Liquid laundry detergent formulations

Abstract

The present invention provides a clear, flowable liquid laundry detergent formulation comprising one or more of certain alcohol ethoxylate compounds, one or more alcohol ethoxysulfate compounds, one or more alkylaryl sulfonate compounds, water and, optionally, one or more organic water-soluble builders.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A clear, flowable built liquid laundry detergent formulation which comprises one or more C 11  alcohol ethoxylate compounds, one or more alcohol ethoxysulfate compounds, one or more alkylaryl sulfonate compounds, and water. 
     
     
       2. The formulation of claim 1 wherein said C 11  alcohol ethoxylate has a formula R--(OC 2  H 4 ) n  O--H (I), wherein R is a C 11  alkyl group and n represents the average number of oxyethylene groups per molecule and is an integer in the range of from about 5 to about 12. 
     
     
       3. The formulation of claim 1 wherein said alcohol ethoxysulfate has a formula R'--O--(CH 2  CH 2  O) x  --SO 3  M (II), wherein R' is a straight chain or branched chain alkyl group having in the range of from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms, or an alkylaryl group having an alkyl moiety having from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms, x represents the average number of oxyethylene groups per molecule and is an integer in the range of from about 1 to about 12, and M is a cation selected from an alkali metal ion, an ammonium ion, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       4. The formulation of claim 1 wherein said alkylaryl sulfonate compound is a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate having an alkyl moiety having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms. 
     
     
       5. The formulation of claim 1 wherein said formulation additionally contains one or more surfactant compounds selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       6. The formulation of claim 5 wherein said one or more additional surfactant compounds is selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       7. The formulation of claim 1 wherein said formulation additionally contains one or more organic water-soluble builders. 
     
     
       8. The formulation of claim 7 wherein said one or more organic water-soluble builders is selected from the group consisting of the sodium, potassium or alkylolammonium salts of citric acid, nitrilo triacetic acid, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, carboxymethylsuccinic acid, tartaric acid monosuccinate, tartaric acid disuccinate, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       9. The formulation of claim 8 wherein said organic water-soluble builder is sodium citrate. 
     
     
       10. The formulation of claim 7 wherein said formulation additionally contains one or more hydrotropes. 
     
     
       11. The formulation of claim 10 wherein said one or more hydrotropes is selected from the group consisting of sodium xylenesulfonate, propylene glycol, sodium cumenesulfonate, hexylene glycol, sodium toluenesulfonate, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       12. A clear, flowable built liquid laundry detergent formulation which comprises from about 1 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight of one or more C 11  alcohol ethoxylate compounds, from about 1 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight of one or more alcohol ethoxysulfate compounds, from about 1 to about 30 percent of one or more alkylaryl sulfonate compounds, and from about 30 percent by weight to about 80 percent by weight of water. 
     
     
       13. The formulation of claim 12 wherein said C 11  alcohol ethoxylate has a formula R--(OC 2  H 4 ) n  O--H (I), wherein R is a C 11  alkyl group and n represents the average number of oxyethylene groups per molecule and is an integer in the range of from about 5 to about 12. 
     
     
       14. The formulation of claim 12 wherein said alcohol ethoxysulfate has a formula R'--O--(CH 2  CH 2  O) x  --SO 3  M (II), wherein R' is a straight chain or branched chain alkyl group having in the range of from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms, or an alkylaryl group having an alkyl moiety having from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms, x represents the average number of oxyethylene groups per molecule and is an integer in the range of from about 1 to about 12, and M is a cation selected from an alkali metal ion, an ammonium ion, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       15. The formulation of claim 12 wherein said alkylaryl sulfonate compound is a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate having an alkyl moiety having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms. 
     
     
       16. The formulation of claim 12 wherein said formulation additionally contains one or more surfactant compounds selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       17. A clear, flowable built liquid laundry detergent formulation which comprises from about 1 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight of one or more C 11  alcohol ethoxylate compounds, from about 1 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight of one or more alcohol ethoxysulfate compounds, from about 1 to about 30 percent of one or more alkylaryl sulfonate compounds, from about 1 percent by weight to about 20 percent by weight of one or more organic water-soluble builders, and from about 30 percent by weight to about 80 percent by weight of water. 
     
     
       18. The formulation of claim 17 wherein said one or more organic water-soluble builders is selected from the group consisting of the sodium, potassium or alkylolammonium salts of citric acid, nitrilo triacetic acid, ethylenediamine acetic acid, carboxymethylsuccinic acid, tartaric acid monosuccinate, tartaric acid disuccinate, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       19. The formulation of claim 18 wherein said organic water-soluble builder is sodium citrate. 
     
     
       20. The formulation of claim 18 wherein said formulation additionally contains one or more hydrotropes. 
     
     
       21. The formulation of claim 20 wherein said one or more hydrotropes is selected from the group consisting of sodium xylenesulfonate, propylene glycol, sodium cumenesulfonate, hexylene glycol, sodium toluenesulfonate, and mixtures thereof.