Fatty acids, soaps, surfactant systems, and consumer products based thereon

Abstract

Novel fatty acids and derivatives thereof such as salts, new surfactant systems comprising one or more of these compounds, consumer products such as laundry products, personal care products, pharmaceutical compositions, industrial cleaners, and the like comprising said compounds or surfactant systems.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A composition of matter comprising branched carboxylic acids having 16 carbon atoms in total chain length, and the lower alkyl esters, the stereoisomers, or the salts thereof, wherein said composition of matter comprises: 
 (a) 14-methylpentadecanoic acid;    (b) 2,5-, 2,7-, 2,9-, 2,11-, 2,12- and 2,13-dimethyltetradecanoic acid; and mixtures thereof;    (c) 3,4-, 3,6-, 3,8-, 3,10-, 3,12-, 3,13-, 4,5-, 4,6-, 4,7-, 4,9-, 4,10-, 4,11-, 4,12-, 4,13-, 5,6-, 5,8-, 5,10-, 5,11-, 5,12-, 5,13-, 6,7-, 6,8-, 6,9-, 6,11-, 7,9-, 7,10-, 7,11-, 7,12-, 7,13-, 8,9-, 8,10-, 8,11-, 8,12-, 8,13-, 9,10-, 9,11-, 9,12-, 10,11-, 10,12-, 11,12-, 11,13- and 12,13-, dimethyltetradecanoic acid; and mixtures thereof;    (d) 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-, 9- and 11-methyl-2-ethyltridecanoic acid; and mixtures thereof;    (e) 3-, 5-, 7-, 8-, 9-, 10-, 11- and 12-ethyltetradecanoic acid; and mixtures thereof;    (f) 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-, 9- and 10-propyltridecanoic acid; and mixtures thereof;    (g) 3,4-, 3,5-, 3,6-, 3,7-, 3,8-, 3,9-, 3,10-, 3,11-, 4,5-, 4,7-, 4,8-, 4,9-, 4,10-, 4,11-, 5,6-, 5,7-, 5,8-, 5,9-, 5,10-, 5,11-, 6,7-, 6,9-, 6,11-, 7,8-, 7,9-, 7,10-, 7,11-, 8,9-, 8,10-, 8,11-, 9,10-, 9,11- and 10,11-dimethyl-2-ethyldodecanoic acid; and mixtures thereof;    (h) 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-, 10- and 1,1-methyl-2-propyldodecanoic acid; and mixtures thereof;    (i) 2,3,4-, 2,3,5-, 2,3,6-, 2,3,7-, 2,3,8-, 2,3,9-, 2,3,10-, 2,3,11-, 2,3,12-, 2,4,5-, 2,4,7-, 2,4,9-, 2,4,11-, 2,4,12-, 2,5,6-, 2,5,7-, 2,5,8-, 2,5,9-, 2,5,10-, 2,5,11-, 2,5,12-, 2,6,7-, 2,6,8-, 2,6,9-, 2,6,11-, 2,6,12-, 2,7,8-, 2,7,9-, 2,7,10-, 2,7,11-, 2,7,12-, 2,8,9-, 2,8,10-, 2,8,11-, 2,8,12-, 2,9,10-, 2,9,11-, 2,9,12-, 2,10,11-, 2,10,12-, 2,11,12-, 3,4,5-, 3,4,6-, 3,4,7-, 3,4,8-, 3,4,9-, 3,4,10-, 3,4,11-, 3,4,12-, 3,5,6-, 3,5,7-, 3,5,8-, 3,5,10-, 3,5,11-, 3,5,12-, 3,6,7-, 3,6,8-, 3,6,9-, 3,6,10-, 3,6,11-, 3,6,12-, 3,7,8-, 3,7,10-, 3,7,11-, 3,7,12-, 3,8,9-, 3,8,10-, 3,8,11-, 3,8,12-, 3,9,10-, 3,9,11-, 3,9,12-, 3,10,11-, 3,10,12-, 3,11,12-, 4,5,6-, 4,5,7-, 4,5,8-, 4,5,9-, 4,5,10-, 4,5,11-, 4,5,12-, 4,6,7-, 4,6,8-, 4,6,9-, 4,6,10-, 4,6,11-, 4,6,12-, 4,7,8-, 4,7,9-, 4,7,10-, 4,7,11-, 4,7,12-, 4,8,9-, 4,8,10-, 4,8,11-, 4,9,10-, 4,9,11-, 4,9,12-, 4,10,11-, 4,10,12-, 4,11,12-, 5,6,7-, 5,6,8-, 5,6,9-, 5,6,10-, 5,6,11-, 5,6,12-, 5,7,8-, 5,7,9-, 5,7,10-, 5,7,11-, 5,7,12-, 5,8,9-, 5,8,10-, 5,8,11-, 5,8,12-, 5,9,10-, 5,9,11-, 5,9,12-, 5,10,11-, 5,10,12-, 5,11,12-, 6,7,8-, 6,7,9-, 6,7,10-, 6,7,11-, 6,7,12-, 6,8,9-, 6,8,10-, 6,8,11-, 6,8,12-, 6,9,10-, 6,9,11-, 6,9,12-, 6,10,11-, 6,10,12-, 6,11,12-, 7,8,9-, 7,8,10-, 7,8,11-, 7,8,12-, 7,9,10-, 7,9,11-, 7,9,12-, 7,10,11-, 7,10,12-, 7,11,12-, 8,9,10-, 8,9,11-, 8,9,12-, 8,10,11-, 8,10,12-, 8,11,12-, 9,10,11-, 9,10,12-, 9,11,12- and 10,11,12-trimethyltridecanoic acid; and mixtures thereof;    (j) 3-pentyl-4-propyl, 3-hexyl-4-ethyloctanoic acid; 3-pentyl-4-methyl, 4-pentyl-5-methyl, 4-butyl-5-ethyl, 5-butyl-6-ethyldecanoic acid; 5-butyl-6-methyl, 4-butyl-5-methyl, 6-ethyl-7-propyl, 6-propyl-7-ethylundecanoic acid; 6,7-diethyl, 7,8-diethyl, 7-methyl-8-propyl, 6-propyl-7-methyldodecanoic acid; 7-methyl-8-ethyl, 6-ethyl-7-methyl, 8-methyl-8-ethyltridecanoic acid; and mixtures thereof;    (k) mixtures of (a) to (j);    
     
     
         2 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said composition of matter comprises: 
 at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (b);    at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (c);    at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (i); and    optionally said branched carboxylic acid of (a).    
     
     
         3 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said composition of matter comprises: 
 at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (b);    at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (c);    at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (d);    at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (g);    at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (h); and    optionally said branched carboxylic acid of (a).    
     
     
         4 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said composition of matter comprises: 
 at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (b);    at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (c);    at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (d);    at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (g);    at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (h);    at least one of said branched carboxylic acid of (i); and    optionally said branched carboxylic acid of (a).    
     
     
         5 . A composition according to  claim 1  comprising a mixture of said branched carboxylic acid, said mixture being substantially free from quaternary-carbon containing branched carboxylic acid or their salts or derivatives.  
     
     
         6 . A composition according to  claim 1  comprising a mixture of said branched carboxylic acids, further comprising a branched carboxylic acid having an odd total number of carbon atoms.  
     
     
         7 . A composition according to  claim 1  comprising a mixture of said branched carboxylic acids, further comprising a branched carboxylic acid having an even total number of carbon atoms other than said branched carboxylic acids in  claim 1 .  
     
     
         8 . A cleaning composition comprising: 
 (i) from about 0.05% to about 99.9%, by weight of a composition of matter according to  claim 1;  and    (ii) from about 0.0001 to about 99.99%, by weight of conventional cleaning additive.    
     
     
         9 . A skin care composition comprising: 
 (i) from about 0.05% to about 99.9%, by weight of a composition of matter according to  claim 1;  and    (ii) from about 0.0001 to about 99.99%, by weight of a conventional skin care additive.    
     
     
         10 . A personal cleansing composition comprising: 
 (i) from about 0.05% to about 99.9%, by weight of a composition of matter according to  claim 1;  and    (ii) from about 0.0001 to about 99.99%, by weight of a conventional personal cleansing additive.    
     
     
         11 . A paper article comprising at least about 0.0001% by weight of said composition of matter according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         12 . A composition according to  claim 1  comprising no more than about 0.1% aldehyde impurity.  
     
     
         13 . A composition according to  claim 1  comprising no more than about 0.1% unsaturated impurity.  
     
     
         14 . A composition according to  claim 7  wherein said branched carboxylic acid having an odd total number of carbon atoms is selected from the group consisting of: 15, 17, and 19 carbon atoms in total.  
     
     
         15 . A composition according to  claim 1  comprising at least six of said branched carboxylic acid.  
     
     
         16 . A composition according to  claim 1  comprising at least 20 of said branched carboxylic acid.