GB1508425A - Method of inhibiting microorganism growth in fabric-softening compositions - Google Patents

Abstract

1508425 Microbicides PROCTER & GAMBLE CO 8 July 1975 [8 July 1974] 30147/74 Heading A5E [Also in Division D1] An aqueous, fabric-softening composition comprises 4 to 8% by weight of a quaternary ammonium fabric-softening agent and 0.01 to 2% by weight of an antimicrobial agent selected from (a) aliphatic dialdehydes OHC-R'- CHO where R' is a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group containing 1 to 5 carbon atoms in the alkylene chain and (b) mixtures of said aliphatic dialdehydes with alkanolamines NRR 1 R 2 wherein R is hydroxyalkyl, R 1 and R 2 are each selected from hydrogen, alkyl and hydroxyalkyl and the total number of carbon atoms in the alkanolamine is not greater than 13, the composition having a pH of 4.5 to 9. Specified dialdehydes are glutraldehyde, α, α' dichloroglutraldehyde, and #, #' dimethylglutraldehyde. Specified alkanol amines are mono, di and triethanolamine and isopropanol amine. A mixture of glutraldehyde and triethanolamine in the weight ratio of 3:1 to 1:3 is preferred. The quaternary ammonium softener has ] or 2 alkyl groups containing 12 to 20 carbon atoms. 2 quaternary nitrogens may be linked by a 1 to 3 carbon alkyl group, a 5 to 8 carbon arylene group or a -C 2 H 4 -O-C 2 H 4 - group. Examples are given. Preferred compounds are the 16, 18 and 20 carbon alkyl trimethylammonium chlorides and the 16, 18 and 20 carbon dialkylammonium chlorides, di (tallow alkyl) dimethyl ammonium chloride being most preferred. The composition may also include 0.1 to 5% of a specified non-ionic or zwitterionic emulsifying agent, from 0.5 to 15% of a 1 to 5 carbon atom alkanol or ether thereof with ethylene glycol or diethylene glycol, or nbutoxypropanol and 0.01 to 5% of the stilbene optical brightener The stable composition is added at the deep rinse cycle of home laundering operations.