The Clorox Company

James W Arbogast

William L Smith

Lafayette D Foland

James E Deline

Alfred G Zielske

Thomas W Kaaret

Michael J Petrin

Kevin A Klotter

James D Mitchell

Vincent E Alvarez

Bleaching compositions are provided that comprise a nitrile containing compound that has the nitrile bonded to a quaternary nitrogen through a methylene unit (where one or both of the normal hydrogens can be substituted), and two of the quaternary nitrogen bonds are part of a saturated ring. This saturated ring contains from two to eight atoms in addition to the quaternary nitrogen. A source of active oxygen will react with the nitrile for bleaching applications. Particularly preferred nitrile containing compounds are N-alkyl morpholinium acetonitrile salts.

N-alkyl ammonium acetonitrile bleach activators

Nitrile activators, such as N-alkyl ammonium acetonitrile activators, are combined with a source of active oxygen as cleaning and bleaching compositions. Preferred activator embodiments of the invention include salts of N-methyl morpholinium acetonitrile, N-butyl morpholinium acetonitrile, N-hexyl morpholinium acetonitrile, and N-octyl morpholinium acetonitrile. A particularly preferred activator embodiment is an N-methyl morpholinium acetonitrile salt. The nitrile and active oxygen react to form a bleaching agent which is applied to a stain on an article. The treated stain is contacted with dense gas so as to provide substantially non-aqueous stain removal. One embodiment is a composition in which the nitrile and active oxygen are disposed in the dense carbon dioxide.

N-alkyl ammonium acetonitrile activators in dense gas cleaning and method

Substituted benzonitrile activators give excellent bleaching performance when combined with a peroxygen source and dissolved in solution. These substituted benzonitrile activators give best bleaching performance when the activators are multiply substituted with electron-withdrawing groups.

Substituted benzonitriles and compositions useful for bleaching

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Dublin, CA, United States of America

James W Arbogast