The Procter Gamble Company

Raymond D Young

Thomas James Wierenga

William A Whitehead

Disclosed are solid, concentrated, amine oxide surfactant compositions containing amine oxide- maleic acid salts. The molar ratio of maleic acid to amine oxide in such salts is about a 1:1. The salts are soluble in water at 25.degree. C. at a pH of above the pKa of the amine oxide. Also disclosed is a process for preparing such solid amine oxide surfactant compositions, which process comprises admixing maleic acid and amine oxide surfactants in at least about a 1:1 molar ratio, at a pH of at least about 1 units less than the pKa of the amine oxide, to thereby form a visible precipitate therein. The precipitate is separated from the mixture, preferably by mechanical means, and dried. The dried precipitate is a maleic acid-amine oxide salt which can be incorporated into cleaning products, especially solid or granular cleaning products, as a solid, concentrated source of amine oxide surfactant.

Solid compositions containing amine oxide-maleic acid salts

Disclosed is a process for making solid formulations containing amine oxide surfactants. Maleic acid, or a water soluble salt thereof, is admixed with an aqueous liquid amine oxide formulation, which formulation preferably contains from about 20% to about 40% by weight of an amine oxide surfactant. The molar ratio of maleic acid to amine oxide surfactant is at least about 1:1. Admixture pH is maintained at or below, or reduced to at least, about 1 unit below the pKa of the amine oxide to form a visible precipitate therein. The precipitate is separated from the mixture, preferably by mechanical means, and dried. The dried precipitate is a maleic acid-amine oxide salt which can be incorporated into cleaning products, especially solid or granular cleaning products, as a source of amine oxide surfactant.

Process for making solid formulations containing amine oxide surfactants

This invention relates to homogeneous liquid laundry detergent compositions containing a mixture of anionic and nonionic synthetic detergents, fatty acid soap, polycarboxylate builder, solvent, and water. Improved odor and safety are obtained by omitting C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 monohydric alcohols which have been used in prior art compositions of this type, and using polyols exclusively for the solvent.

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West Chester, OH, United States of America

Raymond D Young