Soap-based detergent formulations: XIII. Formulations with alpha-olefin sulfonates as lime soap dispersants

Heavy duty household type detergents were formulated from tallow soap-AOS(α-olefin sulfonate)-builder combinations. Various commercial AOS samples were evaluated. These were derived either from closely fractionated α-olefins such as C₁₄, C₁₆, and C₁₈ or from samples representing broader mol wt ranges such as C₁₄−C₁₆ and C₁₆−C₁₈. The builders incorporated into these combinations were a sodium silicate (Na₂O∶SiO₂=1∶1.6), sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium citrate, sodium carbonate, and trisodium nitrilotriacetate. Detergency evaluations of 0.2% solutions in 300 ppm hard water (as CaCO₃) were determined with three commercial soiled cloths and by a multiwash test in which clean cloth was repeatedly soiled and washed. The relative proportions of soap, AOS, and builder were varied to obtain maximum detergency, and comparisons were made to other soap-LSDA (lime soap dispersing agents)-builder combinations as well as to a commercial high phosphate detergent used as a control. Detergency performance of soap-AOS combinations ranked just below that of the commercial high phosphate detergent control and below that of soap formulations containing sodium methyl α-sulfotallowate. Presented at the AOCS meeting, Philadelphia, September 1974.