[001] Technical Field

[002] This invention relates to a solid anti-foam agent which has a long shelf life and which maintains anti-foam characteristics for a long period of time.

[003] "Solid anti-foam agent" expression in the specification shall be used for a new composition which is obtained by loading oil based anti-foam compositions on puffed borax.

[004] Prior Art

[005] In the state of art, oil based liquid anti-foam compositions are known commercially and they are used in various industries, especially in the production of powder detergents, by adding specific amounts of it to the product.

[006] The chemicals in powder, liquid or cream form having cleaning and purifying characteristics and named as detergents comprises surface active agents having anionic and nonionic characteristics. The said surface active agents in the detergents used in washing of particularly the textile products cause the formation of high amounts of foam during the washing process. However, high amounts of foam cause various problems in the washing machines such as overflow and prevent efficient cleaning.

[007] Several anti-foam compositions in liquid and solid form have been developed in the art for controlling the formation of foam in the washing process. However, these products which are currently in market bring about various problems.

[008] Soap and/or various oils, for instance the substance or mixtures which comprise hydrocarbon, silicone oils, and hydrophobic silica are added to the detergent as anti-foam agents in order to control the foam formed by the detergents.

[009] In the state of art, the United States patent US3677963 discloses an oil based liquid anti-foam composition which comprise gulf oil, castor oil, stearic diamit, vinyl acetate co-polymer and silicone oil and which is obtained by mixing the said compounds at certain temperatures with various percentages.

[010] In these types of solutions, especially liquid form anti-foam compositions are highly effective when they are initially added to the detergents. However, after they have been kept in the warehouses or on shelves they are observed to lose partially or totally their anti-foam characteristics.

[011] Mixing of anti-foam compositions with surface active agents present inside the detergent content and/or the presence of high alkali environment in the detergent causes them to stick to the surfaces of the packages wherein the detergents are placed at fairly high temperatures such as 25 ⁰ C and above and these play an important role in partial and total loss of the functions of anti-foam agents.

[012] Various applications have been developed to prevent the loss of the anti-foam agents' characteristics during the storing or waiting period. In one of the applications, the anti-foam agents in liquid form are mixed with organic or inorganic material(s) which are consistent with the detergent and which can dissolve in and/or mixed with water and then subjected to a coating process. Also, anti-foam compositions in liquid form are sometimes mixed or absorbed with the organic and inorganic materials having high absorbing properties in order to preserve their anti-foam properties.

[013] In the prior art, the British patent GB1571501 discloses the use of alkyl phosphoric acid or its salt as an anti-foam agent and points it as more economic and efficient.

[014] In the prior art, the European patent EP0022998 discloses anti-foam compositions comprising at least one of the compounds having polyphosphate, silicate, carbonate and sodium sulphate.

[015] In the state of art, European patent application EP 109247 discloses detergent compounds wherein a material with anti-foam properties comprising anionic and/or nonionic surface active substances and particularly hydrophobic silica and at least one hydrocarbon is present.

[016] In addition, the German patent application DE3013292 discloses anti-foam agents in melted form are sprayed on the porous silica, tripolyphosphate or zeolite.

[017] However in the afore-mentioned applications, in order to solidify the anti-foam agents in liquid form, either a very expensive and complicated manufacturing method such as "a spray dryer" is used or anti-foam agents in liquid form are positioned on the carrier by the use of the agents consistent with the detergent. However, these methods does not yield the desired result as the liquid absorption capacity of the carriers is not high and the final product does not have any problems such as preserving anti-foam characteristics and shelf life and the last products are not fluid.

[018] The British patent GB 1369490 discloses the use of puffed borax in order to keep the detergent composition under control. In this patent, one of the reasons for the use of borax is that it increases resolution. Furthermore, borax is disclosed to be used for coloring purposes as well.

[019] The United States patent US3986987 discloses the use of puffed borax having low amount of phosphate together with various additives and surface active substances during the production of powder detergent having low rate of density.

[020] Additionally, the formation of puffed and other details are disclosed in the publications, "Technical Service Bulletin, No. 27, (revised September 1971) of Borax Consolidated Limited of London, England; in Bulletin 0171, entitled "Puffed Borax", issued October, 1973 by Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation, Oklahoma City, OK" ve "R. C. Rhees and H. H. Hammar entitled "Puffed Borax", appearing in Soap and Chemical Specialities, Vol. XLII for January, 1966, at pages 58-61 and 118-120".

[021] However, in the afore-mentioned known embodiment of the art does not disclose any application whatsoever wherein oil based liquid anti-foam is loaded inside the puffed borax and thus forms granular solid anti-foam agent.

[022] A Brief Description of the Invention

[023] The object of this invention is to realize a solid anti-foam agent, which has a long shelf life and which can maintain its anti-foam characteristics for a long period time, by loading oil based liquid anti-foam compositions such as paraffin oil, metallic oil, vegetable oil, and silicone oil on puffed borax.

[024] Another object of this invention is to realize granular solid anti-foam agent.

[025] Another object of this invention is to realize an anti-foam agent which is to be dispersed in a controlled way during washing.

[026] Another object of this invention is to realizean environmentally friendly solid anti- foam agent which is more economic and which produces less wastes.

[027] Detailed Description of the Invention

[028] When borax pentahydrate is heated rapidly over itsmeltingpoint it loses its crystal water rapidly and a substance which is called puffed borax or expanded borax and which is light and has broad granule surface andpores on its surface is obtained.

[029] Puffed borax is able to absorb high amounts of materials in liquid form due to its structure and it can be used in many fields in the art because of this characteristic. The most essential characteristic of puffed borax is that it can absorb a material having three times more weight than borax and still not lose its granular and fluid structure by sustaining its consistency with the powder detergents.

[030] In the solid anti-foam agent which is the subject of the invention, puffed borax is used as a carrier for carrying oil based liquid anti-foam compositions. In the said oil based liquid anti-foam compositions there are oils such as silicone based oils, metallic oils, vegetable oils, oil esters in proportions ranging from 5% to 99% by weight and also the mixtures of two or more of these oils in different proportions. The proportion of the said anti-foam composition with respect to puffed borax ranges from 5% to 300% by weight. Moreover, these compositions can comprise substances such as emulgators, dispelgators and silica powders. A high amount of oil based liquid anti- foam composition can be loaded on the pores present on the wide surface of puffed borax which is used as a carrier.Thus, oil based liquid anti-foam composition is immobilized in and/or on the surface of puffed borax and the anti-foam characteristic is preserved. The said oil based liquid anti-foam compositions can be applied either by spraying on the puffed borax or by a simple mixing method.

[031] Industrial Applicability

[032] The oil based composition which functions as an anti-foam property inside the inventive anti-foam agent slowly disperses from puffed borax during the application

for example during the washing process in a washing machine and carries on to execute its function till the end of the washing process in an orderly manner.

[033] The oil based liquid anti-foam composition is in a sense immobilized by being loaded on puffed borax. In this way, they are protected against the problems arising from contacting with the detergent compounds throughout their waiting period in warehouses and shelves and against the problems resulting from the mixture and they are able to preserve their anti-foam functions until their time of use.

[034] In one of the embodiments of the invention, 100 kg of puffed borax is collected inside a mixer and the process of loading on puffed borax is initiated by spraying 100 kg of oil based liquid anti-foam composition. This process is completed in a short span of time such as approximately 5 minutes. 3-5 kg of silica powder can be added inside the mixture if desired to prevent the granules from sticking to each other. The product obtained is sieved and then packaged.

[035] In another embodiment of the invention, 60 kg anti-foam composition is mixed with a paraffin wax at desired quantity and heated approximately to 80 degrees. This hot mixture is sprayed on 100 kg puffed borax by means of a mixer. Powder silica can be added in this process if desired in order to prevent sticking. The obtained final product is cooled, sieved and then packaged.

[036] The production of solid anti-foam which is obtained by loading oil based liquid anti-foam composition on puffed borax is simple and unlike other products in the market it does not possess any disadvantages. Its capital investment and operating costs are very low and it does not cause any pollution in anyway.

[037] It is possible to develop wide range of embodiments for the solid anti-foam which is the subject of the invention without departing from this main concept and the invention is principally as disclosed in the claims and it cannot be restricted with the examples stated herein.