Lever Brothers Company

Melvin Scott

Appaya R Naik

David J Edge

John M Brierley

Peter Winterbotham

Paul D Hardman

Robert J Edwards

Carey J Walsh

Malcolm G MacDuff

Stable, high-concentration (60-80% active matter) aqueous liquid detergent compositions based on dialkyl sulphosuccinates and alkyl ether sulphates contain a lower alcohol, preferably ethanol, and water, the ratio of lower alcohol to water exceeding a critical ratio which varies with the total active detergent content. The compositions may be thickened by means of hydroxypropyl guars, polyethylene oxides, or hydrophilically substituted cellulosic polymers such as hydroxyethyl cellulose.

Detergent compositions

A high foaming aqueous liquid detergent composition suitable inter alia for manual dishwashing is based on a ternary active detergent system of (a) dialkyl sulphosuccinate, (b) alkylbenzene sulphonate and/or secondary alkane sulphonate and (c) alkyl ether sulphate. This combination gives both performance and formulation (viscosity, hydrotropy) benefits.

In a foaming liquid detergent composition suitable inter alia for hand dishwashing and including in its detergent-active system a dialkyl sulphosuccinate, performance is enhanced and physical characteristics (stability, viscosity, hydrotrope requirement) are improved by the inclusion of a fatty acid dialkanolamide such as lauric diethanolamide.

In light-duty liquid detergent compositions suitable for hand dishwashing, improved foaming performance, especially in hard water, is obtained by using combinations of particular alkylbenzene sulphonates (linear C.sub.10 -C.sub.13 alkylbenzene sulphonates substantially free of other alkyl chain lengths and containing only minor amounts of C.sub.13 material) and particular alkyl ether sulphates (those containing 20% or less of C.sub.14 and above material and having an average degree of ethoxylation of from 1 to 12).

Liquid detergent composition comprising selected alkylbenzene

Liquid media, capable of stably suspensing undissolved particulate material, comprise, in an aqueous medium, an anionic detergent, a non condensed phosphate electrolyte and a fatty acid monoalkylolamide. Such media, and the suspensions of undissolved particulate material therein, have a significantly improved shear stability. The media are particularly useful to suspend particulate abrasive material to yield liquid abrasive cleaning compositions.

Stable liquid detergent suspensions

The invention pertains to liquid media, in which particulate materials can be stably suspended, e.g. liquid abrasive cleaning compositions. These products can suffer from a shear-stability problem, and according to the invention this problem can be overcome by the inclusion of a low level, e.g. 0.001-0.2% of a hectorite clay.

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Cheshire, United Kingdom

Melvin Scott