: a major proportion of water; a sufficient amount of an acidic component incorporating a mixture of a weak inorganic acid and a weak organic acid to provide a pH of about 1 to 5 in a 1% solution in water of the cleaning composition; an effective amount of a surfactant mixture comprising about 50-100% of a cationic amine oxide of the formula: (R.sub.1)(R.sub.2)(R.sub.3)N→O wherein R 1 is a C 8 -C 20 -alkyl or C 8 -C 20 -alkylamido-C 2 -C 5 -alkyl and R 2 and R 3 are individually methyl, ethyl or 2-hydroxyethyl; and, an effective amount of a cosolvent which can reduce surface tension and maintain the cleaning components in a stable mixture.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 126 words
A pumpable, foamable acidic cleaning composition which consists essentially of: a major proportion of water; a sufficient amount of an acidic component incorporating a mixture of a weak inorganic acid and a weak organic acid to provide a pH of about 1 to 5 in a 1% solution in water of the cleaning composition; an effective amount of a surfactant mixture comprising about 50-100% of a cationic amine oxide of the formula: (R.sub.1)(R.sub.2)(R.sub.3)N→O wherein R 1 is a C 8 -C 20 -alkyl or C 8 -C 20 -alkylamido-C 2 -C 5 -alkyl and R 2 and R 3 are individually methyl, ethyl or 2-hydroxyethyl; and, an effective amount of a cosolvent which can reduce surface tension and maintain the cleaning components in a stable mixture.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 30 words
The composition of claim 10 wherein the inorganic acid comprises phosphoric acid or sulfamic acid and the organic acid comprises acetic acid, citric acid, hydroxy acetic acid and mixtures thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 53 words
The composition of claim 10 wherein the acid component is present at a concentration of about 5 to 15 wt-% of the pumpable foamable acidic composition, and comprises a mixture of phosphoric acid and hydroxy acetic acid, containing about 1.5 to 5 parts of phosphoric acid per each part of hydroxy acetic acid.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 53 words
The composition of claim 10 wherein the acid component is present at a concentration of about 5 to 15 wt-% of the pumpable foamable acidic composition, and comprises a mixture of sulfamic acid and hydroxy acetic acid, containing about 5 to 1 parts of hydroxy acetic acid per each part of sulfamic acid.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 53 words
The composition of claim 10 wherein the surfactant mixture comprises about 75-100% of an amine oxide of the formula: (R.sub.1)R.sub.2)(R.sub.3)N→O wherein both R 2 and R 3 are methyl, ethyl or 2-hydroxyethyl and which amine oxide is present at a concentration of about 1 to about 10 wt-% of the foamable acidic composition.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 26 words
The composition of claim 10 wherein the cosolvent comprises a water-miscible alcohol or a mono or diether of an alkylene glycol, dialkylene glycol or trialkylene glycol.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 35 words
The composition of claim 15 wherein the cosolvent comprises a mono (alkyl) ether of diethylene glycol which is present at a concentration of about 1 to about 15 wt-% of the foamable, pumpable acidic composition.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 14 words
The composition of claim 15 which also contains about 0.1-5% of an acid-stable thickener.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 14 words
The composition of claim 10 wherein the surfactant mixture also contains a nonionic sufactant.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1989-05-05 1989-11-04 1990-05-06 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1993-05-05 1993-11-04 1994-05-06 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1997-05-05 1997-11-04 1998-05-06 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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