JPH0198697A - Detergent composition - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain a detergent compsn. which efficiently adheres clay particles onto fabrics at the time of washing by compounding an org. surfactant, a smectite-type clay and a polymeric clay flocculating agent.

CONSTITUTION: This detergent compsn. contains (a) 5 to 40% org. surfactant (b) 1 to 30% smectite-type clay as a fabric softening component and further (c) 0.005 to 20 wt.% polmeric clay flocculating agent of smectite-type clay. The preferable polymeric clay flocculating agent to be used is a polymer of poly(ethyleneoxide), poly(acrylamide), poly(acrylate), etc., having a weight average mol.wt. of 100,000 to 1,000,000. The highly desirable other detergent components used with the detergent compsn. are the quaternary ammonium compd. expressed by R₄R₅R₆R₇N*N^- (R₄ is 8-20C alkyl; R₅ is 1-10C alkyl; R₆, R₇ are each 1-4C alkyl; X^- is anion).

COPYRIGHT: (C)1989,JPO

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to detergent compositions. More particularly, the present invention relates to detergent compositions containing fabric softening amounts of smectite-type clays. The composition further contains a polymeric clay flocculant.

GB 1,400,898 discloses detergent compositions containing smectite-type clays as fabric softening ingredients. Cation exchange capacity at least 50 m e
Any smectite type clay having q/100 g is taught to be suitable. gel white (
Gelwhlte) G P and Polkre (Vol.
clay) B C (both sodium montmorillonite clays) are disclosed as preferred for color and cation exchange capacity reasons.

It is now widely recognized in the detergent industry that clays of the type disclosed in GB 1,400,898 provide significant fabric softening benefits when used in laundry detergents.

However, it is also widely accepted that the adhesion of these clays onto fabrics during the washing process is never perfect. In fact, under typical washing conditions in Europe, less than half of the available clay is deposited on the fabric, with the remainder being washed away by the washing liquor in a subsequent rinsing step. Furthermore, the softening effect obtained as a result of clay deposition is influenced by factors that are not well understood.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide detergent compositions containing fabric softening clays that more efficiently deposit clay particles onto fabrics during the laundering process. Another object of the present invention is to provide a detergent composition that efficiently attaches clay particles regardless of the builder system used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a detergent composition comprising 5% to 40% organic surfactant and 1% to 30% smectite-type clay as a fabric softening component, the composition comprising a polymeric clay agglomerate with an increased amount of flexibility. agent, typically 0.005 to 20 of smectite type clay.
The present invention relates to a detergent composition further comprising a polymeric clay flocculant within a range of % by weight.

A preferred clay flocculant has a weight average molecular weight of 100.000
~10,000,000, most preferably 150,00
Poly(ethylene oxide), poly(acrylamide), poly(acrylate) with 0 to 5,000,000
It is a polymer such as.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The detergent composition of the present invention comprises conventional detergent surfactants, conventional detergent buildup and optionally other conventional detergent ingredients. The composition further comprises a fabric softening amount of fabric softening clay, typically from 1 to 30% by weight of the detergent composition.

The percentages herein are percentages by weight of the detergent composition, unless otherwise specified.

The composition further contains a polymeric clay flocculant.

Polymeric clay flocculants have been found to enhance the adhesion of fabric softening clays to fabrics. Detergent of the present invention.

The amount of clay flocculant to be used in the composition should be such that the adhesion of the softened clay to the fabric is enhanced but remains substantially uniform. For a given polymeric clay flocculant, the amount needed in a detergent composition can be determined by a simple level study using the clay adhesion test described below.

Clay Adhesion Test Fabric Softening To samples of detergent compositions containing 5% clay, different amounts of the polymeric clay flocculant under study are added. Terry towel swatches are laundered in a 1% solution of each detergent sample. Rinse and line dry the swatch. Color the clay sample with methylene blue. The hue is compared to the hue obtained with detergent samples to which no polymeric clay flocculant was added.

Any amount of polymeric clay flocculant that produces a hue appreciably darker than that obtained without the clay flocculant will provide the desired flexibility-enhancing effect. Such an amount will be referred to herein as a "softness increasing amount" of the clay flocculant.

A relatively large amount of clay flocculant is used to reduce the amount of clay that is full of clay (pa).
tchy) adhesion or even reduced adhesion.

The colored swatches exhibit blue spots rather than a substantially uniform hue. These relatively high clay flocculant amounts do not provide the desired flexibility enhancement and therefore are not considered flexibility enhancement amounts.

Typically, the amount of clay flocculant will range from 0.005 to 20 TII of the clay, expressed as a weight percent of smectite-type clay.
m%, preferably weight average molecular weight 150,000-80
0.0 of clay in case of clay flocculant with 0.000
5-20% by weight, molecular weight 800,000-5,000,
0.005 of clay in case of clay flocculant with 0.000
~2% by weight.

Clay flocculants are not commonly used in detergent compositions. On the contrary, there is a tendency to use clay dispersants to help remove clay stains from fabrics.

However, such agents are available in other industries, e.g.
It is well known in the case of flotation in oil well drilling and metallurgy.

Most of these materials are fairly long chain polymers and copolymers derived from monomers such as ethylene oxide, acrylamide, acrylic acid, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, vinyl alcohol, vinylpyrrolidone, and ethyleneimine. Rubbers such as guar gum are also suitable.

Polymers of ethylene oxide, acrylamide or acrylic acid are preferred. For proper interaction with the clay particles, the polymer should be fairly long chain, ie, should have a weight average molecular weight of at least 100,000.

For sufficient water solubility, the weight average molecular weight of the polymer is
Should not exceed 10,000,000. Most preferred are polymers having a weight average molecular weight of 150.000 to 5.000,000.

Fabric Softening Clays Smectite-type clays are widely used as fabric softening ingredients in detergent compositions. Most of these clays have a cation exchange capacity of at least 50 meQ/100 g.

Montmorillonite clay is commonly used for this purpose. However, the hectorite clay it consists of appears to provide better fabric flexibility capabilities than the commonly used montmorillonite.

Hectorite that exhibits this excellent fabric flexibility is a naturally occurring hectorite.

The cation exchange capacity of clays is a well-known parameter and can be measured by well-established analytical techniques. See, eg, H. Pan Olfen, Clay Colloid Chemistry, Interscience Publishers, 1963 and related literature cited therein.

Other Detergent Ingredients Detergent Surfactants The compositions of the present invention will typically contain organic surfactants to provide the normal cleaning benefits associated with use.

Detergent surfactants useful herein include the well-known synthetic anionic surfactants, synthetic nonionic surfactants, synthetic amphoteric surfactants and synthetic zwitterionic surfactants such as rubenzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, and paraffins. Representative examples thereof include sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, alkoxylated (especially ethoxylated) alcohols, alkoxylated (especially ethoxylated) alkylphenols, amine oxides, α-sulfonates of fatty acids, and α-sulfonates of fatty acid esters.

Generally, such detergent surfactants contain alkyl groups within the 09-018 range. Anionic detergent surfactants can be used in the form of sodium, potassium or triethanolammonium salts. Nonionic surfactants generally contain from about 5 to about 17' ethylene oxide groups.

US Pat. No. 3,995,669 contains a detailed list of such typical detergent surfactants. C11~
01G alkylbenzene sulfonate, C12-C18
paraffin sulfonates and alkyl sulfates,
and ethoxylated alcohols and ethoxylated alkylphenols are particularly preferred in this type of composition.

Also, water-soluble soaps well known in the art, such as common sodium and potassium coconut soap or tallow soap, are useful in the present invention as surfactants.

The surfactant component can constitute as much as 1% of the composition, but preferably the composition contains 5% to 40% surfactant, preferably 10% to 30%. Will. Mixtures of ethoxylated nonionic surfactants and anionic surfactants such as alkylbenzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, paraffin sulfonates, etc. are effective in removing a broad spectrum of stains and smears from fabrics (through-the-wash).
preferred for through-the-wash cleaning.

It has previously been disclosed that large amounts of nonionic surfactants (ie, greater than 4%) in clay-containing detergent compositions have an adverse effect on clay flexibility performance. Surprisingly, it has now been found that such negative interactions do not occur if the clay flocculants of the present invention are also present.

Detergent Adjuvants The present compositions can contain other ingredients that aid in cleaning performance. For example, it is highly preferred that through-the-wash detergent compositions contain detergent builders and/or sequestering agents. Compounds that can be classified as detergent builders and are well known in the art include nitrilotriacetates, polycarboxylates, citrates, carbonates, zeolites, water-soluble phosphates such as tripolyphosphate, sodium orthophosphate and sodium pyrophosphate, silicates, and the like. Mixtures may be mentioned. Sequestering agents include all of the above, plus materials such as ethylenediaminetetraacetate, aminopolyphosphonates (DEQUEST), and a variety of other polyfunctional organic acids and salts that are too numerous to be detailed here. See US Pat. No. 3,579,454 for typical examples of the use of such materials in various cleaning compositions. - Generally, the builder/sequestering agent will be about 0.5% to 4% of the composition.
would constitute 5%. West German Patent Section 2,422,65
The 1-10 micron size zeolite (e.g. Zeolite A) builders disclosed in No. 5 are particularly preferred for use in low phosphate compositions.

Particularly suitable phosphate-free builders include (a)
1% to 99% of the tartrate monosuccinate component of the structure (wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation); and (b) of the structure (wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation) It is an ether carboxylate mixture containing 1 to 99% by weight of tartrate disuccinate component.

This type of builder system is 4.663.071.

A typical detergent composition contains 5% to 35% of this builder system.

The laundry compositions of the present invention also preferably contain enzymes to enhance through-the-wash cleaning performance against various soils and stains. Amylase and protease enzymes suitable for use in detergents are well known in the art and are found in commercially available liquid and granular detergents. Commercially available detergent enzymes (preferably mixtures of amylase and protease) are typically present in the present compositions from 0.001% to
It is used in amounts of 2% and higher. Detergent cellulase enzymes provide both cleaning and softening benefits, particularly to cotton fabrics. These enzymes are highly desirable in detergent compositions of the present invention.

The composition can contain other ingredients that aid cleaning performance. For example, the composition may advantageously contain a bleaching agent, particularly a peroxy acid bleaching agent. In the context of the present invention, the term peroxyacid bleach encompasses both peroxyacids themselves and systems capable of producing peroxyacids in situ.

Peroxy acids themselves are meant to include their alkali metal and alkaline earth metal salts. Peroxyacids and diperoxyacids are commonly used. Examples are diperoxide dodecanoic acid (DPDA) or peroxyphthalic acid.

A system capable of delivering peracid in situ consists of a peroxygen bleach and its activator.

Peroxygen bleaches are those that are capable of producing hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solution. These compounds are well known in the art and include, for example, hydrogen peroxide, alkali metal peroxides, organic peroxide bleaches such as urea peroxide,
Inorganic persalt bleaches include, for example, alkali metal perborates, percarbonates, perphosphates, persilicates, and the like.

Preferred are sodium perborate, sodium carbonate peroxide, sodium pyrophosphate peroxide and urea peroxide, which are commercially available in the monohydrate and tetrahydrate forms.

The liberated hydrogen peroxide reacts with the bleach activator to produce peroxy acid bleach. Types of bleach activators include esters, imides, imidazoles, oximes, and carbonates.

In these types, preferred substances include 0-
Methyl acetoxybenzoate; sodium p-acetoxybenzenesulfonate such as sodium 4-nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate, sodium 4-octanoyloxybenzenesulfonate, sodium 4-decanoyloxybenzenesulfonate; bisphenol A diacetate; tetra Examples include acetylethylenediamine; tetraacetylhexamethylenediamine; and tetraacetylmethylenediamine.

U.S. Patent Nos. m4,483.778 and 4,5
Other highly preferred peroxygen bleach activators disclosed in No. 39,130 include sodium 4-(2-chlorooctanoyloxy)benzenesulfonate, 4-(3,5,5
-)-substituted alkyl or alkenyl esters, such as sodium trimethylhexanoyloxy)benzenesulfonate. Suitable peroxy acids are also peroxygen bleach activators, for example published European Patent Application No. 0 116 5
What is described in specification No. 71, that is, general type RXAOOH
and RXAL C, where R is a hydrocarbyl group, X is a heteroatom, A is a carbonyl bridging group, and L is a leavlng group, especially oxybenzene sulfonate. .

Other detergent ingredients that are highly desirable for use in detergent compositions of the present invention include those having the formula R4R5R6R7NX, where:
R4 is alkyl having about 8 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 18 carbon atoms; R5 is alkyl having about 1 to 10 carbon atoms;
R and R7 are each C1-C4 alkyl, preferably methyl, and X- is a quaternary ammonium compound, for example chloride. Examples of such quaternary ammonium compounds include C12-C14 alkyltrimethylammonium chloride and cocoalkyltrimethylammonium methosulfate. The quaternary ammonium compound is 0.5% to 5%,
Preferably, it can be used in an amount of 1% to 3%.

Additional Softening Ingredients The detergent compositions of the present invention may further contain other softening ingredients in addition to the clay material. Suitable examples include the formula RIR2R3N, where R□ is 06-C2o hydrocarbyl, R2 is 01-C hydrocarbyl,
R3 is 01-C1o hydrocarbyl or hydrogen)
amines are mentioned. A preferred amine of this type is sitalow methylamine.

Preferably, the softening amine has the formula RCOOH, where R
is a 09-C2o alkyl or alkenyl) fatty acid. The amine/fatty acid complex has a particle size of, for example, 0.1 to 20 μm.
It is desirable that the material exists in the form of ultrafine particles having the following properties.

These amine/fatty acid complexes are described in European patent application no.
133 804. Amine 1%
Compositions containing ~10% are preferred.

Formula % Formula % [In the formula, R8 and R9 are C1-C2o alkyl, or the general formula alkyl-(OCH2CH2).

(In the formula, the alkyl substituent is C□~C2°, preferably C
8-01B, and y is 1-15, preferably 2-10
is an ethoxylated alkyl group, most preferably an integer from 2 to 5)] and complexes of the above amines are also suitable. Amine/phosphate ester complexes of this type are described in detail in European Patent Application No. 0 168 889.

Yet another example of an optional softening component is the formula RRNCOR
,2 (wherein R10 and Rii are independently C1 to C22
Examples include softening amides selected from alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxyalkyl, aryl, and alkylaryl groups; R is hydrogen or an 01-C22 alkyl or alkenyl, aryl or alkylaryl group. Preferred examples of these amides are sitaloacetamide and sitalobenzamide. Good results are obtained when the amide is present in the composition in the form of a complex with fatty acids or phosphoric acid esters (COposite) as described in the case of softening amines.

The amide is present in the composition in an amount of 1 to 10% by weight.

Suitable softening ingredients are also described in British Patent Application No. 2.173
, 827, particularly the substituted cyclic amines disclosed therein. General formula 1-(higher alkyl)amide(lower alkyl)-2-(higher alkyl)imidacillin (wherein, higher alkyl is an alkyl having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and lower alkyl is an alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. ) is preferred.

A preferred cyclic amine is 1-tallowamidoethyl-2-
It is tallow imidazoline. Preferred compositions contain 1% to 10% substituted cyclic amine.

Amine and amide softening components may be added to the detergent granules as dry powders or may be sprayed onto the detergent granules or onto a carrier in either molten or dissolved form. An example of a suitable carrier is perbora
te) is a monohydrate.

Additionally, the compositions can contain, in addition to the ingredients already mentioned, a variety of other optional ingredients typically used in commercial products to provide aesthetic or additional product performance benefits.

Typical ingredients include pH adjusters, six agents, dyes, bleaching agents, optical brighteners, soil suspending agents, hydrotropes and gel vii agents, rapid fire stabilizers, bactericides, preservatives, antifoaming agents, Examples include bleach activators.

In through-the-wash form, the composition is typically at least 400 ppm in an aqueous wash bath at pH 7-11 for laundering fabrics.

Preferably it is used at a concentration of 0.05% to 1.5%.

Washing can be carried out over a range from 5°C to boiling with excellent results.

Industrial Applicability The laundry compositions of the present invention can be formulated as granular detergents or as liquid detergents. It has been found that clays with high swelling capacity can be easily incorporated into liquid detergent compositions while maintaining phase stability.

In preparing liquid detergent compositions, the polymeric clay flocculant can be mixed with other detergent ingredients under agitation.

When preparing granular detergent compositions, polymeric clay flocculants can be added in a variety of ways. The polymeric clay flocculant may be added to the clarification mixture prior to spray drying; or may be sprayed onto the granular detergent from a solution in water or an organic solvent; or dry mixed with the granular detergent in the form of particles. You may. Release of the flocculant can be controlled by incorporating the flocculant into prills or by microencapsulating the flocculant in a suitable microencapsulating agent.

In a preferred embodiment, the aggregate is prepared from a fabric softening clay and a clay flocculant. These aggregates are dry mixed with the granular detergent composition.

The chemical stability of clay flocculants is improved by the addition of small amounts of chelating agents (typically 0.05-1 ff!% by weight of the detergent composition). A preferred chelating agent is ethylenediaminetetramethylenephosphonic acid.

Clay flocculants may also be incorporated into detergent additives, for example in the form of sheets or pouches to be added to the wash liquor on top of conventional detergent compositions. The laundry additives also preferably contain fabric softening clays and/or other fabric softening ingredients as described above, and therefore do not themselves contain such clays or such other fabric softening ingredients. It may also be used in combination with detergent compositions.

In a very specific embodiment, the polymeric clay flocculant is formed into a water-soluble film. The film is formed into a pouch filled with a single dose of the clay-containing detergent composition.

In use, the pouch dissolves and releases the detergent composition.

The dissolved polymer will interact with the softening clay to enhance adhesion on the fabric. Polymers of ethylene oxide are particularly suitable for use in this aspect of the invention.

Additionally, fabric softening clays and softness-enhancing amounts of polymeric clay flocculants can be incorporated into the rinse liquid softener composition. Other softeners may also be present, such as quaternary ammonium compounds.

procedural aids 1 Display of incident 1988 Patent Application No. 176185 2 Name of the invention detergent composition 3 Person making the amendment Relationship to the case Patent applicant The Brocter End Gamble Company 4 agents 8 Contents of amendment (1) Amend the claims as per the attached sheet.

(2) After "is an alkylaryl group" on page 22, lines 5-6 of the specification, "is 0-Rl3 (in the formula, R13 is a C1-C22 alkyl or alkenyl, aryl or alkylaryl group)" Insert.

(3) In the table on page 27, the 6th to 3rd lines from the bottom of the component column are corrected as follows.

"Polyethylene oxide (molecular weight 5,000.000
) Polyethylene oxide (molecular weight 300.000) Polyacrylate (molecular weight 1,200.000) Polyacrylamide (molecular weight 1.OOo, 000'') jClaims 1. (1) Organic surfactant 5% to 40%, (2)
Smectite-type clay 1% to 30% as a fabric softening ingredient
(3) 0.005-20 of smectite-type clay
A detergent composition further comprising 2% polymer clay flocculant.

2. A polymer in which the clay flocculant is derived from a monomer selected from ethylene oxide, acrylamide, acrylic acid, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, vinyl alcohol, vinylpyrrolidone, ethyleneimine, and mixtures thereof (the polymer has a weight average Molecular weight 100,000~
10.000,000).

3. Detergent composition according to claim 2, wherein the polymer is derived from monomers selected from ethylene oxide, acrylamide and acrylic acid.

4. The polymer clay flocculant has a weight average molecular weight of 150.0.
00 to 5,000,000.
The detergent composition according to any one of the above.

5. The clay flocculant has a molecular weight of 150,000 to 800.
000 and 0.05 to 2Of smectite type clay
5. A detergent composition according to claim 4, wherein the detergent composition is present in an amount of 2% fi.

6. The clay flocculant has a molecular weight of 800,000 to 5.00.
0,000 and 0.005 to smectite-type clay
5. A detergent composition according to claim 4, wherein the detergent composition is present in an amount of 2% by weight.

+ − 7, formula R4R5R6R7N X (wherein, R has 8 carbon atoms
~20 alkyl, R5 is an alkyl having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R6 and R are each a C1 to C4 alkyl, and X- is an anion) from 0.5% to
A detergent composition according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising 5%.

8. Formula RRNCOR, where Rlo and R are independently selected from 01-C22 alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxyalkyl, aryl, and alkylaryl groups;
R12 is hydrogen, or 01-C22 alkyl or alkenyl, aryl or alkylaryl group, or O
”-Rta (wherein R13 is a C1-C22 alkyl or alkenyl, aryl or alkylaryl group)
The detergent composition described in Aami 1.

9, Formula 1-(higher alkyl)amide(lower alkyl)-2-(higher alkyl) (in the formula, higher alkyl is 1
Detergent composition according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising 1% to 10% of imidacillin having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, lower alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

10. further comprising 5% to 35% of a builder system, said builder system comprising (a) 1% to 99% of a tartrate monosuccinate component of the structure (wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation); and (b) 1 to 99% by weight of a tartrate disuccinate component of the structure (wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation). .

11. A laundry additive composition characterized by comprising a softness-enhancing amount of a polymeric clay flocculant.

12. A rinse solution additive softener composition comprising 1% to 30% smectite-type clay and characterized by comprising a flexibility-enhancing amount of a polymeric clay flocculant.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. (1) 5% to 40% organic surfactant, (2) 1% smectite clay as a fabric softening component
~30% and (3) 0.005 to 20% of smectite-type clays.
A detergent composition further comprising % by weight of a polymeric clay flocculant. 2. A polymer in which the clay flocculant is derived from a monomer selected from ethylene oxide, acrylamide, acrylic acid, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, vinyl alcohol, vinylpyrrolidone, ethyleneimine, and mixtures thereof (the polymer has a weight average Molecular weight 100
,000 to 10,000,000). 3. Detergent composition according to claim 2, wherein the polymer is derived from monomers selected from ethylene oxide, acrylamide and acrylic acid. 4. The detergent composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the polymeric clay flocculant has a weight average molecular weight of 150,000 to 5,000,000. 5. The clay flocculant has a molecular weight of 150,000 to 800,0
5. A detergent composition according to claim 4, having a smectite type clay of 0.00 and present in an amount of 0.05 to 20% by weight of the smectite clay. 6. The clay flocculant has a molecular weight of 800,000 to 5,000.
,000 and 0.005 to 2 of smectite-type clay
5. A detergent composition according to claim 4, wherein the detergent composition is present in an amount of % by weight. 7. Formula R_4R_5R_6R_7N^+X^- (in the formula,
R_4 is alkyl having 10 to 20 carbon atoms, R_5,
7. The detergent composition according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising 0.5% to 5% of a quaternary ammonium compound where R_6 and R_7 are each C_1-C_4 alkyl and X^- is an anion. 8, Formula R_1_0R_1_1NCOR_1_2 [in the formula,
R_1_0 and R_1_1 are independently C_1 to C_2_
2 selected from alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxyalkyl, aryl, and alkylaryl groups; R_1_2
is hydrogen, or C_1-C_2_2 alkyl or alkenyl, aryl or alkylaryl group, or O
-R_1_3 (in the formula, R_1_3 is C_1 to C_2_2
alkyl or alkenyl, aryl or alkylaryl group).
The detergent composition according to claim 5 or 6. 9, formula 1-(higher alkyl)amide(lower alkyl)-2-(higher alkyl), where higher alkyl has 12 to 20 carbon atoms and lower alkyl has 1
1% to 10 imidazolines (having ~4 carbon atoms)
7. The detergent composition according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising %. 10. A tartrate monosate further containing 5% to 35% of a builder system, wherein the builder system is (a) having the structure ▲ Numerical formula, chemical formula, table, etc. ▼ (wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation) succinate component 1% to 99%; and (b) structure ▲ mathematical formula, chemical formula, table, etc. ▼ (wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation) tartrate disuccinate component 1 to 99% by weight A detergent composition according to any one of claims 5 to 9, comprising %. 11. A laundry additive composition characterized by comprising a softness-enhancing amount of a polymeric clay flocculant. 12. A rinse solution additive softener composition comprising 1% to 30% smectite-type clay and characterized by comprising a flexibility-enhancing amount of a polymeric clay flocculant.