Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C11—ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES
  • C11D—DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS DETERGENTS; SOAP OR SOAP-MAKING; RESIN SOAPS; RECOVERY OF GLYCEROL
  • C11D3/00—Other compounding ingredients of detergent compositions covered in group C11D1/00
  • C11D3/0005—Other compounding ingredients characterised by their effect
  • C11D3/001—Softening compositions
  • C11D3/0015—Softening compositions liquid
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06M—TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS
  • D06M13/00—Treating fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics or fibrous goods made from such materials, with non-macromolecular organic compounds; Such treatment combined with mechanical treatment
  • D06M13/322—Treating fibres, threads, yarns, fabrics or fibrous goods made from such materials, with non-macromolecular organic compounds; Such treatment combined with mechanical treatment with compounds containing nitrogen
  • D06M13/46—Compounds containing quaternary nitrogen atoms
  • D06M13/463—Compounds containing quaternary nitrogen atoms derived from monoamines
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06M—TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS
  • D06M2200/00—Functionality of the treatment composition and/or properties imparted to the textile material
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06M—TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS
  • D06M2200/00—Functionality of the treatment composition and/or properties imparted to the textile material
  • D06M2200/50—Modified hand or grip properties; Softening compositions

Definitions

• the present invention relates to textile treatment compositions.
• it relates to aqueous compositions suitable for use in the rinse cycle of a textile laundering operation to provide softening/static control benefits, the compositions being characterised by excellent physical characteristics on storage.
• rinse-added fabric softening compositions contain, as the active softening component, substantially water-insoluble cationic materials having two long alkyl chains. Typical of such materials are di-stearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and imidazolinium compounds substituted with two stearyl groups.
• cationic compounds are highly effective softeners when applied in a rinse solution, there are certain disadvantages associated with their use.
• the cationic compounds having long alkyl chains are very sensitive to carry over of anionic detergent into the rinse.
• carry over of anionic detergent tends to neutralize the softening effect because the anionic-cationic complex tends to precipitate -out of solution.
• certain cationic surfactant compounds are expensive and in short supply and it is therefore desirable, for commercial reasons, to provide softening compositions having a reduced amount of cationic surfactant compound.
• British Patents 1550205 and 1550206 disclose the use of certain cationic surfactants for enhancing the deposition of fatty acid ester softening materials onto fabrics.
• U.S. Patent 4233164 discloses the use of a protonated di-polyethoxy monoalkylamine for improving the freeze-thaw recovery of a fabric conditioning composition containing cationic fabric conditioner and a fatty acid ester.
• the present invention thus provides textile treatment composition having improved softening characteristics, particularly under hard water wash/rinse conditions, and improved formulation viscosity characteristics under long term storage together with excellent phase stability characteristics.
• the present invention provides an aqueous textile treatment composition characterized by from 2% to 11% of an active mixture comprising
• the textile treatment compositions contain from about 2% to about 8%, more preferably from 2.5% to about 6% of the cationic fabric softener, from about 0.4% to' about 1.5%, more preferably from about 0.5% to about 1.2% of the alkoxylated ammonium surfactant, and from about 1% to about 3%, more preferably from about 1% to about 2% of the nonionic fabric softener.
• These levels of active materials are preferred from the viewpoint of obtaining optimal product viscosity and stability characteristics.
• the alkoxylated ammonium surfactant component has the general formula III wherein R 5 is a C 16 -C 22 alkyl or alkenyl group, n is 2 and x, y are each a number average in the range from 0 to 6, preferably 0 to 3, and the sum total of x and y is in the range from.l to 6, preferably 1 to 3 and wherein X is as defined above.
• 'number average' is meant that x, y each represent the weight averaged number of moles of alkylene oxide in the corresponding polyoxyalkylene moiety of the surfactant.
• alkoxylated surfactant of a non-quaternary ammonium type may be present in the composition in partially deprotonated form.
• all weight percentages and ratios herein are expressed in terms of the corresponding fully protonated salt.
• compositions of the invention are generally formulated so as to have a slighly acidic pH, preferably 'from about 3.5 to 7, more preferably from about 4 to 6; moreover, it is desirable that the final formulation pH be lower than the acidity constant (pK a ) of the amine so that the amine exists predominantly in the form of its protonated or ammonium derivative.
• the compositions take the form of a particulate dispersion of the cationic and nonionic fabric softeners in an aqueous continuum containing at least some of the alkoxylated ammonium surfactant.
• a highly preferred composition comprises:
• the nonionic fabric softener materials herein are C 10 -C 24 non-cyclic hydrocarbons and fatty acid esters having a total of 10 to 40 carbon atoms.
• a particularly preferred material is glyceryl monostearate.
• the present invention also provides a method of making the textile treatment compositions generally described above by the steps of:
• compositions of the invention preferably are stable to separation in a centrifuge at 3000 r.p.m. for 16 hours and have a dynamic viscosity in the range from about -350 cp (0.35 Pa.s) to about 70 cp (0.07 Pa.s), preferably from about 200 cp (0.2 Pa.s) to about 100 cp (0.1 Pa.s) measured in a Brookfield Viscometer, using Spindle No. 2 at 60 r.p.m. and at 21°C.
• the water-insoluble cationic fabric softener is preferably a fabric-substantive cationic compound which, in pure form as a strong acid salt (e.g. chloride), has a solubility in distilled water at pH 2.5 and 20°C of less than lg/1, or can be a mixture of such compounds.
• the soluble fraction of the surfactant is taken to be that material which cannot be separated from water by centrifugal action and which passes a 100 nm Nuclepore filter (Registered Trade Mark).
• the cationic softener desirably has a monomer solubility (as measured by critical micelle concentration or C.M.C.) such that the C.M.C. of the material under the conditions defined above is less than about 50 p.p.m. preferably less than about 20 p.p.m.
• Literature C.M.C. values are taken where possible, especially surface tension, conductimetric or dye adsorption values.
• the substantially water-insoluble cationic fabric softeners are the quaternary ammonium and amine salt compounds having the formula:- wherein R 1 and R 2 represent alkyl or alkenyl groups of from about 12 to about 24 carbon atoms, R 3 and R 4 represent hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl or hydroxyalkyl groups containing from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms; and X is the salt counteranion, preferably selected from halide, methyl sulfate, ethyl sulfate, benzoate, acetate, propionate and phosphate radicals.
• quaternary'softeners include ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride; ditallow'dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate; dihexadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride; di(hydrogenated tallow alkyl) dimethyl ammonium chloride; dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride; dieicosyl dimethyl anionic chloride; didocosyl dimethyl ammonium chloride; di '(hydrogenated tallow) dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate; dihexadecyl diethyl ammonium chloride; di(coconut alkyl) dimethyl ammonium chloride, and di(coconut alkyl) dimethyl ammonium methosulfate. Of these ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride and di(hydrogenated tallow alkyl) dimethyl ammonium chloride are preferred.
• alkoxylated ammonium surfactant component this includes both quaternary and non-quaternary ammonium species although the latter are preferred from the viewpoint of providing optimum viscosity and stability characteristics.
• Suitable surfactants of the non-quaternized variety include protonated mono- or di-polyethoxy primary alkyl amines wherein the amine contains from about 16 to about 22 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, and wherein the average number of ethoxy groups per polyethoxy chain is from 0 to about 6, preferably from about 0 to about 3, and wherein the sum total of polyethoxy groups per molecule is from 1 to about 6, preferably from 1 to about 3.
• the corresponding polyalkoxylated quaternary ammonium surfactants are also suitable, for instance, (referring to Formula II), those species in which R S is C 16 - C 22 alkyl or alkenyl, R 6 is methyl or ethyl, and R 7 and R 8 are groups of formula (C 2 H 4 0) x H, ( C 2 H 4 0 )y H, respectively wherein x, y are each from 0 to about 6, -preferably 0 to about 3 and the sum total of x and y is from 1 to about 6, preferably from 1 to about 3.
• R 5 is tallowyl
• R 6 is methyl
• x, y are each about 1.
• Preferred water-insoluble nonionic fabric softeners of the fatty acid ester class are C 10 -C 24 fatty acid esters of mono- or poly-hydroxy alcohols containing 1 to about 12 carbon atoms.
• the alcohol has from 1 to about 8 carbon atoms, and the fatty acid ester has at least 1, more preferably at least 2, free (i.e., unesterified) hydroxyl groups.
• the mono or poly-hydric alcohol portion of the ester can be represented by methanol, isobutanol, 2-ethyl-hexanol, isopropanol, ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol with a maximum of 5 ethylene glycol units, glycerol, diglycerol, polyglycerol, xylitol, erythritol, pentaerythritol, sorbitol or sorbitan, sugars such as glucose, fructose, galactose, mannose, xylose, arabinose, ribose, 2-deoxy-ribose, sedoheptulose and sucrose.
• Ethylene glycol, glycerol, and sorbitan esters are particularly preferred, especially the monoesters of glycerol.
• the fatty acid portion of the ester normally comprises a fatty acid having from-10 to 24 (preferably 12 to 22) carbon atoms, typical examples being lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid.
• the glycerol esters are very highly preferred. These are the mono-, di- or tri-esters of glycerol and fatty acids of the class described above. Commercial glyceryl mono-stearate, which may contain a proportion of di- and tri-stearate, is suitable. Also useful are mixtures of saturated and unsaturated esters of glycerol derived from mixed saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
• nonionic fabric conditioning agents are the C 10 to C 24 fatty acid esters of sorbitan such as those described in Murphy et al., US Patent 4,085,052 issued April 18, 1978.
• Sorbitan mono- and di-esters of lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, arachidic or behenic, oleic or linoleic acids are particularly useful as softening agents and can also provide antistatic benefits.
• Sorbitan esters are commercially available, for instance, under the trade name Span.
• Preferred nonionic fabric softeners of the hydrocarbon class are paraffins or olefins containing from about 14 to about 22 carbon atoms.
• Materials known generally as paraffin oil, soft paraffin wax and petrolatum are especially suitable. Examples of specific materials are tetradecane, hexadecane, octadecane and octadecene.
• Preferred commercially-available paraffin mixtures include spindle oil and light oil, technical grade mixtures of C 14 /C 17 n-paraffins and C 18 /C 20 n-paraffins and refined white oil.
• the present compositions can be supplemented by all manner of optional components conventionally used in textile treatment compositions, for example, colorants, perfumes, preservatives, optical brighteners, opacifiers, pH buffers, viscosity modifiers, fabric conditioning agents, surfactants, stabilizers such as guar gum and polyethylene glycol, anti-shrinkage agents, anti-wrinkle agents, fabric crisping agents, nonionic softening.agents, spotting agents, soil-release agents, germicides, fungicides, anti-oxidants such as butylated hydroxy toluene, anti-corrosion agents -etc.
• the level of these optional ingredients should, if necessary, be controlled so as not to deleteriously effect the physical stability and viscosity characteristics of the product.
• Another optional ingredient is a water-soluble non-alkoxylated quaternary ammonium surfactant having the general formula IV wherein R 9 represents a C 8 -C 24 alkyl or alkenyl group, and R 10 , R 11 , R 12 independently represent a C l -C 4 alkyl or alkenyl group or an aryl group and wherein X is as defined earlier.
• Suitable materials of this general type include the tallow trimethyl ammonium salts, cetyl tri-methyl ammonium salts, myristyl-trimethyl ammonium salts and coconutalkyl trimethyl ammonium salts.
• compositions may contain other textile treatment or conditioning agents.
• agents include silicones, as for example described in German Patent Application DOS 26 31 419 incorporated herein by reference.
• the optional silicone component can be used in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 6%, preferably from 0.2% to 2% of the softener composition.
• Another optional ingredient of the present compositions is a water-soluble cationic polymer having a molecular weight in the range from about 2000 to 250,000, preferably from about 5000 to 150,000 and containing an average of from about 100 to about 1000, preferably from about 150 to 700 monomer units per molecule.
• Molecular weights are specified as viscosity average molecualr weights and can be determined as described in F. Daniels et al Experimental Physical Chemistry, pp 71-74, 242-246, McGraw-Hill (1949), at 25°C using an Ostwald viscometer.
• the polymers are preferably soluble in distilled water to the extent of 0.5% by weight at 20 o C.
• Suitable polymers of this type include polyethyleneimine having an average molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 35,000, ethoxylated polyethyleneimine wherein the weight ratio of polyethyleneimine to ethyleneoxide is at least 1:1 and wherein the molecular weight is from about 20,000 to about 70,000, and quaternised polyethyleneimines sold under the Trade Name Alcostat by Allied Colloids.
• Suitable preservatives for use in the present compositions include 2-nitro-2-bromo-propane-l,3-diol, glutaraldehyde and 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and its 5-chloro derivative.
• the textile treatment compositions of the invention can be used by adding to the rinse cycle of a conventional home laundry operation.
• rinse water has a temperature of from about 5°C to about 60°C.
• concentration of the total active ingredients is generally from about 2 ppm to about 1000 ppm, preferably from about 1 0 ppm to about 500 ppm, by weight of the aqueous rinsing bath.
• the present invention in its textile treatment method aspect comprises (a) washing fabrics in a conventional washing machine with a deterxx composition; (b) rinsing the fabrics; (c). adding during the rinsing stage of the operation the above-described amounts of cationic fabric softener in an aqueous liquid composition containing a specified amount of alkoxylated amine as hereinbefore described;and (d) drying the fabrics.
• the detergent composition normally contains an anionic, nonionic, amphoteric or ampholytic surfactant or a mixture thereof, and frequently contains in addition an organic or inorganic builder.
• the fabric conditioning composition is preferably added to the final rinse. Fabric drying can take place either in the open air or in an automatic dryer.
• Aqueous textile treatment compositions are prepared having the following formulae:-
• compositions are prepared by forming a molten premix of the water-insoluble cationic and nonionic fabric softeners and alkoxylated ammonium surfactants, and where present, silicone and non-alkoxylated water-soluble surfactant, at a temperature of about 65°C.
• the molten premix is then injected into a water seat containing minor ingredients, apart from perfume, held at about 45°C and this is stirred for about 5 minutes. Thereafter, the dispersion is passed through a heat exchanger to bring the temperature down to about 25°C and finally perfume is added.
• the products thus prepared are stable dispersions displaying excellent viscosity characteristics at both low and high temperatures over prolonged periods of storage; they deliver excellent softening and antistatic performance across the range of natural and synthetic fabrics in both hard and soft water and they also display excellent dispensing and dissolving characteristics in cold rinse water.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Treatments For Attaching Organic Compounds To Fibrous Goods (AREA)
• Processes Of Treating Macromolecular Substances (AREA)

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Cited By (11)

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• 1982
  • 1982-02-18 AT AT82200194T patent/ATE14027T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1982-02-18 EP EP82200194A patent/EP0059502B1/fr not_active Expired
  • 1982-02-18 DE DE8282200194T patent/DE3264359D1/de not_active Expired
  • 1982-02-23 GR GR67393A patent/GR75151B/el unknown
  • 1982-02-26 IE IE426/82A patent/IE52564B1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1982-02-26 JP JP57030459A patent/JPS57205580A/ja active Granted
  • 1982-02-26 CA CA000397153A patent/CA1206705A/fr not_active Expired
  • 1982-02-27 ES ES509979A patent/ES8303517A1/es not_active Expired

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