LIQUID ACIDIC CLEANING AGENT COMPOSITIONS FOR HARD SURFACES

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of a carboxylic-acid-containing cleaning agent for removing stains of vegetable origin and/or for decontaminating surfaces contaminated by plant-protection agents. The agent comprises 20-60 wt. % of an aliphatic C.sub.1-C.sub.10 carboxylic acid, preferably formic acid, or a mixture of two or more of such aliphatic carboxylic acids which preferably comprises formic acid, at least one surfactant, preferably an anionic surfactant and/or at least one non-ionic surfactant, and water and/or solvent as the remainder. In another aspect, the present invention relates to specific carboxylic-acid-containing cleaning agents for hard surfaces, which agents are particularly suitable for the intended use.

Claims

1. A liquid acidic cleaning agent composition for hard surfaces, wherein the cleaning agent composition comprises: 20-60 wt. % of formic acid or a mixture of two or more aliphatic carboxylic acids having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, said mixture comprising formic acid, 1-30 wt. % of an anionic surfactant, comprising an alkanesulfonic acid and/or an alkanesulfonate, or a mixture of two or more anionic surfactants, said mixture comprising at least one alkanesulfonic acid and/or at least one alkanesulfonate, 0.1-5 wt. % a fatty alcohol ethoxylate, or a mixture of two or more nonionic surfactants, said mixture preferably comprising at least one fatty alcohol ethoxylate, and water and/or solvent.

2. The cleaning agent composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises the mixture of aliphatic carboxylic acides, and the proportion of formic acid in the aliphatic carboxylic acid mixture is at least 30 wt. %, based on the sum of the proportions of aliphatic carboxylic acids having 1 to 10 carbon atoms in said mixture.

3. The cleaning agent composition according to claim 1, wherein the anionic surfactant is or comprises C12-C18 alkanesulfonate sodium and/or the nonionic surfactant is a C13-C30 fatty alcohol ethoxylate having a degree of ethoxylation ranging from EO 3 to 9.

4. The cleaning agent composition according to claim 1, further comprising 0.3-3wt. % of an aromatic carboxylic acid, or 0.3-3wt. % of a mixture of two or more aromatic carboxylic acids.

5. The cleaning agent composition according to claim 4, wherein the aromatic carboxylic acid is benzoic acid, or the mixture comprises benzoic acid.

6. The cleaning agent composition according to claim 1, further comprising one or more foam boosters.

7. The cleaning agent composition according to claim 6, wherein the at least one foam booster is from the group of alkyl amine oxides.

8. The cleaning agent composition according to claim 6, wherein the one or more foam boosters is/are present with a proportion of 0.3-5 wt. %.

9. The cleaning agent composition according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning agent is free from highly water-polluting ingredients, and/or the cleaning agent is readily biodegradable, and/or the cleaning agent has a pH in the range of from 2 to 4.

10. (canceled)

11. The method according to claim 33, wherein the contamination is selected from the group consisting of a starchy contamination or deposit, a shading paint for glass surfaces of greenhouses, plant juices/extracts containing sugars and/or amino acids, a chlorophyll containing contaminant or deposit, and a pesticide.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the contamination is a starchy contamination or a deposit, and the contaminated surface is a glass or metal surface.

15. (canceled)

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the contamination is the plant juices/extracts, and the juices/extracts are of tomato, pepper and/or cucumber.

17. (canceled)

18. (canceled)

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein the contamination is a chlorophyll containing deposit, and the deposit to be removed is an algae covering.

20. (canceled)

21. The method according to claim 11, wherein the contamination is the pesticide, and the pesticide is chlorpropham [(3-chlorophenyl)carbamic acid 1-methyl ethyl ester] and/or maleic acid hydrazide.

22. The method according to claim 11, wherein the surface to be cleaned or decontaminated is selected from the group consisting of storage surfaces, transport surfaces, floor surfaces, floor coverings, glass surfaces, foil surfaces, boxes, transport devices, storage devices, irrigation mats, irrigation channels, ribbon fabrics, peeling machines, cutting machines, weighing machines and processing machines.

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. The method according to claim 11, wherein the cleaning agent composition is applied as a dilute aqueous solution or as a foam.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the diluted aqueous solution contains 0.5 to 5 wt. %, based on the cleaning agent composition.

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. The cleaning agent composition of claim 1, wherein the aliphatic carboxylic acides having 1 to 10 carbon atoms are selected from teh group consisting of formic acid, acetic acid, proponoic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, citric acid and any mixtures thereof.

32. The cleaning agent composition according to claim 1, further comprising 0.05 to 1 wt % of an anti-corrosion agent.

33. A method for the removal of contamination of vegetal origin and/or for the decontamination of contaminated surfaces, the method comprising: applying a carboxylic acid containing liquid acidic cleaning agent composition on the contaminated surface; and at least partially wash off or otherwise remove the cleaning agent from the surface, wherein the cleaning agent comprises: 20-60 wt. % of formic acid, or a mixture of two or more aliphatic carboxylic acids having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, said mixture comprising formic acid, at least one surfactant, said at least one surfactant being an anionic surfactant or a mixture of two or more anionic surfactants, with a proportion of the one or more anionic surfactants of no more than 30 wt. %, and/or a nonionic surfactant or a mixture of two or more nonionic surfactants, with a proportion of the one or more nonionic surfactants of no more than 5 wt. %, and water and/or solvent.

Description

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Cleaning Agent Containing Carboxylic Acid (According to the Invention)

[0142]

TABLE-US-00001 Components Parts by weight (wt./wt.) C12-C18 alkanesulphonate sodium 10.00 C15-C20-Fettalkoholethoxylat-[3EO] 2.00 Formic acid 30.00 Benzotriazole 0.30 Water ad 100.00

Example 2

Cleaning Agent Containing Carboxylic Acid (According to the Invention)

[0143]

TABLE-US-00002 Components Parts by weight (wt./wt. ) C12-C18 alkanesulphonate sodium 20.00 C15-C30-Fettalkoholethoxylat-[7EO] 2.50 Formic acid 25.00 Propionic acid 10.00 Benzoic acid 2.00 Water ad 100.00

Example 3

Cleaning Agent Containing Carboxylic Acid (According to the Invention)

[0144]

TABLE-US-00003 Parts by Components weight (wt./wt.) C12-C18 alkanesulphonate sodium 20.00 Coconut fatty acid amidopropyldimethylammonium oxide 3.00 Formic acid 50.00 Water ad 100.00

Example 4

Cleaning Agent Containing Carboxylic Acid (According to the Invention)

[0145]

TABLE-US-00004 Parts by Components weight (wt./wt.) C12-C18 alkanesulphonate sodium 20.00 C15-C20-Fettalkoholethoxylat-[3EO] 1.00 Coconut fatty acid amidopropyldimethylammonium oxide 3.00 Formic acid 50.00 Water ad 100.00

[0146] In the preparation of example formulations 1 to 4, the water, preferably purified water, is first introduced and one or more carboxylic acids are dissolved in it. This solution is provided with components, surfactants and, if present, the benzotriazole and/or the foam booster are then added to this solution, and possibly further water to 100 wt. % is added and stirred. The result is a clear, strongly foaming liquid.

[0147] The example formulations described above, which are each a liquid one-component product, are each diluted to an aqueous, diluted working solution containing 1.5% of the agent and then applied by means of a foam sprayer and allowed to act briefly on the surfaces to be cleaned.

[0148] It has been shown that the exemplary cleaning agent compositions according to the invention could effectively and gently remove a starch-based shading paint from a glass surface at room temperature and an application time of 4 minutes.

[0149] Comparable positive results were achieved in the removal of plant juices from soiled transport boxes. Here, too, the cleaning was very effective and gentle.