Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Process – With contacting of material treated with solid or liquid agent
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-09
2003-01-07
Douyon, Lorna M. (Department: 1751)
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Process
With contacting of material treated with solid or liquid agent
C034S389000, C510S520000, C252S008610
Reexamination Certificate
active
06502325
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to aqueous fabric care compositions for use in a wash or rinse bath which provide improved benefits to treated fabrics. More particularly, the present invention relates to fabric care compositions containing a polycarboxylate polymer with a urea-derived compound, which compositions impart to the treated fabric improved benefits relating to moisture absorption, fragrance deposition, soil removal, reduced wrinkling prior to ironing and better appearance after ironing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Fabric care compositions which provide softening in the wash cycle or rinse cycle of automatic laundry washing machines or in an aqueous wash/rinse bath are well known in the art. While these fabric care compositions are generally recognized as providing very good softening properties to treated fabrics, they nevertheless have certain drawbacks in terms of adversely affecting the treated fabrics with regard to properties such as moisture absorption, fragrance deposition and wrinkling of the fabric prior to ironing.
Starch and starch solutions are well known compositions to aid in removing wrinkles during ironing from fabrics which have been previously washed/rinsed using a variety of commercial laundry fabric care compositions. The use of such starch solutions, however does not overcome the aforementioned drawbacks associated with the use of commercial fabric softening compositions.
Polyacrylate type polymers have been incorporated into detergents for a variety of benefits. Typically, polyacrylate type polymers provide a cleaning benefit in detergents due to increased dispersancy of soil in the wash water, and due to inherent builder properties of such polymers. These types of polymers generally do not deposit on the fabric surface.
In an effort to improve the crease resistance and stain resistance of fabrics, U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,749 describes the use of a fabric treatment composition which contains a poly-functional molecule, such as derived from polyacrylic acid, in combination with a urea-derived compound. During pressing or ironing of the fabric, the urea-derived compound is said to crosslink the poly-functional molecule and thereby provide crease resistance to the fabric.
A class of polymers that are known to deposit out of the wash liquor onto the fabric surface are referred to as soil release polymers. These polymers are typically polyethylene terephalate/polyoxyethylene terephalate polymers that deposit on fabric, preferentially polyester fabrics. They act to make the surface more hydrophilic, so that oily soils may be more easily removed. However, the benefit of such polymers is limited to soil release, and even that benefit is limited primarily to polyester-containing fabrics.
The use of polycarboxylates in fabric softener compositions is known. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,043,965; 3,993,830 and 3,821,147 assigned to Colgate-Palmolive describe softener compositions containing a polyacrylate polymer to provide soil release benefits. The described compositions are maintained at a pH of below 3 so as to render the polymer insoluble when added to the rinse bath allowing it to deposit on the fabrics.
Accordingly, there is no recognition in the prior art of being able to deposit a polyacrylate-based material out of a wash or rinse liquor onto a fabric surface over a broad range of pH so as to provide a wide variety of significant fabric care benefits to treated fabrics, unrelated to detergency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an aqueous fabric care composition for use in the wash or rinse cycle of a washing machine for cleaning or softening of fabrics concomitant with providing improved benefits to treated fabrics relating to moisture absorption, fragrance deposition, soil removal, reduced wrinkling prior to ironing and better appearance after ironing, said composition comprising:
(a) from about 0.1% to about 30%, by weight, of a surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic and cationic surfactants, and wherein said surfactant is not derived from hydrazine;
(b) from about 0.1% to about 5% by weight of (i) a polymer derived from a polycarboxylic acid; and (ii) a compound derived from urea; and
(c) balance water and adjuvants.
The present invention is predicated on the discovery that the use of the fabric care compositions of the invention in an aqueous wash bath or rinse bath, enables an effective amount of the polymer and urea-derived compound to deposit on the fabric surface and thereby provide the aforementioned fabric care benefits to the treated fabric. In contrast with the prior art which exemplifies applying a fabric treatment solution containing a polyacrylic acid polymer but in the absence of surfactant directly to the fabric by spraying with a pump or aerosol spray, the present compositions are able to effect deposition on fabric in the wash cycle or rinse cycle of a washing machine. Although applicants do not wish to be bound by any theory of operation, it is believed that the presence of a surfactant in the compositions of the invention serve a two-fold purpose: it facilitates deposition of polymer out of the wash or rinse bath and onto the fabric; and it provides improved fabric care benefits which have heretofore not been provided or appreciated using conventional fabric treating compositions.
It is believed that prior to ironing the fabric, the urea-derived compound does not crosslink (the crosslinking reaction being heat activated) but the polymer/urea-derived compound composition nevertheless is able to provide reduced wrinkling of fabric prior to ironing. It is hypothesized that the reduction in wrinkling is due to preferential hydrogen bonding between the polymer/urea-derived compound composition and the cellulose fibers of the cotton fabric, as opposed to intra-cellulose fiber hydrogen bonding. The intra-cellulose fiber hydrogen bonding, following distortion of the fabric geometry during washing/rinsing, is part of the mechanism for wrinkle formation. By reducing the level of intra-cellulose fiber hydrogen bonding by use of the present invention, the number of wrinkles that remain in fabric as it dries is significantly reduced.
Finally, during ironing of the fabric, the urea-derived compound is activated. The urea-derived compound then bonds together the polymer chains, forming a stiff film on the fabric surface. This is believed to effectively keep the fabric in the conformation it is forced into via ironing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The polymers useful for the present invention are derived from a polycarboxylic acid. They can be prepared by polymerizing or copolymerizing suitable unsaturated monomers, preferably in their acid form. Unsaturated monomeric acids that can be polymerized to form suitable polymers include but are not limited to acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid (or maleic anhydride), fumaric acid, itaconic acid, aconitic acid, mesaconic acid, citraconic acid and methylenemalonic acid.
Particularly suitable polymeric polycarboxylates can be derived from acrylic acid. Such acrylic acid-based polymers which are useful herein are the water-soluble salts of polymerised acrylic acid. The average molecular weight of such polymers in the acid form preferably ranges from 2,000 to 10,000, more preferably from 4,000 to 7,000 and most preferably from 4,000 to 5,000. Water-soluble salts of such acrylic acid polymers can include, for example, the alkali metal, ammonium and substituted ammonium salts. Soluble polymers of this type are known materials.
Acrylic/maleic-based copolymers may also be used. Such materials include the water-soluble salts of copolymers of acrylic acid and maleic acid. The average molecular weight of such copolymers in the acid form preferably ranges from 2,000 to 100,000, more preferably from 5,000 to 75,000, most preferably from 7,000 to 65,000. The ratio of acrylate to maleate segments in such copolymers will generally range from 30:1 to 1:1, more preferably from 10:1 to 2:1. Water-soluble salts of such acrylic acid/maleic acid copolymers can include, f
Heibel Marija
Ibrahim Sayed
Umstead Dixie June
Zappone Marianne
Colgate-Palmolive Co.
Douyon Lorna M.
Lieberman Bernard
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