Concentrated, water dispersible, stable, fabric softening...

Details Concentrated, water dispersible, stable, fabric softening... Concentrated, water dispersible, stable, fabric softening...

1998-04-27

2002-04-09

Green, Anthony (Department: 1755)

Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions

Auxiliary compositions for cleaning, or processes of preparing

Textile softening or antistatic composition

C510S276000, C510S329000, C510S504000, C510S521000, C510S522000, C510S524000, C510S525000, C510S527000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06369025

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to preferably translucent, or, more preferably, clear, aqueous, concentrated, liquid softening compositions useful for softening cloth. It especially relates to textile softening compositions for use in the rinse cycle of a textile laundering operation to provide excellent fabric-softening/static-control benefits, the compositions being characterised especially by excellent water dispersibility, and by e.g., reduced staining of fabric, and excellent rewettability, and/or improved storage and viscosity stability at sub-normal temperatures, i.e., temperatures below normal room temperature, e.g., 25° C.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The art discloses problems associated with formulating and preparing clear, concentrated fabric conditioning formulations. For example, European Patent Application No. 404,471, Machin et al., published Dec. 27, 1990, teaches isotropic liquid softening compositions with at least 20% by weight softener and at least 5% by weight of a short chain organic acid.
Fabric softening compositions containing high solvent levels are known in the art. However, softener agglomerates can form when composition is added in the rinse cycle and can deposit on clothes which can result in staining and reduced softening performance. Also, compositions may thicken and/or precipitate at lower temperatures, i.e., at about 40° F. (about 4° C.) to about 65° F. (about 18° C.). These compositions can also be costly for the consumer due to the high solvent levels associated with making a concentrated, clear product.
In addition to the problem of the above high solvent level, there is a problem that some fabric softeners set to gel, or are thickened or solidified when it is added to rinse water (e.g. when the softener is added to the dispenser of the washing machine). Because of gellation, thickening or solidifying, this type of fabric softener is not be able to dispersed well in rinse water, and softening performance is poor.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a fabric softener which is low in viscosity with low solvent level.
The present invention provides concentrated aqueous liquid textile treatment compositions with relatively low solvent level (i.e., preferably not more than about 50%, by weight of the composition), characterised by defined range of molar ratio of organic solvent to fabric softener that have excellent water dispersibility (i.e., low viscosity and do not gel, thicken, or solidify) and have improved stability (i.e., remain clear or translucent and do not precipitate) at normal, i.e., room temperatures and sub-normal temperatures under prolonged storage, conditions. Said compositions also provide reduced staining of fabrics, good cold water dispersibility, together with excellent softening, anti-static and fabric rewettability characteristics, as well as reduced dispenser residue build-up and excellent freeze-thaw recovery.
The object of the present invention is to provide aqueous, concentrated, stable, translucent, or, preferably, clear, rinse-added liquid fabric softening compositions which provide excellent water dispersibility in rinse water, acceptable low viscosity and viscosity stability at low temperatures, and/or recovery from freezing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The composition herein comprises:
A. from about 15% to about 70%, preferably from about 17% to about 65%, more preferably from about 19% to about 60%, by weight of the composition, of a fabric softener active selected from the group consisting of
1. softener having the formula:
 wherein each R substituent is a short chain C
1
-C
6
, preferably C
1
-C
3
alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group, e.g., methyl (most preferred), ethyl, propyl, hydroxyethyl, and the like, benzyl, or mixtures thereof; each m is 2 or 3; each n is from 1 to about 4; each Y is —O—(O)C—, or —C(O)—O—; the sum of carbons in each R
1
, plus one when Y is —O—(O)C—, is C
6
-C
22
, preferably C
14
-C
20
, but no more than one R
1
or YR
1
sum being less than about 12 and then the other R
1
or YR
1
sum is at least about 16, with each R
1
being a long chain C
5
-C
22
(or C
7
-C
21
)hydrocarbyl, or substituted hydrocarbyl substituent, preferably C
10
-C
20
(or C
9
-C
19
) alkyl or alkylene, most preferably C
12
-C
18
(or C
11
-C
17
) alkyl or alkylene, and where, when said sum of carbons is C
16
-C
18
and R
1
is a straight chain alkyl or alkylene group, the Iodine Value (hereinafter referred to as IV) of the parent fatty acid of this R
1
group is preferably from about 40 to about 140, more preferably from about 50 to about 130; and most preferably from about 70 to about 115 (As used herein, the Iodine Value of a “parent” fatty acid, or “corresponding” fatty acid, is used to define a level of unsaturation for an R
1
groups that is the same as the level of unsaturation that would be present in a fatty acid containing the same R
1
group.); and wherein the counterion, X
−
, can be any softener-compatible anion, preferably, chloride, bromide, methylsulfate, sulfate, and nitrate, more preferably chloride;
2. softener having the formula:
 wherein each Y, R, R
1
, and X(
−
) have the same meanings as before (Such compounds include those having the formula:
[CH
3
]
3
N(
+
)[CH
2
CH(CH
2
O(O)CR
1
)O(O)CR
1
]Cl(
−
)
where C(O)R
1
is derived from unsaturated, e.g., oleic, fatty acid and, preferably, each R is a methyl or ethyl group and preferably each R
1
is in the range of C
15
to C
19
with degrees of branching and substitution optionally being present in the alkyl chains); and
3. mixtures thereof;
[In one preferred biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound, C(O)R
1
is derived from unsaturated fatty acid, e.g., oleic acid, and/or fatty acids and/or partially hydrogenated fatty acids, derived from vegetable oils and/or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, such as: canola oil; safflower oil; peanut oil; sunflower oil; soybean oil; corn oil; tall oil; rice bran oil; etc. and in another preferred biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound, C(O)R
1
is a saturated, (the Iodine Value is preferably 10 or less, more preferably less than about 5), C
8
-C
14
, preferably a C
12-14
hydrocarbyl, or substituted hydrocarbyl substituent derived from, e.g., coconut oil.]
B. less than about 40%, preferably from about 10% to about 35%, more preferably from about 12% to about 25%, and even more preferably from about 14% to about 20%, by weight of the composition of principal solvent having a ClogP of from about 0.15 to about 0.64, preferably from about 0.25 to about 0.62, and more preferably from about 0.40 to about 0.60, said principal solvent containing insufficient amounts of solvents selected from the group consisting of: 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol; the ethoxylate, diethoxylate, or triethoxylate derivatives of 2,2,4trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol; and/or 2ethyl-1,3-hexanediol, and/or mixtures thereof when used by themselves, to provide a clear product, preferably insufficient to provide a stable product, more preferably insufficient to provide a detectable change in the physical characteristics of the composition, and especially completely free thereof and the principal solvent preferably being selected from the group consisting of:
I. mono-ols including:
a. n-propanol; and/or
b. 2-butanol and/or 2-methyl-2-propanol;
II. hexane diol isomers including: 2,3-butanediol, 2,3-dimethyl-; 1,2-butanediol, 2,3-dimethyl-; 1,2-butanediol, 3,3-dimethyl-; 2,3-pentanediol, 2-methyl-; 2,3-pentanediol, 3-methyl-; 2,3-pentanediol, 4-methyl-; 2,3-hexanediol; 3,4-hexanediol; 1,2-butanediol, 2-ethyl-; 1,2-pentanediol, 2-methyl-; 1,2-pentanediol, 3-methyl-; 1,2-pentanediol, 4-methyl-; and/or 1,2-hexanediol;
III. heptane diol isomers including: 1,3-propanediol, 2-butyl-; 1,3-propanediol, 2,2-diethyl-; 1,3-propanediol, 2-(1-methylpropyl); 1,3-propanediol, 2-(2-methylpropyl)-; 1,3-propanediol, 2-methyl-2-propyl-; 1,2-butanediol, 2,3,3-trimethyl-; 1,4-butanediol, 2-ethyl-2-methyl-; 1,4-butanediol, 2-ethyl-3-methyl-; 1,4-b

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