Bleaching compositions comprising alkoxy substituted aromatic peroxyacids

Claim 2

A bleach activator of the general formula ##STR18## wherein R 1 is an alkyl group containing from about 4 to abut 8 carbon atoms, and L is a leaving group the conjugate acid of which has a pK a in the range of from about 4 to about 13.

Claim 3

A compound according to claim 1 wherein R 1 is an alkyl group containing from about 5 to about 8 carbon atoms.

Claim 4

A compound according to claim 1 wherein R 1 is an alkyl group containing about 6 carbons atoms.

Claim 5

The compound of claim 1 wherein L is a leaving group, the conjugate acid of which has a pK a in the range of from about 8 to about 11.

Claim 6

The compound of claim 1 wherein L is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR19## wherein R is ##STR20## R 2 is an alkyl chain containing from about 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, R 3 is H or R 2 , and Y is H or a solubilizing group.

Claim 7

The compound of claim 5 wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of: --SO 3 - M + , --COO - M + , --SO 4 - M + , (--N + R 3 4 )X - and O←NR 2 4 -- and mixtures thereof wherein R 4 is an alkyl chain containing from about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, M is a cation which provides solubility to the bleach activator and X is an anion which provides solubility to the bleach activator.

Claim 8

The compound of claim 6 wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of --SO 3 - M + , --COO - M + and mixtures thereof wherein M is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium and mixtures thereof.

Claim 9

The compound of claim 5 wherein L is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR21## wherein R 2 is an alkyl chain containing from about 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, Y is --SO 3 - M + or --COO - M + wherein M is sodium or potassium.

Claim 10

The compound of claim 8 wherein L has the general formula: ##STR22## wherein M is sodium or potassium.

Claim 11

A composition comprising: (a) a peroxygen bleaching compound capable of yielding hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solution; and (b) a bleach activator having the general formula: ##STR23## wherein R 1 is an alkyl group containing from about 4 to about 8 carbon atoms and L is a leaving group, the conjugate acid of which has a pK a in the range of from about 4 to about 13; and wherein the molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide yielded by (a) to bleach activator (b) at least about 1.

Claim 12

A composition comprising: (a) a peroxygen bleaching compound capable of yielding hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solution; and (b) a bleach activator having the general formula: ##STR23## wherein R 1 is an alkyl group containing from about 4 to about 8 carbon atoms and L is a leaving group, the conjugate acid of which has a pK a in the range of from about 4 to about 13; and wherein the molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide yielded by (a) to bleach activator (b) at least about 1.

Claim 13

The composition of claim 10 wherein the peroxygen bleaching compound is selected from the group consisting of sodium perborate monohydrate, sodium perborate, tetrahydrate, sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate, sodium pyrophosphate peroxyhydrate, urea peroxyhydrate, sodium peroxide and mixtures thereof.

Claim 14

The composition of claim 11 wherein the peroxygen bleaching compound is selected from the group consisting of sodium perborate monohydrate, sodium perborate tetrahydrate and mixtures thereof.

Claim 15

The composition of claim 10 wherein L is a leaving group, the conjugate acid of which has a pK a in the range of from about 7 to about 11.

Claim 16

The composition of claim 13 wherein L is a leaving group, the conjugate acid of which has a pK a in the range of from about 8 to about 11.

Claim 17

The composition of claim 10 wherein L is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR24## wherein R is ##STR25## R 2 is an alkyl chain containing from about 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, R 3 is H or R 2 , and Y is H or a solubilizing group.

Claim 18

The composition of claim 15 wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of: --SO 3 - M + , --COO - M + , --SO 4 - M + , (--N + R 3 4 )X - and O←NR 2 4 and mixtures thereof wherein R 4 is an alkyl chain containing from about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms, M is a cation which provides solubility to the bleach activator and X is an anion which provides solubility to the bleach activator.

Claim 19

The composition of claim 16 wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of --SO 3 - M + , --COO - M + and mixtures thereof wherein M is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium and mixtures thereof.

Claim 20

The composition of claim 15 wherein L is selected from the group consisting of: ##STR26## wherein R 2 is an alkyl chain containing from about 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, Y is --SO 3 - M + or --COO - M + wherein M is sodium or potassium.

Claim 21

The composition of claim 18 wherein L has the general formula: ##STR27## wherein M is sodium or potassium.

Claim 22

The composition of claim 19 wherein R 1 is a linear alkyl chain containing about 6 carbon atoms.

Claim 23

A detergent composition comprising, by weight: (a) from about 1% to about 60% of a peroxygen bleaching compound capable of yielding hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solution; (b) from about 0.5% to about 40% of a bleach activator having the general formula: ##STR28## wherein R 1 is an alkyl group containing from about 4 to about 8 carbon atoms and L is a leaving group, the conjugate acid of which has a pK a in the range of from about 4 to about 13; wherein the molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide yielded by (a) to bleach activator (b) is greater than about 1.0; and (c) from about 1% to about 30% of a detergent surfactant.

Claim 24

A detergent composition comprising, by weight: (a) from about 1% to about 60% of a peroxygen bleaching compound capable of yielding hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solution; (b) from about 0.5% to about 40% of a bleach activator having the general formula: ##STR28## wherein R 1 is an alkyl group containing from about 4 to about 8 carbon atoms and L is a leaving group, the conjugate acid of which has a pK a in the range of from about 4 to about 13; wherein the molar ratio of hydrogen peroxide yielded by (a) to bleach activator (b) is greater than about 1.0; and (c) from about 1% to about 30% of a detergent surfactant.

Claim 25

The composition of claim 21 wherein R 1 is an alkyl group containing about 6 carbon atoms and L is ##STR29##

Claim 26

The composition of claim 22 which additionally comprises from about 10% to about 60% of a detergency builder.

Claim 27

The process of bleaching textiles with a peroxyacid in solution to provide from about 0.5 ppm to about 25 ppm available oxygen.

Claim 28

The process of bleaching textiles with a peroxyacid in solution to provide from about 0.5 ppm to about 25 ppm available oxygen.