Clear softening formulations including alkoxylated additives

Details Clear softening formulations including alkoxylated additives Clear softening formulations including alkoxylated additives

2001-12-04

2004-01-20

Hardee, John (Department: 1751)

Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions

Auxiliary compositions for cleaning, or processes of preparing

Textile softening or antistatic composition

C510S506000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06680290

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates to softening formulations, and especially fabric softening formulations, which remain clear at relatively low temperatures and at relatively low concentrations of the active fabric softening ingredient. More particularly the invention relates to a formulation comprising an active fabric softening ingredient, water, and an alkoxylated species having a mono function H, such as alcohols, fatty acids and amines. The formulations may optionally contain solvents, and other additives generally used in fabric softening or detergent compositions.
Fabric softening formulations have long been used to render washed clothing or other articles, softer to the touch. It is believed, however, that many consumers avoid the use of fabric softeners due in part to the typical fabric softener's cloudy appearance. Some consumers perceive that the cloudiness will leave a residue on the laundered articles, dulling the colors, and perhaps irritating skin which may come into contact with it. Thus, there is a need for fabric softening compositions having a water-like clear appearance.
Many attempts at clear fabric softening formulations have been reported in the literature. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,944, teaches a clear fabric softening composition containing an amido imidazolinium compound. This reference also teaches that the inclusion of solvents may aid in the formulation of clear softeners. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,525,245 and 5,656,585 teach clear fabric softening formulations having diester and/or diamido ammonium active ingredients together with relatively high levels of organic solvents. WO 97/03169 teaches clear formulations having relatively high concentrations of fabric softener with relatively high amounts of specific principle solvents. WO 98/23808 teaches clear fabric softener compositions comprising an imidazolinium salt, a quatemary ammonium salt, a solvent, and a polyoxyethylene alkylether, having from 9 to 60 EO units. WO 99/09122 teaches using a principal solvent as taught in WO 97/03169 together with a nonionic preferably ethoxylated surfactant.
It is desired to improve upon these reported formulations by allowing lower concentrations of active fabric softening ingredients if desired, by allowing less concentration of the odorous solvents, by allowing the use of more readily available and hence economical additives, and by allowing the formulations to be more stable and to remain clear at lower temperatures.
The formulations of the present invention improve on some or all of these objects.
The Applicants have found that many of these objectives can be facilitated by the use of an additive which corresponds to the formula: R
1
—Q—(AO)
n
—R
3
, where R
1
is C
1-18
alkyl, cylcdoalkyl or aryl; Q is O, C(O)O, or NR,; A is CH
2
CHR
2
; R
2
and R
3
are independently at each occurrence H or C
1-4
alkyl; and n is 2 to 13; with the proviso that in at least one AO group R
2
is H and in at least one AO group R
2
is not H.
These additives can be combined with known detergent or fabric softening active ingredients as well as lower aliphatic solvents, water, and other ingredients typically used in fabric softening formulations.
The formulations of the present invention comprise:
(A) an active fabric softening composition;
(B) an additive corresponding to the formula:
R
1
—Q—(AO)
n
—R
3
,
where R
1
is C
1-18
alkyl, cylcloalkyl or aryl; Q is O, C(O)O, or NR
1
; A is CH
2
CHR
2
; R
2
and R
3
are independently at each occurrence H or C
1-4
alkyl; and n is 2 to 13; with the proviso that in at least one AO group R
2
is H and in at least one AO group R
2
is not H; and preferably
(C) water.
The formulations may also include a lower aliphatic solvent, and other additives typically found in detergent or fabric softening compositions.
The active fabric softening ingredient used in the formulations of the ingredient can be selected from any of those known in the art, such as those described in the review article “Rinse-Added Fabric Softener Technology at the Close of the Twentieth Century”, Matthew I. Levinson,
Journal of Surfactants and Detergents
, Vol 2, No.2, pages 223-235 (April, 1999). Typically the active ingredient will be a quatemary ammonium compound, especially an ester quatermary ammonium compound (“ester quats”), diamido amines and diamido ammonium compounds, and amido imidazolinium compounds.
Non ester quaternary ammonium compounds are characterized by having a quatemized ammonium where at least one of the branches attached to the nitrogen contains a long (C
8
—C
22
) alkyl chain. Preferably there are two such long alkyl chains. Suitable non ester quaternary ammonium compounds are described for example in WO 99/09122.
In general the esterquat class of compounds is characterized by having a central nitrogen being joined to four organic groups, at least one of which contains an organic acid moiety, that is, a C(O)OR group, where R is the remaining portion of the fatty acid used to make the ester. It is preferred that two of the organic groups joined to the nitrogen contain esters. It is also preferred that 50 to 100 percent of the ammonium compounds present be quatemized. Suitable esterquats are described for example in WO 99/09122, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,490,944, 5,656,585, WO 98/45394, and WO 97/03169. Suitable but non limiting examples of diesterquats are: methyl bis(oleoyl-oxy-ethyl)-(2-hydroxyethyl) ammonium methyl sulfate (TEA diesterquat); N,N-di(oleoyl-oxy-ethyl)-N,N-dimethyl ammonium chloride (MDEA diesterquat); and 1,2-dioleoyloxy-3-N,N,N-trimethylammoniopropane chloride (DMAPD diesterquat).
Suitable, but non limiting, examples of diamido ammonium compounds are described, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,525,245, 5,656,585, and WO 99/09122. Some specific examples include diamido (oleic type) alkoxylated or not (EO, PO, and or BO) amines and their quatemary ammonium salts (DETA based) of the formula:
[R
4
—(CO)—NR
6
—(CH
2
CH
2
)—N(R
5
)(R
8
)—(CH
2
CH
2
)—NR
6
—(CO)—R
4
]
+
, A
−
wherein R
4
together with (CO) is an oleoyl group; R
5
is H, C
1
-C
4
alkyl or (CH
2
—CR
7
HO)
t
—H, with t being from 1 to 7; R
6
is H, or CH
2
—CR
7
HOH; and R
7
is H or C
1
-C
4
alkyl; R
8
is not present or C
x
H
2x+1
, where x is 0 to 4 and A
−
is an inorganic or organic acid anion (such as methyl sulfate, or a chloride anion) or not present when R
8
is not present. It will be readily understood by those in the art that if R
8
and A
−
are not present then, the “+” designation in the formula will also disappear.
Suitable amido imidazolinium compounds are described, for example in WO 99/09122, WO 98/23808, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,944.
Other materials which may be used as the fabric softening active ingredient in the formulations of this invention include the amido esterquats of U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,481 and their respective amido esteramines.
It is preferred that whenever a fatty acid or derivative (that is, a material containing a moiety corresponding to the formula RC(O)O—) is used to prepare the active fabric softening ingredient, such as in the quatemary ester compounds, then the fatty acid has an iodine value of between 20 and 140, especially for fatty acids having a predominant chain length in the range of C
16
-C
18
. For fatty acids having a chain length in the range of C
12-14
, iodine values of 0 to 100 are preferred. Preferred fatty acids are described in WO 97/03169, see for example, pages 18 to 21. As is taught in the art, there may be situations where a preponderance of either the cis or the trans isomer of a particular unsaturated fatty acid may be preferred. It should be understood that mixtures of fatty acids may also be advantageously used.
The fatty acid used is typically derived from a triglyceride source. Suitable and non limiting examples of triglyceride sources are those derived from tallow, partially hardened tallow, lard, partially hardened lard, vegetable oils and/or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, such as, canola oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, sunbean oil, tall oil, rice

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