LU86204A1 - CONCENTRATED, NON-AQUEOUS COMPOSITION FOR SOFTENING FABRICS, A PROCESS FOR ITS MANUFACTURE AND ITS USE - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to fabric softener compositions for use in the rinse cycle of a laundering process and, in particular, to highly concentrated fabric softener compositions which readily disperse in water at the time of use, in particular in washing machines equipped with automatic dispensing mechanisms.

Compositions containing quaternary ammonium salts comprising at least one long-chain hydrocarbyl group S are commonly used to soften fabrics when they are used in a laundry rinsing operation; see, for example, the bre- | clothes of E. ü. A. No. 3,349,033, No. 3,644,203, No. 3,946; 15 115, N ° 3 997 453, N ° 4 073 735 and N ° 4 119 545.

| For most aqueous compositions of as- | softeners containing cationic quaternary ammonium compounds as active ingredients, the concentration of such cationic compounds was generally limited to the range of about 3 to 6% by weight (see patents \ of E. ü. A. No. 3 904 533 and No. 3 920 565). This low concentration is generally necessary because | /! that the cationic compounds form gels in aqueous systems at concentrations greater than about 8%, and although the use of electrolytes for the purpose of lowering the viscosity of these compositions is known (see at especially the patent of E. ü. A.

4,199,545), these electrolytes are far from satisfactory. From a functional point of view, the electrolytes often do not behave as desired, in particular at concentrations of the cationic compounds in the region of about 12 to 15%. In addition, although the behavior of the electrolytes may alleviate the gelation problem, their use is far from satisfactory for obtaining a highly concentrated aqueous system of cationic compounds which does not gel or undergo a significant variation in viscosity. 4 2 in the usual range of temperatures encountered during its handling, for example from about -18 ° C "to about 60 ° C or so that it is dispensed by washing machines.

05 For ordinary use of European domestic automatic washing machines, the user places the fabric softener for the rinsing cycle in a dispensing unit (for example a low dispenser) of the machine. Then, during machine operation, during the rinse cycle, the fabric softener composition is subjected to a stream of cold water which transfers it to the drum.

In winter, when the softening composition and the water introduced into the dispenser may be particularly cold, problems may be encountered in that the composition is not completely entrained out of the dispenser during the operation of the machine. , and a deposit of composition can accumulate with repeated washing cycles, so that it may become necessary for the user to clean the dispenser with hot water. This problem can be particularly serious for highly concentrated softener formulations, due to the gelation problem mentioned above and also in the case of the presence of a nonionic surfactant with the cationic softener, because the viscosity of the non-ionic compound tends to increase when mixed with cold water to form a gel.

In British patent application No. 2,053 30,249A published on February 4, 1981, cationic fabric softening compositions are described containing 15 to 60% by weight of cationic softener, 25 to 75% by weight of 'an aqueous medium and from 0.5 to 40% by weight of a determined water-soluble polymer.

35 In the U.S. patent. In 4,351,737 there are described concentrated fabric softeners containing both cationic and nonionic fabric softeners and a nonionic dispersing agent together with a mixture of solvents consisting of an alkanol at C3 and a liquid glycol or polyglycol or a liquid alkyl ether thereof. Hex-05 lene glycol is not described.

It has now been discovered that dispersibility in cold water and flow from vending machines, even for liquid fabric softener compositions containing a highly concentrated non-ionic surfactant, can be considerably improved by replacing a portion or the entire aforementioned liquid vehicle of the non-aqueous liquid fabric softener composition with hexylene glycol.

The present invention provides concentrated, stable, substantially nonaqueous fabric softener compositions based on fabric softener compounds of the quaternary ammonium type and a liquid vehicle comprising hexylene glycol and optionally a nonionic surfactant. The present invention also provides a process for producing and using highly concentrated fabric softener compositions.

The compositions of the present invention are substantially non-aqueous stable compositions containing a high concentration of ca-cationic fabric softener which is a water dispersible quaternary ammonium compound, as described below, and 1 hexylene glycol as a liquid vehicle or as part of the liquid vehicle. Preferred compositions may also contain a nonionic surfactant and an electrolyte.

! The compositions of the present invention contain at least about 20% cationic softener! that and up to about 80%, preferably up to-

K

\ About 70%, and better still up to about 60%, of said cationic softener J 35 having the general formula:

P

S

ë i »# -% 4 ft 4 j I ™ t x- * + 05 B | * • l *; in which the R groups are chosen from groups! aliphatic pes en to Cg0, Pr ^ f®rence alkyl or I 10 alkenyl? aryl (eg phenyl, tolyl, cumyl, | etc.)? aralkyl (e.g. benzyl, phenyl, etc.); I and their substituents halo, amido, hydroxyl and carboxy- i) | the ; provided that at least one R is in at C ^ q and | preferably from C ^ to C ^ g, and the others are "15 lower alkyl groups, and more preferably that at least ί two R's are at C ^ g and the others are alkyl groups in to (and preferably methyl or ethyl), or hydroxyalkyl (i.e. (CH0-CH-0)

p, H where x is from 1 to 10, preferably from 1 to 5, R

ii i 20 more preferably 1 or 2, and R is hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl, and Y is a solubilization anion | i in water such as chloride, bromide, iodide, fluoride, t sulfate , methsulfate, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and carboxylate (i.e. acetate, adipate, propionate, phthalate, benzoate, oleate, etc.). Cationic compounds | that representative of formula I include the following! vants: I. Distearyl dimethyl anunonium chloride, | di-tallow-dimethyl-ammonium chloride, dihexadecyl-dimethyl-ammonium chloride, l distearyl dimethyl ammonium bromide, di (hydrogenated tallow) dimethyl ammonium bromide, di-tallow-isopropyl-methyl chloride -ammonium, I distearyl di (isopropyl) ammonium chloride, distearyl dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate.

Ι A highly preferred class of cationic compounds <5 is that of compounds of Formula I in which two of the R groups are C14 to Clg, one R is methyl or ethyl and one R is methyl, ethyl, isopropyl , n-propyl, hydroxyethyl or hydroxypropyl.

05 Other quaternary fabric softeners that can be used include imidazolinium compounds of the formula: 10 Γ n <0 * -c 'ft

\ P

* 5 <CH2) e-K-C - ". 7 - _ '15 wherein R2 is an alkyl or alkenyl group Cg to C2q, preferably Cg to C ^ g; 'Rg and R ^ are independently of the hydrogen gene or an alkyl group; R ^ is a C1 to alkyl group; 'R 6 is hydrogen or C 1-6 alkyl; 14 is a C1-C6, preferably C1-C6 alkyl group; n is 2 or 3; and 25 m is equal to 2 or 3.

Illustrative composites of Formula II include: l-methyl-1-ZTsuif-yl-amido) -ethyl) -7-2-, methyl sulphate (suif-yl-4,5-dihydro-imidazolinium; 1-methyl-1 - / '' (palmitoylamido) ethyl 7-2-octadecyl-i 4,5-dihydroimidazolinium.

Particularly preferred cationic compounds are: tallow-monomethyl-monohy-droxypropyl-ammonium chloride, distearyl-dimethyl-ammonium chloride, tallow-dimethylammonium chloride, tallow-isopropyl- chloride methyl ammonium, etc.

The non-aqueous vehicle can represent approximately: 80% to approximately 20%, preferably approximately 60% to about 25% by weight of the composition.

The non-aqueous vehicle of the composition of the present invention comprises at least about 25%, and preferably at least 30% hexylene glycol, the balance 05 being an alkanol. in to C ^, preferably ethanol or propanol / a glycol in C2 S Cg, preferably di-ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, or a mono- or dialkyl ether in Cj to such glycols or their mixtures. The entire vehicle can consist of he-10 xylene glycol, excluding alcohols and / or glycols (and / or glycol ethers). Hexylene glycol is the trade name for 2-methylpentane-2,4-diol.

Representative vehicles may include (a) 25% hexylene glycol and 75% propylene glycol; (B) 31% hexylene glycol and 69% propylene glycol; (c) 31% isopropanol and 69% hexylene glycol; (d) 100% hexylene glycol.

The total amount by weight of the cationic fabric softener and of the nonaqueous liquid vehicle 20 ′ in the composition will be at least about 80 and up to 100%, preferably from about 85% to 99% by weight, the | rest., including active surfing not. ionic, electrolyte I and / or conventional optional additives. '; The optional nonionic component of this composition is about 0 to about 15%, preferably about 1 to 12%, by weight, of the composition, and generally it may vary with the cationic softener. in a weight ratio of the softener i; cationic to non-ionic compound of about 25: 1 to about! ' 30 ron 3: 1, preferably from about 12: 1 to 6: 1, and better; still it's about 10: 1. Suitable nonionic compounds include condensation products of ethylene propylene oxide (and mixtures thereof): with C 8 -C 12 aliphatic alcohols and mono-, di- and tri-alkyl- phenols (each in C ^). In general. ral, the nonionic compounds preferred here are moderately hydrophilic in nature and have a group no- 1. ^ § - '/ "" 7 "hydrophilic derivative. In the present invention, this group is preferably an oxyethyl chain generally of at least about 2 terminal oxyethyl groups (ie the oxyethyl groups are con- 05 tigus and terminate in a hydroxyl group), having no more than about 20 such groups, although there may be up to 200 moles of oxyethylene per mole of the hydrophobic group.

Particularly suitable nonionic surfactants include an aliphatic alcohol containing 8 moles of condensed ethylene oxide; an ethoxylated nonylphenol with 6 moles of ethylene oxide, an ethoxylated octylpnol with 4.5 moles of ethylene oxide and a C aliphatic alcohol with 7.5 mol of oxide ethylene.

In addition to the above components of the softening compositions of the present invention, there may also be included many conventional, additional and optional ingredients which do not adversely affect the stability and / or functional characteristics of the present compositions. So,

For example, we. may include perfumes, dyes, pigments, opacifiers, germicides, optical brighteners, anti-corrosion agents (e.g. sodium silicate), polymers, antistatic agents, etc. currents. When used, each may represent, for example, from 0.01% to about 5 I by weight of the composition.

It is, of course, evident that most of the chemical materials available and in particular those which contain a hydrocarbyl unit are generally mixtures of closely related units.

Thus, the long chain alkyl substituents (R) of the cationic compounds used in the present invention can not only each consist of a carbon chain of the same length, but more likely a mixture. In this regard, a particularly useful quar- y y t i * 8 salt, in which the alkyl groups come from tallow, may contain about 35% C. and 60% C, 0 and minor amounts

Ib lo de C ^ and even others. Likewise, the alipha-05 alcohols which are precursors of the nonionic compounds used here may consist of a carbon chain of the same length but more probably, here again, it is or may be a mixture in all proportions of the compounds having the chain lengths 10 thus indicated.

The fabric softening compositions of the present invention should have viscosities in the range of about 10 to 250 mPa.s (10 to 250 centipoise), and preferably 25 to 150 mPa.s, in addition 15. Of their dispersibility in water which is essential in the rinsing cycle (or any other form of dilution before use).

à The way to combine hexylene glycol, the! lj I! other optional vehicles, cationic softener | 20 .que and the optional nonionic surfactant, electro-! lyte, and the other optional conventional additives is not particularly critical, nor is the order of addition. However, care must be taken to some extent to avoid excessive heating! 25 in order to limit the evaporation of the solvent and, more importantly, to remain below the flash point of the vehicle and of all other low boiling liquids which may be present or introduced I as components softener, etc. By ; For example, the flash point for hexylene glycol is 93 ° C. However, in general, it is better to combine all the ingredients at room temperature:

Ite, for example between about 15 ° C and 25 ° C, or less.

A suitable procedure for preparing the composites of the present invention involves dissolving any nonionic compound and other additives (e.g. brightener, colorant, fragrance, 9, etc.) in the vehicle, then the addition of this mixture to the cationic compound which is preferably in liquid form, for example in the form of a dispersion in the vehicle of any of their components 05 (for example in the form of a dispersion in iso -propanol).

The following nonlimiting examples illustrate the present invention. All parts are expressed by weight, unless otherwise indicated.

10 EXAMPLE 1

Following the procedure described above, 2 parts of an ethoxylated nonylphenol (containing 6 moles of ethylene oxide) are dissolved in about 75 parts of hexylene glycol at a temperature of about 20 ° C. 20 parts of distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (75% activity in isopropanol) are slowly added to this solution, with stirring. The result is a product

t I

: stable with a viscosity of around 100 mPa.s.

; 20 EXAMPLE 2

We repeat the procedure of Example 1, in; using the following parts of (A) cationic compound (active), (B) surfactant, (NaCl); and (C) hexylene glycol - (a) A = 22; B = 2.0; C = 76.0, {(b) A = 34; B = 315; C * = 62.5,; (C) A = 46? B = 4.8: C = 49.2,; (d) A = 58; B = 5.5; C = 36.5, j; 30 i hexylene glycol / ethylene glycol S weight ratio

U

i of 3: 1.

i EXAMPLE 3

Examples 1 and 2 are repeated, using the k I distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride instead. following compounds:

V

; (a) di-tallow-dimethyl ammonium chloride,! · ’0 * - - / / ΙΟ j. (b) distearyl dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfate,! (c) di (hydrogenated tallow) dimethyl-ammonium bromide, (d) di-hexadecyl-dimethyl-ammonium chloride, (e) distearyl-diethyl ammonium chloride, 05 (f) 1-methyl-1-methylsulfate (tallow-yl-amido) - ethyl) -2-tallow-yl-4,5-dihydroimidazoïinium.

EXAMPLE 4

In order to demonstrate the best suitability for the distribution of the liquid vehicle based on hexylene glycol of the concentrated softening compositions, the following formulations A to E are prepared:% by weight! Solvent (A-E) 31.9 15 Cationic fabric softener if V 60 ’°

Non-ionic compound5.0 s Perfume, color, additives P · 1 | mineuis 3.1! 20 1 / Active ingredient at 75% (IA) in iso-propanol, 2 / Nonylphenol ethoxylated with an average of 6 moles of ethylene oxide (nonylphenol / EO 6: 1).

The following compounds are used as solvent: j A - 10% isopropyl alcohol and 21.9% diethylene glycol (control), B - 10% hexylene glycol and 21.9% propylene -glycol, 30 C - 10% isopropyl alcohol and 21.9% hexylene-glyclyl, D - 31.9% hexylene glycol, E - 31.9% propylene glycol (control) .

Each of the above softener formulations is added to the dispenser of a conventional European washing machine, AEG-802, and after 3 cumulative cycles reaching boiling (the dispenser being E / f * / v ι · 11; „reloaded at each cycle), the quantity of formulation remaining in the dispenser is measured. The results are shown in the following table as a percentage of the total amount used (i.e., a triple dose):

Solvent formulation Amount remaining (%) 10 A 10% isopropanol 15 21.9% diethylene-glycol B 10% hexylene glycol 6.7 21.9% propylene-I 15 'glycol C 10% isopropanol 3.6 : 21.9% hexylene glycol | 1 D 31.9% hexylene- dd 20: glycol 2.8 I E 31.9% propylene- I glycol 19 From the above results, it is easy; Also be aware that the use of 1-hexylene glycol to replace all or part of conventional non-aqueous liquid vehicles for a fabric softener formulation added to the wash cycle, greatly improves dispersibility in ! 30 cold water and flow (dispensability), even of concentrated formulations containing non-ionic surfactants.

In addition, the concentrated liquid fabric softener compositions of the present invention are stable for long periods of time both Ι at low storage temperatures, e.g. Ι 4 ° C, and high, e.g. 35 ° C , including freeze-thaw cycles, for periods of 6 weeks or more.

The compositions of the present invention have the further advantage that hexylene glycol is non-toxic and that, therefore, the formulations are used safely.

Although the present. compositions are mainly intended to be used directly in the rinsing cycle of automatic washing machines, they can also be used in diluted form and for manual treatment, both in the washing machine and outside this machine.

To impart flexibility to tissues according to the invention, the composition of the invention is added to an aqueous medium containing the tissues in a proportion providing a concentration of cationic compound of approximately 0.005% at 0, 5% based on the weight of the fabrics.

It is further evident that as used herein, the term "non-aqueous" means that there is no water intentionally added to the system, although minor amounts of water, for example amounting to about 5%, may be present; as a result of the addition of particular ingredients, such as colorants, in the form of aqueous solutions, the water contained in the softener, etc.

‘- /)!

Claims (17)

13 1. A concentrated, stable and practically non-aqueous composition for softening tissues, characterized in that it comprises (A) a cationic softener dispersible in water of the quaternary ammonium compound type; (B) a nonaqueous liquid vehicle comprising hexylene glycol, and optionally (C) a nonionic surfactant. 2. Composition according to claim 1, 10 characterized in that it comprises approximately 20 to approximately 80% by weight of (A) and approximately 80 to approximately 20% by weight of (B). ] 3. Composition according to claim 2, | characterized in that it comprises from about 1 to 15% by weight of non-ionic surfactant (Ç). 4.‘Composition according to claim 3, * characterized in that the weight ratio of the softening cationic <<cationic tissue to nonionic surfactant is from about 25: 1 to about 3: 1. | 5. ComDosition according to claim 1, r characterized in that the non-aqueous vehicle (B) comprises at least 25% by weight of hexylene glycol. 6. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the non-aqueous vehicle (B) comprises at least 35% by weight of hexylene glycol. 7. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the non-aqueous vehicle consists of hexylene glycol. 8. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the non-aqueous vehicle comprises a mixture containing at least 25% by weight of hexylene glycol, the remainder consisting of an alkanol at ^ to Qy a glycol in at Cg, a C 1-6 mono- or dialkyl ether of said glycol, or mixtures thereof. ! 1 6 9. Composition according to claim 1, ï 9 characterized in that the non-aqueous vehicle is made up of (a) 25% of hexylene glycol and 75% of propylet ✓ ri '· λ · /, · 14 ti ne-glycol; (b) 31% hexylene glycol and 69% propylene glycol; (c) 31% isopropanol and 69% hexylene glycol? or (d) 100% hexylene glycol. 10 K / * 1 *. * y (D _ "/ N_ 15 r2-" Y "(II) / X?;" 5 NCH2) "- KC-R7" 6 <20 in which the groups R are chosen from aliphatic groups at to C ^, aryl, aralkyl and their halo, amide, hydroxyl and carboxy substituents, provided that at least one R is C 1 to C 4, Y is a water solubilization anion; R, is an alkyl or alkenyl group Cg to C3Q; R ^ and R ^ are, independently, hydrogen or C1 to C ^ alkyl,; Rg is alkyl to; R ^ is hydrogen or alkyl to; R_ is a C 1 -C 4 alkyl group. „? m is 2 or 3; and n is 2 b JU or 3. 10. Composition according to claim 1/05 characterized in that the cationic softener is chosen from the compounds of formula (I) or (II): 11. Composition according to claim 3, characterized in that the nonionic surfactant is a condensation product of ethylene oxide, of propylene oxide, or of their mixtures, with an aliphatic alcohol with C to C 4 or a mono-, di- or trialkylchénol, o 20 1. A i J i Λ each of said alkyl groups containing from 4 to 12 carbon atoms. 12. Composition according to claim 11, characterized in that said condensation product 05 comprises approximately 2 to approximately 20 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol or phenol. 13. Process for forming a non-aqueous, concentrated, stable composition for softening tissues, characterized in that it consists in combining a cationic water-dispersible compound of the quaternary ammonium type, for softening tissues, with a practically nonaqueous liquid vehicle comprising hexylene glycol, and optionally a nonionic surfactant, at a temperature close to ambient temperature, the amount of cationic compound being at least about 20% by weight of the composition. 14. Method for imparting flexibility to tissues, characterized in that it consists in adding the composition according to claim 1 to an aqueous medium containing the tissues in a proportion providing a 'concentration of cationic compound of about 0.005% to 0.5% based on the weight of the tissue. 15. Method according to claim 14, characterized in that the composition is added during the rinsing cycle of an automatic washing machine. 16. Method according to claim 15, characterized in that the composition is added to the aqueous medium by circulation of a stream of cold water in the composition, so that the composition disperses in the stream, then is transferred in the aqueous medium. 17. Method for imparting flexibility to fabrics, characterized in that it combines the dilution of the composition according to claim 1 with approximately 35 4 to 15 times the volume of water of the composition of claim 1, then the dilution of the diluted composition to the clothes. / ç ^ ^ A C / 1 îV m / * i