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EP-4165153-B1 - CLEANING PRODUCT AND RELATED SYNTHESIS PROCESS

EP4165153B1EP 4165153 B1EP4165153 B1EP 4165153B1EP-4165153-B1

Inventors

  • AMATO, ALESSANDRO
  • VIGNOLA, Gianluca

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20210610

Claims (15)

  1. Cleaning product characterized by a nanometric micellar composition, said cleaning product comprising: - a first non-ionic surfactant, present in an amount by weight comprised between 3.2% and 9.2%, comprising one or more esters of the polyoxyethylene glycol fatty acid, preferably Glycereth-6 Cocoate; - at least a second non-ionic surfactant, present in an amount by weight between 0.2% and 2.2%, selected from an ethoxylated fatty alcohol RO(CH 2 CH 2 O) 7 H, wherein R is an alkyl group C12-C18, and/or a heptyl polyglucoside; - at least one chelating agent, present in an amount by weight comprised between 2.2% to 4.5%; - at least one alcohol-based solvent, present in an amount by weight comprised between 12% and 23%; - water, present in an amount up to 100% by weight, said quantities by weight being referred to the total weight of the composition.
  2. Cleaning product according to claim 1, comprising at least one buffer system in order to stabilize the pH of said composition in a range from 8 to 12, preferably from 9 to 11.
  3. Cleaning product according to claim 2, wherein said buffer system comprises trisodium citrate and citric acid, said trisodium citrate being present in an amount by weight comprised between 1% and 6.5%, preferably 3%, and said citric acid being present in an amount by weight comprised between 0.45% and 2.2%, preferably 1.2%, said quantities by weight being referred to the total weight of the composition.
  4. Cleaning product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first non-ionic surfactant is present in an amount by weight of 6.2% with respect to the total weight of the composition.
  5. Cleaning product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one second non-ionic surfactant is present in an amount by weight of 0.7% with respect to the total weight of the composition.
  6. Cleaning product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one chelating agent is GLDA (N, N-dicarboxymethyl-glutamic acid tetrasodium salt).
  7. Cleaning product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one chelating agent is present in an amount by weight of 3.4% with respect to the total weight of the composition.
  8. Cleaning product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one alcohol-based solvent is 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butanol.
  9. Cleaning product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said at least one alcohol-based solvent is present in an amount by weight of 17.5% with respect to the total weight of the composition.
  10. Cleaning product according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more amphoteric surfactants, preferably dipotassium 2-ethylhexyl dipropionate salt or alkylbetaine.
  11. Cleaning product according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said one or more amphoteric surfactants are present in an amount by weight comprised between 0.14% and 1.54%, more preferably 0.63%, with respect to the total weight of the composition.
  12. Cleaning product according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising one or more additives selected from odor suppressants, preferably zinc ricinoleate, perfumes, co-solvents, anionic surfactants preferably sodium lauryl sulfate, alkyl polysaccharides, preservatives.
  13. Process for preparing a cleaning product according to any one of claims 1-12, said process comprising the following steps: a) pouring demineralized water in a mixer in an amount by weight comprised between 20 and 50%, preferably between 30 and 40%, based on the total weight of the composition; b) adding at least one chelating agent and at least one alcohol-based solvent and mixing; c) adding a first non-ionic surfactant comprising one or more esters of the polyoxyethylene glycol fatty acid, and mixing; d) adding at least one second non-ionic surfactant different from said first surfactant selected from an ethoxylated fatty alcohol RO(CH 2 CH 2 O) 7 H, wherein R is an alkyl group C12-C18, and/or a heptyl polyglucoside and mixing; e) adding demineralized water up to 100% and mixing, these steps being conducted not necessarily in the order described.
  14. Process according to claim 13, wherein said at least one chelating agent is GLDA, said at least one alcohol based solvent is 3-methoxy-3-methyl-1-butanol, said first non-ionic surfactant is Glycereth-6 Cocoate.
  15. Process according to claim 13 or 14, further comprising a step f) which involves the addition of at least one buffer system according to any one of claims 2-3.

Description

The present invention relates to a cleaning product, characterized by a nanometric micellar composition. In particular, the present invention refers to a cleaning product based on natural substances, which is therefore ecological, easily biodegradable and allows its use in safe conditions for the user. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a very effective cleaning product in removing any type of dirt from any type of surface. The present invention also relates to the synthesis process of said cleaning product. The chemical process of saponification carried out in order to break down fatty molecules is known from the state of the art, using basic chemical substances, i.e. hydroxides of alkali metals such as NaOH or KOH, which react with the glycerides in aqueous solution, hydrolyzing them. The salt (sodium or potassium) of the aliphatic fatty acid, i.e. the soap, and the glycerol are obtained from the saponification reaction. Soap is a molecule characterized by an amphipathic structure, i.e. by a hydrophobic tail and a negatively ionized hydrophilic head, which allows dirt to be removed by lowering the surface tension between washing water and fat molecule. When the soap molecules come into contact with water and dirt, they arrange themselves circularly in a "micelle" shape, with the hydrophobic tails facing inwards and the hydrophilic heads facing outwards. This special arrangement allows the tails to trap the dirt inside them, which is emulsified and dragged away by washing water. Soaps are therefore salts of fatty acids with at least 12 carbon atoms that act as surfactants. A surfactant is an amphipathic molecule, therefore characterized by a nonpolar tail and a polar head, or vice versa, which in solution, once the critical micellar concentration has been reached, arranges itself together with other surfactant molecules in such a way as to form micelles. The surfactants are effective against dirt, as they act by lowering the surface tension between the fat molecules and water, thus increasing the wettability of the fat molecules, facilitating their removal together with washing water. Based on the possessed electrostatic charge, surfactants can be anionic, non-ionic, cationic or amphoteric. Anionic surfactants have a negative electrostatic charge and are mainly used in laundry products, hand dishwashing and household cleaning products. They have a high foaming power and a high cleaning power on all types of dirt. Compounds such as alkylbenzenesulphonates, alkylsulfates, alkylethoxysulphates and alcoholethoxysulphates belong to this class. Non-ionic surfactants have no electrostatic charge, and for this reason, they are less toxic to humans. They are used above all in laundry products, for washing dishes in the machine and in washing aids: they remove most types of dirt with a particularly strong action on greasy dirt. Compounds such as ethoxylated alcohols and alkylamine oxides belong to this class. Cationic surfactants have a positive electrostatic charge and have been used mainly in fabric softeners, but also in other laundry detergents. For example, quaternary ammonium salts belong to this class. Finally, amphoteric surfactants are able to take a different electrostatic charge depending on the type of solution in which they are found, and are mainly used in dish cleaning products. Betaines and alkylamino-oxides belong to this class. It is known that the shape of micellar structures depends on the physico-chemical properties of the system, such as temperature, pH and concentration. Once the critical micellar concentration is reached, the surfactants initially arrange themselves so as to form basically spherical micelles. The latter, as the surfactant concentration increases, can evolve into rod-like or disk-like structures. A further increase in concentration can lead to the formation of lyotropic liquid crystalline phases, with the formation of hexagonal or lamellar micelles. Through simple geometric considerations, the structure of the supramolecular aggregates generated in solution can be predicted by introducing the "critical packing parameter (cpp)", which depends on the size of the head and tail of the used surfactant. The functional properties of an aqueous mixture of surfactants are determined by the microstructure of the mixture itself, therefore it is clear that the prediction of the favored micelle shape under certain conditions is extremely useful. Different types of chemical products used in the cleaning field are known in the state of the art, which often involve the use of various types of surfactants, in addition to the use of other components, among which, especially in products used as degreasers, often are present some compounds having the purpose of making the mixture basic, for example caustic soda, caustic potash, sodium hypochlorite, ammonia, etc. Other cleaning products on the market, especially those with anti-limescale and descaling power, contain corrosive