Cleaning compositions comprising alkoxylated polyalkyleneimines and sulfonate group-containing copolymers

Abstract

A cleaning composition containing an alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine and a sulfonate group-containing copolymer is provided, which exhibits significant improved whiteness maintenance benefit when used to treat fabrics.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cleaning composition comprising:
 (1) from 0.01% to 20% by weight of at least one alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine that comprises:
 a polyalkyleneimine core having an average number-average molecular weight (MW PEI ) ranging from 100 to 100,000 Daltons; and 
 at least one side chain bonded to a nitrogen atom in the polyalkyleneimine core, wherein said at least one side chain has an empirical formula (I) of:
   -(EO) b (PO) c —R  (I)
 
 
  wherein: EO is ethylene oxide; b has a weight average value ranging from 3 to 60; PO is propylene oxide; c has a weight average value ranging from 0 to 60; R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 4  alkyls, and combinations thereof; 
   (2) from 0.01% to 20% by weight of a sulfonate group-containing copolymer that comprises:
 a structural unit (a) derived from a sulfonate group-containing monomer (A); and 
 a structural unit (b) derived from a polyoxyalkylene monomer (B) represented by formula (II): 
   
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         
            wherein R 1  represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R 2  represents a direct bond, CH 2 , or CH 2 CH 2 ; Z may be the same or different and each Z represents a structural unit derived from a C 2 -C 20  alkylene oxide; n is from 1 to 200; and R 0  represents hydrogen atom or a C 1 -C 30  organic group; and 
           a structural unit (c) derived from a carboxyl group-containing monomer (C). 
         
       
     
     
         2 . The cleaning composition of  claim 1 , wherein MW PEI  of the polyalkyleneimine core of said at least one alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine ranges from 100 to 5000 Daltons, and preferably from 200 to 1000 Daltons; and wherein b ranges from 5 to 40, preferably from 10 to 30, more preferably from 15 to 25; and wherein c is 0. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaning composition of  claim 1 , wherein MW PEI  of the polyalkyleneimine core of said at least one alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine ranges from 100 to 5000 Daltons, and preferably from 200 to 1000 Daltons; and wherein b ranges from 10 to 50, preferably from 15 to 40, more preferably from 20 to 30; and wherein c ranges from 1 to 50, preferably from 5 to 40, and more preferably from 10 to 30. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaning composition of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine comprises: (1) a first alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine having a polyalkyleneimine core with MW PEI  ranging from 100 to 5000 Daltons, and preferably from 200 to 1000 Daltons, with b ranging from 5 to 40, preferably from 10 to 30, more preferably from 15 to 25, and with c being 0; and (2) a second alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine having a polyalkyleneimine core with MW PEI  ranging from 100 to 5000 Daltons, and preferably from 200 to 1000 Daltons, with b ranging from 10 to 50, preferably from 15 to 40, more preferably from 20 to 30, and with c ranging from 1 to 50, preferably from 5 to 40, and more preferably from 10 to 30. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaning composition of  claim 4 , wherein the weight ratio between said first and second alkoxylated polyalkyleneimines ranges from 1:10 to 10:1, preferably from 1:5 to 5:1, and more preferably from 1:2 to 2:1. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaning composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine is present in an amount ranging from 0.05% to 15%, preferably from 0.1% to 10%, and more preferably from 0.5% to 5%, by total weight of the cleaning composition. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaning composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the sulfonate group-containing copolymer comprises: (1) from 1% to 38%, preferably from 4% to 20% and more preferably from 5% to 16%, by mass in an acid form equivalent of the structural unit (a) in 100% by mass of all monomer structural units constituting the sulfonate group-containing copolymer; and (2) from 9% to 76%, preferably from 20% to 49% and more preferably from 30% to 45%, by mass of the structural unit (b) in 100% by mass of all monomer structural units constituting the sulfonate group-containing copolymer; and (3) from 20% to 90%, preferably from 25% to 75% and more preferably from 35% to 55%, by mass in acid form equivalent of the structural unit (c) in 100% by mass of all monomer structural units constituting the sulfonate group-containing copolymer. 
     
     
         8 . The cleaning composition of  claim 7 , wherein said sulfonate group-containing copolymer is characterized by a parameter of P×MW S ×n that ranges from 950,000 to 8,000,000, and preferably from 1,000,000 to 50,000,000, wherein:
 P is defined as the ratio by mass of the structural unit (b) to the structural unit (a) in the sulfonate group-containing copolymer; and 
 MW S  is the weight average molecular weight of the sulfonate group-containing copolymer; and 
 n is as defined in formula (II). 
 
     
     
         9 . The cleaning composition according to  claim 8 , wherein MW S  ranges from 20,000 to 200,000, preferably from 25,000 to 100,000, and more preferably from 30,000 to 75,000; and wherein P ranges from 1.2 to 20, preferably from 1.5 to 15, more preferably from 2 to 10, and most preferably from 2.5 to 5; and wherein n ranges from 5 to 100, preferably form 10 to 80, and more preferably from 40 to 60. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaning composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the sulfonate group-containing monomer (A) is a compound represented by the following formula (III): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein R 3  represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R 4  represents a direct bond, CH 2 , or CH 2 CH 2 ; X and Y each represent a hydroxy group or SO 3 M where M represents a hydrogen atom, Li, Na, or K, and at least one of X and Y is SO 3 M. 
     
     
         11 . The cleaning composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the sulfonate group-containing copolymer comprises:
 from 5% to 16% by mass of the structure unit (a) in acid form equivalent in 100% by mass of all monomer structural units constituting the sulfonate group-containing copolymer, wherein the sulfonate group-containing monomer (A) is 3-allyloxy-2-hydroxypropanesulfonate; and   from 30% to 45% by mass of the structure unit (b) in 100% by mass of all monomer structural units constituting the sulfonate group-containing copolymer, wherein the polyoxyalkylene monomer (B) comprises an ethylene oxide-derived group having from 40 to 60 repeating oxyethylene units; and   from 35% to 55% by mass of the structure unit (c) in acid form equivalent in 100% by mass of all monomer structural units constituting the sulfonate group-containing copolymer, wherein the carboxyl group-containing monomer (C) is acrylic acid or a salt thereof.   
     
     
         12 . The cleaning composition according to  claim 1 , wherein said sulfonate group-containing copolymer is present in an amount ranging from 0.05% to 15%, preferably from 0.1% to 10%, and more preferably from 0.5% to 5%, by total weight of the cleaning composition. 
     
     
         13 . The cleaning composition according to  claim 1 , which is selected from the group consisting of a laundry detergent composition, a hard surface cleaning composition, a hand dishwashing composition, and an automatic dishwashing composition; and wherein the cleaning composition further comprises a surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof, and wherein said surfactant is preferably an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkyl benzene sulfonate, alkoxylated alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfates, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The cleaning composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning composition is a liquid composition, and preferably in a single phase or multiphase unit dose form as encapsulated by a single compartment or multi-compartment water-soluble pouch. 
     
     
         15 . Use of the cleaning composition according to  claim 1  for treating fabrics to achieve improved whiteness maintenance benefit. 
     
     
         16 . A method of treating a soiled material, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a cleaning composition according to  claim 1 ;   b) contacting the cleaning composition with at least a portion of the soiled material; and   c) optionally, rinsing the soiled material.