Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification – Reactive dye composition – process – or product – Alkylene sulfato – halotriazine – halodiazine,...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-28
2004-04-27
Einsmann, Margaret (Department: 1751)
Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification
Reactive dye composition, process, or product
Alkylene sulfato, halotriazine, halodiazine,...
C008S524000, C008S543000, C008S900000, C008S901000, C008S906000, C008S907000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06726731
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to compositions which clean and dye fabric. More specifically, the present invention relates to fabric treatment compositions which comprise surfactant, fabric substantive dye and dye auxiliary agent. The compositions of the present invention are suitable for use in fabric cleaning processes for the simultaneous cleaning and dying of fabrics.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
It is well known that when a dyed fabric is laundered by current laundry detergent products, one main problem which occurs during the washing process is the loss of colour of the fabric with repeated laundering. Detergent ingredients such as surfactant and bleach, pH and other conditions used in the washing process such as temperature and agitation, all contribute to the problem of colour loss from the fabric. Thus, detergent formulations and conditions of the washing process that are optimal for fabric cleaning are usually detrimental for fabric colour care and cause dyed fabric to loose colour. To overcome this problem, the laundry industry has been moving toward detergents with improved fabric colour care benefits. Typically these detergents are bleach free and some comprise detergent ingredients which help keep the dye bound to the surface of the coloured fabric during the washing process. However, after undergoing repeated washing cycles using these detergents, colour loss from the dyed fabric is observed. Thus, there still remains a need to further improve the fabric colour care benefits provided by laundry detergents, particularly after multi-cycle laundering.
The Inventors have surprisingly found that by adding a fabric substantive dye and a dye auxiliary agent to a detergent composition, a detergent composition is obtained which simultaneously cleans and dyes fabric during the washing process. Coloured fabrics that are washed repeatedly using this detergent composition, do not visibly loose any colour during the washing process. Furthermore, this detergent composition can be used to restore a faded coloured fabric back to its original colour level, or change the colour of a fabric, during the washing process.
The Inventors have also surprisingly found that the fabric dying performance of this detergent composition can be achieved by using a lower amount of fabric substantive dye when the amount of dye auxiliary agent present is increased. Also, the Inventors have surprisingly found that when the fabric substantive dye and dye auxiliary agent are present in the same preformed particle, then the fabric dying performance of the composition is further improved. Furthermore, the Inventors have found that the presence of a cationic polymeric material in the detergent composition further, improves the colour care benefits provided by said composition.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment of the present invention, a fabric treatment composition is provided which comprises (by weight) at least 3% surfactant, from 0.01% to 3% fabric substantive dye and at least 10% dye auxiliary agent.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a process for preparing a fabric treatment composition is provided comprising the steps; (a) premixing a fabric substantive dye and a dye auxiliary agent to form a dye premix; and (b) mixing a surfactant with said dye premix.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the use of a fabric treatment composition to change, refresh or maintain the colour of a fabric is provided.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Fabric Substantive Dye
The fabric treatment composition, herein referred to as “composition”, comprises from 0.01% to 3%, preferably from 0.01%, or preferably from 0.05%, or preferably from 0.1%, or preferably to 2.5%, or preferably to 2%, or preferably to 1.5%, or preferably to 1%, or preferably to 0.7% or preferably to 0.6% fabric substantive dye, herein referred to as “dye”. The dye for use herein does not include compounds such as optical brighteners, photo-bleaches and does not include non-fabric substantive dye such as dye used to colour coloured speckles which are added to detergents for aesthetic reasons and which are not designed to bind fabric such as dyes known under the trade names as PIGMASOL GRUN supplied by BASF, monastral blue supplied by Hays Colours Ltd and cosmenyl blue supplied by Clariant. Preferably said dye is a reactive dye, said reactive dye preferably comprises a chromophore group, a linking group and a leaving group.
The leaving group is defined as the chemical group which leaves the rest of the dye (e.g. the linking group and chromophore group) during the chemical reaction(s) which occur during the fabric dying process. Preferably, the leaving group is covalently bound to the rest of the dye. Without wishing to be bound by theory, the inventors believe that the bond which binds the leaving group to the rest of the dye is broken during the chemical reaction(s) of the fabric dying process, and the leaving group leaves the rest of the dye, for example as a halide anion. Once the leaving group has left the rest of the dye, the rest of the dye can bind to fabric, usually to cellulosic fabric, typically covalently bonding with the chemical groups of the fabric. Preferred leaving groups are halide atoms, especially preferred are chlorine and fluorine atoms.
The chromophore group which is comprised by the dye causes the observed change in colour, i.e. the dying effect, which occurs when said dye binds to the fabric. Any known chromophore group can be comprised by the dye. Preferred chromophore groups are chosen depending on the colour of the fabric that is to be treated by the composition herein.
The linking group is defined as the chemical group which links the leaving group to the chromophore. The linking group is usually chemically bound to the leaving group, typically covalently bound, but it may be ionically bound, to the leaving group. Preferred linking groups are triazine or pyrimidine rings, where the leaving group and chromophore group are usually covalently bound to different carbon atoms of the ring. The linking group is believed to increase the rate at which the leaving group leaves the rest of the dye during the dying process, by increasing the chemical stability of the intermediate dye compound which is formed once the leaving group has left the rest of the dye. Reactive dyes comprising a linking group typically show greater dying capability compared to reactive dyes which do not comprise a linking group.
Preferred dyes for use herein are CIBALAN dyes, CIBACHRON dyes and RECATOFIL dyes, all of which are manufactured by Ciba-Geigy, PROCION dyes manufactured by ICI, DRIMARENE dyes manufactured by Sandoz, and LEVAFIX dyes and VEROFIX dyes, both of which are manufactured by Bayer. Most preferred dyes are DRIMARENE dyes.
Dye Auxiliary Agent
The composition herein comprises at least 10%, preferably from 15%, or from 20%, or from 25% or from 30% or from 35%, to 70%, or to 65%, or to 60%, or to 55%, or to 50%, or to 45% dye auxiliary agent.
The dye auxiliary agent preferably comprises an organic acid or salt thereof, preferably organic acid or salt thereof having a molecular weight of less than 2000, preferably less than 1000 or less than 750 or less than 500. Said dye auxiliary agent preferably comprises a carboxylic acid or salt thereof. A preferred carboxylic acid or salt thereof is citric acid or salt thereof. Preferably the dye auxiliary agent comprises an aromatic carboxylic acid or salt thereof, more preferably a benzoic acid or salt thereof, a substituted-benzoic acid or salt thereof, or a combination thereof, most preferably a benzoic acid, a substituted-benzoic acid, or salts thereof. The dye auxiliary agent preferably comprises an organic acid in the form of a salt, more preferably an alkali salt of an organic acid, more preferably a sodium salt of an organic acid.
The dye auxiliary agent improves the colour benefits provided by compositions comprising a fabric substantive dye, by increasing the rate of dye fixation onto the fabric surface. The colour care benefits provided b
Gray Peter Gerard
Pettifer Robert Michael
Summers Shirley
Einsmann Margaret
Miller Steve W.
Procter & Gamble Company
Wei-Berk Caroline
Zerby Kim W.
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