Development of a phosphate-free home laundry detergent

A group of multifunctional surfactants was synthesized in order to arrive at materials which might function well in hard water. The salts of alkylaryl sulfopropionates, ; alkylaryl sulfonamides of taurine R-C6H4-SO2NHCH2CH2SO3Na; and the alkylaryl sulfonamide of aminoethylsulfuric acid R-C6H4-SO2NHCH2CH2OSO3Na were found to be quite effective. These compounds were synthesized via conventional routes and their biodegradability was established. These materials were formulated into the detergents with the aid of various organic and inorganic builders other than condensed phosphates. The detergency of these materials was evaluated with the aid of standard test cloths. Analogously formulated detergents based upon linear alkylbenzenesulfonate were also included for comparison in this evaluation study. It was found that a number of fairly satisfactory phosphate-free heavy duty detergent formulations could be developed.