Random polyether foam control agents

Claim 2

A formulation for use in a mechanical dishwasher, said formulation having low foaming properites and which leaves a minimum of spotting and filming on articles washed in said mechanical dishwaser, said formuation containing a foam controlling amount of a copolyethers having a molecular weight of at least about 2000, and containing random ethyleneoxy groups, copolymerized with at least one other alkyleneoxy group selected from the group consisting of propyleneoxy and butyleneoxy groups, wherein said ethyleneoxy groups are present in an amount of at least about 20 percent by weight of the polyether component of said polyether, and wherein said polypropyleneoxy and butyleneoxy groups are present in an amount such that the cloud point of said foam control agent is no greater than the operating temperature of said mechanical dishwasher.

Claim 3

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 1 wherein said copolyether foam control agent is selected from the group consisting of polyethers of the formulae: ##STR11## wherein R is derived from a saturated or unsaturated alcohol having up to 36 carbon atoms, or is an alkylaryl group; R' is a methyl or ethyl group; R" is an alkyl group having from 3 to 36 carbon atoms, or an alkylaryl group, x and y are integers selected in any ratio such that the final polyether does not contain more than 75 weight percent of ethylene oxide; z is an integer of from 0 to 4; X is hydrogen, chloro, alkyl of from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, alkylaryl, a beta-hydroxy alkyl group, an alkylcarbonyl group or an arylcarbonyl group; w has a value of from 2 to 40; Z is: ##STR12## wherein R' and X are defined as above; x' and y' are integers selected such that the sums of (x'+x) and (y'+y) are such that the polyether does not contain more than 75 percent by weight of ethylene oxide; z' is an integer of from 0 to 15; A is the residue of an alcohol having a hydroxy functionality of from 1 to 6; and n is integer of from 1 to 6.

Claim 4

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 2 wherein the copolyether has the formula I: ##STR13## wherein R is derived from a saturated or unsaturated alcohol having up to 36 carbon atoms or is an alkylaryl group; R' is methyl or ethyl; x and y are integers selected in any ratio such that the final polyether does not contain more than 75 percent by weight of ethylene oxide; and X is hydrogen, chloro alkyl of from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, alkylaryl, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, or a beta-hydroxy alkyl group.

Claim 5

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 3, wherien X is hydrogen, R is derived from a C 12 to C 18 primary alcohol or nonylphenol, R' is methyl, the ratio of x to y ranges from about 40:60 to 50:50, and the molecular weight is at least about 4000.

Claim 6

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 3, wherein X is hydrogen, R is a C 18 H 37 alkyl group, R' is methyl, the ratio of x to y is about 50:50, and the molecular weight is about 5800.

Claim 7

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 3, wherein X is hydrogen, R is derived from nonyl phenol; R' is methyl, the ratio of x to y is about 58:42, and the molecular weight is 4700.

Claim 8

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 3, wherein X is hydrogen, R is C 12 H 25 -C 14 H 29 alkyl, R' is methyl, the ratio of x to y is 58:42, and the molecular weight is 4200.

Claim 9

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 1, wherein the copolyether has the formula II: ##STR14## wherein R' is methyl or ethyl; R is an alkyl group having up to 36 carbon atoms or an alkylaryl group; x and y are intergers selected in any ratio such that the final polyether does not contain more than 75 percent by weight of ethylene oxide; z is an interger of from 0 to 4; and X is hydrogen, chloro, alkyl of 1 to 24 carbon atoms, alkylaryl, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl or beta-hydroxy alkyl.

Claim 10

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 8, wherein X is hydrogen, R is derived from a C 12 to C 18 primary alcohol or nonyl phenol, z is 1 to 2, and the molecular weight is at least 4000.

Claim 11

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 2, wherein the copolyether has the formula III: ##STR15## wherein Z, w, x, y, z, R' and R" are as defined above.

Claim 12

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 2, wherein the copolyether has the formula IV: ##STR16## wherein A, Z and n are as defined above.

Claim 13

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claims 1, 2, 3, 8, 10 or 11 wherein the ethyleneoxy group content and the propyleneoxy or butyleneoxy group content of said copolyether is selected such that the cloud point of the copolyether is equal to or less than the operating temperature of the dishwasher, and the ethyleneoxy group content is within the range of from 20 to 60 weight percent.

Claim 14

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 12, wherein said random copolyether has a molecular weight of from about 4500 to about 30,000.

Claim 15

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 12, wherein said formulation is a mechanical dishwasher detergent.

Claim 16

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 12, wherein said formulation is a mechanical dishwasher detergent containing from about 1 to 5 percent by weight of said copolyether.

Claim 17

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 12, wherein said formulation is a rinse.

Claim 18

A mechanical dishwasher detergent comprising: (a) from about 90 to 95 weight percent of at least one builder; (b) from about 0.5 to about 5.0 weight percent of a compound which liberates active chlorine; and (c) from about 1 to about 5 weight percent of a copolyether foam control weight selected from the group consisting of polyethers of the formulae: ##STR17## wherein R is derived from a saturated or unsaturated alcohol having up to 36 carbon atoms, or is an alkylaryl group; R' is a methyl or ehtyl group; R" is an alkyl group having from 3 to 36 carbon atoms, or an alkylaryl group; x and y are integers selected in any ratio such that the final polyether does not contain more than 75 weight percent of ethylene oxide; z is an integer of from 0 to 4; X is hydrogen, chloro, alkyl of from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, alkylaryl, a beta-hydroxy alkyl group, an alkylcarbonyl group or an arylcarbonyl group; w has a value of from 2 to 40; Z is: ##STR18## wherein R' and X are defined as above; x' and y' are integers selected such that the sums of (x'+x) and (y'+y) are such that the polyether does not contain more than 75 percent by weight of ethylene oxide; z' is an integer of from 0 to 15; A is the residue of an alcohol having a hydroxy functionality of from 1 to 6; and n is integer of from 1 to 6; provided that when R is other than an alkylaryl group, then the molecular weight of the copolyether is at least about 2000.

Claim 19

A mechanical dishwasher detergent comprising: (a) from about 90 to 95 weight percent of at least one builder; (b) from about 0.5 to about 5.0 weight percent of a compound which liberates active chlorine; and (c) from about 1 to about 5 weight percent of a copolyether foam control weight selected from the group consisting of polyethers of the formulae: ##STR17## wherein R is derived from a saturated or unsaturated alcohol having up to 36 carbon atoms, or is an alkylaryl group; R' is a methyl or ehtyl group; R" is an alkyl group having from 3 to 36 carbon atoms, or an alkylaryl group; x and y are integers selected in any ratio such that the final polyether does not contain more than 75 weight percent of ethylene oxide; z is an integer of from 0 to 4; X is hydrogen, chloro, alkyl of from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, alkylaryl, a beta-hydroxy alkyl group, an alkylcarbonyl group or an arylcarbonyl group; w has a value of from 2 to 40; Z is: ##STR18## wherein R' and X are defined as above; x' and y' are integers selected such that the sums of (x'+x) and (y'+y) are such that the polyether does not contain more than 75 percent by weight of ethylene oxide; z' is an integer of from 0 to 15; A is the residue of an alcohol having a hydroxy functionality of from 1 to 6; and n is integer of from 1 to 6; provided that when R is other than an alkylaryl group, then the molecular weight of the copolyether is at least about 2000.

Claim 20

The mechanical dishwasher detergent of claim 17, wherein the ethyleneoxy group content and the propyleneoxy or butyleneoxy group content of said copolyether is selected such that the cloud point of the copolyether is equal to or less than the operating temperature of the dishwasher, and the ethyleneoxy group content is within the range of from 20 to 60 weight percent.

Claim 21

The mechanical dishwasher detergent of claim 18, wherein said random copolyether has a molecular weight of from about 4500 to about 30,000.

Claim 22

The mechanical dishwasher detergent of claim 19, wherein said copolyether has the formula I: ##STR19## wherein R, X, R', x and y are as defined above.

Claim 23

The mechanical dishwasher detergent of claim 19, wherein said copolyether has the formula II: ##STR20## wherein X, R', R, x, y and z are as defined above.

Claim 24

The mechanical dishwasher formulation of claim 18, wherein the amount of ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy or butyleneoxy groups present in said copolyether are selected such that the cloud point of said foam control agent is less than about 170° F.

Claim 25

The mechanical dishwasher detergent of claim 18, wherein wherein the amount of ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy or butyleneoxy groups present in said copolyether are selected such that the cloud point of said foam control agent is less than about 160° F.

Claim 26

The mechanical dishwasher detergent of claim 18, wherein the amount of ehtyleneoxy and propyleneoxy or butyleneoxy groups present in said copolyether are selected such that the cloud point of said foam control agent is less than about 140° F.

Claim 27

The mechanical dishwasher detergent of claim 20, wherein X is hydrogen, R is derived from a C 12 to C 18 primary alcohol or nonylphenol, R' is methyl, the ratio of x to y ranges from about 40:60 to 50:50, and the molecular weight is at least about 4500.

Claim 28

The mechanical dishwasher detergent of claim 20, wherein X is hydrogen, R is a C 18 H 37 alky group, R' is methyl, the ratio of x to y is about 50:50, and the molecular weight is about 5800.

Claim 29

The mechanical dishwasher detergent of claim 20, wherein X is hydrogen, R is derived from nonyl phenol; R' is methyl, the ratio of x to y is about 58:42, and the molecular weight is about 4700.

Claim 30

The mechanical dishwasher detergent of claim 34, wherein X is hydrogen, R is C 12 H 25 -C 14 H 29 alkyl, R' is methyl, the ratio of x to y is 58:42, and the molecular weight is 4200.

Claim 31

The mechanical diswasher detergent of claim 21, wherein X is hydrogen, R is derived from a C 12 to C 18 primary alcohol or nonyl phenol, z is 1 to 2, and the molecular weight is at least 4500.