GB2132651A

GB2132651A - Concentrated fabric conditioning composition

Info

Publication number: GB2132651A
Application number: GB08231315A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robin Snell Heslam
Original assignee: Unilever PLC
Current assignee: Unilever PLC
Priority date: 1982-11-02
Filing date: 1982-11-02
Publication date: 1984-07-11

Abstract

A concentrated liquid fabric conditioning composition contains at least 8% of a fabric conditioning agent which is a di-long chain alkyl quaternary ammonium salt containing not more than 7% based on the fabric conditioning agent of the corresponding tri-long alkyl compound. The compositions exhibit improved viscosity and stability characteristics. Other conventional components may be included such as viscosity control agents and nonionic or other cationic fabric conditioning agents.

Description

SPECIFICATION Concentrated fabric conditioning composition This invention relates to a liquid fabric conditioning composition for use in the rinse cycle of a domestic fabric laundering process. In particular it relates to an aqueous concentrated liquid fabric conditioning composition.

Aqueous liquid fabric conditioning compositions are well known in the art. Typically they consist of an aqueous base in which is dispersed up to about 8% by weight of a fabric conditioning agent which is usually a fabric softening agent, such as a di-(long chain saturated alkyl) dimethyl ammonium salt. These products are normally used in the last rinse of a fabric laundering process, whereby the fabric fibres take up a certain amount of the softening agent resulting in a soft fluffy feel of the fabric.

Other benefits such as a reduction in static cling with synthetic fabrics may also be imparted by such compositions.

It has been proposed to prepare more concentrated products thereby to reduce packaging and transport costs and to reduce the amount of liquid which the user has to dose to the washing machine. To date however, it has not been possible to prepare compositions containing more than about 8% of the conventional fabric conditioning agents in a suitable form for domestic use, without the addition of additional components which themselves may increase the cost of the product and/or may have other nonbeneficial effects. Such concentrated compositions containing only conventional fabric conditioning agents suffer from unacceptable high viscosities and/or poor phase stability.

It has been proposed to form concentrated products using cationic fabric conditioning agents in which the long-chain alkyl groups are unsaturated (eg di-soft tallow alkyl dimethyl ammonium chloride). It has been found however, that in practice even the use of such unsaturated materials still leads to problems of viscosity and stability.

We have now surprisingly found that the difficulty of making such concentrated products is due, at least in part, to the presence of impurities in the conditioning agent. Thus, where the conditioning agent is, for example, di-soft tallowdimethyl ammonium chloride, we have surprisingly found that concentrated products are more difficult to prepare if this material contains a significant level of the "trialkyl" derivative namely tritallow-monomethyl ammonium chloride.

The present invention thus provides concentrated liquid fabric conditioning compositions which contain substantially no trialkyl derivative or only a specified minor level thereof.

Thus, according to the invention there is provided a liquid fabric conditioning composition comprising: (i) an aqueous base; (ii) at least 8% by weight, based on the weight of the composition, of a fabric conditioning agent according to the general formula (I)

wherein each R, is an unsaturated hydrocarbyl group (which may be substituted or unsubstituted, straight chain or branched chain) having from 10 to 24 carbon atoms, each R2 is a hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and X is an anion, such as a halide or a methyl sulphate; and (iii) from 0% to not more than 7% based on the weight of the fabric conditioning agent of a compound according to the general formula (II)

wherein R1, R2 and X are as defined above.

The aqueous base will normally be water only, or a mixture of water with other liquid materials, in particular solvents such as isopropanol.

The level of the aqueous base in the composition is preferably at least 20% to maintain the composition in liquid form. The aqueous base may occupy up to 92% of the composition.

The level of the fabric conditioning agent is at least 8% preferably from about 12% to about 70%, most preferably from about 15% to about 40% by weight of the composition.

Representative examples of these conditioning agents include di-soft tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride available as Arquad 2T, di-soft tallow dimethyl ammonium methyl sulphate, and dioleyl dimethyl ammonium chloride.

These materials are commercially available from many sources. We have now discovered that the level of the corresponding trialkyl derivative in these materials may vary from substantially zero to as much as 12% by weight or more. According to the present invention, the level of trialkyl derivative in the fabric conditioning agent is less than 7%, preferably less than 5%, most preferably less than about 1% by weight, based on the weight of the conditioning agent.

The level of impurities in fabric conditioning agents may be reduced by distillation of the product or by other known separation methods.

The composition of the invention may also contain other components, in particular viscosity control agents selected from polymers as disclosed in British patent specification GB 2 053 249, electrolytes (in particular the ionic salts of calcium, magnesium and aluminium), C12C4o hydrocarbons and halogen derivatives thereof, Q-C24 fatty acids, fatty acid esters of monohydric alcohols, the esters having a total of 10-40 carbon atoms, or C,,--C,, fatty alcohols.

The pH of the composition may he varied within the range of about 2 to about 8, preferably about 3 to about 5. To achieve the desired pH in the composition, buffering agents may be added as required.

Other fabric conditioning agents may be present, in particular other fabric softening agents. These may include other cationic fabric softening agents such as imidazolinium salts, nonionic fabric softening agents such as glycerol monostearate or lanolin and zwitterionic and amphoteric fabric softening agents.

The level of any anionic surface active materials in the composition should generally be low, preferably less than about 5%, most preferably less than about 1 % by weight of the composition.

The compositions may further comprise additional benefit ingredients such as germicides, fluorescers, perfumes, antistatic agents, soilrelease agents, colourants, antioxidants, bleaches, anti-yellowing agents, ironing aids etc, all in the conventional minor amounts. Enzymes such as cellulases may be included.

To further improve the viscosity properties of the compositions of the invention, nonionic emulsifying agents such as sorbitan monostearate may be included.

The invention will now be illustrated purely by way of example, in the following non-limiting Example.

Example Three samples of Arquad 2T (di-soft tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride) were used to prepare concentrated fabric conditioning compositions according to the following formula: Arquad 2T 15.5% Stearic acid 2.5% Aluminium chlorhydrate 0.5% Water and perfume balance The analysis of the three samples of Arquad 2T was as follows: (% by weight)

Trialkyl Sample Arquad 2T derivative A 95.0 less than 1.0 B 90.0 6.8 C 90.3 8.0 In these sample, the balance up to 100% was made up predominantly of the corresponding mono-alkyl derivative.

The fabric conditioning compositions were prepared by blending together the fatty acid and the cationic active using a high energy stirrer and temperatures not less than 700C. This premix was diluted with water which had been preheated to the same temperature, followed by sufficient salt solution to achieve the required viscosity. The perfume was added after dilution.

The viscosity and phase stability of the products were as follows: Viscosity Sample at (110s-'J Phase stability A 18 cP Stable B 155 cP Less stable than A C More than 500 cP Less stable than A

Claims

1. A liquid fabric conditioning composition comprising: (i) an aqueous base; (ii) at least 8% by weight, based on the weight of the composition, of a fabric conditioning agent according to the general formula (I) as herebefore defined; and (iii) from 0% to not more than 7% based on the weight of the fabric conditioning agent according to the general formula (II) as hereinbefore defined.

2. A composition according to Claim 1, wherein the level of the compound according to general formula (II) is less than 5% by weight, based on the weight of the fabric conditioning agent.

3. A composition according to Claim 1, which further contains one or more components selected from polymers, electrolytes, C12-C24 fatty acids, fatty acid esters of monohydric alcohols where the esters have a total of 1 0-40 carbon atoms, and C10-C18fatty alcohols.