Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
2003-06-11
2004-05-18
Boyer, Charles (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S276000, C510S287000, C510S329000, C510S330000, C510S394000, C510S504000, C510S515000, C510S322000, C510S327000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06737392
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to fabric softener compositions, and more particularly to a fabric softener composition that comprises a blend of a methyl diethanol amine (MDEA) ester quaternary (quat) and a triethanol amine (TEA) ester quaternary (quat), wherein the MDEA ester quat has a high content of monoester. The fabric softener composition of the present invention provides improved softening performance as compared with either of the individual components alone. Moreover, the fabric softener composition of the present invention is capable of providing a high-solids formulation that forms stable dispersions that maintain long term stability.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In North America, methyl diethanol amine (MDEA) ester quats are generally used as softening agents in various fabric softener formulations. MDEA ester quats are typically made by reacting various fatty acids such as a tallow fatty acid with MDEA; MDEA, which is also known as 2,2′-methyliminodiethanol, has the basic structural formula (HOCH
2
CH
2
)
2
NCH
3
.
The MDEA ester quats are normally made so that the products contain low levels of monoester (on the order of about 4 to about 7% solids) for the fabric softener market because MDEA ester quats having a high monoester content are reported to be hard to formulate and they give thick gelatinuous formulations at high solids over 12%. Most formulations employed in the North American market are ultra products that are over 24% solids and even as high as 28% solids.
Triethanol amine (TEA) ester quats are the generic ester quats that are used in Europe, but TEA ester quats are not used much in the North America market because TEA ester quats do not soften well under Northern American washing conditions. The reasons for this is because of residual anionics remaining in the rinse cycle due to the single rinse cycles employed in typical North American top loading washing machines. Prior art TEA ester quats can only be formulated to about 18% solids due to their chemistry.
The raw materials used in making TEA quats arc lower in cost than MDEA ester quats and thus have a cost driver if TEA ester quats could be used in the production of fabric softener formulations in North American products.
Attempts have been made in the prior art to provide formulations in which MDEA and TEA ester quats are both present. In such formulations, a mixture of two different amines, i.e., MDEA/TEA, is first provided. The amine mixture is then esterified in the presence of a fatty acid and thereafter the esterification reaction product is quaternized. Such a formulation is disclosed, for example, in DE 196 42 038 C1 assigned to Henkel KGAA (hereinafter DE '038).
Specifically, DE '038 discloses quaternary esters that are obtained by esterifying MDEA/TEA mixtures (weight ratio=20-1:80-99) with fatty acids and then quaternizing the reaction product with an alkylating agent using known quaternization processes. The ester quats disclosed in DE '038 are said to have a sufficiently low and storage stable viscosity which makes the ester quats highly suitable for use in cosmetics and brighteners.
In DE '038, an esterification product of a partially hydrogenated C
16-18
tallow fatty acid and a MDEA/TEA mixture is described for a fabric softener. In particular, DE '038 discloses that the MDEA/TEA ratio on the order of 15% MDEA and 85% TEA makes a superior softener. Manufacturing quats in the manner disclosed in DE '038 does not allow for the controlled production of MDEA having a high monoester content.
In view of the state of the prior art mentioned above, there is a need for providing a fabric softener composition that incorporates both MDEA and TEA ester quats into a single formulation in which the use of an amine pre-mixture, i.e., a mixture of MDEA and TEA which is formed prior to esterification and quaternization, is avoided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fabric softener composition in which a blend of MDEA having a high monoester content and TEA ester quats is employed. Throughout the remaining portions of the application, the term “high mono alkyl MDEA ester quat” is used to describe the MDEA having a high monoester content. It should be understood that the two terms are interchangeably used in the present application to describe a methyl diethanol amine ester quat having a mono alkyl ester quat level of about 10% or greater. It has been found by the present applicants that a formulated blend of a high mono alkyl MDEA ester quat, i.e., MDEA having a high monoester content, and a TEA ester quat provides improved softening performance that is better than that obtained with either of the individual components (standard low mono alkyl MDEA ester quats or standard TEA ester quats).
In addition, the applicants have determined that even though the individual ester quat products can be formulated to 12 to 18% solids, when the two ester quats are blended together, as in the present invention, the blend may have a solids content about 25% or higher. Moreover, the inventive blend of a high mono alkyl MDEA ester quat, i.e., MDEA having a high monoester content, and a TEA ester quat forms a stable dispersion that maintains long-term stability.
The fabric softener composition of the present invention has a definite synergism that enables the use of less expensive raw materials to provide improved softening results. The fabric softener composition of the present invention may further contain other quats blended with the initial blend of high mono alkyl MDEA ester quat, i.e., MDEA having a high monoester content, and TEA ester quat that provides even further softening improvements as well as stable formulations.
Normally formulations containing commercially available di tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride are known to thicken over time when they are formulated into a composition of high solids with TEA or MDEA ester quats. In the present invention, the high mono alkyl MDEA ester quat, i.e., MDEA having a high monoester content, and TEA ester quat compositional blend permits the formulation of a thermally stable high-solids product even when other conventional quats are formulated therein.
The fabric softener composition of the present invention, i.e., the blend of high mono alkyl MDEA ester quat (MDEA having a high monoester content) and TEA ester quat, can be dispersed in warm water to form high solids formulations that are stable under commercial conditions. The term “high solids” as used throughout the instant application denotes a solids content of about 20% or higher.
In broad terms, the present invention relates to a fabric softener composition that comprises a blend of from about 15 to about 65%, by weight of the total blend, of a triethanol amine ester quat and from about 35 to about 85%, by weight of the total blend, of a methyl diethanol amine ester quat, said methyl diethanol amine ester quat having a mono alkyl ester quat level of about 10% or greater. Throughout this application the term “high mono alkyl MDEA ester quat” is used to describe the methyl diethanol amine ester quat having a mono alkyl ester (i.e., monoester) quat level of about 10% or greater.
The fabric softener composition of the present invention may contain more than one high mono alkyl MDEA ester quat and more than one TEA ester quat blended together. Other ingredients/components that are typically present in a fabric softener composition may or may not be present in the inventive TEA/MDEA ester quat blend. In some embodiments of the present invention, the blend consists essentially of the TEA ester quat and the MDEA ester quat; water can be used in conjunction with the TEA/MDEA blend since it would not materially affect the softening properties of the blend. Blends of only TEA/MDEA ester quat (and optionally water) provide improved softness without the need of other fabric softener ingredients/components.
The fabric softener composition of the present invention may also contain other quats blended therein. Other quats that may be a
Gefvert David L.
Keys Robert O.
Toney Christopher J.
Boyer Charles
Goldschmidt Chemical Corporation
Scully Scott Murphy & Presser
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