Claims
- 1. Oligomeric esters which are effective as soil release agents comprising:
- (1) a backbone comprising
- (a) at least one unit selected from the group consisting of dihydroxy or polyhydroxy sulfonate, a unit which is at least trifunctional whereby ester linkages are formed resulting in a branched oligomer backbone, and combinations thereof;
- (b) at least one unit which is a terephthaloyl moiety; and
- (c) at least one unsulfonated unit which is a 1,2-oxyalkleneoxy moiety; and
- (2) one or more capping units selected from nonionic capping units, anionic capping units, and mixtures thereof.
- 2. Oligomeric esters according to claim 1 comprising dihydroxy or polyhydroxy sulfonate units having the structure: ##STR16## wherein n is an integer of 1 or greater; m is an integer of 1 or greater; R is an alkyl-containing moiety having at least 2 carbon atoms; Z is a side-chain moiety selected from the group consisting of alkyl, oxyalkyl, alkyloxyalkyl, aryl, oxyaryl, alkyloxyaryl, or Z is a single bond when R contains 3 or more carbon atoms, and combinations thereof; and M is a cationic moiety.
- 3. Oligomeric esters according to claim 2 comprising dihydroxy or polyhydroxy sulfonate units selected from the group consisting of
- (1) SCE.sub.x G having the structure: ##STR17## wherein x is from about 0 to about 20; (2) SE.sub.x G having the structure: ##STR18## wherein x is from about 0 to about 20; and (3) SPE.sub.x G having the structure: ##STR19## wherein x is from about 0 to about 20; and the isomeric structures of (1), (2) and (3), and mixtures thereof.
- 4. Oligomeric esters according to claim 2 comprising dihydroxy or polyhydroxy sulfonate units selected from the group consisting of dihydroxysulfonate monomer which is a sulfoethyl ether of glycerin having the structures: ##STR20## and mixtures thereof.
- 5. Oligomeric esters according to claim 1 comprising a unit which is at least trifunctional whereby ester linkages are formed resulting in a branched oligomer backbone having the structure:
- (--O).sub.a --R"--(CO.sub.2 --).sub.b
- wherein a+b is at least 3 and a and b are zero or greater; and R" is an alkyl, aryl, or alkylaryl moiety having at least 3 carbon atoms, and wherein further for those R" comprising an aryl moiety, the number "a" of hydroxy groups capable of forming ester backbone linkages does not include phenol hydroxyl groups.
- 6. Oligomeric esters according to claim 5 comprising a unit which is at least trifunctional whereby ester linkages are formed resulting in a branched oligomer backbone wherein a=2 or greater.
- 7. Oligomeric esters according to claim 6 comprising a unit which is at least trifunctional whereby ester linkages are formed resulting in a branched oligomer backbone selected from the group consisting of units derived from monomers which contain at least one 1,2-diol moiety having the structure HOCH.sub.2 CH(OH)--R".
- 8. Oligomeric esters according to claim 5 comprising a unit which is at least trifunctional whereby ester linkages are formed resulting in a branched oligomer backbone wherein a=3 or greater and b=0.
- 9. Oligomeric esters according to claim 8 wherein the unit comprises glycerol.
- 10. Oligomeric esters according to claim 2 comprising one or more anionic capping unit.
- 11. Oligomeric esters according to claim 10 wherein the anionic capping unit is selected from the group consisting of:
- a) ethoxylated isethionate derivatives having the structure:
- M.sup.+- O.sub.3 S(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x.sup.-
- wherein x is 1 or greater, and M is a cationic moiety;
- b) ethoxylated propanesulfonate derivatives having the structure:
- M.sup.+- O.sub.3 SCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x.sup.-
- wherein x is 0 or greater, and M is a cationic moiety;
- c) ethoxylated propanedisulfonate derivatives having the structure:
- M.sup.+- O.sub.3 SCH.sub.2 CH(SO.sub.3.sup.- M.sup.+)CH.sub.2 O(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x.sup.-
- wherein x is 0 or greater, and M is a cationic moiety;
- d) ethoxylated phenolsulfonate derivatives having the structure:
- --(OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.x --O-Ph-SO.sub.3.sup.- M.sup.+
- wherein x is 1 or greater, and M is a cationic moiety; and
- e) sulfoaroyl derivatives; and mixtures thereof.
- 12. Oligomeric esters according to claim 5 comprising one or more anionic capping unit.
- 13. Oligomeric esters according to claim 12 wherein the anionic capping unit is selected from the group consisting of:
- a) ethoxylated isethionate derivatives having the structure:
- M.sup.+- O.sub.3 S(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x.sup.-
- wherein x is 1 or greater, and M is a cationic moiety;
- b) ethoxylated propanesulfonate derivatives having the structure:
- M.sup.+- O.sub.3 SCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x.sup.-
- wherein x is 0 or greater, and M is a cationic moiety;
- c) ethoxylated propanedisulfonate derivatives having the structure:
- M.sup.+- O.sub.3 SCH.sub.2 CH(SO.sub.3.sup.- M.sup.+)CH.sub.2 O(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x.sup.-
- wherein x is 0 or greater, and M is a cationic moiety;
- d) ethoxylated phenolsulfonate derivatives having the structure:
- --(OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.x --O-Ph-SO.sub.3.sup.- M.sup.+
- wherein x is 1 or greater, and M is a cationic moiety; and
- e) sulfoaroyl derivatives; and mixtures thereof.
- 14. Oligomeric esters which are effective as soil release agents comprising from about 25% to about 100% by weight of ester having the empirical formula (CAP).sub.x (EG/PG).sub.y' (DEG).sub.y" (PEG).sub.y'" (T).sub.z (SI).sub.z' (SEG).sub.q (B).sub.m ; wherein:
- i): (CAP) represents capping units;
- ii): (EG/PG) represents oxyethyleneoxy and oxy-1,2-propyleneoxy units;
- iii): (DEG) represents optional di(oxyethylene)oxy units;
- iv): (PEG) represents optional poly(oxyethylene)oxy units;
- v) (T) represents terephthaloyl units;
- vi): (SI) represents optional sulfoisophthaloyl units;
- vii): (SEG) represents units derived from the sulfoethyl ether of glycerin and related moiety units; and
- vii): (B) represents branching units which are at least trifunctional whereby ester linkages are formed resulting in a branched oligomer backbone;
- and wherein x is from about 1 to about 12; y' is from about 0.5 to about 25; y" is from 0 to about 12; y'" is from 0 to about 10; y'+y"+y'" totals from about 0.5 to about 25; z is from about 1.5 to about 25; z' is from about 0 to about 12; z+z' totals from about 1.5 to about 25; q is from about 0.05 to about 12; m is from about 0.01 to about 10; and wherein x, y', y", y'", z, z', q and m represent the average number of moles of the corresponding units per mole of said ester and said ester has a molecular weight ranging from about 500 to about 5,000.
- 15. Oligomeric esters according to claim 14 wherein x is from about 1 to about 4, y' is from about 1 to about 15, y" is from about 0 to about 8, y'" is from about 0 to about 5, z is from about 2.5 to about 15, z' is from about 0 to about 7, q is from about 0.25 to about 7, and m is from about 0.1 to about 2.
- 16. Oligomeric esters according to claim 15 wherein (CAP) comprises anionic capping units.
- 17. A detergent compositions comprising:
- (i) at least about 1% of a detersive surfactant;
- (ii) at least about 1% of a detergent builder; and
- (iii) at least about 0.01% of an oligomeric ester soil release agent according to claim 1.
- 18. A detergent compositions comprising:
- (i) at least about 1% of a detersive surfactant;
- (ii) at least about 1% of a detergent builder; and
- (iii) at least about 0.01% of an oligomeric ester soil release agent according to claim 2.
- 19. A detergent compositions comprising:
- (i) at least about 1% of a detersive surfactant;
- (ii) at least about 1% of a detergent builder; and
- (iii) at least about 0.01% of an oligomeric ester soil release agent according to claim 4.
- 20. A detergent compositions comprising:
- (i) at least about 1% of a detersive surfactant;
- (ii) at least about 1% of a detergent builder; and
- (iii) at least about 0.01% of an oligomeric ester soil release agent according to claim 5.
- 21. A detergent compositions comprising:
- (i) at least about 1% of a detersive surfactant;
- (ii) at least about 1% of a detergent builder; and
- (iii) at least about 0.01% of an oligomeric ester soil release agent according to claim 9.
- 22. A detergent compositions comprising:
- (i) at least about 1% of a detersive surfactant;
- (ii) at least about 1% of a detergent builder; and
- (iii) at least about 0.01% of an oligomeric ester soil release agent according to claim 11.
- 23. A detergent compositions comprising:
- (i) at least about 1% of a detersive surfactant;
- (ii) at least about 1% of a detergent builder; and
- (iii) at least about 0.01% of an oligomeric ester soil release agent according to claim 13.
- 24. A detergent compositions comprising:
- (i) at least about 1% of a detersive surfactant;
- (ii) at least about 1% of a detergent builder; and
- (iii) at least about 0.01% of an oligomeric ester soil release agent according to claim 14.
- 25. A detergent compositions comprising:
- (i) at least about 1% of a detersive surfactant;
- (ii) at least about 1% of a detergent builder; and
- (iii) at least about 0.01% of an oligomeric ester soil release agent according to claim 16.
- 26. Oligomeric esters effective as soil release agents derived by a process which comprises at least one step of reacting:
- 1) dimethyl terephthalate:
- 2) optionally, dimethyl 5-sulfoisophthalate;
- 3) one or more glycol reactants selected from the group consisting of:
- a) ethylene glycol;
- b) propylene glycol; and
- c) a mixture of a) and b);
- 4) sulfoethyl ether of glycerin; and
- 5) optionally, glycerol.
- 27. Oligomeric esters according to claim 26 wherein said glycol reactant consists essentially of ethylene glycol.
- 28. A method of treating fabrics to provide a soil release finish thereto, said method comprising contacting said fabrics with a liquid medium containing at least from about 0.25 ppm to about 200 ppm of the soil release agent according to claim 1.
- 29. A method according to claim 28 wherein said fabrics are subjected to two or more cycles each comprising the ordered sequence of steps:
- a) contacting said fabrics with said aqueous laundry liquor in a conventional washing-machine or by hand-wash for periods ranging from about 5 minutes to about 1 hour;
- b) rinsing said fabrics with water;
- c) line- or tumble-drying said fabrics; and
- d) exposing said fabrics to soiling through normal wear or domestic use.
- 30. A method for manufacturing sulfoethyl ether of glycerin, said method comprising the step of reacting glycerin with isethionate in the presence of at least 12 mole % of hydroxide base.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/355,938, filed Dec. 14, 1994, by Gosselink et al, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (17)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2240983 |
Aug 1991 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
355938 |
Dec 1994 |
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