阅读说明：本技术 包含氨基多羧酸盐的水溶性膜 (Water-soluble film comprising aminopolycarboxylate ) 是由 H·J·M·阿拉博塞 R·J·莫尔 于 2019-02-12 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种具有30至1,000μm的厚度的水溶性膜,所述膜含有至少一层固体材料,所述固体材料包含：-如基于所述固体材料的总重量计,25至88重量％的游离酸当量的氨基多羧酸盐；-如基于所述固体材料的总重量计,10至65重量％的一种或多种其它水溶性组分；-如基于所述固体材料的总重量计,2至25重量％的水。本发明的水溶性膜提供的优点是其提供双重功能,即其可以用作保护膜和其提供助洗剂,其在所述膜接触到水时被快速释放。(A water-soluble film having a thickness of 30 to 1,000 μ ι η, the film containing at least one layer of a solid material comprising: -25 to 88 wt% free acid equivalent of aminopolycarboxylate, as based on the total weight of the solid material; -10 to 65 wt% of one or more other water soluble components, as based on the total weight of the solid material; -2 to 25 wt% of water, as based on the total weight of the solid material. The water-soluble film of the present invention provides the advantage that it provides a dual function, i.e. it can act as a protective film and it provides a builder, which is released quickly when the film comes into contact with water.)

1. A water-soluble film having a thickness of 30 to 1,000 μ ι η, the film containing at least one layer of solid material comprising:

25 to 88 weight percent free acid equivalent of aminopolycarboxylate, as based on the total weight of the solid material;

10 to 65 wt% of one or more other water soluble components, as based on the total weight of the solid material;

2 to 25 wt% of water, as based on the total weight of the solid material.

2. The water-soluble film of claim 1, wherein the solid material is an amorphous solid material.

3. The water-soluble film of claim 2, wherein the solid material has a glass transition temperature of less than 20 degrees celsius, wherein the glass transition temperature is measured using:

differential scanning calorimeter, Perkin Elmer power compensated DSC8000 equipped with Intracooler III as a cooling tool and a stainless steel sample pan included in the apparatus;

wherein the device is used according to the instructions of the supplier and the following settings for making the measurements are employed:

differential scanning calorimetry temperature protocol:

1. holding at 20.00 deg.C for 1.0 min;

2. cooling from 20.00 ℃ to-20.00 ℃ at a temperature of 10.00 ℃/min;

3. holding at-20.00 deg.C for 2.0 min;

4. heating from-20.00 deg.C to 90.00 deg.C at 5.00 deg.C/min;

5. holding at 90.00 deg.C for 2.0 min;

6. cooling from 90.00 ℃ to-20.00 ℃ at a temperature of 10.00 ℃/min;

7. holding at-20.00 deg.C for 2.0 min;

8. heating from-20.00 deg.C to 90.00 deg.C at 5.00 deg.C/min;

wherein the atmosphere in the chamber is nitrogen, which is added at 20 ml/min, and wherein the glass transition temperature is measured during heating step 8 of the temperature protocol.

4. The water-soluble film any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid material contains at least 30 wt% free acid equivalent of an aminopolycarboxylate selected from the group consisting of glutamic acid N, N-diacetic acid (GLDA), methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA), ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS), iminodisuccinic acid (IDS), iminodimalic acid (IDM), and combinations thereof, as based on the total weight of the solid material.

5. The water-soluble film of claim 4, wherein the solid material contains at least 30% by weight of an aminopolycarboxylate selected from the group consisting of GLDA, MGDA, EDDS, and combinations thereof, as based on the total weight of the solid material.

6. The water-soluble film of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid material contains at least 10 wt.% of an acid equivalent of a water-soluble acid selected from water-soluble organic acids, water-soluble inorganic acids, and combinations thereof, as based on the total weight of the solid material.

7. The water-soluble film of claim 6, wherein the solid material contains at least 10% by weight, as based on the total weight of the solid material, of a free acid equivalent of a water-soluble acid selected from the group consisting of: acetic acid, citric acid, aspartic acid, lactic acid, adipic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, sugar acids, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and combinations thereof.

8. The water-soluble film of claim 7, wherein the solid material contains at least 10% by weight free acid equivalents of di-and/or tri-carboxylic acids having a molecular weight of less than 300 daltons, as based on the total weight of the solid material.

9. The water-soluble film of claim 8, wherein the solid material contains at least 10% by weight of citric acid in free acid equivalents, as based on the total weight of the solid material.

10. The water-soluble film of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid material contains 0.3 to 50 wt% free acid equivalent polycarboxylate polymer, as based on the total weight of the solid material.

11. The water-soluble film of claim 10, wherein the solid material comprises at least 0.3% by weight free acid equivalent of a polycarboxylate polymer selected from the group consisting of: polyacrylates, copolymers of polyacrylates, polymaleates, copolymers of polymaleates, polymethacrylates, copolymers of polymethacrylates, polymethyl methacrylate, copolymers of polymethyl-methacrylate, polyaspartate, copolymers of polyaspartate, polylactate, copolymers of polylactate, polyitaconates, copolymers of polyitaconates, and combinations thereof.

12. The water-soluble film of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid material has an average light transmittance of at least 10% over a wavelength range of 400 to 700nm, as based on a path length of 0.5cm through the solid material sample.

13. A packaged solid detergent product, wherein the solid detergent product is encapsulated by a water-soluble film according to any preceding claim.

14. A method of making the membrane of any one of claims 1-12, the method comprising:

providing a solid material comprising:

-30 to 85% by weight of free acid equivalent of aminopolycarboxylate, as based on the total weight of the solid material;

-10 to 65 wt% of one or more water soluble components, as based on the total weight of the solid material;

-5 to 20 wt% of water, as based on the total weight of the solid material;

heating the solid material to a temperature of at least 30 degrees celsius;

forming the heated solid material into a film by extruding the heated solid material or by depositing it on a surface.

15. A method of making the membrane of any one of claims 1 to 12, the method comprising:

providing an aqueous solution of the aminocarboxylate and the one or more water-soluble components, the solution containing:

-5 to 45% by weight of free acid equivalent of an aminopolycarboxylate;

-2 to 40 wt% of one or more water soluble components;

-at least 35 wt% water;

depositing the aqueous solution layer on a solid surface;

removing water from the layer of aqueous solution by evaporation to produce a layer having a water content of no more than 30 wt.%, as based on the total weight of the layer.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to water-soluble films comprising aminopolycarboxylates. More particularly, the present invention relates to a water-soluble film having a thickness of 30 to 1,000 μm, said film containing at least one layer of solid material comprising an aminopolycarboxylate salt, one or more other water-soluble components and water.

Background

Detergent products typically contain several different active ingredients, including builders, surfactants, enzymes and bleaching agents. Surfactants are used to remove stains and soils and to disperse the released components into the cleaning liquid. Enzymes help remove stubborn stains from proteins, starches, and lipids by hydrolyzing these components. Bleaching agents are used to remove stains by oxidizing the components that make up these stains. In order to reduce the adverse effect of especially calcium and magnesium ions on stain/soil removal, so-called "builders" (complexing agents) are often used in detergent products.

Commercially available detergent products, especially shaped detergent products such as tablets, are usually encased in a water-soluble protective film. These protective films are typically made of polyvinyl alcohol.

It is an object of the present invention to provide novel water-soluble films which can be used, for example, in wrap-formed detergent products, especially such films having the benefits of detergent active ingredients.

Brief description of the invention

In a first aspect of the invention, one or more of the above objects are achieved by a water-soluble film having a thickness of 30 to 1,000 μm (micrometer), said film containing at least one layer of a solid material comprising:

25 to 88 weight percent free acid equivalent of aminopolycarboxylate, as based on the total weight of the solid material;

10 to 65 wt% of one or more other water soluble components, as based on the total weight of the solid material;

2 to 25 wt% of water, as based on the total weight of the solid material.

The water-soluble film of the invention comprising a layer of solid material may be provided in a translucent or even transparent form. The water-soluble film of the present invention provides the advantage that it provides a dual function, i.e. it can act as a protective film and it provides a builder which is released quickly when the film is contacted with water.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing the water-soluble film.

A third aspect of the invention relates to a packaged solid detergent product, wherein the solid detergent product is encapsulated by the water-soluble film of the invention.

Detailed Description

Definition of

Weight percentages (wt.%), unless otherwise indicated, are based on the total weight of the solid material or the layer or the detergent product as indicated. It is understood that the total weight of the ingredients is not more than 100% by weight. Whenever an amount or concentration of a component is quantified herein, unless otherwise indicated, the quantified amount or concentration refers to the component by itself, even though such component may be added conventionally in the form of a solution or a blend with one or more other ingredients. It will be further understood that the verb "to comprise" and its conjugations are used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Finally, reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one of the elements and only one of the elements. Thus, the indefinite article "a" or "an" generally means "at least one". All measurements were made under standard conditions, unless otherwise indicated. Whenever a parameter such as concentration or ratio is considered to be less than a certain upper limit, it is understood that in the absence of a specified lower limit, the lower limit of the parameter is 0.

Unless otherwise indicated, the term "aminopolycarboxylate" includes partial acids and full acids thereof. The salts of the aminopolycarboxylates (but not the whole acids) are more preferred, with the alkali metal salts thereof being particularly preferred.

In the case where the water-soluble component is a water-soluble acid, the recited concentrations refer to concentrations expressed as free acid equivalents.

Unless otherwise indicated, the term "acid" includes partial or full alkali metal salts thereof.

The term "polycarboxylate polymer" includes fully protonated polycarboxylic acid polymers and salts thereof.

The term "solid" according to the present invention is according to its conventional usage. For example, while a glass (wineglass) is considered a solid in its conventional usage, it is an extremely viscous liquid in a strict physical sense.

The concentration expressed as weight-% of "free acid equivalents" refers to the concentration of the aminopolycarboxylate or acid expressed as weight-%, assuming that the aminopolycarboxylate or acid is only present in fully protonated form. The following table shows how the free acid equivalent concentration can be calculated for some (anhydrous) aminopolycarboxylates and (anhydrous) acid salts.

The water-soluble film according to the invention comprises a solid material, wherein the solid material preferably has an average light transmission of at least 10% in the wavelength range of 400 to 700nm, as based on a path length of 0.5cm through a (separated) sample of the solid material. Here, light transmittance is defined as the ratio between the intensity of light measured after light passes through a sample of solid material and the intensity of light measured when the sample is removed. Preferably, the film as a whole has an average light transmittance of at least 10%, as based on the thickness of the actual film. The film according to the invention has a thickness of 30 to 1,000 μm, preferably it is based on a film thickness of 50 μm.

The term "transparency" as used herein with respect to the water-soluble film of the present invention refers to the ability of light within the visible spectrum to pass through the film. A film is considered translucent if it has a maximum light transmission of at least 5% in the wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm. A light is considered transparent if it has a maximum light transmission of at least 20% in the aforementioned wavelength range. Here, the light transmittance is defined as the ratio (in%) between the intensity of light measured after the light passes through the film sample and the intensity of light measured when the film sample is removed.

Gloss (gloss) is the fraction of light reflected in the specular (mirror-like) direction. Gloss the angle of incident light for the measurement was 20 degrees to get a measurement of "high gloss finish", 60 degrees to get a measurement of "medium gloss finish", and 85 degrees to get a measurement of "matt finish". Good gloss attributes provide better visual appeal and suggest glass cleaning performance of the solid composition. These gloss values were measured using Rhopoint IQ (Goniophorometers; super Rhopoint Instruments) according to the Supplier's instructions. To measure the gloss of the solid composition, this was done on a (separate, continuous) solid composition sample having a thickness of 0.5cm, a flat, smooth surface (e.g. shaped like a disc or a flat plate), and white paper was used as background (100% recycled paper, bright white; supplier: Office depth).

Advantageously, to provide even better visual appeal, the water-soluble film has the following gloss properties:

a specular reflectance of at least 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, and even more preferably at least 60% at 20 degrees of incident light. Preferably, at most 95%, 90%, 85%, 80% and more preferably at most 75% of reflectance at 20 degrees. The most advantageous 20 degrees reflectance is from 40 to 85%, more preferably from 50 to 80%, and even more preferably from 55 to 75%.

A specular reflectance of at least 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85% at 60 degrees of incident light. Preferably, a reflectance at 60 degrees of at most 99.5%, 99.0%, 98.5% and more preferably 98.0%. The most advantageous 60 degrees is a reflectance of 50 to 99.5%, more preferably 70 to 99.0%, and even more preferably 80 to 98.5%.

A specular reflectance of at least 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, and even more preferably at least 60% at 85 degrees of incident light. Preferably, a reflectance at 85 degrees of at most 95%, 90%, 85%, 80% and more preferably at most 75%. The most advantageous 85 degree reflectance is from 40 to 85%, more preferably from 50 to 80%, and even more preferably from 55 to 75%.

Of course, it is even more advantageous that the water-soluble film has a preferred reflectance (i.e., has a good high gloss finish and a good medium gloss finish and a good matte finish) combined at 20, 60, and 85 degrees.

Aminopolycarboxylates

Aminopolycarboxylates are well known in the detergent industry and are sometimes referred to as aminocarboxylate chelants. They are generally considered to be strong builders.

According to a preferred embodiment, the aminopolycarboxylate according to the present invention is a chiral aminopolycarboxylate. Chirality is the geometric property of a molecule caused by the molecule having at least one chiral center. Chiral molecules are not superimposable with their mirror image. The chiral aminopolycarboxylate as used in the present invention may include all molecular mirror images thereof.

Chiral and preferred aminopolycarboxylates are glutamic acid N, N-diacetic acid (GLDA), methylglycine diacetic acid (MGDA), ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS), iminodisuccinic acid (IDS), iminodimalic acid (IDM) or mixtures thereof, more preferably GLDA, MGDA, EDDS or mixtures thereof, and even more preferably GLDA and MGDA or mixtures thereof. Preferably, the aminopolycarboxylate as used in the solid material is substantially GLDA and/or MGDA. In the case of GLDA, it is preferably present predominantly (i.e. more than 80 mole%) in one of its chiral forms.

Examples of achiral aminopolycarboxylates are ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), iminodiacetic acid (IDA), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid (HEIDA), aspartic acid diethoxysuccinic Acid (AES), aspartic acid-N, N-diacetic acid (ASDA), hydroxyethylethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (HEDTA), hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid (HEEDTA), iminodifumaric acid (IDF), iminoditartaric acid (IDT), iminodimaleic acid (IDMAL), ethylenediamine difumaric acid (EDDF), ethylenediamine dimalic acid (EDDM), ethylenediamine ditartaric acid (EDDT), ethylenediamine dimaleic acid and (EDDMAL), dipicolinic acid. The achiral aminopolycarboxylate is preferably present in an amount of up to 10 wt.%, more preferably up to 5 wt.%, and even more preferably is substantially absent from the solid material of the present invention.

The solid material in the film according to the invention preferably comprises 30 to 70 wt% free acid equivalent of the aminopolycarboxylate. More preferably, the aminopolycarboxylate content is from 32 to 68 wt% free acid equivalents, and even more preferably from 35 to 60 wt% free acid equivalents.

In a preferred embodiment, the solid material comprises at least 25 wt%, more preferably at least 30 wt%, even more preferably at least 35 wt%, the composition comprising at least 30 wt% of free acid equivalent of an aminopolycarboxylate selected from the group consisting of: glutamic acid N, N-diacetic acid (GLDA), methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA), ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS), iminodisuccinic acid (IDS), iminodimalic acid (IDM), and combinations thereof.

In another preferred embodiment, the solid material contains at least 25 wt.%, more preferably at least 30 wt.%, even more preferably at least 35 wt.% free acid equivalent of an aminopolycarboxylate selected from GLDA, MGDA, EDDS and combinations thereof.

Water soluble component

The solid material present as the at least one layer of solid material preferably comprises from 10 to 62% by weight of one or more water-soluble components. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the aqueous solution comprises from 15 to 60 wt%, more preferably from 20 to 58 wt%, even more preferably from 25 to 55 wt% of one or more water soluble components.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the water-soluble component used according to the invention comprises one or more water-soluble acids other than aminopolycarboxylates. The inclusion of a water-soluble acid can reduce the hygroscopicity of the solid material. Additionally, water-soluble acids such as citric acid may be incorporated into the solid material as an additional builder component.

Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the solid material comprises at least 10 wt.%, more preferably at least 15 wt.%, even more preferably at least 20 wt.% of acid equivalents of a water-soluble acid other than an aminopolycarboxylate, the acid being selected from the group consisting of organic acids, inorganic acids and combinations thereof. The amount of acid in the solid material preferably does not exceed 55 wt%, more preferably does not exceed 50 wt% acid equivalent.

In a preferred embodiment, the water-soluble acid used according to the invention is an organic acid. Particularly good results can be obtained with organic polyacids (i.e. acids having more than one carboxylic acid group), and more particularly with organic acids which are di-or tricarboxylic acids.

The organic acid used according to the present invention preferably comprises from 3 to 25 carbon atoms, more preferably from 4 to 15 carbon atoms.

In general, any organic acid may be used, but in view of user acceptance, organic acids are preferably those which also occur naturally (such as in plants). Thus, organic acids of note are acetic acid, citric acid, aspartic acid, lactic acid, adipic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, sugar acids (saccharoic acids), salts thereof, or mixtures thereof. Of these, of particular interest are citric acid, aspartic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, gluconic acid, salts thereof or mixtures thereof. Citric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid and aspartic acid are even more preferred. Citric acid and/or its salts are particularly beneficial because, in addition to acting as a builder, they are also highly biodegradable. Thus, a more preferred solid material of the present invention comprises (and is essentially of) citric acid, a citrate salt or a mixture thereof. Generally, acids of organic acids are preferred over their alkali metal salt equivalents.

Preferably, the solid material contains at least 10 wt%, more preferably at least 15 wt%, even more preferably at least 20 wt% of free acid equivalent of a water soluble acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, aspartic acid, lactic acid, adipic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, sugar acids, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and combinations thereof.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the solid material contains at least 10 wt.%, more preferably at least 15 wt.%, even more preferably at least 20 wt.% of free acid equivalents of water-soluble di-and/or tri-carboxylic acids having a molecular weight of less than 500 daltons, more preferably less than 400 daltons, and most preferably less than 300 daltons.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the solid material contains at least 10 wt%, more preferably at least 15 wt%, even more preferably at least 20 wt% of citric acid in free acid equivalents.

Better results are obtained with certain weight ratios of aminopolycarboxylate and water-soluble acid in the solid material. Thus, it is preferred that the weight ratio of aminopolycarboxylate to acid is from 1:2 to 1:0.15, preferably from 1:1.5 to 1:0.4, more preferably from 1:1.4 to 1:0.5, based on the weight of free acid equivalents.

The most preferred combination of aminopolycarboxylate salt and acid comprises a chiral aminopolycarboxylate salt and a water-soluble organic acid.

Particularly preferred is a composition comprising GLDA and citric acid; or a combination of MGDA and citric acid.

Polycarboxylate polymers are examples of another water-soluble component that is advantageously employed in the films of the present invention.

Here, the term "polycarboxylate polymer" is also used to encompass the acid form and is different from the water-soluble acids that may be present in the solid material.

The addition of polycarboxylate polymer has been shown to surprisingly further improve the plasticity of the solid material. Improved plasticity is beneficial because it makes the solid material easier to handle (mechanically) and makes it easier to prepare detergent products comprising the solid material.

Particularly good results are obtained if the solid material in the layer of solid material contains the polycarboxylate polymer in an amount of 1 to 50 wt.% (the weight being based on free acid equivalents). More preferably, the solid composition comprises 1.5 to 15 wt% polycarboxylate polymer, still more preferably in an amount of 2 to 8 wt%, such as based on free acid equivalents.

Suitable polycarboxylate polymers have an average molar mass Mw of from 500 to 500000. They may be modified or unmodified, but are preferably unmodified. Moreover, they may be copolymers or homopolymers, although homopolymers are considered more beneficial.

Surprisingly, it was observed that the hygroscopicity decreases if the solid material comprises a polycarboxylate polymer. This reduction is more pronounced if the polycarboxylate polymer used has a lower molecular weight. Reducing the hygroscopicity is of course beneficial as it helps to improve the stability of the film and generally increases the shelf life. Good results are obtained with polycarboxylate polymers having an average molar mass (Mw) of 900 to 100000, more preferably 1100 to 10000, in terms of further improvement of plasticity and hygroscopicity.

In a preferred embodiment, the solid material comprises at least 0.3 wt%, more preferably at least 0.6 wt%, even more preferably at least 1 wt% and most preferably at least 1.8 wt% of free acid equivalent of a polycarboxylate polymer selected from the group consisting of: polyacrylates, copolymers of polyacrylates, polymaleates, copolymers of polymaleates, polymethacrylates, copolymers of polymethacrylates, polymethyl methacrylate, copolymers of polymethyl-methacrylate, polyaspartate, copolymers of polyaspartate, polylactate, copolymers of polylactate, polyitaconates, copolymers of polyitaconates, and combinations thereof.

A highly preferred polycarboxylate polymer is polyacrylate. Suitable polyacrylates are commercially available, such as from BASF under the following trade names: sokalan PA 13PN, Solakan PA 15, Sokalan PA 20PN, Sokalan PA 20, Sokalan PA 25PN, Sokalan PA 30, Sokalan 30CL, Sokalan PA 40, Sokalan PA 50, Sokalan PA 70PN, Sokalan PA 80S and Sokalan PA 110S. PN represents partially neutralized and S represents the free acid form. Preferred are partially or fully neutralized polyacrylates. These commercially available polyacrylates differ in other respects than their average molar mass (higher numbers indicate higher average molar masses Mw).

Thus, highly preferred for use in the solid material is a polyacrylate having the following combination of properties:

present in an amount of from 2 to 25% by weight, based on free acid equivalents; and

it is partially or fully neutralized; and

it has an average molar mass (Mw) of 500 to 500000; and

it is a homopolymer.

From the above, it follows that even more preferred are polyacrylates having the following combination of properties:

present in an amount of from 3 to 15% by weight, based on free acid equivalents; and

it is partially or fully neutralized; and

it has an average molar mass (Mw) of from 900 to 100000; and

it is a homopolymer.

Other ingredients

The films of the present invention may suitably contain additional ingredients such as colorants, plasticizers, fragrances and the like.

According to a preferred embodiment, the membrane contains an emetic. Inclusion of an emetic in the film should ensure that ingestion of the film and the product wrapped in the film will cause emesis. Thus, potential health damage due to ingestion of toxic or corrosive components of the film and/or product may be minimized.

Water (W)

Solid material of the filmThe feed comprises from 2 to 30% by weight of water. It has surprisingly been found that the use of such a water content provides a good balance of hardness and plasticity. Depending on the water content, the solid material of the membrane may be a hard solid (water content of 2 to 20 wt.%), or a soft solid (water content above 20 to 30 wt.%). The general plastic and thermoplastic properties offer significant practical advantages, since the solid material can be (machine) processed with a low probability of breaking or forming cracks. Also, not inconsequential, it may provide an improved sensory experience when operated by a user. Better results were obtained with 5 to 25 wt% water and still better results were obtained with 6 to 20 wt% water. The latter range provides further optimal results between suitable hardness, reduced brittleness and plasticity. Water-activity (water-activity) a of the solid material_wAnd may be 0.7 or less. Water activity a of at most 0.6 is preferred_wAnd further preferably at most 0.5. Water Activity a_wA preferred lower limit of (d) may be 0.15.

pH profile

The solid material in the membrane of the invention preferably has the following pH profile: the pH of a solid material solution prepared by dissolving the solid material in water at a 1:1 weight ratio, as measured at 25 degrees celsius, is at most 10.0. Such a pH profile improves the stability of the solid material. Particularly good results are obtained for said pH profile being at most 9.0, more preferably at most 7.0. Many detergent products are generally alkaline. Therefore, for practical reasons and to increase the formulation freedom, it is preferred that the pH of the solution prepared by dissolving 1 wt% of the solid material in water is at least 5.0, and more preferably at least 6.0.

Water-soluble film

The water-soluble film of the present invention preferably has a thickness of 35 to 500 μm, more preferably 40 to 300 μm.

In addition to the layer of solid material, the water-soluble film of the present invention may suitably contain one or more further layers. The one or more further layers preferably contain a water soluble polymer, more preferably polyvinyl acetate.

The layer of solid material present in the water-soluble film typically has a thickness of at least 30 μm, more preferably from 35 to 400 μm, even more preferably from 40 to 200 μm.

Preferably, the water-soluble film of the present invention is highly translucent, as evidenced by a maximum light transmission of at least 20%, more preferably at least 30%, even more preferably at least 40% and most preferably at least 50% in the wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm.

According to another more preferred embodiment, the water-soluble film has an average light transmission of at least 10%, more preferably at least 20%, even more preferably at least 25% and most preferably at least 30% in the wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm.

Solid material

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the solid material in the layer of solid material is an amorphous solid. The solid amorphous material may contain a small amount of crystalline material, but only in such a small amount that the solid amorphous phase has a maximum light transmission of at least 5%, more preferably at least 20%, in the wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm. Most preferably, the solid amorphous material does not contain a crystalline component.

It has surprisingly been found that it is possible to prepare solid amorphous materials comprising an aminopolycarboxylate, one or more water-soluble components and water. The solid material was found to be free of crystals of aminopolycarboxylate and one or more water soluble components as measured by WAXS using the method listed in the examples. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that intermolecular interactions of the aminopolycarboxylate salt with one or more water-soluble components (although not covalently bound thereto) prevent crystallization of either of these components. Thus, another benefit of the composition according to the invention is that the composition may be free of further added crystal formation inhibitors.

The layer of solid material of the invention is preferably translucent/transparent and preferably also glossy. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the translucent or transparent solid material is amorphous and preferably also glossy. Preferably, the glass transition temperature of the solid material(T_g) Less than 30 degrees celsius, more preferably less than 20 degrees celsius, even more preferably less than 15 degrees celsius and most preferably 0 to 12 degrees celsius.

Depending on the aminopolycarboxylate and the acid used, the solid materials of the present invention may be colored and, for example, have a pale yellow hue. The transparency of such solid materials can be further improved by the addition of a relatively coloring agent, preferably a dye, to the color wheel. For example, on a color wheel, yellow is opposite to blue, and purple is opposite to green. This will make the solid material substantially more colorless, which may be preferred. It is noted that typical dyes need to be added in relatively small amounts to be effective. Therefore, it is recommended that their level is not higher than 0.5% by weight, preferably at most 0.2% by weight.

Preferably, the solid material comprises no more than 30 wt% of ingredients other than the aminopolycarboxylate salt, the polycarboxylate polymer, the acid, the colorant and water, more preferably no more than 20 wt%, still more preferably no more than 10 wt%, still even more preferably no more than 5 wt%, still even more preferably no more than 2 wt%, and still even more preferably substantially no other ingredients are present.

Method for producing solid material

A second aspect of the invention relates to a method of making a membrane as described herein before. In one embodiment of the present invention, the method of preparing a film comprises the steps of:

providing a solid material comprising:

-25 to 88 wt% free acid equivalent of aminopolycarboxylate, as based on the total weight of solid material;

-10 to 65 wt% of one or more water soluble components, such as based on the total weight of the solid material;

-2 to 25 wt% of water, as based on the total weight of the solid material;

heating the solid material to a temperature of at least 30 degrees celsius;

forming the heated solid material into a film by extruding the heated solid material or by depositing it on a surface.

According to a preferred embodiment, the solid material further comprises a polycarboxylate polymer as described herein before.

Particularly good results can be obtained with the process of the invention if the solid material comprises a water-soluble acid as described herein before.

The heating of the solid material in the method of the invention serves the purpose of softening the solid material so that it can be deformed. This softening increases as the temperature reaches a level where the material becomes a pumpable (viscous) liquid. Preferably, in this embodiment of the invention, the solid material is heated to a temperature of at least 40 degrees celsius, more preferably at least 50 degrees celsius, even more preferably at least 60 degrees celsius.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, the solid material provided is an amorphous solid material and the amorphous solid material is heated to a temperature at least 5 degrees celsius above its glass transition temperature. After extrusion or deposition of the heated solid material, the material preferably returns to an amorphous state.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the film is formed by extruding the heated solid material. Hardening of the extruded film may be accelerated by cooling the extruded film using flowing cool air.

According to another preferred embodiment, the film is formed by depositing the heated solid material on a surface. Preferably, the surface is the surface of a solid detergent product, preferably a detergent tablet.

In another embodiment, a method of making a membrane comprises the steps of:

providing an aqueous solution of an aminocarboxylate and one or more water-soluble components, the solution comprising:

-5 to 45% by weight of free acid equivalent of an aminopolycarboxylate;

-2 to 40 wt% of one or more water soluble components;

-at least 35 wt% water;

depositing a layer of the aqueous solution on a solid surface;

removing water from the aqueous layer by evaporation to produce a layer having a water content of no more than 30 wt.%, as based on the total weight of the layer.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the method according to the invention comprises:

removing water from the aqueous layer by evaporation at a temperature of at least 50 degrees celsius to produce a liquid dried (solidified) mixture having a water content of no more than 30% by weight, as based on the total weight of the liquid dried mixture; and

reducing the temperature of the dried mixture to less than 25 degrees celsius to obtain a solid material.

The aqueous solution used in the process of the invention should be homogeneous, at least in terms of the aminopolycarboxylate salt, the one or more water-soluble components and water. More preferably, the aqueous solution is completely homogeneous. It is therefore particularly preferred that the aqueous solution of step i. The aqueous solution provided in step i.

According to a preferred embodiment, the aqueous solution further comprises a polycarboxylate polymer as described herein before.

Particularly good results can be obtained with the process of the invention if the aqueous solution comprises a water-soluble acid as described herein before. The aqueous solution preferably comprises from 35 to 93 wt% water, more preferably from 45 to 85 wt% water.

Preferably, the water is removed from the aqueous solution by evaporation at a temperature of at least 50 degrees celsius to obtain a water content of not more than 30% by weight. Preferably, the water is removed from the aqueous solution by evaporation at a temperature of at least 70 degrees celsius and most preferably at least 95 degrees celsius.

The preferred way to remove the water is by applying sufficient heat to boil the aqueous solution. This allows for a fast removal of water, which is advantageous for obtaining the benefits of the solid material according to the invention. Thus, the removal of water may be by any suitable method, but preferably the removal of water is-equivalent to or faster than boiling under otherwise standard ambient conditions.

Detergent product

A third aspect of the invention relates to a packaged solid detergent product, wherein the solid detergent product is encapsulated by a water-soluble film according to the invention.

The solid detergent product is preferably a shaped detergent product, more preferably a detergent tablet.

Preferably, the solid detergent product is a dishwasher detergent product, a laundry detergent product or a toilet bowl gasket (toilet rim-block) detergent product. Most preferably, the shaped detergent product is a dishwasher detergent product.

The detergent products of the invention may be present in any one or more suitable shapes, such as one or more visually distinct layers, lines (e.g., bars, rods), spheres or cube shapes, or combinations thereof.

In a preferred embodiment, the detergent product is a unit dose detergent product.

In a preferred embodiment, the packaged detergent product, including the film, has a basis weight of from 5 to 50 grams, more preferably from 10 to 30 grams, even more preferably from 12 to 25 grams.

The detergent product may comprise one or more other detergent ingredients selected from surfactants, builders, enzymes, enzyme stabilizers, bleaches, bleach activators, bleach catalysts, bleach scavengers, drying aids, silicates, metal conditioners, colorants, perfumes, lime soap dispersants, anti-foaming agents, anti-tarnishing agents, anti-corrosion agents, laundry detergents,surface active agentAnd other builders.

Builder

The detergent product may suitably comprise one or more aminopolycarboxylates as hereinbefore described. These aminopolycarboxylates are commonly used as builders in detergent products.

Other builder materials may be selected from 1) calcium sequestrant materials, 2) deposition materials, 3) calcium ion-exchange materials, and 4) mixtures thereof.

Examples of calcium sequestrant builder materials include alkali metal polyphosphates, such as sodium tripolyphosphate, and organic sequestrants, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Examples of precipitating builder materials include sodium orthophosphate and sodium carbonate. Preferably, the detergent product comprises sodium carbonate in the range of 5 to 50 wt%, more preferably 10 to 35 wt%.

Examples of calcium ion exchange builder materials include various types of water-insoluble crystalline or amorphous aluminosilicates, of which zeolites are the most well known representatives, such as zeolite ｃA, zeolite B (also known as zeolite P), zeolite C, zeolite X, zeolite Y and the P-type zeolites described in EP- ｃA-0,384,070.

The detergent product may also contain 0-65% of a builder or complexing agent, such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic acid, alkyl-or alkenylsuccinic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid or other builders as described below. Many builders are simultaneously bleach stabilizers by virtue of their ability to complex metal ions. Zeolites and carbonates (including bicarbonates and sesquicarbonates)) are preferred additional builders.

The builder may be a crystalline aluminosilicate, preferably an alkali metal aluminosilicate, more preferably a sodium aluminosilicate. This is typically present at a level of less than 15 wt%. Aluminosilicates are materials having the general formula: 0.8-1.5M₂O.Al₂O₃.0.8-6SiO₂Wherein M is a monovalent cation, preferably sodium. These materials contain some bound water and need to have a calcium ion exchange capacity of at least 50mg CaO/g. Preferred sodium aluminosilicates contain 1.5-3.5 SiO in the above formula₂And (4) units. They can be easily prepared by reaction between sodium silicate and sodium aluminate, as fully described in the literature. The ratio of surfactant to aluminosilicate (when present) is preferably greater than 5:2, more preferably greater than 3: 1.

Alternatively, or in addition to aluminosilicate builders, phosphate builders may be used. In the present invention, the term "phosphate" includes diphosphate, triphosphate and phosphonate species. Other forms of builders include silicates, such as soluble silicates, metasilicates, layered silicates (e.g., SKS-6 from Hoechst). Preferably, however, the detergent product is a non-phosphate built detergent product, i.e. contains less than 1 wt% phosphate, and preferably is substantially free of phosphate.

In view of environmental concerns associated with the use of high levels of phosphorus-based builders in detergent compositions, it is preferred that the detergent product according to the invention comprises at most 5 wt%, more preferably at most 1 wt% of phosphorus-based builder, and in particular is substantially free of phosphorus-based builder. Examples of phosphorus-based builders are 1-hydroxyethane-1, 1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), diethylenetriaminepentakis (methylenephosphonic acid) (DTPMP), ethylenediaminetetra-methylenephosphonate (EDTMP), tripolyphosphate, pyrophosphate.

Alkali metal carbonates are of interest for their dual function as builders and buffers, and are preferably present in detergent products. Preferred amounts of alkali metal carbonate in the detergent product, if present, are from 2 to 75 wt%, more preferably from 3 to 50 wt%, and even more preferably from 5 to 20 wt%. Such alkali carbonate levels provide good Ca for most types of water hardness levels²⁺And Mg²⁺Ion scavenging, and other builder functions, such as providing good buffering capacity. Preferred alkali metal carbonates are sodium carbonate and/or potassium carbonate, with sodium carbonate being particularly preferred. The alkali metal carbonate present in the detergent product of the invention may be present as such or as part of a more complex ingredient (e.g. sodium carbonate in sodium percarbonate).

Surface active agent

The detergent product of the invention comprises 0.5 wt% surfactant, preferably 1 to 70 wt%, more preferably 2 to 50 wt% surfactant. The surfactant may be nonionic or anionic.

In the case of dishwasher detergent products, particularly preferred amounts of surfactants are from 0.5 to 25% by weight, preferably from 2 to 15% by weight. In the case of toilet seat detergent products, particularly preferred amounts of surfactant are from 0.5 to 55 wt%, preferably from 10 to 40 wt%. In the case of laundry detergent products, particularly preferred amounts of surfactant are from 2 to 70 wt%, preferably from 10 to 35 wt%.

The nonionic and anionic surfactants of the surfactant system may be selected from "Surface active Agents", Vol.1, Schwartz & Perry, Interscience 1949; volume 2, Schwartz, Perry & Berch, Interscience 1958; surfactants as described in the current version of "McCutcheon's emulsifiers and Detergents", published by Manufacturing conditioners Company, or "Tenside-Taschenbuch", H.Stache, 2 nd edition, Carl Hauser Verlag, 1981. Preferably, the surfactant used is saturated.

Nonionic surfactant

Suitable nonionic surfactants which may be used include in particular the reaction products of compounds having a hydrophobic group and active hydrogen atoms, such as aliphatic alcohols, acids, amides or alkylphenols, with alkylene oxides, in particular ethylene oxide alone or together with propylene oxide.

Preferably, low-foaming nonionic surfactants from the group of alkoxylated alcohols are used in particular. As nonionic surfactants, preference is given to using alkoxylated (advantageously ethoxylated), in particular primary alcohols having preferably 8 to 18C atoms and an average of 1 to 12mol of Ethylene Oxide (EO) per mole of alcohol, where the alcohol residue may be linear or preferably methyl-branched in the 2-position, or may contain linear and methyl-branched residues in the mixture, as is usually present in oxoalcohol residues. In particular, however, alcohol ethoxylates having a linear residue prepared from alcohols of natural origin having from 12 to 18C atoms (for example from coconut, palm, tallow fat or oleyl alcohol) and having an average of from 2 to 8mol EO per mol of alcohol are preferred. Preferred ethoxylated alcohols include, for example, C with 3EO to 4EO_12-14Alcohols, C with 7EO_9-12Alcohols, C with 3EO, 5EO, 7EO or 8EO_13-15Alcohols, C with 3EO, 5EO or 7EO_12-18Alcohols and mixtures of these, e.g. C with 3EO_12-14Alcohols and C with 5EO_12-19A mixture of alcohols. Preferred tallow fatty alcohols with more than 12EO have 60 to 100EO,more preferably 70 to 90 EO. A particularly preferred tallow fatty alcohol with more than 12EO is a tallow fatty alcohol with 80 EO.

Likewise particular preference is given to using nonionic surfactants from the group of alkoxylated alcohols, particular preference being given to the group of mixed alkoxylated alcohols, in particular from the group of EO-AO-EO nonionic surfactants. The surfactants preferably used originate from the group comprising alkoxylated nonionic surfactants, in particular ethoxylated primary alcohols, and also mixtures of these surfactants with structurally complex surfactants, such as polyoxypropylene/polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene (PO/EO/PO). Such (PO/EO/PO) nonionic surfactants also differ by good foam control.

The most preferred nonionic surfactants are according to the formula:

wherein n is 0 to 5 and m is 10 to 50, more preferably wherein n is 0 to 3 and m is 15 to 40, and even more preferably wherein n is 0 and m is 18 to 25. The surfactants according to this formula are used in particular for reducing spotting of dishware treated in dishwashers. Preferably, the detergent product of the invention comprises at least 50 wt% of the nonionic surfactant according to this formula. Such nonionic surfactants are commercially available, for example under the trade names Dehypon WET (supplier: BASF) and Genapol EC50 (supplier: Clariant).

The shaped detergent products of the invention preferably comprise from 0.5 to 15 wt% of nonionic surfactant. A more preferred total amount of nonionic surfactant is an amount of 2.0 to 8 wt.%, and even more preferred is an amount of 2.5 to 5.0 wt.%. The nonionic surfactant used in the detergent products of the invention may be a single nonionic surfactant or a mixture of two or more nonionic surfactants.

The nonionic surfactant is preferably present in an amount of from 25 to 90 wt%, based on the total weight of the surfactant system. The anionic surfactant may be present, for example, in an amount in the range of 5 to 40 wt% of the surfactant system.

Anionic surfactants

Suitable anionic surfactants which may be used are preferably water-soluble alkali metal salts of organic sulfuric and sulfonic acids having an alkyl group containing from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms, the term alkyl being used to include the alkyl portion of higher acyl groups. Examples of suitable synthetic anionic surfactants are sodium and potassium alkyl sulfates, especially those obtained by sulfating higher C8 to C18 alcohols (e.g., produced from tallow or coconut oil), sodium and potassium alkyl C9 to C20 benzene sulfonates, especially sodium linear secondary alkyl C10 to C15 benzene sulfonates; and sodium alkyl glyceryl ether sulfates, particularly those derived from higher alcohols of tallow or coconut oil and synthetic alcohols derived from petroleum. Preferred anionic surfactants are sodium C11 to C15 alkyl benzene sulfonates and sodium C12 to C18 alkyl sulfonates. Surfactants such as those described in EP-A-328177 (Unilever) which exhibit resistance to salting out, alkyl polyglycoside surfactants and alkyl monoglycosides as described in EP-A-070074 are also suitable.

Bleaching system

It is preferred that the shaped detergent product according to the invention comprises at least 5 wt%, more preferably at least 8 wt%, and even more preferably at least 10 wt% of bleach, based on the total weight of the product. The bleaching agent preferably comprises a chlorine-, or bromine-releasing agent or a peroxy compound. Preferably, the bleaching agent is selected from the group consisting of peroxides (including peroxide salts, such as sodium percarbonate), organic peracids, salts of organic peracids and combinations thereof. More preferably, the bleaching agent is a peroxide. Most preferably, the bleaching agent is percarbonate.

The shaped detergent products of the present invention may contain one or more bleach activators, such as peroxyacid bleach precursors. Peroxyacid bleach precursors are well known in the art. By way of non-limiting example, mention may be made of N, N, N ', N' -Tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED), Sodium Nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate (SNOBS), sodium benzoyloxybenzenesulfonate (SBOBS) and cationic peroxyacid precursors (SPCC), as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,015.

Preferably, the shaped detergent product comprises a bleach catalyst. Particularly preferred are bleach catalysts as manganese complexes, such as Mn-Me TACN, as described in EP-A-0458397, and/or sulphoimides of US-A-5,041,232 and US-A-5,047,163. It is advantageous that the bleach catalyst is physically separated from the bleach in the detergent product (to avoid premature bleach activation). Cobalt or iron catalysts may also be used.

Enzyme

The shaped detergent product of the invention further preferably comprises one or more enzymes selected from the group consisting of: proteases, alpha-amylases, cellulases, lipases, peroxidases/oxidases, pectate lyases and mannanases. Particularly preferred are proteases, amylases, or combinations thereof. If present, the level of each enzyme is from 0.0001 to 1.0 wt%, more preferably from 0.001 to 0.8 wt%.

Silicates of acid or alkali

Silicates are known detergent ingredients and are typically included to provide dishwashing care benefits and to reduce dish corrosion. Particularly preferred silicates are sodium disilicate, sodium metasilicate and crystalline layered silicates or mixtures thereof. If present, the total amount of silicate is preferably from 1 to 15 wt%, more preferably from 2 to 10 wt%, and even more preferably from 2.5 to 5.0 wt%, based on the weight of the shaped detergent product.

Perfume

Preferably, the shaped detergent products of the present invention comprise from 0.0001 to 8 wt%, more preferably from 0.001 to 4 wt% and even more preferably from 0.001 to 1.5 wt% of one or more colorants, perfumes or mixtures thereof.

The perfume is preferably present in the range of 0.1 to 1 wt%. Many suitable examples of perfumes are provided in the CTFA published by CFTAPublifications (Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association)1992International layers Guide and the OPD 1993chemical layers Directory 80th annular Edition published by Schnell Publishing Co. In the perfume mixture, preferably 15 to 25% by weight is top notes. Top notes are defined by Poucher (Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists 6(2):80[1955 ]). Preferred headnotes are selected from the group consisting of citrus oils, linalool, linalyl acetate, lavender, dihydromyrcenol, rose oxide and cis-3-hexanol.

Shading dye

In particular, for laundry detergent compositions according to the present invention, it is preferred that they comprise a hueing dye. For example, shading dyes are added to laundry detergent formulations to enhance the whiteness of fabrics. The shading dye is preferably a blue or violet dye which is substantive to the fabric. Mixtures of hueing dyes may be used and are in fact preferred for the treatment of mixed fibre fabrics. Preferred amounts of hueing dye are from 0.00001 to 1.0 wt%, preferably from 0.0001 to 0.1 wt%, and especially from 0.001 to 0.01 wt% are preferred. Hueing dyes are discussed in WO2005/003274, WO2006/032327, WO2006/032397, WO2006/045275, WO2006/027086, WOO2008/017570, WO 2008/141880, WO2009/132870, WO2009/141173, WO 2010/099997, WO 2010/102861, WO2010/148624, WO2008/087497 and WO 2011/011799.

The invention will now be illustrated by the following non-limiting examples.

Examples

Analytical method

X-ray diffraction (XRD)

XRD is used to detect the presence of crystalline material in solid materials using wide angle X-ray scattering techniques (WAXS). XRD was performed using a D8 Discover X-ray diffractometer (Activa No.: 114175) from Bruker AXS. XRD measurements were performed using the following settings:

	2θ(7-55°)
		θ1	7.000
θ2	10.000/25.000/40.000
		x-ray generator (kV/. mu.A)	50/1000
Time (seconds)	300
		Collimator (mm)	1
Distance detector (cm)	32.5
		Tube anode	Cu

Differential scanning calorimetry

The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the solid material was measured using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The equipment used for DSC analysis was a Perkin Elmer Power compensated DSC8000 equipped with Intracololer III as a cooling tool. A stainless steel sample pan was used, which was supplied with the equipment by the supplier and filled with the material to be analyzed according to the supplier's instructions. The amount of material added to the sample pan (sample weight) was 10 to 40 mg. The following settings were used in the measurement runs:

the Tg of the sample was measured with a second heating (i.e., the last heating step in the DSC temperature protocol).