- by Maurice Dery

Despite the popularity of automatic dishwashing machines, hand dishwashing remains common among a large number of consumers.   Light duty liquid detergents (also referred to as “LDL”) are utilized for hand dish washing of kitchen utensils, plates, and other soiled food preparation items.

It is desirable for LDL compositions to exhibit not only grease removal properties, but also high foaming characteristics, as consumers generally associate the latter with the cleaning performance of the LDL.   Also, as LDL compositions come into contact with the skin of the person who is cleaning, it is essential for the LDL to be mild and non-drying to human skin.

LDL compositions typically comprise a mixture of liquid surfactants.   Many commercially available LDL compositions include one or more anionic surfactants that function as the primary cleaning component.   It has been found that the use of certain fatty amine derivatives in conjunction with certain anionic base surfactant formulations leads to improved cleaning properties when compared to prior LDL compositions, while still maintaining desirable foaming, viscosity or mildness properties.

Due to the improved cleaning abilities of these formulations, it is also possible to reduce the total surfactant content in the LDL composition while still maintaining the same level of cleaning, resulting in significant manufacturing cost savings.   It is also possible to formulate LDL containing fatty amines closer to neutral pH making them less irritating.

The paper was presented at the 97 th AOCS Meeting, St. Louis, Missouri, May 1 st 2006.