SMEDEGAARD BIRGER (DK)
HANSEN CHARLES M (DK)
SMEDEGAARD BIRGER (DK)
| WO1993016215A2 | 1993-08-19 |
| US5863881A | 1999-01-26 | |||
| US3772205A | 1973-11-13 | |||
| GB2265631A | 1993-10-06 | |||
| US3951597A | 1976-04-20 |
DATABASE WPI Section Ch Week 198017, Derwent World Patents Index; Class E19, AN 1980-30589C, XP002140915
| 1. | Stain remover composition for removing stains from textiles comprising an effective amount of a cy cloaliphatic solvent having a relative evaporation rate greater than 100, preferably greater than 600, more pre ferably greater than 900 and most preferably greater than 1500, and optionally one or more aliphatic diluents hav ing a relative evaporation rate greater than 100, prefer ably greater than 200, more preferably greater than 400, said composition being totally evaporable at standard condition at 1 atm., 20°C and 50% moisture degree, and said composition having a total relative evaporation rate of at least 100, preferably of at least 200, and more preferably of at least 500. |
| 2. | Composition according to claim 1, where the cy cloaliphatic solvent is selected among cyclopentane and cyclohexane and derivatives thereof. |
| 3. | Composition according to claim 2, where the cyclopen tane is a substituted cyclopentane having a total of up to 9 carbon atoms. |
| 4. | Composition according to claim 2, where the cyclohex ane is a substituted cyclohexane having a total of up to 10 carbon atoms. |
| 5. | Composition according to any of the previous claims, where the composition comprises an aliphatic diluent, which is an aliphatic alcohol selected among ethanol, n propanol, isopropyl alcohol, nbutyl alcohol, secbutyl alcohol, isobutyl alcohol, and mixtures thereof. |
| 6. | Composition according to any of the previous claims, where the composition comprises an aliphatic diluent se lected among methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, acetone, ace tonitrile, diethylketone, dimethylcarbonate, ethyl ether, ethyl formate, heptane, nhexane, methyl tbutyl ether, methyl nbutyrate, 2methylpentane, 3methylpentane, methyl isopropyl ketone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl n propyl ketone, isopentane, npentane, isopropyl ace tate, npropyl acetate, isopropyl ether, 2,2,4trime thylpentane, and mixtures thereof. |
| 7. | Composition according to any of the previous claims, where the amount of cycloaliphatic solvent is in the range of 1100 % (v/v), preferably in the range of 585 % (v/v), more preferably in the range of 870 % (v/v), and most preferably in the range of 1050 % (v/v). |
| 8. | Composition according to any of the previous claims, where the amount of aliphatic diluent is in the range of 099 % (v/v), preferably in the range of 595 % (v/v), more preferably in the range of 2092 % (v/v) and most preferably in the range of 5090 %. |
| 9. | Composition according to any of the previous claims, where the composition comprises both an aliphatic alcohol and an aliphatic acetate. |
| 10. | Composition according to claims 19, where the ali phatic diluent comprises a mixture of ethanol and ethyl acetate. |
| 11. | Composition according to any of the previous claims, where the composition further comprises one or more sub stances selected among methylene chloride, methanol, tet rahydrofurane, toluene, trichlorofluoromethane, trichlor ethylene, freon 113, Exxol@ naphta, NapparS cycloparaf fins, and aliphatic distillates. |
| 12. | Composition according to any of the previous claims, where the composition is essentially free of halogen con taining solvents. |
| 13. | Composition according to any of the previous claims, where the composition is essentially free of water. |
| 14. | Composition according to any of the previous claims, where the composition is essentially free of surfactants. |
| 15. | Use of a composition according to any of the previous claims for removing stains, preferably ink or paint stains, from textiles. |
| 16. | Use of a composition according to claim 15, wherein the composition is sprayed directly on the stains and is sucked away. |
| 17. | Method for removing stains from textiles comprising the steps of: a) applying a composition to a textile, b) incorporating the composition into the textile prefer ably simultaneously with or immediately after applica tion, c) removing the composition from the fabric, wherein said composition is according to any of the claims 116. |
| 18. | Method according to claim 17, wherein said composi tion is applied by use of highspeed gas flow. |
| 19. | Method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein said com position is removed by use of vacuum suction. |
| 20. | Method according to claim 17 or 18, wherein said com position is removed by use of compressed air. |
| 21. | Method according to claims 1720, wherein said tex tile is adapted to a grate or a frame. |
It is well known that textiles are easily stained. The staining may occur either during the fabrication process or by simple use leaving various kinds of spots on the textiles, i. e. oil, paint, ink, coffee, wine, grass and many more.
All sorts of cleaning fluids and pastes have been pro- vided to facilitate removing such stains. Typically, dif- ferent types of stains require different types of remov- ers.
One type of stain remover is described in SU 681 093 A, which relates to a composition comprising 65-75 % (w/w) of cyclohexane and less than 1 % (w/w) of trichloroacetic acid and chlorobenzene.
Another type of stain remover is described in SU 1 594 232 relating to a composition comprising 12-16 % (w/w) of cyclohexane and 3.5-7.5 % (w/w) of isopropyl alcohol.
This composition is applied to stained fabric, especially fabric stained with grease and oil, and the stains are removed within a period of 1. 5-2. 5 minutes by use of vac- uum and steam.
However, use of many of the known stain removers often results in removal of the actual stain, but instead a discolouration is found on the textile.
Another problem, these days, is that most effective stain removers typically comprise one or more halogenated com- pounds, which are now considered environmental hazards.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a stain remover composition without the above- mentioned disadvantages.
The primary object of the invention is to provide a method to remove stains from textiles that minimizes the health risks and does not expose the person carrying out the method to any excess health hazards.
It is a particular object of the invention to provide a stain remover composition that is free or essentially free of halogenated compounds.
Further it is an object of the invention to provide a stain remover composition that does not leave the textile discoloured after use.
Another object of the invention is to provide a stain re- mover composition, which is able to remove stains rapidly and simply.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method to remove stains from textiles using a composition according to the invention.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method to remove stains from textiles that is fast and simple.
These objects are achieved by a composition and a method according to the invention.
The invention relates to a stain remover composition for removing stains from textiles comprising an effective amount of a cycloaliphatic solvent having a relative evaporation rate greater than 100, preferably greater than 200, more preferably greater than 600, and even more preferably greater than 900, and most preferably greater than 1500. The stain remover may optionally comprise one or more aliphatic diluents having a relative evaporation rate greater than 100, preferably greater than 200, more preferably greater than 400, said composition being to- tally evaporated at standard condition at 1 atm., 20°C and 50% moisture degree preferably within 10 minutes, and said composition having a total relative evaporation rate of at least 100, preferably of at least 200, and more preferably of at least 500.
The term"effective amount"is defined as the amount of the particular substance necessary to remove all traces of stains from the textile without causing discolouration or any other damage to the textile.
Relative evaporation rate is defined as the time of % evaporation of the compound in question relative to the time of 90 % evaporation of n-butylacetate. The evapora- tion rate of n-butylacetate is defined as 100 in ordinary air under atmospheric pressure.
By"total relative evaporation rate"is meant the rela- tive evaporation rate of the composition as a whole.
By"textile"is meant any kind of fabric, textile, gar- ment or the like.
The cycloaliphatic solvent may preferably be cyclopentane or any derivatives thereof and their mixtures. Cyclohex- ane could also be used as the cycloaliphatic solvent.
However, any cycloaliphatic solvents having the defined evaporation rate may also be used, e. g. commercially available solvents from Exxon, such as Nappar@.
Preferred derivatives of cyclopentanes are substituted cyclopentanes having a total of up to 9 carbon atoms, whereas preferred derivatives of cyclohexanes are substi- tuted cyclohexanes having a total of up to 10 carbon at- oms. The derivatives may contain any functional groups as substituents as long as their relative evaporation rate is not significantly lower than 100.
The aliphatic diluent may preferably be an aliphatic al- cohol selected among ethanol, n-propanol, isopropyl alco- hol, n-butyl alcohol, sec-butyl alcohol, iso-butyl alco- hol, and mixtures thereof.
The aliphatic diluent may also be another type of diluent selected among methyl acetate, ethyl acetate, acetone, acetonitrile, diethylketone, dimethylcarbonate, ethyl ether, ethyl formate, heptane, n-hexane, methyl t-butyl ether, methyl n-butyrate, 2-methylpentane, 3-methyl-pen- tane, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl iso-propyl ketone, methyl n-propyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, iso-pen- tane, n-pentane, iso-propyl acetate, n-propyl acetate, iso-propyl ether, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, and mixtures thereof.
Preferably the aliphatic diluent is a mixture of an alco- hol and at least one other type of diluent, e. g. an ace- tate or a ketone.
The amount of cycloaliphatic solvent present in the com- position according to the invention may preferably be in the range of 1-100 % (v/v), preferably in the range of 5-
85 % (v/v), more preferably in the range of 8-70 % (v/v), and most preferably in the range of 10-50 % (v/v).
The amount of aliphatic diluent in the composition ac- cording to the invention may preferably be in the range of 0-99 % (v/v), preferably in the range of 5-95 % (v/v), more preferably in the range of 20-92 % (v/v) and most preferably in the range of 50-90 %.
The amount of aliphatic diluent may be adjusted in order to meet the requirements for different types of stains.
Oil stains may be removed by use of the cycloaliphatic solvent alone, whereas the removal of ink or paint stains is improved when an effective amount of at least one ali- phatic diluent is included in the composition.
Further the composition according to the invention may comprise one or more substances selected among methylene- chloride, methanol, tetrahydrofurane, toluene, trichloro- fluoromethane, trichlorethylene, freon 113, ExxolO naphta, Nappar cycloparaffins, and aliphatic distil- lates. Other substances which do not result in discolour- ation or damage to the textile to be cleaned may also be included herein. Various other solvent suppliers may pro- vide essentially the same types of compositions embodied by distillates listed above.
Solvents containing halogens are no longer considered ap- propriate as components in various products. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the composition comprises less than 5 % (v/v) halogen containing solvent, preferably less than 2 % (v/v), and most preferably the composition is essentially free of halogen containing solvents.
In order to make sure that the composition evaporates sufficiently fast, it is important that the composition comprises less than 5 % (v/v) water, preferably less than 2 % (v/v), and most preferably the composition is essen- tially free of water.
For similar reasons is it preferred that the composition according to the invention comprises less than 5 % (v/v) surfactants, preferably less than 2 % (v/v), and most preferably the composition is essentially free of surfac- tants.
The stain remover composition according to the invention is preferably free of detergent. The composition may preferably also be free or essentially be free of surfac- tants and be free of CFC and HCFC.
Use of a composition according to the invention may com- prise removing all kinds of stains, preferably ink or paint stains, from textiles.
Use of a composition according to the invention, wherein the composition is sprayed directly on the stains and is sucked away.
Because of the fast evaporation rate of the components of the composition according to the invention, the composi- tion is able to remove all kinds of stains leaving less discolouration behind than prior art compositions. In most situations no discolouration is found on the fabric after use of the stain remover composition according to the invention. This may be due to the fact that rapid evaporation provides a quick cooling of the fabric, which cooling will locally increase viscosities and surface tensions, thereby preventing the stain from spreading.
The invention further relates to a method for removing stains from textiles comprising the steps of: a) applying a composition to a textile, b) incorporating the composition into the textile within 10 seconds, preferably within 5 seconds, more preferably simultaneously with or immediately after application, c) removing the composition from the fabric, wherein said composition is according to any of the claims 1-15.
In order to obtain a satisfactory removal of the stain, it is important that the permeation of the composition into the fabric happens very fast in order to dissolve or loosen the stain before the composition is removed from the fabric. Therefore the application of the composition is followed by an incorporation of the composition e. g. by use of compressed air, vacuum, or the like, forcing the composition rapidly into and/or out of the fabric.
The composition may be applied by a trigger spray, by a spray can, or simply by a brush. Alternatively, the com- position may be applied by use of a high-speed gas flow, e. g. sprayed upon the fabric by a hand spray gun. In this case the application and the incorporation of the compo- sition are combined and take place simultaneously.
The removal of the composition should be carried out within a few minutes, e. g. within 5 minutes, or discol- ouration may occur. Preferably the composition is removed immediately or at least within 2 minutes after applica- tion.
By"removing the composition"it may also be understood, that the composition may be allowed to evaporate, pro- vided said evaporation takes place within the time limits defined above.
Preferably the composition is removed by use of a high- speed gas flow, provided e. g. by compressed air or by vacuum suction.
To facilitate the removal of the composition, the textile may be adapted on a grate or a frame placed over e. g. a vacuum suction device. This way the composition is drawn all the way through the fabric at high speed.
Alternatively, the composition may be applied to the back of the fabric, before placing it on the grate or the frame adapted to a vacuum device. Further, it is possible to apply the composition on one side, and then use com- pressed air from the other side. This may be an advantage in cases where the stain is superficial.
The invention will be described in details in the follow- ing examples.
Example 1 A composition consisting of 10 W (v/v) cyclopentane, 90 (v/v) ethyl acetate and 30 % (v/v) isopropyl alcohol was prepared, hereafter named as composition 11068.
This composition was tested using the following method: A piece of white 100 % cotton was placed on a serigraphic frame and a paper with small holes (2 x 2 mm) was laid on top. The inks"Black Wilflex" (plastisol) and"Orange Airline" (waterbased) were then applied. Further, hydro-
carbon-based lubricating oil was also applied on the gar- ment.
The composition was applied by use of a trigger spray on the stained textile along with other compounds known to have a cleaning effect.
Afterwards the effects of the various cleaning fluids were visually evaluated. Rating: 1-10, 10 being the best.
The results are shown in table 1.
Drying time was determined by applying two drops of the composition or the known cleaning compound to the fabric and measuring the time until the stain no longer could be seen. Plastisols Cleaning effect Drying Discolouration Acetone 6 8 4 CFC 113 4 11068 8 6 7 Water based Cleaning effect Drying Discolouration Acetone 8 8 6 CFC 113 11068 Table 1.
The results clearly show that the composition according to the invention leaves little or almost no discolour- ation on the fabric after use. Compared to acetone and CFC 113 the overall impression is that the invention pro- vides an improved composition for cleaning fabrics even
when the composition is applied by use of a simple trig- ger spray.
Example 2: The same composition (11068) as described above is tested on similar stains. However, an electric spray gun is used to apply the composition.
In order to demonstrate the excellent effect of the com- position each of the compounds comprised herein is also tested. Standard cleaning compounds were tested as well for comparison. Rating as in example 1.
The results are shown in table 2. Plastisols Water based Cleaning Discolouri-Cleaning Discolouri- effect sation effect sation IPA 8 9 s 9 Cyclopentane Ethylacetate 8 3 7 7 11068 8 8 9 9 Methylenechloride 10 8 Acetone 4 Table 2.
Once again the composition according to the invention ex- hibits excellent cleaning effect and little or no discol- ouration of the fabric. It is also evident that the com- position 11068 is significantly better than each of the ingredients therein alone.
Example 3: A composition consisting of 10 % (v/v) cyclopentane, 50 % (v/v) ethyl acetate, 30 % (v/v) IPA, and 10 % (v/v) me- thylenecloride was prepared (named comp. 2). Cleaning ef- fect, drying time and discolouration was tested in rela- tion to stains from plastisols as described above. Same rating as above.
The results are shown in table 3 as well as results for the composition 11068. Cleaningeffect Drying Discolouration Comp.2 11068 7 7 9 Table 3.
Example 4 A textile was stained with lubricating oil and the below mentioned compositions were applied by use of an electric spray gun. The composition 24089 is consisting of % (v/v) cyclohexane, 60 % (v/v) ethyl acetate and 30 % (v/v) isopropyl alcohol. For comparison methylene chlo- ride, acetone, PMA, and Freon 113 were tested as well.
Drying time was determined by applying two drops of the composition or the known cleaning compound to the fabric and measuring the time until the stain no longer could be seen. At the same conditions, the drying time for n-butyl acetate was measured, and was determined to be 5 minutes 15 seconds.
The results are shown in table 4. Cleaning effect Discolouration Drying Cyclopentane 100'x 10 10 40 S. Cyclohexane 100 10 10 1 min. 20 s Cyclopentane/BuAc 10 10 1 min. 45 S. 75 : 25 Cyclopentane/BuAc 10 10 3 min. 10 s. 50:50 Cyclopentane/BuAc 10 10 4 min. 35 S. 10:90 Cyclopentane/BuAc 10 10 4 min. 50 s. 5 : 95 Cyclopentane/BuAc 10 10 5 min. 0 s. 1:99 BuAc 100 10 10 5 min. 15 s. 11068 7 50 s. 24089 7 SS s. Methylene chloride 9 8 1 min. 30 s. Freon 113 1 min. 55. S. Acetone 1 - 55 s. PMA > 1O min.
Table 4.
Discolouration has not been evaluated in connection with the last three compounds as the cleaning effect is gener- ally unsatisfying.
These results clearly show that compositions according to the invention comprising large amounts of cyclo aliphatic compounds are particularly suited for removing oil stains.
Pure BuAc also exhibits good cleaning effects as well as no discolouration, however, the drying time is signifi- cantly larger and therefore less attractive.
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