CH661524A5 - DETERGENT ARTICLE WITH REVITALIZING ACTION AND PROCESS FOR ITS PREPARATION. - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a new solid article, which article combines a detergent effect with a softening or revitalizing action on textiles with synthetic or natural fibers.

The terms "fabric softener" or "conditioner" have acquired a particular meaning in the art where they are interpreted to define certain products capable of exerting a specific action with regard to linen. Such an action results in an effect of lightness and softness to the touch, which gives a soft character to the fabrics thus treated. It also results in an elimination or, at least, a reduction in the electrostatic charges which accompany fabrics, in particular with synthetic fiber, especially after washing and drying.

The prior art mentions a good number of products intended for such use. Their effectiveness depends, however, on their mode of application. Thus quaternary ammonium salts have been suggested to be particularly effective when used after the wash cycle. Indeed, the cationic nature of these salts determines their reactivity with the usual anionic surfactants and consequently limits their use. On the other hand, if such products are premixed in a single article, they tend to react with each other when added to a washing liquid, which results in both poor detergent action and a weakened softening effect.

Several compositions capable of minimizing the mutual reactivity of anionic and cationic products have been described in the past. Such compositions comprising "accounting" agents have been described, for example, in US patents 3,886,075 and

3,954,632. Many other compositions have been suggested in European patent application No. 76572 published on April 13, 1983. This same application also describes a product with a dual detergent / softening action, which product is in the form of 5 distinct particles of 10 to 500 µm and has a maximum solubility of 50 ppm at 25 ° C and a softening point between 90 ° and 200 ° F (32.2 ° and 93.3 ° C).

Such products are particularly suited to the washing habits of industrialized countries in which the consumer can generally have modern mechanical means of washing his laundry in his own household. In reality, experience has shown that, in several countries, the most widely used detergents are not in the form of a powder, but in the form of a brick or a solid bar. It is in this form that the detergents 15 can better lend themselves to a use more in accordance with local washing habits, carried out for the most part by hand.

However, if the known products and currently marketed in bars deploy a detergent action, none has been designed to meet the double requirement of cleaning and softened treatment.

The present invention is based on the discovery that a useful detergent and revitalizing composition resulted from the mixture of the following ingredients:

a) 1-50% by weight of a surfactant belonging to the group of anionic, nonionic, amphoteric, cationic or zwitterionic surfactants or of any mixture of said surfactants;

b) 1-50% by weight of an organic or inorganic alkaline salt belonging to the group of tripolyphosphates, nitrilotriacetates, carbonates, phosphonates or sulfates;

C) 0-10% by weight of a long chain aliphatic amide or an amine oxide;

d) 0-5% by weight of a cellulose derivative;

e) 10-50% by weight of a conditioner containing at least one of the following:

I) 0-50% by weight of a quaternary cationic ammonium salt of formula [R1R2R3R4N] + Y_ in which at least one of the radicals R is an aliphatic radical C16-C22 and Y denotes an anionic function belonging to the group of hydroxides, halides, sulfates or methyl sulfates, either of an imidazolinium salt;

ii) 0-20% by weight of a tertiary amine of formula R! R2R3N in which at least one of the radicals R denotes a saturated alkyl radical C10-C18;

iii) 0-40% of a smectic clay having an ionic exchange capacity greater than 50 mEq / 100 g of clay;

f) 0-15% by weight of talc or 0-10% of aluminum formate, or calcined sodium carbonate, and g) 0-5% by weight of minor components selected from perfumers, deodorants, brighteners, dyes and / or bac-

50 tericides.

The present invention also relates to a solid detergent article deploying a revitalizing action on the fabrics subjected to washing, characterized in that it contains a composition as defined above.

55 Examples of surfactants, useful as ingredients in the mixture described above, are constituted by araliphatic alkali sulfonates, such as alkyl benzene sulfonates having a C9-Cla alkyl group such as those described in US patents 2,477,382, 2,390,295 and 3,320,174. Other examples are described in the 60 US patents 2,723,240, 2,712,530, 2,972,583 as well as US 3,370,100 and 3,214,462.

It is also possible to use, as surfactants, primary or secondary alkyl sulfates, for example of formula RO-SO ~ 3 in which R represents a C10-C20 alkyl group.

65 Among the nonionic surfactants which can be used in the composition described above are in particular the Pluronics (registered trademark of Wyandotte Chemical Co.), formed by the condensation of propylene oxide with propylene glycol. US patents

3

661,524

2,674,619 and 2,677,700 describe such compounds. Other nonionic surfactants consist of Tergitol® 15-S or Neodol®45.

Among the amphoteric surfactants are N-lauryl-N'-carboxymethyl-N '- (2-hydroxyethyl) -ethylenediamine, alkyl-ß-alanines in which the alkyl radicals are mixed radicals having, for example, a length chain derived from coconut oil, or betaines for example. The nature of the surfactant derivatives can vary to a large extent. Other examples of useful surfactants have been described in Schwartz and Perry, "Surface Active Agents" and "Surface Active Agents and Detergents", Interscience Publishers, New York, N.Y.

The ingredients defined above under letter b) constitute what is commonly called in the art of "builders". By way of example, mention may be made of pentasodium and pentapotassium tripo-lyphosphate, sodium or potassium nitriloacetate, carbonate or sulfate. Other examples of “builders” have been described in US Pat. No. 3,954,649 to which reference is made here. Such substances are compatible with the other ingredients of the detergent mixture and have the property of increasing the action of these.

The ingredients mentioned above under letter c) are in fact examples of foaming agents common in the art. By way of example, mention may be made of the alkyl ethers of propyl-dialkoxy amine oxides (VAROX®, Sherex Chem. Company, Inc.).

As regards the cellulosic derivative described under letter d), it is an agent capable of preventing the redeposition of soiling on the laundry after the washing cycle. For this purpose, the sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose, or CMC, is preferably used. It is a compound of current use and available on the market under various names [see: The Merck Index, lOth Edition, Sec. 1812, (1983)].

As cationic quaternary ammonium salt, as ingredient of the revitalizing agent defined under letter e), the compounds mentioned in US Pat. No. 3,936,537 can be used: Most of these products are available on the market. Mention may be made, as preferred agent, of AROSURF® TA 100 or distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. Other examples of quaternary cationic ammonium salts have been given in European patent application No. 76572.

As active revitalizing agents, there are also imidazolinium salts, for example of the formula

X = halogen ch3 ch2-nh-co-r x0

(see for this purpose US Patent 3,936,537). By way of example, mention may be made of methyl, 1-alkylamidoethyl and 2-alkylimidazolinium methyl sulfates.

The tertiary amines used as active ingredients in the revitalizing composition belong to a class of compounds which comprises inter alia: didecyl methyl amine, dimyristyl methyl amine, diketyl methyl amine, distearyl methyl amine as well as ethyl-, corresponding propyl- and butylamines.

Other examples of active tertiary amines have been described in European patent application No. 76572. The function of these amines is to protect, during the washing cycle, the quaternary ammonium salts from the action of the other constituents active ingredients of the detergent mixture, in particular that of the anionic surfactants present.

Where appropriate, the revitalizing composition also comprises a smectic clay. The addition of such a product to the active composition makes it possible to avoid the agglomeration of the components during the manufacturing process. On the other hand, it is known that such clays serve to promote a better revitalizing effect, especially when the washing process is carried out in water of high hardness.

These are, for the most part hydrated aluminum silicates, of the montmorillonite or A1203 • 3Si02 ■ H20 type [BENTONITE 2073, The Merck Index, lOth Edition, Sec. 1051 (1983)].

The activity of smectic clay is measured in terms of ion exchange capacity by units expressed in milliequivalents per 100 g of clay. Thus, the clay usable according to the invention must show an ion exchange capacity equal to or greater than 50 mEq / 100 g.

A more detailed description of the active clays is found in US Patent 3,936,537.

The constituents of the mixture appearing under letters c), d), 0 and g) represent optional constituents. Their addition to the mixture serves to improve some of its own characteristics; however, these constituents do not deploy a critical effect as regards the detergent and softening properties of the composition, object of the present invention. It goes without saying that their addition and their content in the composition are not only linked to technical factors, but they also have a determining effect on the cost of the resulting product. The choice as to their presence in the mixture will be determined according to the particular use envisaged, it will depend, for example, on the hardness of the washing water or the nature of the fabrics subjected to washing.

In order to facilitate the manufacture of the detergent bar according to the invention, various agents capable of improving its consistency can be added to the composition. These are materials such as talc, aluminum formate as a hardening agent or calcined sodium carbonate to impart an abrasive character to the composition.

Finally, minor components can also be used in the manufacture of the composition of the invention. These are perfume compounds, natural or artificial, brighteners, dyes or bactericidal or deodorizing compounds. Such products can of course be of very diverse natures and their use depends on the particular nature of the products which it is desired to manufacture.

The following description gives a general indication as to the method followed for the preparation of the solid detergent bar article of the invention.

The various selected ingredients added with water are premixed in a mixer of the usual type (for example Werner and Pflei-derer) for approximately 15 minutes. The mixture thus obtained is then reduced to chips using a cylindrical rolling mill (Weber and Seeländer, Helmstedt i. Br., FRG). The chips then feed into an extruder [Stéphane Beck, Nyon (Switzerland), mod. Br 45 AC] operating under reduced pressure and, according to a standard soap technique, bars are shaped by heating the chips to 50-55 ° C under the effect of the pressure exerted by a mechanical drive system. The bars are then cut to the desired length and pressed using a soap press.

The following examples serve to illustrate the invention in more detail.

Examples:

Following the process described above, detergent-conditioner bars were prepared by mixing the following ingredients (parts by weight):

Ex: 1

Ex: 2

Ex: 3

Sodium salt of lauryl sulfate TEXAPON Z (Henkel)

35

35

35

Monoethanolamide of fatty acids derived from COMPERLAN 100 coconut oil (Henkel)

3

3

3

Sodium tripolyphosphate

15

15

15

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

661,524

4

Ex: 1

Ex: 2

Ex: 3

Polyethylene glycol, PEG 4000

(Hoechst)

6

6

6

Stearine

6

6

6

Sodium sulfate

4.8

9.8

8.7

Talc

5

5

5

Bentonite 20732 (Whittaker & Clark)

8

5

-

TDCOGEL (Süd Chemie) 1

-

-

4

Dimethyl distearyl chloride 3

ammonium

4

4

Calcined sodium carbonate

2

2

2

Water

9.9

11.9

10

Crystalline aluminum triformate

(GS 5003; Zschimmer & Schwarz)

1

1

1

Parfum4- (Firmenich SA)

0.3

0.3

0.3

A piece of standard cloth, consisting of a cotton terry towel, was immersed in hot water (about 50 ° C), then it was soaped on both sides using the detergent-revita- reading at the exam. This is followed by rinsing with lukewarm water (about 35 ° C), after which the fabric is again soaped in the same way as the first. After rinsing with lukewarm water, the fabric is wrung out by hand by twisting, then it is extended for drying at room temperature.

The panel then decides “blindly” on the quality of the damp fabric as regards its flexibility properties and its antistatic character by comparison with a fabric treated in an identical manner, but using a non-revitalizing detergent bar on the market. The comparative evaluation was repeated on the dried tissue (after overnight at room temperature).

15 The table below summarizes the results obtained:

Preference factor [%]

Example 1:

20

1 Quaternary ammonium derivative of smectic clay (Montmoril-lonite)

2 Smectic clay

3 AROSURF TA-100

4 Several perfume compositions have been used. In particular Padmini 618.108, Herbania 41.394, Lotus 77.055, Herbania 41.394 / L, Roceline 41.484, Roceline 41.484 / B (origin Firmenich SA). Of course, these compositions can be replaced by specific compounds. The nature of the composition does not influence the desired detergent-conditioner effect

The detergent-conditioner bars thus obtained were subjected to an evaluation by a panel made up of 15 or 20 people who were to decide on their performance as a conditioner.

To this end, the following method was followed.

Wet cloth Dry cloth

Example 2:

Wet cloth Dry cloth

Example 3:

Wet cloth Dry cloth

97,100

90 90

91 93

The detergent-conditioner bars prepared according to the invention were also subjected to evaluation to determine their performance as regards their detergent properties. For this purpose, 1 g of product in 500 ml of washing water was used. Program: 20-40 ° C (Linitest). The fabric samples to be washed came from the Federal Materials Testing Laboratory (EMPA, St. Gallen): Art. N ° 103, series 37.

It was thus possible to determine that the detergent properties of the bars according to the invention were similar, even, with regard to certain soils, superior to those of a commercial bar detergent.

R

Claims (3)

661,524 1. A detergent and revitalizing composition, characterized in that it contains the following active ingredients: a) 1-50% by weight of a surfactant belonging to the group of anionic, nonionic, amphoteric, cationic or zwitterionic surfactants or of any mixture of said surfactants; b) 1-50% by weight of an organic or inorganic alkaline salt belonging to the group of tripolyphosphates, nitrilotriacetates, carbonates, phosphates or sulfates; c) 0-10% by weight of a long chain aliphatic amide or an amine oxide; d) 0-5% by weight of a cellulose derivative; e) 10-50% by weight of a conditioner containing at least one of the following: i) 0-50% by weight, either of a quaternary cationic ammonium salt of formula [R1R2R3R4N] + Y_ in which at least one of the radicals R is an aliphatic radical Ci, 5-C22 and Y denotes an anionic function belonging to the group of hydroxides, halides, sulfates or methyl sulfates, either of an imidazolinium salt; ii) 0-20% by weight of a tertiary amine of formula R! R2R3N in which at least one of the radicals R denotes a saturated alkyl radical C10-CI8; iii) 0-40% by weight of a smectic clay having an ion exchange capacity greater than 50 mEq / 100 g of clay; f) 0-15% by weight of talc or 0-10% of aluminum formate, or calcined sodium carbonate, and g) 0-5% by weight of minor components selected from perfumers, deodorants, brighteners, dyes and / or bactericides. 2. Method for the preparation of a solid detergent article in a bar which deploys a revitalizing action on the fabrics subjected to washing, characterized by the use of the composition according to claim 1. 2 3. Solid bar detergent article obtained according to claim 2.