JPH04327270A - Liquid soft finishing agent - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a liquid soft finishing agent capable of providing excellent softness and elasticity to various kind of fibers and having excellent storage stability. CONSTITUTION:The liquid soft finishing agent containing (a) a neutralized product of inorganic acid or organic acid of an amine having one or two ester groups in a molecule and containing >=2 straight-chain or branched-chain saturated or unsaturated 11-23C hydrocarbon groups in molecule and (b) a compound having one long-chain hydrocarbon group and one nitrogen atom and further having ester group and/or amide group and/or imidazoline skeleton as an essential component at an amount of the component (b) of 1-150wt.% based on the component (a).

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a fabric softener, and more specifically, the present invention relates to a fabric softener that has excellent flexibility and elasticity (
The present invention relates to a liquid fabric softener for household use that can impart a fluffy feel.

0002

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention] Currently,
Most products on the market as household fabric softeners are 1
The composition is mainly composed of a quaternary ammonium salt having 1 to 2 long-chain alkyl groups in the molecule. The reason for this is that a small amount of quaternary ammonium salt has a good softening effect on various fibers.

The above-mentioned quaternary ammonium salts have a remarkable softening effect on cotton, but on acrylic and
It is difficult to say that the effect is sufficient for synthetic fibers such as polyester and polyamide, and if treated at a higher concentration, the elasticity of clothing may decrease and the feel may be impaired.

[0004] Furthermore, when stored for a long period of time, it may thicken, become gel-like, or separate, especially at low temperatures.

[0005] For this reason, various polyoxyethylene-based nonionic activators, electrolytes, and solvents are required in addition to the softening component, and many products are stabilized by blending these.
The effect is still not sufficient.

[0006] The above-mentioned fabric softener having the quaternary ammonium salt as its main base is usually commercially available and used as a 4 to 20% dispersion.

However, since quaternary ammonium salts are highly hydrophobic, if the stirring force is weak when adding them to the rinsing water, the dispersibility in the water is poor, and there is a risk that the salts may stick to clothes unevenly. Commercially available softeners contain various additives in addition to the above-mentioned quaternary ammonium salt to improve their dispersibility in water, but their effects are still insufficient.

[0008]Furthermore, liquid softening agents using various amines as softening bases have been known. For example, JP-A-52-
No. 597965 describes methyl di(hardened tallow alkyl)
A composition that imparts flexibility to fibers containing a long-chain alkylamine such as an amine is disclosed in JP-A-58-60070, which contains an acylated alkanolamine, a water-soluble quaternary ammonium salt, and a fatty acid ester. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 167083/1983 discloses a finishing agent for textile materials that gives smoothness and a comfortable feel to fibers. A stable aqueous dispersion for fabric treatment containing a di(higher alkyl)cyclic amine and a Brønsted acid is disclosed in JP-A No. 64-85368 as a softening agent.
JP-A-2-6662 discloses a softening composition containing a di-long chain alkylamine-anionic surfactant ion pair complex, a non-silicone wax, and a liquid carrier, and JP-A-2-6662 discloses a softening composition containing a di-long chain alkylamine-anionic surfactant ion pair complex, a non-silicone wax, and a liquid carrier; Fabric conditioning compositions containing amines such as condensates of higher fatty acids and amphoteric fabric conditioning agents are disclosed in JP-A No.
No. 14076 describes a fabric conditioning composition that imparts a fabric softener and antistatic properties containing a di-long-chain alkylamine-polyfunctional carboxylic acid complex. Further, JP-A-52-5394 describes a fabric conditioning composition containing a static electricity suppressant containing a mono- or di-long chain alkyl alkylene diamine and a quaternary ammonium softener. However, the effects of softeners containing these amines are still insufficient.

[0009] Recently, concerns about the impact on the environment have been increasing all over the world, and a base material with excellent biodegradability has started to be desired for fabric softeners as well.

However, the above-mentioned amine-containing softeners are still not sufficiently effective in this respect.

[0011]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present inventors have conducted intensive research to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and have arrived at the present invention.

That is, the present invention provides a liquid fabric softener characterized by containing the following components (a) and (b) as essential components. (a) An inorganic acid or an organic acid of an amine having one to two ester groups in the molecule and two or more linear or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups having 11 to 23 carbon atoms. Neutralized product. (b) has one long-chain hydrocarbon group and one nitrogen atom in the molecule, and further has an ester group and/or an amide group and/or
Or a compound having an imidazoline skeleton in an amount of 1 to 150% by weight based on component (a).

Representative examples of component (a) used in the present invention include alkanolamines such as triethanolamine, tripropanolamine, N-methyldiethanolamine, N-methylpropanolamine, and N-long-chain alkyldiethanolamine; The ester amine obtained by reaction with a number of 12 to 24 fatty acids or fatty acid methyl esters is treated with an inorganic acid such as hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid or an organic acid such as acetic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, or toluenesulfonic acid. Examples include compounds obtained by neutralizing with an acid. The fatty acids used in this reaction are:
Fatty acids derived from natural oils and fats such as coconut oil, palm oil, beef tallow, rapeseed oil, and fish oil are generally used, but chemically synthesized fatty acids may also be used.

As the amine compound which is the precursor of component (a), those having one to two ester groups are preferred, and compounds represented by the following general formulas (I) to (IV) are particularly preferred. It is also possible to use a mixture of two or more kinds.

[0015]

[Chemical formula 9]

[In the formula, R1 and R2 are linear or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups having 11 to 23 carbon atoms, R is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, hydroxyethyl group, hydroxypropyl group, m represents 2 or 3. ]

[0017]

[Chemical formula 10]

[In the formula, R1 and R2 are linear or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups having 11 to 23 carbon atoms, R is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, hydroxyethyl group, hydroxypropyl group, m , n represents 2 or 3. ]

[0019]

[Chemical formula 11]

[In the formula, R4 and R5 represent a straight chain or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 11 to 23 carbon atoms. ]

[
0021

[Chemical formula 12]

[In the formula, R1 and R2 are linear or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups having 11 to 23 carbon atoms, R is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, a hydroxyethyl group, a hydroxypropyl group, m represents 2 or 3. ] Among the above, R
An amine compound in which 1, R2 is an alkyl group or an alkenyl group having 15 or more carbon atoms is desirable.

In the present invention, it is desirable that component (a) is blended in the composition in an amount of 1 to 30% by weight, preferably 4 to 30% by weight, particularly preferably 10 to 25% by weight.

Since the component (a) used in the present invention has an ester group in its molecule, one of its characteristics is that it is a base material with excellent biodegradability and no problems in the natural environment. It is one.

The compound (b) used in the present invention can be easily synthesized from the alcohol compound or amine compound used as the respective raw material.

Typical examples of the component (b) include those derived from N-methyldiethanolamine, imidazoline derivatives, and aminoethylethanolamine derivatives, but the following general formula (V) is particularly preferred.
Examples include compounds represented by (IX), which may be used in combination of two or more.

[0027]

[Chemical formula 13]

[In the formula, R4 is a straight chain or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 7 to 23 carbon atoms, R is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, hydroxyethyl group, hydroxypropyl group, m is 2 or Represents 3. ]

[0029]

[Chemical formula 14]

[In the formula, R5 represents a straight chain or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 9 to 23 carbon atoms. ]

0031
]

[Chemical formula 15]

[In the formula, R6 represents a straight chain or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 9 to 23 carbon atoms. m is 2 or 3] Among the above, those having a long chain group having an alkyl group or an alkenyl group having 12 or more carbon atoms are desirable. (b)
Component (a) contains from 1 to 150% by weight, preferably from 5 to 100% by weight, particularly preferably from 10 to 5% by weight, based on component (a).
It is in the range of 0% by weight (5 to 50% from the viewpoint of storage stability)
% by weight is particularly preferred).

The composition of the present invention can be obtained, for example, by slowly adding a melt or concentrate of the amine compound to an aqueous solution containing a neutralizing agent under stirring or shear mixing.
The method is not limited to this, and it can also be obtained by preparing a neutralized product in advance or adding the neutralized product afterward.

The softening agent of the present invention is further combined with a silicone compound such as dimethylpolysiloxane, dimethylpolysiloxane partially modified with an amino group or a polyoxyalkylene group, particularly preferably partially modified with a polyoxyalkylene group. By blending dimethylpolysiloxane, the feel of softened clothing can be improved without impairing water absorption. These silicone compounds are
It is preferably blended in an amount of 0.3 to 5% by weight based on component (a).

The softening agent of the present invention has almost the same softening effect as hardened beef tallow alkyldimethylammonium chloride, which has been widely used in the past, but surprisingly it can provide elastic softness. Do you get it.

When the composition of the present invention is used as an aqueous liquid softener, an inorganic electrolyte such as sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, etc. is added in an amount of 0.05 to 0.05 to
It is desirable to add 0.4% by weight.

The liquid fabric softener of the present invention has high stability during long-term storage, but in order to stabilize it under even more severe storage conditions, polyoxyethylene (5 to 50 mol), alkyl or alkenyl (C12- C24) A nonionic surfactant such as ether, a solvent such as ethanol, propylene glycol or ethylene glycol, or urea can be blended. In addition, esters known as flexible bases,
Nonionic or cationic compounds, long chain alcohols, long chain fatty acids, etc. may be used in combination.

[0038] Pigments or dyes can also be added to improve the appearance of the product, fluorescent brighteners can be added to improve the whiteness of the finished product, and fragrances can be added to improve the taste during use and after the finished product. .

[0039]

Effects of the Invention The fabric softener of the present invention can impart sufficient flexibility, antistatic properties, and excellent elasticity to various fibers, and has excellent biodegradability.

[0040]

EXAMPLES Next, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited to these Examples.

Examples 1 to 12 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 Table 3 containing the (a) component shown in Table 1 and the (b) component shown in Table 2
The following evaluation was performed using the softening agent shown in .

[0042]

[Table 1]

[0043]

[Table 2]

1) Evaluation of storage stability The softening agents shown in Table 3 were stored in a sealed state at -10°C, room temperature, and 50°C for 20 days, and the appearance and fluidity under the sealed conditions were measured. The results are shown in Table 3. The liquid fabric softener of the present invention includes:
All were in good condition with almost no change over time.

2) Evaluation of flexibility and elasticity (1) Processing method 2 kg of commercially available cotton towels and 1 kg of acrylic jersey were
After washing 5 times (30 liter washing machine) with commercially available detergent Attack (manufactured by Kao Corporation, registered trademark) in 3.5° DH hard water to remove the fiber treatment agent attached to each fiber, 1.5 g of the blended composition as an active ingredient was added and treated at 25° C. for 1 minute with stirring. (2) Evaluation method After drying the cloth treated with the above method indoors, it was heated to 65% at 25°C.
It was left in a constant temperature and humidity room at RH for 24 hours. These fabrics were evaluated for flexibility and elasticity. For evaluation of softness and elasticity, a pairwise comparison was made using a fabric treated with 10 cc of a fabric softener consisting of 15% by weight of dihydrogenated tallow alkyldimethylammonium chloride. The evaluation is expressed as follows. +2; Softer or more elastic than the control +1; Slightly softer or more elastic than the control 0; Same as the control -1; Control is slightly softer or slightly less elastic than the control -2; is softer or less elastic than the control

[
0046

[Table 3]

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A liquid fabric softener characterized by containing the following components (a) and (b) as essential components. (a) An inorganic acid or an organic acid of an amine having one to two ester groups in the molecule and two or more linear or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups having 11 to 23 carbon atoms. Neutralized product. (b) has one long-chain hydrocarbon group and one nitrogen atom in the molecule, and further has an ester group and/or an amide group and/or
Or a compound having an imidazoline skeleton in an amount of 1 to 150% by weight based on component (a). 2. Component (a) has 1 to 2 ester groups in the form of [Chemical formula 1] in the molecule, and a straight chain or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 11 to 23 carbon atoms. The liquid fabric softener according to claim 1, which is a neutralized product of an inorganic acid or an organic acid having two amines. Claim 3: Component (a) has the following general formulas (I) to (
The liquid fabric softener according to claim 1, which is one or more neutralized inorganic or organic acids of the compound represented by IV). [Formula, R1 and R2 are linear or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups having 11 to 23 carbon atoms, R is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, a hydroxyethyl group, a hydroxypropyl group,
m represents 2 or 3. [Formula 3] [In the formula, R1 and R2 are linear or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups having 11 to 23 carbon atoms, R is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, hydroxyethyl group, hydroxypropyl group ,
m and n represent 2 or 3. ] [In the formula, R4 and R5 represent a straight chain or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 11 to 23 carbon atoms. ] [Formula, R1 and R2 are linear or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups having 11 to 23 carbon atoms, R is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, hydroxyethyl group, hydroxypropyl group ,
m represents 2 or 3. ] 4. Component (b) has general formulas (V) to (IX
) Claim 1 is one or more of the compounds represented by
Liquid fabric softener as described. [Formula R4 is a linear or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 7 to 23 carbon atoms, R is an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms,
Hydroxyethyl group, hydroxypropyl group, m is 2
Or represents 3. ] [In the formula, R5 represents a linear or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 9 to 23 carbon atoms. ] [In the formula, R6 represents a linear or branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 9 to 23 carbon atoms. m is 2 or 3]