Polymeric Esters of Aromatic Dicarboxylic Acids as Soil Release Agents

Abstract

The cleaning power of detergents when washing textiles was to be improved. This was accomplished mainly by using polyesters that are accessible from the dicarboxylic acid terephthalic acid and possibly isophthalic acid as well as ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol having an average molar weights ranging from 2,000 g/mol to 8,000 g/mol.

Claims

1-2. (canceled)

3. A method for washing textiles with a detergent and a polyester accessible from dicarboxylic acid selected from terephthalic acid and mixtures of terephthalic acid and isophthalic acid, as well as ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol with the average molar weights within a range of 2,000 g/mol to 8,000 g/mol, wherein in the polyester, the molar ratio of terephthalic acid to isophthalic acid lies within a range of 100:0 to 40:60, the molar ratio of oxyethylene groups consisting of ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol to carboxylic acid groups of dicarboxylic acid lies within a range of 5:1 to 25:1, the molar ratio of ethylene glycol to dicarboxylic acid is less than 0.5, the molar ratio of polyethylene glycol to dicarboxylic acid is greater than 0.5, and the average molar weight of polyethylene glycol is below 1,000 g/mol.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the used concentration of the polyester in the washing liquor lies within a range from 0.0001 g/l to 10 g/l.

5. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the method is performed using a detergent containing the polyester.

6. The method for washing textiles according to claim 3, characterized in that the method is performed using a laundry aftertreatment means.

7. A detergent or laundry aftertreatment means containing a polyester accessible from dicarboxylic acid selected from terephthalic acid and mixtures of terephthalic acid and isophthalic acid, as well as ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol with the average molar weights within a range of 2,000 g/mol to 8,000 g/mol, wherein in the polyester, the molar ratio of terephthalic acid to isophthalic acid lies within a range of 100:0 to 40:60, the molar ratio of oxyethylene groups consisting of ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol to carboxylic acid groups of dicarboxylic acid lies within a range of 5:1 to 25:1, the molar ratio of ethylene glycol to dicarboxylic acid is less than 0.5, the molar ratio of polyethylene glycol to dicarboxylic acid is greater than 0.5, and the average molar weight of polyethylene glycol is below 1,000 g/mol.

8. The means according to claim 7, characterized in that it contains water and is liquid.

9. The means according to claim 7, characterized in that the means contains the polyester in amounts of 0.001% by weight to 10% by weight.

10. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the average molar weight of the polyester lies within a range of 2,500 g/mol to 5,000 g/mol, and/or the molar ratio of oxyethylene groups consisting of ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol to carboxylic acid groups consisting of dicarboxylic acid lies within the range of 7:1 to 18:1, and/or the molar ratio of ethylene glycol to dicarboxylic acid is less than 0.35, and/or the molar ratio of polyethylene glycol to dicarboxylic acid is greater than 0.65, and/or the average molar weight of the polyethylene glycol lies within a range of 300 g/mol to 800 g/mol.

11. The means according to claim 8, characterized in that the average molar weight of the polyester lies within a range of 2,500 g/mol to 5,000 g/mol, and/or the molar ratio of oxyethylene groups consisting of ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol to carboxylic acid groups consisting of dicarboxylic acid lies within the range of 7:1 to 18:1, and/or the molar ratio of ethylene glycol to dicarboxylic acid is less than 0.35, and/or the molar ratio of polyethylene glycol to dicarboxylic acid is greater than 0.65, and/or the average molar weight of the polyethylene glycol lies within a range of 300 g/mol to 800 g/mol.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Production of Polyesters Used in Washing Tests

[0047] 286 g terephthalic acid, 157.8 g isophthalic acid, 794 g polyethylene glycol PEG 400, 199.2 g ethylene glycol and 1.4 g phosphorus acid were heated to 120 C. in a multi-neck flask with an agitator, inner thermometer, inert gas feed and distillation head, heated over 4 hours from 120 C. to 230 C., and maintained at this temperature. The water arising during esterification was distilled off at ambient pressure. Once no more distillate arose, the pressure was reduced in steps to 10 mbar. Under these conditions, water (95.9 g) as well as ethylene glycol (127.1 g) arose as distillate. Esterification continued until the acid number of the reaction mixture was below 1 mg KOH/g, and the hydroxyl number was approximately 35 mg KOH/g.

Example 2: Production of Polyesters Used in Washing Tests

[0048] 296 g terephthalic acid, 1070 g polyethylene glycol PEG 600, 133 g ethylene glycol and 1.4 g phosphorous acid were esterified as described in example 1 (apparatus and conditions) until the acid number of the reaction mixture was below 1 mg KOH/g and the hydroxyl number was approximately 40 mg KOH/g. 63.7 g water, and 92.5 g ethylene glycol arose as distillate.

Example 3: Washing Tests

[0049] Washing machine: Miele W 918 Novotronic

Temperature: 40 C.

[0050] Washing volume: 17 l
Water hardness: 16 dH (German hardness)
Ballast laundry: Clean laundry (pillow, jersey, washcloth); 3.5 kg minus the weight of the textiles

[0051] The cotton and polyester test textiles were washed three times in the presence of the ballast laundry with a detergent liquor according to the above information that contained 66 ml of detergent V1, or one of detergents E1, E2, E3 or E4 (the composition is indicated in Table 1) with the polyester produced in example 1. The laundry was air-dried after washing.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Detergent compositions [% by weight]: V1 E1 E2 E3 E4 C12-14-fatty alcohol with 7 EO 7 7 7 7 7 C12-18-fatty acid, sodium salt 10 10 10 10 10 Boric acid 4 4 4 4 4 Citric acid 2 2 2 2 2 Propane diol 6 6 6 6 6 NaOH 3 3 3 3 3 Protease 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 Amylase 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Polymer from example 1 0.3 0.6 1.0 1.5 Water up to 100

[0052] Standard soiling was then applied to the test textiles which were then stored for 7 days at room temperature. The test textiles were then re-washed together with the ballast laundry in a wash liquor containing 66 ml of the previously-used detergent composition under the described conditions. The remaining spot intensity was determined with a DATA-COLOR Spectra Flash SF500 remission spectrometer. Table 2 shows the differences of the spot intensities when using means E1 to E4 according to the invention in comparison to the use of means V1.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Differences in spot intensity Soiling/means E1 E2 E3 E4 Lipstick 1 on cotton 7.3 5.6 5.7 7.4 Lipstick 2 on cotton 4.5 5.8 5.6 7 Makeup on cotton n.d. 9.5 9.1 9 Lipstick 1 on polyester 6.3 8.4 15.2 13.5 Lipstick 2 on polyester 9 9.3 9.2 8.1 Shoe polish on polyester 6.6 9.4 24.8 16 n.d.: not determined