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
  • C11D3/16—Organic compounds
  • C11D3/20—Organic compounds containing oxygen
  • C11D3/2075—Carboxylic acids-salts thereof
• • 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
  • C11D1/00—Detergent compositions based essentially on surface-active compounds; Use of these compounds as a detergent
  • C11D1/38—Cationic compounds
  • C11D1/62—Quaternary ammonium compounds
• • 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
• • 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
  • C11D3/16—Organic compounds
  • C11D3/20—Organic compounds containing oxygen
  • C11D3/2075—Carboxylic acids-salts thereof
  • C11D3/2086—Hydroxy carboxylic acids-salts thereof

Definitions

• the present invention relates to fabric softening compositions of insoluble, degradable cationic fabric softeners at high concentrations.
• the present invention addresses the problem of dispersability which is usually associated with concentrations of bio-degradable cationic fabric softeners above 30%.
• Including a mixture of aromatic acids, especially benzoic acid and salicylic acid, at an amount of at least 10% in total has proven to eliminate the dispersability drawbacks and stabilize the high concentration of the fabric softener active.
• the commercially available fabric softener active concentrations comprise less than 25% active. At concentrations above this the cationic fabric softener active would not easily dilute such that its direct use in the dispenser of automatic washing machines is not possible.
• the problem underlying the present invention is to provide bio-degradable cationic fabric softeners at concentrations of at least 30% without the use of high amounts (more than 10 to 20%) of organic solvents and having a desirable i.e. sufficiantly complete dispersing from the dispersing compartment of typical automatic washing machines.
• EP-A-40562 discloses concentrated quaternary ammonium compounds in combination with non-ionic emulsifier to form a viscous gel of high concentration. This gel is not useful in dispersers of washing machines.
• EP-A-79746 discloses traditional cationic fabric softeners which are non-biodegradable at high concentrations in combination with organic solvents particularly alcohols. The compositions are said to have good cold water dispersability in domestic automatic washing machines.
• EP-A-507478 relates to bio-degradable fabric softeners preferably at concentrations between 8 and 15%, in combination with iso-propyl-alcohol.
• GP-4333667 discloses degradable fabric softener compounds of high unsaturation levels in combination with polyvalent cyclic acids. However, no disclosure of the compositions according to the present invention and the problem underlying it are mentioned.
• EP-A-503155 and EP-A-507003 discloses di-ammonium compounds and poly-amino-esters which are both highly preferred additional compounds in the present invention however only in combination with a bio-degradable fabric softener and the aromatic acid mixture.
• An additional problem underlying the present invention is the desire to provide the highly concentrated fabric softening composition as a clear isotropic composition. This is also solved by the incorporation of the aromatic acid mixture at high concentrations of the bio-degradable fabric softener active.
• EP-A-305065 discloses isotropic fabric softening compositions having a quaternary ammonium of high iodine value to promote the isotropic appearance.
• EP-A-404471 contains high amounts of bio-degradable cationic fabric softening in combination with at least 5% inorganic acid to promote isotropic appearance. Neither of these disclosures mentions or hints towards the dispersability at concentrations above 30% of the bio-degradable fabric softener compound in combination with mixtures of aromatic acids.
• the present invention relates to concentrated fabric treatment compositions comprising a fabric softening compound having at least one lipophilic hydrocarbonrest connected by an ester link to a quaternized nitrogen,i.e. a bio-degradable compound.
• the composition further contains, as a key compound, an aromatic acid mixture which comprises a poly substituted aromatic acid.
• the fabric treatment composition comprises at least 30% by weight, preferably at least 40% by weight in total of cationic fabric softening compounds.
• the concentrated fabric treatment composition is characterized in that is comprises 25% to 60% by weight of quaternized ester ammonium fabric softener compounds; 10% to 25% by weight of quaternized ester di-ammonium fabric softener compound; 1% to 15% by weight benzoic acid; and 1% to 15% by weight salicylic acid.
• the present invention also pertains to the use of an aromatic acid mixture in a concentrated fabric treatment composition for dispersing the fabric treatment composition in washing machine dispersers, such that
• the bio-degradable fabric softening compound is the bio-degradable fabric softening compound.
• the essential fabric softening compound of the present invention is typically a non-soluble ester quaternized ammonium, preferably a di-ester quaternary ammonium. These compounds are present in combination with all other (inclusive original) cationic fabric softening compounds in a total amount of at least 30%, preferably at least 40%. Preferably they are present at an amount of 25% to 60% better yet about 30% to 50% not accounting for optional cationic fabric softeners.
• substituents R and R2 can optionally be substituted with various groups such as alkoxyl or hydroxyl groups, and/or can be saturated, unsaturated, straight and/or branched so long as the R2 groups maintain their basically lipophilic character.
• the preferred compounds can be considered to be di-ester variations of ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride(DTDMAC), which is a widely used fabric softener. At least 80% is in the di-ester form, and from 0 % to about 20% can be monoester.
• DTDMAC ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride
• the di-ester when specified, it will include the monoester that is normally present, but not additional monoester that is added. For softening, the percentage of di-ester should be as high as possible, preferably more than 90%.
• the above compounds used as the primary active softener ingredient in the practice of this invention can be prepared using standard reaction chemistry.
• an amine of the formula RN(CH2CH2OH)2 is esterified at both hydroxyl groups with an acid chloride of the formula R2C(O)C1, then quaternized with an alkyl halide, RX,, to yield the desired reaction product (wherein R and R2 are as defined herinbefore).
• RX alkyl halide
• stable liquid compositions herein are formulated at a pH in the range of about 2 to about 5, preferably from about 2 to about 4.5, more preferably from about 2 to about 4.
• Suitable Bronsted acids include the inorganic mineral acids, carboxylic acids, in particular the low molecular weight (C1-C5) carboxylic acids, and alkylsulfonic acids.
• Suitable inorganic acids include HCl, H2SO4, HNO3 and H3PO4.
• Suitable organic acids include formic, acetic, methylsulfonic and ethylsulfonic acid.
• Preferred acids are hydrochloric and phosphoric acids.
• the presence of the aromatic acids which are essential to the present invention also helps to stabilize the di-ester compounds
• the di-ester quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound can also have the general formula : wherein each R, R2 and X have the same meanings as before.
• Such compounds include those having the formula : [CH3]3 N+[CH2CH(CH2OC(O)R2)OC(O)R2] Cl ⁇ where -OC(O)R2 is derived from soft or hard tallow, or mixtures thereof.
• each R is a methyl or ethyl group and preferably each R2 is in the range of C15 to C19. Degrees of branching, substitution and/or non-saturation can be present in the alkyl chains.
• the anion X ⁇ in the molecule is preferably the anion of a strong acid and can be, for example, chloride, bromide, iodide, sulphate and methyl sulphate; the anion can carry a double charge in which case X ⁇ represents half a group.
• iodine value of above 30 up to 100, preferably above 50, has been found to be beneficial. Also beneficial, particularly if the iodine value is not above 70, are double bonds of the cis configuration due to their melting point difference vs trans double bonds.
• single long chain cationic surfactants which are water soluble, can be present in amounts of 0% up to 15%.
• Such single long-chain-alkyl surfactants useful in the present invention are, preferably quaternary ammonium salts of the general formula: [R2N+R3] X ⁇ wherein the R2 group is C10-C22 hydrocarbon group, preferably C12-C18 alkyl group or the corresponding ester linkage interrupted group with a short alkylene (C1-C4) group between the ester linkage and the N, and having a similar hydrocarbon group, e.g.
• a fatty acid ester of choline preferably C12-C14 (coco) choline ester and/or C16-C18 tallow choline ester.
• Each R is a C1-C4 alkyl or substituted (e.g. hydroxy) alkyl, or hydrogen, preferably methyl, and the counterion X ⁇ is a softener compatible anion, for example, chloride, bromide, methyl sulfate, etc.
• the ranges above represent the amount of the water soluble single-long-chain-alkyl cationic surfactant which is added to the composition of the present invention.
• the ranges do not include the amount of monoester which is already present in the essential fabric softening compound.
• the long chain group R2 of the single-long-chain-alkyl cationic surfactant typically contains an alkylene group having from about 10 to about 22 carbon atoms, preferably from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms.
• This R2 group can be attached to the cationic nitrogen atom through a group containing one, or more, ester, amide, ether, amine, etc., preferably ester, linking groups which can be desirable for increased hydrophilicity, biodegradability, etc.
• Such linking groups are preferably within about three carbon atoms of the nitrogen atom.
• Suitable biodegradable single-long-chain alkyl cationic surfactants containing an ester linkage between the nitrogen and the long chain are described in U.S. 4,840,738.
• the main function of the water-soluble cationic surfactant is to lower the viscosity and/or increase the dispersibility of the essential fabric softener compound and it is not therefore, essential that the cationic surfactant itself have substantial softening properties, although this may be the case.
• surfactants having only a single long alkyl chain presumably because they have greater solubility in water, can protect the essential fabric softener compound from interacting with anionic surfactants and/or detergent builders that are carried over into the rinse.
• cationic materials with ring structures such as alkyl imidazoline, imidazolinium, pyridine, and pyridinium salts having a single C12-C30 alkyl chain can also be used. Very low pH is required to stabilize, e.g. imidazoline ring structures.
• alkyl imidazolinium salts useful in the present invention have the general formula : wherein Y2 is -C(O)-O-, -O-(O)-C-, -C(O)-N(R5), or -N(R5)-C(O)- in which R5 is hydrogen or a C1-C4 alkyl radical; R6 is a C1-C4 alkyl radical; R7 and R8 are each independently selcted from R and R2 as defined hereinbefore for the single-chain cationic surfactant with only one being R2.
• alkyl pyridinium salts useful in the present invention have the general formula : wherein R2 and X ⁇ are as defined above.
• a typical material of this type is cetyl pyridinium chloride.
• Further optional cationic and other softening compounds have been described or referred to in PCT application US-93-04107 filed May 3, 1993.
• non-ionic surfactants Another optional compound improving the viscosity of highly concentrated fabric softening compositions are non-ionic surfactants.
• Suitable non-ionic surfactants to serve as viscosity/dispersibility modifier include addition products of ethylene oxide and, optionally, propylene oxide, with fatty alcohols, fatty acids, fatty amines, etc.
• any of the alkoxylated materials of the particular type described hereinafter can be used as the non-ionic surfactant.
• the non-ionics are used at a level of from 0% to about 15%.
• Suitable compounds are substantially water-soluble surfactants of the general formula : R9 - Y - (C2H4O) Z - C2H4OH wherein R9 is selected from the group consisting of primary, secondary and branched chain alkyl and/or acyl hydrocarbyl groups; primary, secondary and branched chain alkenyl hydrocarbyl groups; and primary, secondary and branched chain alkyl- and alkenyl-substituted phenolic hydrocarbyl groups; said hydrocarbyl groups having a hydrocarbyl chain length of from 8 to about 20, preferably from about 10 to about 18 carbon atoms.
• the hydrocarbyl chain length is from 16 to 18 carbon atoms.
• Y is typically -O-, -C(O)O-, -C(O)N(R)-, or -C(O)N(R9)R-, in which R9, and R, when present, have the meanings given hereinbefore, and/or R can be hydrogen, and z is at least about 8, preferably at least about 10-11. Performance and, usually, stability of the softener composition decrease when fewer ethoxylate groups are present.
• non-ionic surfactants examples include non-ionic surfactants and non-ionic surfactants.
• the fabric softener compositions according to the present invention preferably further contain quaternary - di or poly - ammoniums as described in detail in EP-A-503155 and EP-A-507003. These ammoniums are referred to hereinafter as "QDA" QDA are preferred since they have been found to allow even higher softener concentrations while further improving or at least stabilizing the dispersibility and clear appearance of the composition. QDA's are used in amounts of up to 25% preferably from 10% to 25%. All of the typical fabric softener compounds usual in the art may further be present in the compositions according to the present invention.
• the second essential compound of the present invention is the mixture of aromatic acids. It is important to have a mixture of aromatic acids since one alone, in particular benzoic acid alone, has been found not to improve dispersibility at high concentrations of fabric softening compositions as desired.
• Aromatic acids are well known in the art and include specifically and preferably benzoic acid and its substituted derivates.
• the aromatic acid herein is characterized by one or more nuclear or side-chain acidic, hydroxylic or aldehydic substituents.
• side chain substituents the acid, hydroxyl or aldehyde group is attached at a point no more than eight, preferably no more than four carbon atoms from the aromatic nucleus.
• Aromatic adjuncts wherein the substituent groups are (C1-C6)-alkyl, - alkenyl, - aryl or alkaryl derivatives of the above acidic, hydroxylic and aldehydic groups are also envisaged, such adjuncts being formally esters, ethers or ketones.
• alkyl, alkenyl, aryl or alkaryl groups are optionally further substitued with atoms or radicals other than the essential substituent groups named above, for example, by halogen atoms.
• acidic substituents are preferably present as free acid rather than in salt form.
• a preferred class of aromatic acids have the general formula (II) wherein Q is OR4, CO2R 4, SO3R4, or (CO)R4, T is O,NH or a direct bond, R10 is C1 ⁇ 2 alkylene or alkenylene, p is from 0 to 4, preferably from 0 to 2, R4 is H or C1-C6 alkyl, alkenyl, aryl or alkaryl, and wherein each R11 is independently selected from TR10) P Q such that at least one carboxylic acid group is linked within a maximum of 4 carbon atoms to the aromatic nuclears.
• the most preferred mixtures are those of benzoic acids and salicylic acid or para-hydroxy-benzoic-acid.
• the amount of the aromatic acid mixture naturally depends on the total amount of fabric softening compound and typically is from 5% to 30%, preferably from 10% to 25%.
• a weight ratio of unsubstituted benzoic acid to the sum of all substituted benzoic acids of 0:100 to 75:25, preferably 25:75 to 50:50, especially if the substituted benzoic acid is salicylic acid or para-hydroxy-benzoic-acid then the ratio should be from 40:60 to 60:40.
• compositions 1-3 were in accordance with the present invention while composition 4 differed only in the aromatic acid by not being a mixture. Hence Composition 4 was closer than the closest prior art to the present invention.
• Test Results Compositions 1 2 3 4 - dispersability in machine excellent good excellent poor - dilution with water (gel formation) no gel no gel no gel forms gel - isotropic (clearness) after 1 week at 5°C clear clear opaque clear
• aromatic acid mixture comprises 1% to 15% by weight of the treatment composition of benzoic acid and 1% to 15% by weight of the treatment composition of salicylic acid.
• said fabric softening compound comprises 25% to 60% by weight of the treatment compositiion of a di(tallow ester) dimethyl ammonium and 10% to 25% by weight of the treatment composition of quaternized ester di-ammonium

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• 1993
  • 1993-08-02 EP EP93202276A patent/EP0637625A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
• 1994
  • 1994-07-29 CA CA 2168544 patent/CA2168544A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 1994-07-29 MA MA23608A patent/MA23291A1/fr unknown
  • 1994-07-29 JP JP7505431A patent/JPH09503826A/ja active Pending
  • 1994-07-29 WO PCT/US1994/008593 patent/WO1995004184A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 1994-08-01 EG EG45894A patent/EG20390A/xx active

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