Acidic, phosphate-free plastic cleaner composition with reduced mild steel equipment etch for cleaning plastic parts

7,091,166

10/102254

March 20, 2002

An aqueous liquid composition comprising water; at least one acid selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acids, hydroxycarboxylic acids, and inorganic acids other than phosphoric acid wherein the at least one acid is present in an amount from about 1.0 to about 30 milliequivalents per kilogram of total composition (“mEq/kg”); and an amphoteric surfactant wherein the amphoteric surfactant is present in an amount from about 0.01 to about 20 grams per kilogram of total composition (“g/kg”), the aqueous liquid composition having a pH from about 2.0 to about 6.1 and having a reduced etch attack on metal as compared to an aqueous composition comprising from about 1.0 to about 30 milliequivalents per kilogram of total composition (“mEq/kg”) of acids selected from the group consisting of carboxylic, hydroxycarboxylic, and inorganic acids, and not containing the amphoteric surfactant.

Held, III, Theodore D. (Grosse Pointe Farms, MI, US)

Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien (Duesseldorf, DE)

1. An aqueous liquid composition comprising: water; at least one acid selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acids, hydroxycarboxylic acids and inorganic acids other than phosphoric acid wherein the at least one acid is present in an amount from about 100 to about 3,000 milliequivalents per kilogram of total composition (“mEq/kg”); an amphoteric surfactant wherein the amphoteric surfactant is present in an amount from about 0.01 to about 20 grams per kilogram of total composition (“g/kg”), the aqueous liquid composition having a pH from about 2.0 to about 6.1; a non-ionic surfactant present in the composition in a weight percent from 5 to 50 g/kg, based on the total weight of the composition; and a hydrotrope in an amount sufficient to produce a stable homogeneous solution or dispersion of the at least one acid, the amphoteric surfactant and the non-ionic surfactant in water, the composition being substantially or entirely free from volatile organic solvents, wherein the water is present in the composition in a weight percent of about 83–89%, based on the total weight % of the composition, wherein the composition further comprises: a 45% solution of potassium hydroxide present in the composition in a weight percent about 2.5–4.6%, based on the total weight of the composition; sodium bisulfite present in the composition in a weight percent about 0.08%, based on the total weight of the composition; and the hydrotrope includes sodium cumene sulfonate present in the composition in a weight percent about 1.1–2.1%, based on the total weight of the composition.

2. An aqueous liquid composition comprising a 0.5 to 4% by weight solution of the aqueous liquid composition of claim 1 .

3. An aqueous liquid composition comprising: water; at least one acid selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acids, hydroxycarboxylic acids, and inorganic acids other than phosphoric acid wherein the at least one acid is present in an amount from about 1.0 to about 30 milliequivalents per kilogram of total composition (“mEq/kg”); an amphoteric surfactant wherein the amphoteric surfactant is present in an amount from about 0.002 to about 0.015 grams per kilogram of total composition (“g/kg”); a non-ionic surfactant present in the composition in a weight percent of about 0.03–0.058% based on the total weight of the composition; a hydrotrope present in the composition in a weight percent about 0.022–0.042%, based on the total weight of the composition; and the aqueous liquid composition having a pH from about 2.0 to about 6.1 and having a reduced etch attack on metal as compared to an aqueous composition comprising from about 1.0 to about 30 milliequivalents per kilogram of total composition (“mEq/kg”) of acids selected from the group consisting of carboxylic, hydroxycarboxylic, and inorganic acids, and not containing the amphoteric surfactant.

4. The aqueous liquid composition of claim 3 , wherein the amphoteric surfactant is present in an amount from about 0.002 to 0.010 grams per kilogram of total composition.

5. The aqueous liquid composition of claim 3 , wherein the at least one acid comprises at least one carboxylic acid.

6. The aqueous liquid composition of claim 5 , wherein the at least one acid is made up of molecules with not more than six carbon atoms with at least three total —OH and —COOH groups per molecule.

7. The aqueous liquid composition of claim 3 , wherein the amphoteric surfactant contains positively charged amine functionality and negatively charged carboxylic acid functionality at a neutral pH.

8. The aqueous liquid composition of claim 3 , further comprising 3.9–7.3 milliequivalents per kilogram of salts, the salts being selected from the group consisting of anions of carboxylic acid, anions of hydrocarboxylic acid.

9. An aqueous liquid composition consisting essentially of: water; at least one acid selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acids, hydroxycarboxylic acids, and inorganic acids other than phosphoric acid wherein the at least one acid is present in an amount of 600–1100 milliequivalents per kilogram of total composition (“mEq/kg”); an amphoteric surfactant wherein the amphoteric surfactant is present in an amount of 2.5–4.6 grams per kilogram of total composition (“g/kg”), the aqueous liquid composition having a pH from about 2.0 to about 6.1; a non-ionic surfactant present in the composition in a weight percent of 5 to 50 grams per kilogram, based on the total weight of the composition; and sodium cumene sulfonate present in the composition in a weight percent about 11–21 grams per kilogram, based on the total weight of the composition.

10. The aqueous liquid composition of claim 3 wherein the composition further comprises a 45% solution of potassium hydroxide present in the composition in a weight percent of about 0.05–0.092%, based on the total weight of the composition.

11. A method of cleaning plastic members comprising: exposing a plastic member to an aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 .

12. A method of cleaning plastic members comprising: exposing a plastic member to an aqueous liquid composition according to claim 3 .

13. A method of cleaning plastic members comprising: exposing a plastic member to an aqueous liquid composition according to claim 9 .

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