PECTIN COMPRISING EFFERVESCENT COMPOSITIONS

Abstract

A water softener, detergent compositions and co-granulates contain an effervescent agent and pectin. Unit portions contain the co-granulates or compositions. The compositions or co-granulates can be used in a water-soluble and/or water-dispersible water softening, cleaning or detergent formulations, and pectin can be used to stabilize effervescent tablets. The effervescent agent can contain an acidic component such as a tricarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid other than tartaric acid, inorganic acids, and a basic component.

Claims

1. A water softener or detergent composition comprising: (i) an effervescent agent, and (ii) pectin or pectin comprising matter.

2. The water softener or detergent composition according to claim 1, wherein the effervescent agent comprises an acidic component selected from the group consisting of tricarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids except for tartaric acid, inorganic acids and an alkaline component, and a basic component.

3. The composition according to claim 1, comprising: a co-granule of an acidic component and/or a basic component of the effervescent agent and pectin, or an intimate mixture of the effervescent agent and pectin.

4. The composition according to claim 2, wherein the acidic component of the effervescent agent is present in an amount ranging from 9 wt. % to 98 wt. %, preferably in an amount ranging from 25 to 97 wt. % of total weight of the effervescent agent, and/or the molar ratio of acid groups to carbonate-groups (CO.sub.3.sup.2−) or bicarbonate-groups (HCO.sub.3.sup.−) in the effervescent agent ranges from 8:1 to 1:1, more preferably from 7:1 to 1.25:1, more preferably from 6:1 to 1.5:1, most preferably from 5:1 to 2:1.

5. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the pectin is selected from an extracted/isolated pectin and/or pectin-comprising matter or mixtures derivable from fruits, vegetables or crops, preferably from sugar beet, chicory/chicory root, sunflower, rapeseed/rapeseed cake, carrot, citrus peel/citrus fruit including lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit; and non-citrus fruit including apple, pear, apricot, guave, mango, plum, grapes, peach, quince, papaya, banana, pineapple, passion fruit and coffee berry, or mixtures thereof.

6. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the effervescent agent to the pectin ranges from 0.5:1 to 1000 to 1, preferably from 5:1 to 1000:1.

7. The composition according to claim 3, wherein the acidic component of the effervescent agent is selected from citric acid, isocitric acid, and derivatives thereof; oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, malic acid, adipic acid, and derivatives thereof; amidosulfonic acid, and derivatives thereof; maleic acid, glutaconic acid, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, and derivates thereof; and preferably is selected from citric acid; and wherein the basic component of the effervescent agent is selected from sodium of potassium salts of carbonates, bicarbonates, percarbonates, sesquicarbonates, and derivatives thereof; and preferably is selected from sodium or potassium bicarbonates.

8. The composition according to claim 1, further comprising at least one or more components selected from builders, surfactants, bleaching agents, acidifiers, complexing agents, binders, fillers, colorants, dyes, perfumes, disintegrants, preservatives, and enzymes.

9. The composition according to claim 1, comprising pectin or pectin comprising matter in an amount of 0.05 wt. % or more and less than 9.5 wt. % relative to total amount of the composition, wherein said water softener composition comprises no enzyme and/or no bleaching agent and further no tartaric acid, or the detergent composition according to claim 1, comprising pectin or pectin comprising matter in an amount of 0.05 wt. % or more and less than 1.39 wt. %.

10. A co-granule comprising at least one of acidic or alkaline components of an effervescent agent and pectin, preferably consisting of at least one of components of an effervescent agent and pectin, more preferred consisting of an effervescent agent and pectin.

11. The composition according to claim 1, wherein water content in said composition ranges from 0 to 5 wt. %; preferably from 0 to 3 wt. %, more preferably from 0 to 1 wt. %, and most preferably from 0 to 0.25 wt. % relative to total amount of the composition.

12. A unit portion comprising the composition according to claim 1.

13. A method of stabilizing an effervescent detergent or a water softener tablet or particle, comprising adding pectin to the effervescent detergent or the water softener tablet or particle.

14. A method of preparing a water-soluble and/or water-dispersible water softening formulation or detergent formulation, comprising adding the water softener or detergent composition to the water softening formulation or detergent formulation.

15. A method for preparing the composition according to claim 1 by mixing a composition comprising the pectin with the effervescent agent in a powder or granule form.

16. The composition according to claim 5, wherein the pectin is selected from pectin or pectin-comprising matter or mixtures derivable from chicory root, citrus peel or sugar beet.

17. The composition according to claim 5, wherein the pectin is derived from sugar beet.

18. The composition according to claim 5, wherein an amount of the pectin is 0.05 to 10 weight % relative to total amount of the composition.

Description

LIST OF FIGURES

[0153] FIG. 1. Shows the change of tablet hardness of formulations comprising pectin or pectin-comprising matter in comparison to cellulose or CMC comprising formulations after four weeks of storage.

EXAMPLES

[0154] A control formulation comprising 65 wt.-% citric acid, 27 wt.-% sodium bicarbonate, and 8 wt.-% binders and/or fillers, reference formulations (R1 to R4) additionally comprising 1 wt.-% of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or 5 wt.-% of Dallicel (comprising cellulose and Sokalan CP45, a maleic acid-acrylic acid copolymer, BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany) and sample formulations (A to G) additionally comprising 0.5 or 1 wt.-% pectin of different sources were pressed into tablets with a target hardness of 55 N and a target weight of 14.0 g (see Table 1). Tablet hardness was measured with a Dr. Schleuniger Tablet Tester 8M.

[0155] After pressing, tablet hardness was tested within one day and after four weeks of storage. Storage was performed at 37° C. in a closed, air-tight container, each container containing tablets of one composition only. Tablet hardness was measured after one day to ensure that correct pressure was applied during the compacting process. The initial hardness of all tablets was in the desired range of about 50 to 52 N. After 4 weeks of storage tablet hardness was measured again to determine the effect of the differing formulations on storage stability. Tablets comprising pectin showed a clear improvement in storage life, thus an increase in tablet hardness relative to the control formulation after four weeks of storage at 37° C. (FIG. 1). In addition, all pectin comprising tablets showed sufficient hardness (>30 N) even after four weeks of storage. CMC comprising reference tablets showed only minor improvement in remaining hardness relative to the control tablet. Dallicel comprising tablets were even less stable than the control formulation indicating that Dallicel reduces storage life of effervescent tablets. Interestingly, although showing improved hardness, pectin comprising formulations were still capable of disintegrating within less than 95 s when submerged in water after 4 weeks of storage (see Table 1).

[0156] The formulations and disintegration time of the tablets after 4 weeks are listed in Table 1 below. The effect of the additional component (pectin, CMC or Dallicel) on tablet hardness is shown in FIG. 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Formulations and disintegration time of tablets after four weeks of storage Formulation control A B C D E F G R1 R2 R3 R4 Citric acid 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 65 Sodium bicarbonate 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 Binders/Fillers 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 Citruspeel pectin 0.5 1 Sugarbeet pectin 0.5 1 Sugarbeet pulp 0.5 1 Chicory root pulp 1 Aquasorb A500.sup.1 1 Blanose 7HCF.sup.2 1 Blanose 7HF.sup.3 1 Dallicel .sup.4 5 Disintegration 12 58 83 70 91 39 65 83 58 78 64 n.d. time (4 wk) .sup.1Sodium carboxymethly cellulose (E466), Ashland, Covington, USA .sup.2Sodium carboxymethly cellulose granulate, Ashland, Covington, USA .sup.3Sodium carboxymethly cellulose powder, Ashland, Covington, USA .sup.4 92% cellulose + 2% Sokalan CP45 n.d. not determined, tablet unstable