Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Auxiliary compositions for cleaning – or processes of preparing – Textile softening or antistatic composition
Patent
1998-07-07
2000-05-16
Hardee, John R.
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Auxiliary compositions for cleaning, or processes of preparing
Textile softening or antistatic composition
510527, C11D 1835, C11D 320
Patent
active
060637544
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a fabric conditioning composition, particularly to aqueous fabric conditioning compositions comprising a dispersion of a water insoluble quaternary ammonium compound as the fabric softening agent and an aliphatic nonionic di- or tri-ester as a stabiliser, which compositions are rinse-added fabric softeners.
Rinse-added fabric conditioning compositions are well known. Typically such compositions contain a water insoluble quaternary ammonium fabric softening agent dispersed in water at a level of softening agent up to about 7 wt %, in which case the compositions are considered dilute, or at levels from 7 wt % to 50 wt %, in which case the compositions are known as concentrates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,180 (Lever Brothers Company) discloses cationic di-esters of the formula below as fabric conditioning actives: ##STR2## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are each an alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a benzyl group, R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are each alkyl chains containing from 11 to 23 carbon atoms and X.sup.- is a water soluble anion.
One of the problems associated with many fabric conditioning compositions, including those containing cationic di-esters as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,137,180, is the physical instability of these compositions, which problem is aggravated at high and low temperatures and by the addition of perfume. When a fabric conditioner is in concentrated form the stability problem is further exacerbated and for this reason concentrated conditioners with high levels of perfume are rarely marketed. Even when the perfume is encapsulated in a solid matrix, stability problems can occur due to leakage of the capsules. The seriousness of the stability problem depends on the components in the perfume and thus may vary from perfume to perfume, but so far has been unpredictable.
In colder climates when a fabric conditioner is transported or stored in cold conditions a further problem often occurs in that the product gels to form a solid. Often these solids do not liquify any more at ambient temperatures or do so only very slowly (up to several days). This poses a problem to supermarkets who can not place the gelled product directly on their shelves.
EP 0 280 550 and EP 0 507 478 (Unilever) disclose the use of selected nonionic surfactants such as alkoxylated aliphatic alcohols to overcome the poor stability. However no mention is made of the instability problem caused by perfumes. In EP 0 042 562 a C12-C14 alcohol ethoxylated with 9 moles of ethylene oxide is used to improve stability.
In EP 0 013 780 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,299 (Procter & Gamble) the use of fatty acids, fatty acid esters, fatty alcohols and non-cyclic hydrocarbons for viscosity control of fabric conditioners is described. This enables the preparation of concentrated fabric conditioners. However, the instability caused by perfumes or temperature extremes are not mentioned and it has been found impossible to solve that problem with these compounds.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,723 (IFF) again non-ionic surfactants are disclosed as stabilizers in fabric conditioners, but this does not present a substantially novel solution over EP 0 280 550 and EP 0 507 478 mentioned above. Furthermore in U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,644 a method is disclosed for perfuming fabric conditioners in which the perfume is first incorporated into a microemulsion with a surfactant (preferably non-ionic) with an HLB number of 12 or more. This patent also discloses a large number of well known fragrance materials suitable for use in perfumes for fabric conditioners.
In WO 95/22594 (Unilever) fabric conditioners are disclosed comprising a mix of a perfume and a carrier substance having a slip point below 45.degree. C. As carrier substances are particularly preferred esters of fatty acids with mono- or poly-hydric alcohols having 1-24 carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain with the proviso that at least one of the hydrocarbon radicals in the ester has 12 or more carbon atoms.
None of the references cited above present
REFERENCES:
patent: 4137180 (1979-01-01), Naik et al.
patent: 4559150 (1985-12-01), Becker et al.
patent: 4965000 (1990-10-01), Potts et al.
patent: 5447644 (1995-09-01), Guenin et al.
patent: 5531910 (1996-07-01), Severns et al.
patent: 5559088 (1996-09-01), Severns et al.
Ness Jeremy Nicholas
Perring Keith Douglas
Hardee John R.
Quest International B.V.
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