Ingredients for Home Care Applications

Ingredients for Home Care Applications


2 3

The application fields of DEQUEST® phosphonates are

derived from the following physical and chemical

properties:

• Strong sequestration of heavy transition metal ions

• Strong scale inhibition of phosphate, carbonate and

sulphate scales

• Dispersion and deflocculation of solids and lipids soils

DEQUEST® PB Inulin derivatives demonstrate their

benefits owing to:

• Excellent calcium tolerance

• Scale inhibition and dispersion properties

• Attractive environmental profile

The excellent cost effectiveness of DEQUEST®

phosphonates with these properties has led to their

widespread use in detergents or cleaners, DEQUEST®

phosphonates can be formulated to promote:

• Scale inhibition of insoluble salts (Anti-incrustation)

• Stabilization of bleaching agents, in particular peracids

and activators

• Deflocculation

• Specific stain removal

DEQUEST® PB Inulin derivatives find their use as:

• Co-builder

• Synergetic boosters for stain removal in combination

with DEQUEST® phosphonates

• Anti-incrustation additives

• glass corrosion inhibitor

• dispersant (anti-redeposition)

When the formulation must comply with some

environmental standard typically not met by regular

detergents raw materials.

DEQUEST® products can be easily formulated in liquid,

powder, granulated and tablet types of detergents. They

can be incorporated by spray-drying, spray-mixing, dry-

blending or straight mixing of liquids.

Their solubility in water is high and they show excellent

compatibility with other detergent ingredients.

The high purity of the DEQUEST® phosphonates means

that customers obtain maximum performance. Performance

is shown to be directly related to purity.

Italmatch Chemicals S.p.A.’s DEQUEST® range has been

the world’s leader in phosphonates for more than 40 years

and it is recognized as setting the quality standard in the

market. Our long manufacturing experience and stringent

process controls ensure our customers receive a consistent

quality product that does not vary from shipment to

shipment.

As a major supplier of material to the detergent industry,

Italmatch Chemicals S.p.A. can provide technical service

and assistance to customers on formulation and processing

of phosphonates and Inulin derivatives in detergents and

cleaners.

1 Introduction

2 Nomenclature

3 Chemical and physical properties of DEQUEST® phosphonates and DEQUEST® PB products

3.1 Summary tables

3.2 Sequestration

3.2.1 Stability constant

3.2.2 Peroxide and bleach stabilization

3.2.3 Enzyme compatibility

3.3 Scale inhibition

3.4 Dispersion / Deflocculation

3.5 Solubility

3.6 Hydrolitic and thermal stability

4 DEQUEST® in Home Care applications

4.1 Laundry

4.1.1. Powder detergent

4.1.2. Liquid detergent

4.1.3. Laundry additives

4.2. Dishwashing

4.3. Hard surface cleaning

5 Formulation

6 Environmental data

6.1. Environmental profile of DEQUEST® phosphonates

6.2. Environmental profile of DEQUEST® PB

6.2.1. Eco-toxicity of DEQUEST® PB

6.2.2. Biodegradability of DEQUEST® PB

6.2.3. Other environmental aspects

7 Handling

8 Quality of DEQUEST® products

1 Introduction

The Italmatch Chemicals S.p.A. DEQUEST® products

offer a unique set of ingredients for household care

products. DEQUEST® range includes phosphonates

and carboxymetyl inulin derivatives.

More than 40 years ago, DEQUEST® pioneered the

development of phosphonate based antiscalants.

DEQUEST® phosphonates have been the product of

choice for scale prevention, dispersion, bleach

stabilization, chelation and metal corrosion

inhibition in various applications for many years.

Recently, carboxymethyl inulin has been added to

the DEQUEST® line up in order to offer a

biodegradable scale inhibitor/dispersant derived

from natural source (chicory root).

TABLE OF CONTENTS


4 5

3 Chemical and physical properties of DEQUEST® phosphonates and carboxymethyl Inulin based products

3.1 - Summary tablesDEQUEST® 2010/2016/2016D/2016DG phosphonates

Chemical name:

1-Hydroxymethylene (1.1 diphosphonic acid) (HEDP)

Chemical structure:

HO

OH

OHP

O

OH

P

O CH3

C

OH

TABLE 4: DEQUEST® 2010 SERIES

PrOduCTdEQuEST® 2010 dEQuEST® 2016 dEQuEST® 2016d dEQuEST® 2016 dG

HEdP NA4HEdP NA4HEdP NA4HEdP

PHyS

ICA

L Pr

OPE

rTIE

S

Product form Acid solution Tetrasodium salt solu-tion

Tetrasodium salt powder

Tetrasodium salt granule

Appearance Clear to pale yellow aqueous solution

Clear to pale yellow aqueous solution

White free flowing powder

White free flowing granule

Molecular weight 206 294 294 294

Mean particle size [µ] N.A. N.A. 100 min 400-800

Specific gravity @ 20ºC 1.45 1.31 0.65-0.95 g/cm³ (bulk

density)0.65-1.0 g/cm³ (bulk density)

Freezing point [ºC] -25DEQUEST® 2016 should be maintained above

+5ºC at all timeN.A. N.A.

CH

EMIC

AL

PrO

PErT

IES

Active content 60 % as acid 21% as acid30% as salt

59% as acid84% as salt 59% as acid

pH (1% @ 25ºC) 2.0 max 10-12 11-12 11-12

Chloride [%] <0.1 - - -

Iron [ppm Fe] <20 <20 <20 <35

Moisture [%] N.A. N.A. 6-10 13 max

2 Nomenclature

2.1 – PhosphonatesDEQUEST® phosphonates are divided into amino-

phosphonates and non-amino phosphonates.

Table 1 shows the various grades of amino phosphonates;

table 2 shows the various grades of non-amino

phosphonates. They are sold as liquid or free-flowing

powders and/or granules. These liquids or solid grades can

be obtained as acids or salts, which offer application in

liquid and powder detergents and cleaners.

TABLE 1: DEQUEST® AMINO-PHOSPHONATES

AMINO BACkBONE dEQuEST® SErIES

Ammonia DEQUEST® 2000

Ethylenediamine DEQUEST® 2040

Hexamethylenediamine DEQUEST® 2050

Diethylenediamine DEQUEST® 2060

TABLE 2: DEQUEST® NON-AMINO PHOSPHONATES

CHEMICAL TyPE dEQuEST® SErIES

1-Hydroxyethylene (1,1-diphosphonic acid) DEQUEST® 2010

2-Phosphono 1,2,4-butanetricarboxylic acid DEQUEST® 7000

2.2 – Carboxymethyl InulinDEQUEST® PB are derived from Inulin, a natural substance

extracted from chicory. Each fructose and the terminal

glucose unit carry 3 reactive groups, which can be

substituted into carboxymethyl groups; practically, 3

degrees of substitution are produced: 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5

TABLE 3: DEQUEST® CARBOXYMETHYL INULINAvErAGE SuBSTITuTION

DEgrEE pEr fruCtoSE unit (DS) dEQuEST® PB SErIES

1.5 DEQUEST® PB 11615

2 DEQUEST® PB 11620

2.5 DEQUEST® PB 11625


6 7

DEQUEST® 2060S / 2066 / 2066A / 2066C2 / 4066 phosphonates

Chemical name:

Diethylenediaminepenta (methyl phosphonic acid)

(DTPMPA)

Chemical structure:

HO

HO

PCH2

PCH2

CH2

P

O

O

NCH2CH2NCH2CH2N

CH2P

CH2P

O

OH

OH

OH

OH

O

O

HO

HO

HO OH


PrOduCT

dEQuEST® 2060S

dEQuEST® 2066A

dEQuEST® 2066 dEQuEST® 2066C2 dEQuEST®

4066

dTPMPA dTPMPA.PN Na7dTPMPA Na7dTPMPA Na7dTPMPA

PHyS

ICA

L Pr

OPE

rTIE

S

Product form Acid solution Partly neutralized sodium salt solution

Heptasodium salt solution

Concentrated heptasodium salt solution

Heptasodium salt proprietary granule

AppearanceClear, brown

aqueous solution

Clear, dark amber aqueous solution

Clear amber aqueous solution

Clear amber aqueous solution

Off-white granule

Molecular weight 573 ~617 727 727 727

Mean particle size [µ] N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. 150 min

Specific gravity @ 20ºC 1.42 1.41 1.29 1.40 600-800 kg/m³

(bulk density)

Freezing point [ºC] -25 -20 -14 <-15 N.A.

CH

EMIC

AL

PrO

PErT

IES

Active content 50% as acid 47% as acid 25% as acid32% as salt 32% as acid 22% as acid

pH (1% @ 25ºC) <2 2-3 6-8 6-8 6-8

Chloride [%] <5 <5 <5 <5 <5

Iron [ppm Fe] <20 <20 <20 <20 <20

Moisture [%] N.A. N.A. N.A. N.A. 4-6

DEQUEST® 2046 / 2047 phosphonates

Chemical name:

ethylenediaminetetra (methylphosphonic acid)

(EDTMPA)

Chemical structure:

HO

HO

PCH2

PCH2

O

O

N(CH2)2N

CH2P

CH2P

O

O

OH

OH

OH

OHHO

HO


PrOduCTdEQuEST® 2046 dEQuEST® 2047

Na5EdTMPA Na3Ca2,5EdTMPA

PHyS

ICA

L Pr

OPE

rTIE

S

Product form Pentasodium salt solution Sodium/Calcium salt powder

Appearance Clear to pale yellow aqueous solution Off-white free flowing powder

Molecular weight 546 597

Mean particle size [µ] N.A. 100 min

Specific gravity @ 20ºC 1.32 475-900 kg/m³ (bulk density)

Freezing point [ºC] -14 NA

CH

EMIC

AL

PrO

PErT

IES

Active content 25% as acid31% as salt 32-36% as acid

pH (1% @ 25ºC) 6-8 11-13

Chloride [%] <5 17-20

Iron [ppm Fe] <20 <20

Moisture [%] N.A. 14-17.5

DEQUEST® 2047 can also be supplied as granule


8 9

3.2 – Sequestration

3.2.1 – Stability constantsThey are presented as indicative, since these data come

from different sources and are not obtained under the

same experimental conditions.

In practical situations, these values can possibly be helpful

to rationalize observations, but are of limited use when it

comes to quantitative prediction of actual effects.

TABLE 8: STABILITY CONSTANT LOGARITHM OF SELECTED DEQUEST® PHOSPHONATES, DEQUEST® PB AND OTHER

CHELANTS.

Ca++ Mg++ Fe++ Cu++ Zn++

HEdP (dEQuEST® 2010) 7.1 4.8 16.21 12.6 10.6

EdTMPA (dEQuEST® 2040) 10.2 9.3 21.7 18.3

dTPMPA (dEQuEST® 2060) 10.7 10.8 25.3 20.1

CMI (dEQuEST® pB) 5.0 – 6.0

NTA 6.4 5.5 15.8 12.7 10.4

STPP 5.2 5.5 9.8 9.7

Citric Acid 3.5 2.8 11.8 6.1 4.5

EdTA 10.7 8.8 25.0 18.8 16.5

DEQUEST® phosphonates show on average high chelation

power for transition metals and higher values than STPP,

NTA or citric acid when it comes to Alkaline Earth ion

chelation.

The high chelation constants for transition metals make

DEQUEST® phosphonates ideal for peroxide bleach

stabilization. Moreover, phosphonates are stable in

oxygenated bleach environment, unlike the

aminocarboxylates, EDTA and NTA which loose their

chelation power under these conditions (see the section

peroxide and bleach stabilization).

DEQUEST® PB Carboxymethyl Inulin

Three DEQUEST® PB grades are commercially available as

carboxymethyl inulin solutions with carboxymethylation

degree ranging from 1.5 to 2.5. Additional grades are

available upon request.

Chemical name: sodium carboxymethyl inulin (NaCMI)

Chemical structure:

HO

CH2OH

CH2

O

O

OH

HO

OH

OCH2CO2Na+

OH

HOCH2

CH2OCH2CO2Na+

CH2OH

O

O

n

OH

O

TABLE 7: DEQUEST® PB SERIES

PrOduCTdEQuEST® pB 11615 dEQuEST® PB 11620 dEQuEST® pB 11625

NaCMI NaCMI NaCMI

PHyS

ICA

L Pr

OPE

rTIE

S

Product form Sodium salt solution Sodium salt solution Sodium salt solution

Appearance Brown liquid Brown liquid Brown liquid

Molecular weight ~2000 ~2000 ~2000

Specific gravity @ 20ºC 1.2-1.3 1.2-1.3 1.2-1.3

Dynamic viscosity (mp.s @ 20°C) ~25 ~10 ~7

CH

EMIC

AL

PrO

PErT

IES

Active content 25 % min as sodium salt 20 % min as sodium salt 15 % min as sodium salt

Carboxymethylation degree 1.5 2 2.5

pH @ 25ºC 7-10 7-10 7-10

Chloride [%] 8 max 8 max 10 max

Three “light colour” grades of DEQUEST® PB are also available for formulations where dark colour is not suited. These are DEQUEST® PB 11615D, 11620D and 11625D.


10 11

On the other hand, DEQUEST® PB exhibits good

effectiveness at molar ratio between 0.005 and 0.015

depending on the degree of substitution.

3.4 – Deflocculation / DispersionDEQUEST® Products are excellent deflocculation agents of

colloidal suspensions. In detergent applications, they

stabilize particulate soil in the wash liquor and combined

with other anti-redeposition agents contribute to the anti-

greying effect, or the build-up of dingy soil.

Figure 5 illustrates this effect by measuring the rate of

sedimentation of kaolin clay (a major soil ingredient) in a

graduated Imhoff cone. In the experiments, 1 g/l of kaolin

was dispersed in tap water with a calcium hardness of 150

ppm adjusted at pH 10 with NaOH and in the presence of

0.15 % of the dispersant “as is”.

FIGURE 5: EFFECT OF DEQUEST® PRODUCTS ON KAOLIN

DISPERSION AT pH 10.

Kaolin dispersion - 1 % Kaolin Dispersed with 0.15 % dispersant "as is" at pH 10

0102030405060708090

100

NaOH D. 2016 D. 2066 D. PB 11620 D. PB 11625 AA/MACopolymer

Susp

end

ed m

ater

ial [

%]

3.5 - SolubilityDEQUEST® phosphonic acids and their salts are usually

soluble in water and insoluble in organic solvents. Dry

DEQUEST® grades such as DEQUEST® 2016D and the

DEQUEST® 4000 series are quickly dissolved in water.

They can also form oversaturated solutions which can be

stable for years. For this reason, it can be difficult to

establish thermodynamic solubility.

3.5.1 - AcidsThe solubility of the acid form of HEDP

(DEQUEST® 2010) in water or acids is very high. The active

acid of DEQUEST® 2060S is soluble at 50% concentration

in very strong acids only, e.g. 15% HCl. More dilute

solutions can be formed in aqueous systems.

3.5.2 - Sodium saltsIn general, solubility constants of DEQUEST® 2046 and

2066 sodium salts diminish with increasing pH and

neutralization degree. The commercial 25% solutions – as

active acid – at pH 7 come very close to this solubility

limit. The solubility of these salts can be significantly

reduced in the presence of anions such as sulphates,

phosphates, chlorides, etc.

3.5.3 - Dry gradesDry DEQUEST® grades such as DEQUEST® 2016D and

2016DG are readily dissolved in water.

3.6 – Hydrolytic and Thermal stabilityDEQUEST® phosphonates have excellent hydrolytic

stability compared with inorganic polyphosphates. This

property is linked to the extraordinary stability of the C-P

bond. Phosphonates can be used in hot or cold water at

very high or very low pH for many hours without any trace

of decomposition.

DEQUEST® PB grades exhibit good thermal stability and do

not undergo hydrolysis in pH ranging from slightly acidic

to strongly alkaline. DEQUEST® PB is not suitable for acidic

formulation.

3.2.2 – Peroxide and bleach stabilizationHeavy metal compounds of elements such as iron,

manganese and copper catalyze the decomposition of

hydrogen peroxide and bleach system. To prevent this

decomposition, the control of heavy metals is required.

DEQUEST® phosphonates are excellent chelants which

offer excellent stabilization of bleach systems during the

bleaching process itself in the wash liquid as well as in the

packaging, during the shelf life of the product itself.

FIGURE 1: SHELF LIFE STABILIZATION OF PERBORATE/TAED

SYSTEM -ACTIVATED P.FREE DETERGENT RT – STABILIZER

DEQUEST® 2066 AT 0.5% AS ACTIVE ACID.

Days

Blank

Shel

f lif

e (%

)

0 1050

100

90

80

70

60

20 30 40 50

DEQUEST® 2066

FIGURE 2: PERBORATE/TAED STABILISATION 700 ppm

PERBORATE, 300 ppm TAED, 35 ppm STABILISER, 2 ppm

FE, pH 10, 40 C

0

20

40

60

80

100

0 20 40 60

Time [min]

Rem

ain

ing

Per

oxi

de

[%]

BlankEDTAD. 2066D. 2010

Figure 2 demonstrates the relative peracetate stabilization

effect under alkaline conditions for various sequestrants at

two temperatures. The peracetate species formed by

reaction of sodium perborate or sodium percarbonate and

TAED in water are very sensitive to the presence of low

levels of transition or heavy metals. DEQUEST® 2066 is

clearly superior to the other sequestrants, it keeps its

sequestration power at both temperatures 40°C and 60°C.

Aminocarboxylates such as EDTA and DTPA are more

susceptible to N-oxydation than are aminophosphonates,

which is the probable reason of their poor performance.

3.2.3 – Enzyme compatibilityAlthough chelant might have a detrimental effect on the

efficiency of enzyme contained in detergent, the DEQUEST®

2060 and DEQUEST® PB series do not affect enzymatic

efficiency. Furthermore, none of the standard DEQUEST®

grades have shown a negative influence on the new generation

of amylase (Stainzyme 121).

FIGURE 3: ENZYME STABILITY - INFLUENCE OF THE

CHELANT ON THE ENZYMATIC STAIN REMOVAL

PERFORMANCE AFTER 22 WEEKS OF STORAGE AT RT

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Initials After 22 weeks

Stai

n R

emo

val

No Enzyme

No chelant

PB 12625D

DQ 2016

DQ 2066C2

3.3 – Scale inhibitionDEQUEST® phosphonates and DEQUEST® PB are effective

scale inhibitors. Unlike other chelants, DEQUEST® products

have the ability to inhibit scale formation at

sub-stoechiometric level (Figure 4). Accordingly, they are

cost effective scale inhibitor. The scale inhibition at sub-

stoechiometric level, known as threshold scale inhibition,

is due to the capability of the threshold agent to hinder

crystal growth by adsorbing on crystal under formation.”

FIGURE 4: CaCO3 SCALE INHIBITION AT pH 10 38° FH 60° C

0

20

40

60

80

100

0.001 0.01 0.1 1

Log (Chelant/Ca++) molar ratio)

Scal

e in

hib

itio

n (

%) Citric acid

Gluconic acid

NTA

DQ PB 11620

DQ PB 11625

DQ 2060S

DQ 2010

With DEQUEST® phosphonates, the scale inhibition

obtained at very low molar ratio (0.005 and less) is

excellent. Between the threshold and stoechiometric area

lies an area of lower solubility of calcium phosphonates

known as the turbidity region (see DEQUEST® 2010 curve).


12 13

FIGURE 8: BLEACH STABILIZATION WITH DEQUEST®

PHOSPHONATES - STANDARD P FREE DETERGENT 40°C,

20°GH - STABILIZER DEQUEST® 2066 AT 0.5 % AS ACTIVE

ACID

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

Stai

n r

emo

val (

%)

WFK Tea

Blank DEQUEST® 2066

EMPA Wine

FIGURE 9: DEQUEST® PB ADDDED TO THE WASH LIQUOR

(ppm ACTIVE) SOIL REMOVAL - BASE POWDER 6 G/L - 40°C

50 ppm DEQUEST® 2010 IN THE WASH LIQUOR -

INCREASING AMOUNT OF DEQUEST® PB

Soil removal - Base powder 6 g/l - 40°C50 ppm DEQUEST® 2010 in the wash liquor

- Increasing amount of DEQUEST® PB

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

0 50 100 150 200

DEQUEST® PB addded to the wash liquor (ppm active)

Stai

n r

emo

val (

%)

DEQUEST® PB 11615

DEQUEST® PB 11620

(3) Heavy Duty Powder:

Sodium LABS 9.7Ethoxylated fatty Alcohol 4.8Zeolite 4A 34.4Na2CO3 12.1Sodium Silicate 3.2Na2SO4 7.9Sodium Perborate Tetrahydrate 24.3TAED 3.6

4.1.2 – Bleachable stains removal in absence of bleach (HDL)

The high stability constants of metal-phosphonate

complexes are the basis for removing colour stains such

as wine, tea, coffee, etc… This well known property of

DEQUEST® Phosphonates is particularly useful in

peroxygen-free formulations such as powders for

colours or liquid detergents. This effect is less

pronounced with DEQUEST® PB although stain removal

improvement is also observed (Figure 10).

FIGURE 10: DEQUEST® IN HDL DETERGENT. REMOVAL OF

TEA AND WINE STAINS ON COTTON SWATCHES.”

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

BASE DQ 2066 DQ 2016 PB 11625 PB 11620 PB 11615

Stai

n r

emo

val (

%)

tea

wine

FIGURE 11: TEA STAIN REMOVAL - BASE HDL 10 G/L -

40°C40ºC – 30 MIN. 50 PPM DEQUEST® 2010 IN THE

WASH LIQUOR – INCREASING AMOUNT OF DEQUEST® PB.

DEQUEST® PB addded to the wash liquor (ppm active)

Stai

n r

emo

val (

%)

DEQUEST® PB 11615

DEQUEST® PB 11620

15

17

19

21

23

25

0 20 40 60 80 100

4.1.3. Laundry additivesDEQUEST® products are ingredients of choice in laundry

additives. On one hand, chlorine and oxygen bleach are

effectively stabilized by DEQUEST® 2060 and DEQUEST®

6004. On the other hand, fabric conditioner benefits from

the fragrances stabilization and preservative efficiency

enhancement brought by the DEQUEST® phosphonate.

4.2. DishwashingDEQUEST® products provide anti-filming, glass corrosion

inhibition, heating elements protection, stain removal and

bleach stabilization in automatic dishwashing detergents

(ADD).

4 DEQUEST® in home care applicationsDEQUEST® properties make them ingredients of choice for

Home Care products. Indeed, they prevent scale formation,

disperse dirt, participate to the soil removal, and hinder

bleach decomposition as well as metal corrosion. It

translates in multiple benefits in the primary and

secondary cleaning of Home Care formulations.

4.1 LaundryBecause of their ability to inhibit scale formation arising

from water hardness, DEQUEST® products prevent

incrustation of the linen and protect washing machine

heating elements. The combined dispersing and anti-

scaling actions of DEQUEST® prevent inorganic salts and

particulate soil deposition that would otherwise result in

greying of the linen (Figure 6). Of special interest is the

combined action of DEQUEST® 2010 and DEQUEST® PB

that results in very low fibre incrustation (Figure 7). On the

other hand, the DEQUEST® PB series exhibit very good

performance as anti-redeposition agent.

FIGURE 7: FIBRE INCRUSTATION PROTECTION WITH

DEQUEST® PRODUCTS (AA/MA: POLYACRYLIC/MALEIC

COPOLYMER)

Phosphate-free Powder detergent - 7.75 g/l - 25 washes at 60 °C

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

Base

Detergent

+ 2%

AA/MA

+ 4%

AA/MA

+ 0.1%

HEDP

+ 2% PB

11620

+ 4% PB

11620

+ 2% PB

11620 + 0.1%

HEDP

Ash

res

idu

e [%

]

(1) Laundry powder formulation LABS : 10Ethoxylated fatty alcohol : 5Zeolite 4A : 36Na2CO3 : 13Sodium silicate : 3.5Na2SO4 : 8.5Sodium Perborate Tetrahydrate : 20TAED : 4Fibre incrustation stabilizer : 0.1 – 4 %

FIGURE 6: COTTON FIBRES AFTER 25 WASHES WITHOUT

DEQUEST® (a) AND WITH DEQUEST® (b).

a

b

4.1.1. Powder detergentDEQUEST® products deliver enhanced cleaning and fibre

protection to powder laundry detergents. In bleach

containing detergents, the stabilization of oxygen bleach

by DEQUEST® phosphonates results in both enhanced

bleachable stain removal (Figure 8) and fibre protection.

Laundry powder detergents in general benefit from an

enhanced stain removal when formulated with DEQUEST®

products. Indeed, DEQUEST® products contribute to the

cleaning by loosening and dispersing the dirt through

chelation of metals and adsorption on particulate soil

respectively. Particulate soil removal can be improved by

the use of a an adequate combination of DEQUEST®

phosphonate and DEQUEST® PB (Figure 8).


14 15

Stain removal enhancement resulting from the use of

DEQUEST® phosphonates originates from their dispersing

action on particulate soil, bleach stabilization and

loosening of dirt by metal chelation (Figure 12 and 13).

FIGURE 12: VISUAL GRADING OF CLEANING EFFICIENCY

OF NORMAL WASH PROGRAM (55°C, 8-10° DH, FRESENIUS

FEBRUARY 2006)

8,8 9,0

9,0

8,6

6,9

8,5

2,7

8,7

8,4

6,9

0,0

1,0

2,0

3,0

4,0

5,0

6,0

7,0

8,0

9,0

10,0

Oat Flakes MincedMeat 120°C

MincedMeat 200°C

Milk Tea

Cle

anin

g S

core

(10

= m

ax.)

P-free with DEQUEST® PB Reference (IEC - B)

FIGURE 13: GRAVIMETRIC EVALUATION OF CLEANING

EFFICIENCY OF NORMAL WASH PROGRAM (55°C, 8-10°

DH, FRESENIUS FEBRUARY) 2006

99

82

99

8 11

98

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Egg/Milk Egg Yolk Starch - mix

% C

lean

ing

(10

0% =

max

.)

PF-free with DEQUEST® BP Reference (IEC-B)

Carbonates and silicates present in automatic dishwashing

product (ADD) stimulate the precipitation of water

hardness forming insoluble silicates and carbonates with

calcium and magnesium. Although Sodium

Tripolyphosphate (STPP) is still the most widely used

builder in these formulations, there is more and more R&D

effort devoted to the development of “P-Free” or “Low-P”

builder systems.

DEQUEST® phosphonates and DEQUEST® PB, owing to

their threshold scale inhibition properties, are particularly

useful to prevent the formation of large crystals of calcium

and magnesium salts which would otherwise be

responsible for filming and spotting on glass and china.

(See Figure 14 for DEQUEST® PB).

Standard ADD product :

1. With 40 % STPP

2. With 40 % Citrate

3. With 40% DEQUEST® PB 11620

4. With 50% DEQUEST® PB 11620

5. With 25% Citrate + 25% DEQUEST® PB 11620

During the dishwashing process, the glass tends to be

progressively “dissolved” in water based media. This

phenomenon is much more pronounced in soft water and

is catalyzed by pH above 9. This results in scuffed glass.

Lab experiments demonstrate that DEQUEST® PB has a

protective effect against glass corrosion occurring in the

course of the dishwashing process (Figure 15)

FIGURE 15: GLASS WEIGHT LOSS AFTER 7 HOURS

IMMERSION IN WATER

0

0.001

0.002

0.003

0.004

0.005

0.006

0.007

0.008

11°FH

22°FH

33°FH

Brand Leader from Market Base + DQ PB12625

Wei

gh

t lo

ss (

%)

Glass immersion during 7 hours with products dosed

@ 4.5 g/l in water @ 60°C Chelants are added as

6.5 %w of the Base

4.3. - Hard surface cleaningThe combined dispersion and chelating properties of

DEQUEST® phosphonates make them valuable grease

cleaning booster. The DEQUEST® phosphonates and

DEQUEST® PB ability to prevent spotting and filming is of

special interest for glass and metal cleaning. For the latter,

DEQUEST® 2000 and DEQUEST® 2010 provides mild

stainless corrosion inhibition. Bleach containing cleaners

benefit from the presence of DEQUEST® 2060 or

DEQUEST® 6004 for oxygen and chlorine bleach

stabilization respectively. Bleach free cleaners take

advantage of DEQUEST® phosphonates that bring

additional cleaning power especially on coloured stains

such as tea, coffee, wine…

5 Formulations

5.1 - LiquidsWhen DEQUEST® phosphonates or DEQUEST® PB

carboxymethyl Inulin are used in liquid detergent

formulations, they are most easily formulated by mixing a

liquid grade DEQUEST® or DEQUEST® PB into the detergent.

The pH can be adjusted with caustic or triethanolamine

after mixing. Italmatch Chemicals S.p.A. supply

concentrated DEQUEST® grades, DEQUEST® 2060S (50%

active) and DEQUEST® 2010 (60% active), which provide a

better flexibility in liquid applications than do the

conventional phosphonate salt solutions.

5.2 - Powders, granules and tabletsDEQUEST® phosphonates and DEQUEST® PB

carboxymethyl Inulin can be applied in granulated or

powder detergents by direct mixing of a solution in the

crutcher or by spray-drying the neutral or alkaline solution

on a granular detergent base. Some precautions should be

taken in these processes. When phosphonates or

carboxymethyl Inulin are sprayed on a granulate detergent

base, the perborate or percarbonate should be added

after the spraying of DEQUEST® or DEQUEST® PB. The

thermal stability of DEQUEST® and DEQUEST® PB are high

enough to allow spray-drying in any type of equipment

without adverse effects.

DEQUEST® phosphonates can also be incorporated by

post-addition of powders or granules. In this case, no

special precautions other than the standard product safety

handling procedures have to be taken. Italmatch Chemicals

S.p.A. can supply DEQUEST® phosphonate powders or

granules with a granulometry typical for detergent

powders.

The following solid grades of DEQUEST® phosphonates

are available for detergent applications:

DEQUEST® 2016D: powder form of DEQUEST® 2016

DEQUEST® 2016DG: granular form of DEQUEST® 2016


16 17

FIG 16: DAPHNIA IMMOBILISATION TEST (OECD 202).

EFFECT CONCENTRATION (EC) AFTER 48 H.

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

EC 0 EC 50 EC 100

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n (

mg

/l)

PB 11620PB 11615PB 11610

6.2.2.Biodegradability of DEQUEST® PBSubstances that qualify as inherently biodegradable are

assumed to be degradable in the natural environment. The

Semi-Continuous Activated Sludge (SCAS) test (OECD

302A) is used to determine inherent biodegradability.

All DEQUEST® PB products satisfy the criteria (daily

degrading >20%) for inherently biodegradable

substances.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

% B

iod

egra

dat

ion

PB 11610 PB 11615 PB 11620

FIG.17 DAILY DEGRADATION IN OECD 302 SCAS TEST

The inherent biodegradability gives the product a certain

amount of microbiological stability. This is especially

important in systems in which the product stays in the

system over a period of time because it is recirculated. Far

fewer preservatives are used then with readily

biodegradable products, and lower doses are sufficient.

The results in the simulation test correspond with the

findings for carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), which has

proved to be completely mineralised in sewage water

treatment systems (1).

A study conducted by Sieger and others (2) showed that

during the degrading of carboxymethyl cellulose,

intermediaries released up to a concentration of 1 g/l had

no toxic effects on Daphnia. Given the similarity of the

structures, it can be reasonably anticipated that DEQUEST®

PB degradation products exhibit a similar low toxicity

profile.

AKZO NOBEL – Environmental fate of CMC Sieger, C.H.N., Kroon, A.G.M., Batelaan, J.G. & van Ginkel, C.G. in Biodegradation of carboxymethyl cellulose by Agrobacterium CM-1. Carbohydrate Polymers, 27, 137-143, (1995)

6 Environmental Data

6.1 - Environmental profile of DEQUEST® phosphonatesPhosphonates are not readily biodegradable in laboratory

semi-continuous activated sludge tests, but in more realistic

die away rivers tests they are rapidly degraded in sunlight

in the presence of ferric ions.

They are also degraded in soil, species of Pseudomonas

have been shown to be able to feed on phosphonates.

They do not bio-accumulate in aquatic species and are

rapidly eliminated by fish.

They can be eliminated from waters by classical water

treatment with aluminium sulphate or lime; treatment of

drinking water by chlorine or ozone also destroys

phosphonates.

Mobilization of heavy metals from sediments is extremely

low and phosphonates partition rapidly to sediments from

water.

6.2. Environmental profile of DEQUEST® PBThe good environmental profile of DEQUEST® PB makes

carboxymethyl Inulin an excellent formulation ingredient

for detergents designed to meet the requirements of the

European Eco-label or other special industry or national

environmental standards.

6.2.1. Eco-toxicity of DEQUEST® PBTable 9 provides an overview of the aquatic toxicity of

DEQUEST® PB products for bacteria, daphnia and fish. The

tests were conducted in accordance with OECD standard

guidelines.

TABLE 9: ECO-TOXICITY OF DEQUEST® PB 11620 FOR AQUATIC ORGANISMS

OrGANISM TOxICITy TEST

Effect mg.l-1

Bacteria EC10 > 10000 DIN 38412

daphnia EC0 (t 48h) 2000 OECD 202

EC50 (t 24h) 5500 OECD 202

EC50 (t 48h) 2900 OECD 202

Fish LC0 (t 96h) > 10000 OECD 203

No toxicity was found for either bacteria (Pseudomonas

Putida) or for the zebra fish, using the maximum applied

concentration of 10 g/l.

Given that daphnia is the most sensitive organism, the

influence of the derivation level (DS) on the toxicity for

this organism was studied. The results are shown in fig. 9.

It can be concluded that the toxicity (indicated by the

immobilisation) increases with an increase in the

derivation level. However, the aquatic toxicity of the highly

substituted DEQUEST® PB 11620 is extremely low (factor

10-20) compared to that of polyacrylates.


18 19

8 Quality of DEQUEST® productsDEQUEST® products are covered by certification to quality

standard ISO 9002.

In addition, the Newport (UK) Dequest manufac-turing site

is certified to the Environment Management System

Standard ISO 14001. It also participates in the European

Community EMAS regulation (Eco Management Audit

Scheme) which requires independent verification of

environmental performance.

6.2.3 - Other environmental aspectsIn a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), products with comparable

functions are evaluated “from cradle to grave” for a broad

range of possible environmental effects (including the

greenhouse effect, acidification, etc.). In addition to

extremely low (eco) toxicity and the (inherent)

biodegradability, the agricultural origin of the raw material

(biopolymer) has more advantages for the environment

than petrochemical-based products such as fewer CO2

emissions and less contribution to the depletion of fossil

fuels. Furthermore, the DEQUEST® PB products contain no

nitrogen or phosphorous, which means that when released

in the environment, they do not contribute to acidification,

fertilisation (enrichment of soil and water with mineral

nutrients that increase productivity) or eutrophication.

7 HandlingDEQUEST® phosphonates and DEQUEST® PB

carboxymethyl Inulin appear to possess no acute

toxicological properties which could require special

handling other than good hygienic practices used with any

industrial chemical. Special attention should be paid to

avoid eye and skin contacts.

DEQUEST® 2060S contains free HCl in solution and should

be handled accordingly, in well ventilated areas.

In case of skin contact with DEQUEST® phosphonates or

DEQUEST® PB, wash thoroughly with soap and water. In case

of eye contact, flush immediately with large volumes of

water for at least 15 minutes. If irritation persists, consult a

physician. Over and above the points already mentioned,

particular care should be taken when handling members of

the DEQUEST® 2040 series: wear gloves, eye protection and

avoid breathing dust from solid products. Provide local

exhaust ventilation. If dust is a problem, wear suitable

respiratory protection. Wash thoroughly after handling.

More detailed information on safety and environmental

aspects of phosphonates can be provided by Italmatch

Chemicals S.p.A. upon request.

Before using DEQUEST® phosphonates or DEQUEST® PB

carboxymethyl Inulin, please also consult the relevant

Material Safety Data Sheets and carefully observe the

statements concerning toxicity, safe handling and first aid

procedures.

ITALMATCH USA

NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS

21 East Front Street

Red Bank, NJ 07701

USA

Tel: (732) 383-8500

Fax: (732) 383-8407

[email protected]

CHINA OFFICE

ITALMATCH INTERNATIONAL TRADING

(SHANGHAI) CO., LTD

Room 703, Pine City,

8 Dong`an Road, Xuhui District,

Shanghai 200032

P.R. China

Tel: +86 21 3469 1871

Fax: +86 21 3469 1872

BELGIUM (MARKETING AND INNOvATION CENTER)

ITALMATCH BELGIUM SPRL

Parc Scientifique Fleming

Rue Laid Burniat 3

1348 Louvain-La-Neuve

Belgium

Tel: +32 (0) 10 48 12 11

Fax: +32 (0) 10 48 14 95

[email protected]

JAPAN OFFICE

ITALMATCH JAPAN LTD

Burex Kojimachi 5F,

3-5-2 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku

Tokyo 102-0083

Japan

Tel: +81 3 5210 3811

Fax: +81 3 5210 3830

[email protected]

SINGAPORE OFFICE

ITALMATCH SINGAPORE PTE LTD

No. 1 Kim Seng Promenade

#17-02 Great World City East Tower

Singapore 237994

Tel: +65 6235 6483

Fax: +65 6836 4534

[email protected]

ITALy (EUROPE/AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST CUSTOMER

SERvICE CENTER)

ITALMATCH CHEMICALS S.P.A.

via vismara 114

20020 Arese

Italy

Tel: +39 02 93525237

Fax: +39 02 93525496

[email protected]

More informationIf you would like to obtain more detailed information about DEQUEST® products or are interested in obtaining a

sample for evaluation in your system, please contact your nearest Italmatch Chemicals S.p.A. representative or visit

our website: http://www.dequest.com


The information in this bulletin is to the best of our knowledge true and accurate but all instructions, recommendations or suggestions are made without guarantee. Since the conditions of use are beyond their control, Italmatch Chemicals S.p.A. and its subsidiaries disclaim any liability for loss or damage suffered from use of these data and suggestions. Furthermore, no liability is accepted if use of any product in accordance with these data or suggestions infringes any patent.

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Ingredients for Home Care Applications