Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Auxiliary compositions for cleaning – or processes of preparing – Textile softening or antistatic composition
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-20
2002-08-20
Hardee, John (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Auxiliary compositions for cleaning, or processes of preparing
Textile softening or antistatic composition
C510S522000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06436896
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of aqueous fabric softening compositions, in particular, to the preparation of compositions comprising at least one cationic fabric softening compound and at least one oily sugar derivative. The invention also relates to the compositions produced by the method and to a method of treating clothes with the compositions.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
Rinse-added fabric softener compositions are well known in the art. However, a disadvantage associated with conventional rinse conditioners is that although they increase the softness of a fabric they often simultaneously decrease its absorbency so that the ability of the fabric to take up water decreases. This is particularly disadvantageous with towels where the consumer requires the towel to be soft, and yet, have a high absorbency.
To overcome this problem it has been proposed to use fabric softening compositions comprising an oily sugar derivative as a softening compound as it has been found that these provide good softening without decreasing the absorbency of the treated fabric. WO 98/16538 (Unilever) discloses fabric softening compositions comprising liquid or soft solid derivatives of a cyclic polyol or a reduced saccharide which give good softening and retain absorbency of the fabric.
Our co-pending UK patent application GB 9911437.3 discloses fabric softening compositions comprising liquid or soft solid derivatives of a cyclic polyol or a reduced saccharide, at least one anionic surfactant, and at least one cationic polymer.
Our co-pending UK patent application GB 9911434.0 discloses fabric softening compositions comprising liquid or soft solid derivatives of a cyclic polyol or a reduced saccharide, the derivatives having at least one unsaturated bond in the alkyl or alkenyl chains present, with the compositions further comprising a deposition aid and one or more antioxidants.
EP 0 380 406 (Colgate-Palmolive) discloses detergent compositions comprising a saccharide or reduced saccharide ester containing at least one fatty acid chain.
WO 95/00614 (Kao Corporation) discloses softening compositions comprising polyhydric alcohol esters and cationised cellulose. U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,643 (Hüls) discloses aqueous fabric softeners comprising nonionic surfactant and mono, di or tri fatty acid esters of certain polyols.
WO 96/15213 (Henkel) discloses textile softening agents containing alkyl, alkenyl and/or acyl group containing sugar derivatives, which are solid after esterification, in combination with nonionic and cationic emulsifiers.
It is sometimes desirable to use the aforementioned oily sugar derivatives in a blend with conventional cationic fabric softening compounds, such as quaternary ammonium fabric softening compounds, to provide a range of benefits including improved creaming stability of concentrated compositions, and improved re-wettability of fabrics.
However it has been found that the conventional method of preparing fabric softening compositions comprising more than one fabric softening compound wherein the softening compounds are co-melted together (which may subsequently be used to form a dispersion in water), has certain disadvantages for preparing compositions comprising oily sugar derivative(s) and cationic fabric softening compound(s).
For example, the compositions so produced often exhibit poor stability upon storage (ie they have a tendency to ‘cream’ and separate which is referred to herein as stability or creaming stability and/or are unacceptable to the consumer having a non-homogenous, lumpy, appearance. It is also been found that these compositions suffer from reduced softening performance, possibly due to the non-homogeneity of the compositions.
The present invention is directed towards alleviating the above problems, and in particular to providing a method of preparing fabric softening compositions comprising at least one oily sugar derivative and at least one cationic fabric softening compound, wherein, the compositions produced exhibit improved creaming stability compared to the compositions prepared by conventional methods, and/or are of a substantially homogenous appearance.
It has been found that by preparing fabric conditioning compositions comprising at least one oily sugar derivative (ii) and at least one conventional cationic fabric softening compound (i) by pre-mixing the softening compound (ii) and/or the oily sugar derivative (ii) with another active component of the composition prior to admixing the softening compound (i) with the oily sugar derivative (ii) that the above problems can be overcome, and, certain advantages are provided.
The principal advantages of the present invention include that the compositions produced have an acceptable appearance to the consumer and that they exhibit good creaming stability upon storage.
DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION
Thus according to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method for the preparation of an aqueous fabric softening composition comprising;
(i) at least one cationic fabric softening compound having two or more alkyl or alkenyl chains each having an average chain length equal to, or greater than, C
8
and
(ii) at least one oily sugar derivative,
wherein the cationic fabric softening compound (i), and/or the oily sugar derivative (ii) is/are separately mixed with another active component of the fabric softening composition to form a pre-mixture prior to the admixing of the softening compound (i) with the oily sugar derivative (ii).
It has been found, surprisingly, that the above method provides an unexpected improvement in the stability, and in the homogeneity of their appearance, of the compositions produced.
According to a further aspect the present invention provides an aqueous based fabric softening composition produced by the method of the invention and a method of treating fabric by applying thereto said composition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method of preparing an aqueous fabric softening composition comprising at least one cationic fabric softening compound having two or more alkyl or alkenyl chains each having an average chain length equal to, or greater than, C
8
and at least one oily sugar derivative.
The method has, as an essential step, the step of either the cationic fabric softening compound or the oily sugar derivative being separately mixed with another active component of the fabric softening composition to form a pre-mixture prior to the admixing of the softening compound with the oily sugar derivative to produce the fabric softening composition. This step of pre-mixing with another active component of the composition to form a pre-mixture prior to said admixing may also apply to both the cationic fabric softening compound and the oily sugar derivative.
The term “active component” as used herein defines a component of the compositions which has a functional role therein and which is supplied as a separate raw material product. Active component includes nonionic and cationic surfactants and perfumes but with the proviso that it is not an anionic surfactant. The term also does not include water, dyes, preservatives or any of the minor optional ingredients recited in the paragraph immediately under the heading “Minor ingredients”.
However, the term does not include where a component raw material is supplied with a minor amount of an “active component” included as part of that raw material as obtained from the manufacturer. Thus, for example, a cationic fabric softening compound raw material (supplied as comprising a minor amount of a surfactant) mixed directly with an oily sugar derivative raw material in the absence of another “active component” raw material as defined above would not form part of the invention.
The separate pre-mixing of the cationic fabric softening compound and/or the oily sugar derivative with another active component of the fabric softening composition to form said pre-mixture may occur in any known manner.
In all embodiments of the invention either the cationic fabric soften
Charlton Ian David
Grainger David Stephen
Mohammadi Mansur Sultan
Sakya Prabhat
Hardee John
Plotkin Ellen
Unilever Home & Personal Care USA, a divison of Conopco, Inc.
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