National Starch and Chemical Investment Holding Corporation

Lever Brothers Company, Division of Conopco, Inc.

Ingrid Brase

John C Leighton

Michael Paul Aronson

Carmine P Iovine

Rama S Chandran

John F Hessel

David L Elliott

Carmine P Lovine

J Thomas McCown

This invention provides detergent compositions, particularly liquid compositions, utilizing one or more polycarboxylates as builders, or as anti-redeposition agents, wherein the polycarboxylates are novel polymers comprising repeating units of the structure: ##STR1## wherein m is a mole fraction from 0.70 to 0.95; n is a mole fraction from 0.05 to 0.30; A is derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer; B is derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer and B is not A; and C is: ##STR2## wherein X is --H, ##STR3## or a combination thereof, R.sup.1 is --H, --CH.sub.3, or --(CH.sub.2).sub.q CH.sub.3, or a combination thereof, and q is 1-5; R.sup.2 is: ##STR4## or R.sup.3 , or a combination thereof, and R.sup.3 is a C.sub.8 -C.sub.18 linear or branched alkyl chain; the interpolymer being prepared by polymerizing the monomers in a solvent system in which the monomers and interpolymer are soluble. Also provided are liquid detergent formulations containing calcium-sensitive enzyme(s) wherein selected builders are employed which improve detergency without destabilizing the enzyme.

Detergent compositions containing polycarboxylates and calcium-sensitive

This invention provides detergent compositions, particularly liquid compositions, utilizing builders selected from the group consisting of a) polyether polycarboxylate compositions derived from polymers of furan/maleic anhydride copolymers; or b) polyether polycarboxylate compositions derived from polymers comprising furan, maleic anhydride and at least one copolymerized comonomer, selected from the group consisting of alkenyl alkyl ethers, alkyl acrylates, alkenyl carboxyalkyl ethers, vinyl esters of carboxylic acids, unsaturated carboxylic acids, unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and their anhydrides and esters, olefins and furan; c) polymers comprising furan, maleic anhydride, and at least one copolymerizable comonomer other than furan and maleic anhydride, which polymers may be intermediates in the production of the polyether polycarboxylate compositions by oxidation of the intermediate polymers; and d) combinations thereof.

Detergent compositions containing polyether polycarboxylates

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Cranbury, NJ, United States of America

Ingrid Brase