NO753868L - - Google Patents

Description

Fabric softeners for laundry

The present invention relates to plasticizers for textiles in automatic clothing. More particularly, it relates to the use of certain softening preparations which have advantages over the commonly used cationic softening compounds, when they are applied from the surface to condition the items for washing to be softened in an auto-

matic clothes dryer. The invention also relates to a method for the production of conditioned objects by applying conditioning preparations in molten form to shape-retaining substrates.

Although textiles have been conditioned in automatic clothes-

drier by applying conditioners to the surfaces of the textiles that are rubbed off from flexible substrates, this method has the effect of softening laundry and making it less prone to

collection of boring electrostatic charges, certain disadvantages like

has prevented it from being particularly accepted. The most significant of these is that the commonly used cationic softening materials, if deposited on laundry in considerable pieces, can melt at the laundry drying temperature and can deposit difficult-to-remove oily stains or discolorations on the laundry, which even resist subsequent washing. The benefits associated with softening the washed materials are therefore outweighed by the damage that can be done. Such damage occurs most easily with brightly colored materials. Particularly undesirable effects are observed when the softening preparation is showered or otherwise deposited on dryer parts of porcelain or other smooth internal surfaces, from which they can be smeared to a great extent on tumbling sinks, which leads to discolouration. Such undesirable results are also obtained when tablets or particles of conditioning agent are added to the fabric softener.

The above-mentioned disadvantages which have been observed when trying to satisfactorily soften washing have been avoided by using conditioners on shape-retaining substrates, from which they regulate

can be rubbed off on tumbling sinks with which they come into contact in an automatic clothes dryer. The preparations according to the invention are particularly useful in the production of shape-retaining objects, and in many cases they can be applied to the substrates by the method described here. According to the present invention, a solid textile softening preparation which will not discolour laundry thus processed in an automatic clothes dryer when applied from a shape-retaining substrate consists of a higher-fatty-acid-mono-lower-alkanolamide and a higher-fatty-acid red-di-lower ealkanolamide ; poly-lower-alkoxy-^containing surface-active compound with hydrophilic and lipophilic groups and with a* molecular weight in the range of 300 to 25,000 and a water-soluble surface-active lipophilic sulfate or sulfonate salt, in a weight ratio between 1:5 and 5:1; or a text il substantive cationic conditioning compound and a poly-lower-alkylated higher alkylamine or poly-lower-alkylated non-ionic surfactant to promote the release of the cationic conditioning compound from conditioned laundry upon subsequent washing. The invention also includes a method for coating a substrate with such conditioning preparations and other textile softeners by melting such a preparation, applying it to the surface of a shape-retaining substrate and cooling the preparation on the surface to a sufficient extent to transfer it to solid state.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, fibrous materials are softened by tumbling them into contact with a solid alkanolamide softening preparation which is a mixture of high re fatty acid mono lower alkanolamide and higher fatty acid di lower alkanolamide at an elevated temperature up to a sufficient amount of the alkanolamides is transferred to the fabric to soften it and/or make it static free.

According to another embodiment, textiles are softened by a similar treatment with a mixture of anionic sulfuric acid reaction product and poly-lower alkylene oxide non-ionic surfactants. A third embodiment is a typically discoloring quaternary salt plus a release agent. A fourth aspect of the invention includes a method for producing conditioning articles by depositing one or more of the preparations on a dimensionally stable substrate from a melt. Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a dimensionally stable synthetic organic plastic foam coated with a preparation according to the invention . Figure 2 is a central vertical section of a flexible plate coated with such a textile conditioning preparation. Figure 3 is a view of a shape-retaining, relatively smooth-surfaced plastic substrate with retention devices formed therein to assist in holding a textile conditioning composition coated on the substrate during tumbling. Figure 4 is a central vertical section of a textile conditioning article comprising a substrate such as that shown in Figure 3 coated with a textile conditioning preparation according to the invention. Figure 5 is a central vertical section of an ellipsoidal textile conditioning article coated with a cationic plasticizer release agent preparation. Figure 6 is a horizontal view of a towel that has been repeatedly conditioned by treatment with a conditioning article coated with cationic softening compound and washed with built-synthetic organic laundry detergent, showing background staining and discoloration due to contact with materials that react with cationic conditioner during formation of colored products. Figure 7 is a horizontal view of a towel treated in a similar manner to that used on the towel in Figure 6, except that release agent was present in the cationic conditioning preparation. Figure 8 is a horizontal view of a towel as in Figure 7 after .

.washing.

Figure 9 shows a schematic section of a continuous apparatus for applying a melt of conditioning agent to the surfaces of substrates for textile conditioning articles. Figure 10 is a schematic section of a continuous apparatus for spraying a melt of conditioning agent onto the surfaces of substrates for textile conditioning articles. Figure 11 is a schematic section of a continuous apparatus for applying a molten conditioning agent to the surfaces of a strip or sheet of backing material for textile conditioning articles. Figure 12 is a section through a sphere made of paper or other water or solvent absorbent material coated by the method of Figure 9, showing the presence of conditioning agent on the surface of the sphere, without penetrating it, and

figure 13 is a comparative illustration in vertical cross-section of another ball of absorbent material treated with a solution of conditioning agent which had penetrated into the interior thereof, the conditioning agent being useless in effecting conditioning of the textile.

In figure 1, 11 denotes a coated spherical textile softening article with a polystyrene foam substrate 13 with a textile softening coating preparation according to the invention 15 on the substrate. The coating preparation penetrates slightly below the surface of the substrate and into the pores of the open cell foam, as shown at 17, which helps to better bond the outer coating 11 to the substrate.

Figure 2 shows another type of conditioning article 31 which comprises a shape-retaining wood, wood product or synthetic plastic foam substrate 33 coated on both sides with conditioning preparation 35. The substrate is shown with coating preparation 35 projecting slightly below its surfaces 39 and 4l, respectively as in 4o and 42 .

Figure 3 shows an uncoated spherical synthetic organic plastic substrate 43 with a substantially non-porous surface 45 in which there are recesses 47 with shaped overhangs 49 to help hold the coating preparation to be applied thereon. A section of the substrate in Figure 3, with the coating preparation in place, is shown in Figure 4 where such a preparation 51 coats the substrate 43, with the recesses 47 filled with parts 48 of the coating 51 so that the coating is held better on the substrate

The substrates shown can be produced by any suitable known method. The manufacture of foamed or shaped plasters is conventional. Various other substrate materials can also be used, most of which are preferably light, with densities in the range from 0.01 to 2 g/cm, preferably from 0.2 to 0.5 g/cm.

They include different types of wood, composition boards made from cellulosic materials, e.g. pressed boards, veneer boards and resin-treated woods. Cardboard, light mineral and synthetic organic polymeric plastics, preferably foamed plastics such as polyurethanes, polyesters, polystyrenes, polyvinyl chlorides and nylons, and perforated or expanded metals can be used. Such materials can also often be used in molded form with relatively smooth surfaces, which first, in stages, have notches or other surface depressions to promote retention of the conditioning preparation on the substrate. The materials used can be solid or hollow and only the outer surfaces are usually coated with conditioning preparation to avoid unwanted loss of preparation as internal deposits cannot usually be transferred onto textiles to be treated. The different substrates can be produced using a number of methods including folding, casting, cementing, melting, stapling and folding.

Figure 5 shows an eHypsoidal conditioning article 6l with a coating 63 of a preparation according to the invention, comprising cationic conditioning agent and release agent, the coating 63 being deposited mainly on the outer surface 65 of polystyrene foam substrate 67. The coating penetrates below the surface 65 as shown at 69.

Figure 6 shows a towel 79 which has been repeatedly treated with a cationic conditioning agent and washing, and which, after a recent treatment where it was in contact with high concentrations of dyes or heavy metal ions at 8l and 83, acquired the discolouration shown, or where oily excess deposits of cationic softening compound were deposited and retained on the fabric. In addition, as a result of the repeated conditioning of this towel in a tumbling operation in an automatic clothes dryer in which it came into contact with a cationic conditioning preparation containing no release agent, the background of the towel 85 darkened. The background and prominent discolorations shown are not removed during washing, in the absence of a release agent previously applied to the towel. In Figure 7, the towel 87 has similar discolorations 89 and 91. However, since the subsequent softening of this towel is with a conditioning preparation that includes a release agent according to the invention, no background discoloration is seen, and even the discolorations 89 and 91 are removed after washing

in a conventional washing operation, leaving a clean, albeit unconditioned surface 93 after washing and before drying.

As shown in Figure 9, a continuous belt 111 moving in the direction of the arrow around rollers 113 carries substrate articles 115, in this case relatively light hollow balls made of paper pulp, attached to the belt in any suitable manner , and which causes them to go down into the trough 117 containing a melt of coating preparation 119. The belt 111 is of open mesh material and its path in the melt 119 is regulated, by further end rollers 113 or holding devices placed at the lower corners 121 and 123. After up -picking a coating of conditioning preparation the coated articles, still held to the belt, are passed up and out of the coating preparation and under a distributor 125 with many openings through which air 127, supplied by the fan 129 and conducted through the tube 130, is directed towards the coated articles to cool them. They are then removed from the belt and packed for shipment, storage and use.

The coating preparation 119 in the coating vessel 117 is kept at a desired elevated temperature by circulation through the line 131, the pump 133 and the heat exchanger 135 and back through the line 137 to the coating vessel. By directing the pipe 137 downwards at 139, currents are formed in the vessel which help to keep the conditioning preparation in a stirred and homogeneous state. Although the pump 133 is preferably operated continuously, its speed can be adjusted if desired to obtain the best coating effect. The thermostat 14l, which responds to the temperature of the coating preparation in the vessel 117 by means of the sensor 143, regulates the amount of heat supplied by the heat exchanger 135 to the circulating preparation.

Figure 10 shows the coating of a brick-shaped polystyrene foam underlay article on a surface, the sides and the ends by means of

a shower of conditioner. The lightweight molded foam may have rounded corners and edges for better contact with the materials to be conditioned and for a more even application of

the coating preparation on the article. The preparation 14-5 in the vessel 147 is fed by gravity to the shower 149 from which it exits through openings 151 forming a shower 153 which coats it

upper surface, sides and ends of the substrate article 151 forming a coated conditioning article 157-The articles to be coated with conditioning preparation are fed past the shower' 149 by a continuous belt 159 which is advanced in the direction of the arrow over the main rollers 1.61 and 163 and the carrier rollers - 165. The drive arrangement for the rollers 163 is not shown.

After the coating of conditioner has been sprayed

on the substrate article, the coated article is conveyed along the belt 159 to a cooling location where air or other suitable cooling gas 167 is directed at a number of the coated articles to cool them. The air is forced by the fan 169 through the channel 171, the distributor with many openings 173 and out through a number of openings therein 175. The coated and. cooled articles, upon which the coating preparation has solidified, are conveyed to the container 177 and are ready to be removed, packed, stored, shipped and used.

The temperature of the coating preparation is preferably set at the appropriate height whereby the viscosity and the shower speed through the shower are also affected, by using a thermostat 179 with a sensor l8l in the tank for the coating preparation 145. The sensor responds to temperatures lower than the desired so that the electric heater 183 under such conditions is activated and raises the temperature of the coating preparation to the desired one, at which point the heater is switched off by action of the thermostat. A source of electricity is denoted by the number 185. To maintain the uniformity of the preparation in the tank and to effect uniform heating thereof, a stirrer 187 is used.

Figure 11 shows a device for coating a sheet-shaped or strip-shaped base material with a textile conditioning preparation. Such an apparatus is similar to that shown in Figure 9 - A special paper, textile or polymer sheet, which preferably retains its shape after treatment 191, is fed from the roll 193 above or below rollers 195, 197, 199 and 201 to the winding roller 203, which is motor driven. As the sheet travels in the direction of the arrow, it passes through the conditioning preparation 205 in the tank 207. Such a preparation is at an elevated temperature to facilitate application to the base material 191, and the temperature is maintained at the desired height by means of a thermostat 208, with a sensor 209 in the coating preparation, which sensor switches on the heating device 211 when the temperature falls below the desired one. The circulation of the conditioner through the heater is effected by the line 213, the pump 215 and the return line 217. The heater 211 is only switched on when the thermostat 2o8 indicates that the conditioner requires more heat to maintain the desired heating temperature. After the application of the coating, the pinch roller 202 together with the roller 201 trims the coating to the desired thickness of the tape. Then the fan 219 forces air through the conduits 221 and 222 and through the distributors 223 and 224, out through the openings 225 and 226 and against both surfaces of the coated base material, whereby the coating cools and solidifies so that the coated article can be rolled, cut, shaped or applied otherwise processed, packed and stored, ready for use.

To simplify the drawing, the shower device and the cooling device used in the devices in Figures 9 and 10 are shown as operating only on one side of the article being treated. Such devices can clearly also be used for coating and cooling other parts of such objects.

Figure 12 shows a vertical section of a coated article produced by the method shown in figure 9- This is a hollow ball 227 of paper, produced from pulp and evenly coated with a layer of solidified conditioning preparation 229. As will be seen from figure 12 , part of the conditioning preparation 229 has penetrated into the surface of the paper to a certain extent as shown at 231. The rest of the paper is not impregnated with conditioning preparation, and its interior is free from this. When a similar preparation is applied as an aqueous or alcoholic solution, it penetrates the paper and forms, in addition to the solid coating 233, an impregnated paper 231, shown in Figure 13, which is undesirable. During the drying operation, the excess of liquid that has penetrated the paper ball and into its interior also evaporates, and solid matter is found on the inside of the ball wall 237 at 239. When used, the balls illustrated in figure 13 give a much less effective over-feeling of the coating preparations than those of the type shown in figure 12, and which is produced in accordance with the invention.-The conditioning preparation is usually applied evenly over the entire base surfaces and to promote a uniform deposition of conditioning agent on the article and on the material to be treated, these surfaces will usually be convex and will have a minimum of sharp corners. It is strongly preferred that the base be form-retaining to avoid the disadvantages of flexible substrates, which cause cracking and flaking of conditioning material when the article is bent while in contact with tumbling laundry in a dryer. Stains and discoloration are caused by the melting of such flakes onto the materials being treated. Flexible conditioning substrate bases such as sheets of paper or cloth can, however, be treated with the present preparations and improved results will be obtained, compared with depositions of other conditioning agents on such substrates. Although a wide variety of volumes and shapes of the present substrate can be used, they will usually have a volume of from 5 cm 3 to 500 cm 3 , and shapes such as spheres, ellipsoids, cylinders or similar rounded volumes are preferred. By using such sizes and shapes, the best tumbling of the laundry is obtained, and the most effective coating is achieved.

Preferred conditioners for application to substrates or for other applications in which they are applied as solid materials to textiles or laundry to be conditioned are higher fatty acid mono-lower alkanol amides and higher fatty acid di-1 ave alkanol amides. Such compounds are preferably unsubstituted, but various substituents such as lower alkyl, hydroxyl, halogen, benzyl, phenyl or similarly substituted phenyl or aryl, may be present on the compounds, provided that they do not particularly interfere with the conditioning effects thereof. By higher fatty acid is meant a fatty acid with 8 - 22 carbon atoms, preferably 10 - 20 carbon atoms, and usually 12 - 18 carbon atoms. Of these, the fatty acids with 16 to 18 carbon atoms, palmitic acid and stearic acid are preferred. The lower alkanol groups can have 1-5 carbon atoms, but usually

2 or 3 carbon atoms, and is preferably ethanol.

Instead of using pure alkanolamides of the above types, although this is possible and sometimes more desirable, it will usually be preferred to work with mixtures. When mixtures of monoalkanolamides are used, they can have approximately even distributions of higher acyl groups with an equal number of carbon atoms in the area,12 -

l8 carbon atoms. Thus, at least 15% of each of lauric, myristic, palmitic and stearic acid monoalkanolamides may be present, occasionally with a similar amount of oleic monoethanolamide. A preferred preparation will comprise a commercial stearic acid monoethanolamide (this includes palmitic acid and oleic acid monoethanolamide), which can be hydrogenated. The majority of the mixture of higher acyl alkanolamide and higher acyl dialkanolamide will usually be of the monoalkanolamide and a smaller portion will be of the dialkanolamide.

Preferably, the acyl group will be of stearic acid, and the alkanolamides will be ethanolamides, with a ratio of 60-95 parts of stearic acid-monoethanolamide to 40-5 parts of stearic acid-diethanolamide, preferably with a ratio of from 7=3 to 9:1. A more preferred preparation is approx. 4 parts stearic acid monoethanolamide and 1 part stearic acid diethanolamide.

The described alkanolamides have melting or softening points, under automatic dryer operating conditions, approximately in the temperature range found there. For example, stearic acid-diethanol amides melt at approx. 46°C and stearic acid monoethanolamide melts at 88°C. Both are soluble to a limited extent in water and are plasticizable under the hot, humid conditions in the dryer. However, because it is obvious that both have a melting point relatively close to the highest temperature in a normal dryer-hot air temperature range, a mixture is preferably used in order to obtain a good product that will be more plastic or will soften at a desired temperature in the dryer such that the conditioner will be better distributed on the textiles being treated. Generally, the drying temperature will be from 10°C to 90°C, preferably from 50 to 80 or 90°C, and accordingly a composition which melts or sinters in this range, while still solid and hard at most ambient temperatures, be new igst.

One of the advantages of the present preparations is that they are suitable for use as conditioners in automatic dryers without the need for modifiers. It is therefore generally preferred to use the alkanolamides alone as a coating preparation for a substrate material to be used in the dryer. If, however, it is desired to add other conditioning treatments, other materials can be used. In general, the sum of such aids will constitute a smaller part of the entire conditioning preparation, and will usually be below 20 to 25% thereof. Usually, each adjuvant will make up no more than 10% of the conditioning preparation, and preferably it will be limited to 5%, and the sum of the auxiliaries will be less than 10%. Besides the auxiliaries used to further contribute to the conditioning treatments of the textiles being dried, other materials can be used to modify the conditioning agents if desired. These may include solvents ~ thickeners, lightening agents, etc. The amounts of these will also be within the above-mentioned ranges for other aids.

The thickness of a coating that is applied to the surface of the treatment article substrate will usually be in the range from approx.

0.0005 to approx. 0.5 cm, but the upper limit of this range is only rarely useful. However, the alkanolamides can occasionally be used without being deposited on a substrate, and the strength of the thickness of the alkanolamide itself will be sufficient to allow its use. In such cases, larger thicknesses can be used. Generally, however, the thickness of the conditioning agent on a form-retaining or flexible substrate will be from 0.002 to 0.3 cm and will preferably be from 0.01 to 0.1 cm. The specified thickness is that outside the outer surface of the coated substrate . A substrate with a porous or rough surface or one with depressions may have some of the applied conditioning agent below the surface at a sufficient depth to hold the outer coating firmly to the surface and prevent it from cracking or flaking during use. Such a smaller part of the external thickness below the surface can therefore have a useful function. It will usually comprise only from 10% to less than 30% of the coating preparation on the outside of the substrate. Expressed in weight, a conditioning preparation will usually be used in the range from 0.0005 to 0.5 g/cm 2 , preferably from 0.002 to 0.3 g/cm 2 , and preferably

2

from 0.01 to 0.1 g/cm .

The present conditioning preparations, in addition to being at least partially water-soluble or dispersible at a temperature within the normal working range of an automatic clothes dryer, are also shape-retaining at temperatures below 30°C, and generally also shape-retaining at all temperatures below 40°C. The preparation thus does not seep or melt during normal storage, and softens, dissolves or disperses satisfactorily only in the dryer. Because the dryer temperature increases during the operation and the conditioning preparation passes through a softening point or region, preferably rather slowly, the material at this point can be removed from the substrate by rapidly tumbling the fabric and can perform its conditioning function. Preferably, this softening or coating will take place at a temperature in the range from 50°C to 80 or 90°C, preferably from 50 to 70°C.

The method by which the textile treatment articles according to the invention are produced is chosen to best suit the particular product to be produced. Thus, when solid forms of the alkanolamides are used, without any substrate, they can be produced by melting the alkanolamide or grinding or kneading it, in a similar way to that used in soap production. When depositing a coating or outer surface on a substrate, whether it is shape-retaining or flexible, melts can be used as described here. The applications of solutions or dispersions of the alkanolamide preparation ingredients in aqueous, alcoholic or aqueous-alcoholic or other solvent media are also possible.

An important feature of the second preparation aspect according to the invention is the discovery that the anionic or non-ionic surfactant textile conditioner can be applied to laundry in an automatic dryer by the methods described, and leads to conditioned textiles with improved properties compared to materials treated with the usual cationic preparations. Application of the anionic and non-ionic surface-active materials allows, in addition to improving the properties of the treated textiles, the production of a treated article from a preparation of desired properties, such as water solubility, plastic temperature, viscosity before application, penetration, hardness, resilience and strength.

The anionic conditioning agents can be any water soluble sodium, potassium, ammonium, substituted ammonium or magnesium salt. The substituted ammonium salts include the amine and alkanolamine salts where the substituents are usual lower alkyl or lower alkanol groups with 1-4 carbon atoms, e.g. triethanolamine, trimethylamine. In general, however, the alkali metal salts are used.

The anionic synthetic non-soap softeners are salts of organic sulfuric acid reaction products which have an alkyl group with from approx. 8 or 10 to approx. 20 or 22 carbon atoms, and either a sulfonic acid or sulfuric acid ester group. The best of these materials are the alkali metal higher alkyl sulfates having from 10 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably sodium linear alkyl sulfates in which the alkyl group has. 12 - 18 carbon atoms. Special examples of such

materials include sodium lauryl sulfate, triethanolamine lauryl sulfate, triethanolamine n-hexadecyl sulfate, trimethylamine cetyl sulfate, potassium n-octadecyl sulfate, and sodium coconut oil fatty alcohol sulfate. '

The nonionic synthetic organic detergent fabric softeners include the balanced hydrophilic-lipophilic compounds which are prepared by condensation of lower alkylene oxides (hydrophilic) with an organic hydrophobic material which can be either aliphatic or aromatic. Within this broad description, a lined rough subgroup includes the block copolymers of lower alkylene oxides and glycols commonly referred to as "Pluronics". The hydrophobic part of these compounds is produced by condensing propylene oxide with propylene glycol, and the hydrophilic part. part is produced from ethylene oxide. Instead of using propylene oxide and propylene glycol to prepare the hydrophobic part of the molecule, propylene oxide can be reacted with ethylenediamine. The molecular weights of the various non-ionic compounds can vary greatly, as they e.g. can be from 150 to 25,000, but is usually from 300 to 20,000, the solids being from 7,000 to 25,006 or more. The copolymers of propylene oxide and propylene glycol with ethylene oxide usually have a molecular weight of approx. 1,5000 to 20,000.

By using a suitable mixture of conditioning agents, a product is produced which is waxy in appearance and sufficiently hard to retain its shape during storage, while still being sufficiently water soluble and plastic under the conditions of use in the automatic dryer to produce excellent coatings on fabrics being treated . Of the non-ionic materials used, the preferred compound for obtaining the most desired conditioning effect is a solid block copolymer of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide with a molecular weight of approx. 9-000 to 20,000, often 10,000 to 15,000. Such a material is sold under the trade name "Pluronic F-127". In preferred mixtures with an anionic conditioning agent, it is used with a water-soluble higher alkyl sulfate, preferably a sodium salt of tallow alcohol sulfate. The amounts of active ingredients in the final coatings are usually from 50 to 95% nonionic compound and from 5 to 50% anionic compound, in order to obtain the best results when such mixtures are used. Instead of using the block copolymers like "Pluronics", random copolymers of the same lower alkylene oxides can be successfully used as the nonionic components and cooperate with the anionic plasticizer

to provide a good softening preparation, which is particularly useful when it is deposited on dimensionally stable substrates.

The cationic conditioning compounds that can be used to soften laundry and other fibrous or textile materials and make them static-free are the same compounds that have previously been used for this purpose in fabric softeners sold for use in laundry detergent or incorporated into laundry preparations. They usually discolor laundry when applied in the dryer, due to their tendency to peel off flexible substrates and melt and adhere to textiles. Despite this, they are useful in preparations prepared according to the third part of the invention. In general, the aforementioned cationic substantive plasticizers include hydrophobic groups as part of the positively charged parts, and often such groups will be relatively long chain such as higher hydrocarbyl groups or alkyl groups. Although amines, imidazolines, pyridines, guanidines and salts and derivatives thereof are useful, particularly if they contain relatively long-chain hydrophobic groups, the most preferred softeners will generally be quaternary ammonium compounds with one or two long-chain hydrophobic groups and two or three short-chain groups, with a soluble cation, or a salt-forming group, usually either halide, sulfate, acetate, hydroxide or other inorganic or organic dissolving mono- or dibasic group.

In the quaternary ammonium compounds and salts, the long-chain substituents on the nitrogen are preferably higher alkyl groups with 12-18 carbon atoms, preferably 16-18 carbon atoms, and the shorter hydrophobic groups are alkyl with 1-4 carbon atoms, preferably 1 or 2 carbon atoms. Similar long-chain substituents are present on the imidazolines and imidazones, the pyridines and piperidines, the guanidines and the amines. Specific examples of preferred cationic conditioning agents used in accordance with the present invention include dimethyl-distearyl-ammonium chloride, trimethyl-steary-1-ammonium bromide, cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium chloride, di-higher-alkyl-dimethyl-ammonium chloride where the higher alkyl groups are obtained from hydrogenated tallow alcohols , cety1-pyridinium chloride, higher-alkyl-dimethylbenzyl-ammonium chloride, di-isobutyl-phenoxyethoxyethyl-dimethylbenzyl-ammonium chloride and lauryl-isoquinolinium bromide. Although these are preferred compounds, the higher alkyl amines and other cationic conditioners known to be useful in softening various textiles and fibers, making them wrinkle resistant and static free, may also be used instead. Such compounds will be strongly substantive on textiles, particularly those of cotton or cellulose materials and synthetic organic fibres.

The release agents used with the cationic conditioning compounds are those which do not interfere with the conditioning effects of such compounds, but help to prevent the formation of or to break the attraction of the substrate or cationic conditioning agent which would otherwise tend to hold the cationic material. strongly to the substrate. The release agents can be of different types, but will usually be cationic or non-ionic, and will preferably have somewhat hydrophilic properties. Such properties appear to promote the removal of the release agent with the cationic conditioning compound from the surface being treated. The useful release agents will usually include in their molecular structure hydrophilic poly-lower alkoxy chains or free hydroxyl groups, which seem best to contribute to the hydrophilic properties and other properties required to carry out their intended effect in the present preparations. The release agents do not have to be in liquid form at room temperature, but it seems that those that are most effective are either liquids at room temperature or near-liquids that become liquid at slightly elevated temperatures. The compounds will generally contain from 5 to 50 lower alkoxy groups and may contain from 2 to 20 hydroxyl groups.

Among the preferred release agents are the ethoxylated products of higher alkylamines. Such tertiary amines, with hydroxy-lower alkyl substituents on the nitrogen, in addition to the long-chain alkyl substituents, have conditioning properties in addition to their release-promoting properties. They also form single-phase coating melts with cationic softeners.

The preferred tertiary amine polyalkylene oxide release agents

has the formula R-N-(lower-alkoxy or poly-lower-alkoxy-H)2 • The connection from the alkyl or poly-alkoxy groups to the amine nitrogen is over a carbon atom, not an oxygen atom. The lower-alkyl or poly-lower-alkyl moieties include terminal hydroxyl groups. They may or may not be of approximately the same chain length. The lower alkoxy groups have 1-4 carbon atoms, usually 2 or 3, and preferably 2 carbon atoms.

In general, there will per molecule be present from 5 to 50 such groups, as a single poly alkoxy group generally does not contain more than 15 alkoxy groups. Preferably, from 5 to 10 alkoxy groups are present in the same polyalkyloxy group, and the groups have approximately the same chain length. The hydrophobic component of the amine, usually a hydrocarbyl group, has 10-22 carbon atoms, preferably 12-18 carbon atoms, and most preferably 16-18 carbon atoms. Instead of using pure higher alkyl substituents, those obtained from natural sources, such as tallow, hydrogenated tallow or coconut oil, can be used. The higher alkylamine can thus be a mixed 75% stearyl, ■ 20% cetyl and 5% oleylamine, which is then alkylated. Compounds of this type are sold under the trade name "Ethomeen".

Nonionic compounds corresponding to the amines can also be used and are sometimes preferred. These usually include poly-lower alkoxy and hydroxyl groups such as those mentioned for the amines, and may be either higher alkyl or acyl ethers or esters. They also include block copolymers such as the above-described polymers of lower alkylene oxides and amine oxides.

Although the exact mechanism of the release reaction is not

is known, it is assumed that the alkoxylated amines or equivalent non-ionic compounds, which have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties and where the former are chemically related to cationic softeners, in particular to the quaternary ammonium salts which are the best representatives of these, does not adversely affect the conditioning properties of cationic compounds, but causes an increase in their hydrophilic properties which leads to a release of such compounds from textiles during washing with aqueous detergents. In many cases, they themselves add conditioning properties that help to improve the softening and antistatic effects of the preparation.

The ratios between cationic conditioning compound and release agent are such that the main amount of such a preparation consists of the conditioning compound and a smaller part of the release agent.

Generally, 51-95 parts of conditioning compound will be present with from 5-49 parts of a beneficial release agent. Preferably, the weight of the cationic conditioning agent present will be from approx. 2 - 10 times the weight of the release agent,

and the most preferred ratio is approx. 4:1 or 3:1.

Figure 9-11 illustrates methods for applying melts of conditioning compounds. on substrates from which they are transferred onto the laundry to be treated. Compared to the applications of solutions of conditioning preparations, greatly improved results are obtained by. present method. Besides the preferred one

and other softeners, bactericides, fungicides, fire retardants, anti-shrink agents, mordants such as starch, dirt repellants, anti-crease agents, water repellants, discolouration repellants, dyes and other coloring agents, lubricants, deodorants and perfumes. Petroleum wax, . fatty acids, mono-, di- and triglycerides and other plasticizers and hardeners, can be used as well as mixtures of higher- and lower-melting conditioners, to adjust the melting properties. Viscosity reducing agents can

also used to thin down the coating material for more effective application. For example, 5% sodium acetate can be used in this way. In some cases minor amounts of water and solvent, usually not more than 10% of each, preferably less than 5% thereof, and preferably less than 2% thereof, may be present to help maintain a homogeneous conditioning composition, and help adjust the melting point. However, it is obvious that it is more preferable to use conditioning materials with melting points in the desired ranges so that solvents, plasticizers and carriers do not need to be used.

Among the fabric softeners and antistatic agents which can be used in addition to the above are the nonionic surface active materials such as polymers of lower alkylene glycols, polyalkylene glycol ethers of higher fatty alcohols and polyalkylene glycol esters of higher fatty acids, anionic agents including the higher fatty acid soaps of water-soluble bases, higher fatty acid monoglyceride sulfates, sarcosides, taurides, isethionates and linear higher alkyl aryl sulfonates, cationic compounds such as higher alkyl di-lower alkyl amines, di higher alkyl lower alkyl amines, other quaternary compounds and amphoteric compounds. Such materials can also be mixed with the present preparations as long as they are compatible, but will usually be present in only minor amounts.

Coating methods that may be employed include dipping and spraying as illustrated in Figure 9 - H plus the use of roller applicators or coating knives, application of a stream of melt to a rapidly moving object surface, spraying or virtually any other suitable method .'In some cases may

the melt is formed by contacting a heated substrate surface with a fusible solid conditioning agent.

Whichever type of method is used to produce a molten conditioning agent, it will usually be desirable to have the temperature of the molten conditioning preparation in the range from 40°C to 200°C. Below the lowest temperature, the product will usually be too susceptible to softening during storage. Even at approximately this low temperature, the product will generally be used without heating to rub off conditioner on textiles being treated, without excessive softening and melting of the conditioner which would tend to cause stains and discoloration on the laundry being treated.

Products that melt above 200°C are not softened. sufficient

at the usual temperatures in an automatic dryer, usually approx.

50°C - 90°C. Within the range 40 - 200°C, a preferred temperature range for application to the conditioning article substrate is from 50°C - 150°C and preferably from 6o°C to 100°C. The melting point of the conditioning preparation will usually be from 50°C - 110°C, preferably from 6o°C - 90°C. This melting point is of importance in connection with the effect of the treated article on textiles to be conditioned in an automatic dryer. The coating preparation should thus be sufficiently softened at the temperature in the dryer so that, together with the softening and dissolving effect of the moisture in the freshly washed laundry being dried, the conditioning material will be satisfactorily removed from the conditioning article and deposited on the laundry being treated. Satisfactory application to the laundry means that more than a minimum amount will be deposited during a normal drying cycle, and the application rate will not be so great that lumps of the material are deposited on the laundry being conditioned, resulting in uneven softening and and to discoloration as a result.

At the aforementioned application temperatures, the viscosity of the conditioning preparation will be suitable, generally from 5 - 500 cp, and preferably 10 - 100 cp. At such viscosities, the penetration into the pores of substrate materials, such as cardboard, corrugated cardboard, polystyrene foam and wood, will not be so rapid that impregnation of the article with the conditioning preparation occurs. Generally, the penetration will be from 0.0025 to 0.25 mm, which is sufficient to cause the conditioning material to be held firmly on the substrate. Of course, the degree of penetration will partly depend on the time that the article to be coated is exposed to the melting of the conditioning preparation. This time will therefore usually be kept short, generally from 0.001 -. 30 seconds, and often, especially when showering or pressure roller application, approx. 1 second or less, e.g. 0.01 - 1 second. If desired, several dippings or sprayings can be used to build up a coating of conditioning preparation. To ensure that the coating is even on the substrate, the substrate can be spun, allowed to drip, its position reversed or it can be treated in some other way to obtain an even coating of the molten conditioning agent on the substrate. Furthermore, the cooling should be carried out•quickly to freeze the coating - in position and reduce penetration.

The cooling will usually be carried out immediately after the article has been removed from the conditioning preparation mill. Usually no more than 10 seconds will elapse before active cooling takes place, and even before this time some cooling by conduction and radiation usually occurs. Wire cooling can be accelerated by using an initially cold article. The temperature of the refrigerant, which is preferably a gas, such as air, but may also be any other suitable gas, will usually be in the range -10°C - 6o°C, and is preferably below the ambient temperature, in general not above 20°C. The cooling is usually carried out rapidly, preferably within 0.1 - 30 seconds, and preferably almost instantaneously, generally under 1 second. A skin may be formed on the outside of the coated article by a jet of cooling air to freeze the coating composition in place at a uniform thickness on the article.

The thickness of the coating preparation can be adjusted to the most desirable for the particular application for which the product is intended. The coating thickness is regulated by its properties, mordants, solidification and application conditions of pinch rollers, coating knives and spray nozzles, and also depends on the flow viscosity.

The use of the present preparations and articles is simple and problem-free. The treated article is added to the laundry in the dryer immediately before the drying or treatment operation begins and the tumbling begins with the laundry moving past conditions like the one or with the article tumbling together with the laundry j so that there is a relative tumbling movement of the object in relation to the laundry . Of course, instead of an automatic clothes dryer, although this is a very preferred device for applying the process preparations, corresponding industrial or other machines can be used. In some cases it may be desirable to loop the heating and drying air, but usually these will be very useful. In general, the air flow will be adjusted so that the gas volume in the drying drum will be exchanged at a speed of approx. 5-50 volume per minute, and the gas temperature will be 10 - 90°C, preferably 50 - 90°C, or 50 - 8o°C. The dryer will usually rotate at 20 - 100 revolutions per minute, preferably 40 - 8o rpm, and the weight of laundry used will usually be from 2 - 5 kg dry weight, which will fill from 10 - 70% of the volume of the dryer, and preferably from 30 - 6o% thereof. Drying and treatment will usually take from 5 minutes to 2 hours, with 5 minutes to 1 hour usually being sufficient, and 20 minutes to 1 hour normally being used. With synthetic fibers such as nylons, polyesters, mixtures of synthetic and natural fibers, and in some cases resin-treated permanently pressed articles, shorter times are required than with cotton laundry, and often 3 - 10 minutes will be sufficient to dry synthetic materials.

After completion of the softening operation, the conditioning article can be used again in a subsequent laundry batch, if there is still a sufficient amount of conditioning preparation on it. It can be used repeatedly until the coating is completely removed. In order to obtain different degrees of conditioning activity or different conditioning effects, several treatment articles can be used. After consumption of the coating, the substrates can be thrown away, or if desired, coated again with coating preparation. Such preparations can be marketed in suitable solvents or as solid substances and can be melted onto the substrates.

Compared to the previously known best methods of conditioning or softening textiles and making them antistatic,

present articles, preparations and methods have many advantages. The materials required are readily available and affordable. They have a wide range of physical properties, including melting points, water solubility, softening points and conditioning effects which make it possible to prepare desired mixtures thereof.

By adapting the preparation according to what is described above, a wide range of non-mi, colored or releasable products can be produced. Even in those preparations which may contain too low-melting softener, if minor stains should appear on treated cloth due to inclusion of a conditioning article in the article being treated, the conditioning agent will be easily removable from the cloth in subsequent washing. In fact, the alkanolamides, alkyl sulfates, and nonionic detergent softeners described herein are easy to remove by washing and have the additional beneficial property of helping to remove dirt and stains deposited on top of them on the fabric.

The available preparations are very good as antistatic and softening agents, do not discolour the treated materials, remain hard at normal temperatures and are softened at the appropriate dryer temperatures, are non-irritating to the skin of the person who uses the treated cloth, and are economical and convenient to use. They are colorless and odorless and do not give treated textiles some unpleasant properties (except the cationic ones). They work effectively leaving little unused active ingredient in the conditioning articles. They do not permanently discolour the treated materials. They do not need to be substantive towards the textiles to be effective. They do not need to be volatile at the conditions in the dryer, which leads to a saving of the material that would otherwise be lost during deaeration. The softeners do not yellow the wash and do not give the treated textiles any unpleasant grip. In short, they represent an excellent agent for treating textiles and are in many respects better than other products that have recently been used in dryers.

The following examples are given to illustrate various embodiments of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, all parts are by weight...

Example 1

A conditioning article of the type illustrated in Figure 1 was prepared by coating a polystyrene foam sphere, 10 cm in diameter,

with a density of approx. 0.1 g/cm and with an open pore structure where the pores are approx. 0.2 cm in diameter, with an alcoholic solution of 25 parts stearic acid monoethanolamide, 25 parts coconut fatty acid monoethanolamide and 50 parts SD 40 alcohol. The coating was carried out by spraying the solution on the surface of the polystyrene ball until its thickness had built up to 0.01 cm above the outer surface of the polystyrene, with the equivalent of approx. 15% of the amount deposited under the outer surface of the polystyrene, which helps to keep the conditioner in place on the substrate. Between sprayings, the alcohol was evaporated. The weight of deposited active monoethanolamide was approx. 79- Instead of applying the alkanolamides from solution, they can also be coated on the substrate by rubbing a solid alkanolamide preparation on it, by spraying on a melt or by quickly dipping the ball into a melt of the alkanolamides, as described below'.

In some cases, a perfume or other auxiliary conditioning agent is present in the preparation, in an amount of approx. 5% of the total weight thereof.

The coated ball produced has a waxy white appearance and the coating is smooth and non-sticky. It retains its hard properties at temperatures below 50°C, and in the warm, moist atmosphere of a dryer, it softens considerably at approx. 65°C.

A batch of 3 kg of mixed laundry, comprising clothes, washcloths, towels, underwear, socks and pillowcases, was placed in a dryer immediately after being taken out of a washing machine, where it was spin dried.

The conditioning article described above was placed on top of the damp cloth, immediately before drying began. The dryer, which was of the rotating drum type, was started, and the drum rotating at a speed of 6o rpm. Heated combustion gas from the gas dryer was introduced in a quantity of approx. 30 volume per minute, and the temperature of this was 8o°C. At the beginning of the drying process, the temperature is lower, due to the evaporation of moisture from the clothes, and begins'. at 30°C, but since the drying progresses, the temperature approaches after approx. 25 minutes to the heated gas. During the cycle, the alkanolamide conditioner is sufficiently softened in contact with the still damp laundry so that it readily coats tumbling articles that come into contact with it. After 30 minutes from the beginning of the drying operation, the machine is stopped, and the dried and conditioned textiles are taken out. About 2 g of the conditioning preparation had been deposited on the textiles.

The conditioned items that usually show staining or discoloration most easily are permanently pressed garments. Because of their surface finish, they don't tend to spread the conditioner out as easily, nor do they absorb it into the fibers. However, none of the permanently pressed items in the trial batch of laundry showed any signs of discolouration. Nor did they show discolouration when subsequently treated with a hot iron, as in a pressing operation. In a very hard test, in which a treated ball of the present type was sewn into a pocket of a permanently pressed article, some staining occurs during the 30 minute drying cycle, but this can be removed by normal machine washing of the article. In contrast, when similar experiments are carried out using a quaternary ammonium salt conditioner, without the specified release agent, especially when iron ions, tannins or dyes are present in the wash, discoloration is obtained if the treatment article is kept in contact with the wash, and such stains are very difficult to remove.

When a group of consumers tried the described preparation by a method like that described above, the comments about its usefulness were very favorable. In addition to the softening of the various washed items, consumers also found that the wash was made antistatic, which is particularly important for articles made from synthetic textiles and those that are permanently pressed.

Example 2

Melts of alkanolamide preparations comprising A) 80 parts stearic acid monoethanolamide and 20 parts stearic acid diethanolamide; B) 50 parts stearic acid monoethanolamide and 50 parts coconut oil fatty acids monoethanolamide; and C) 50 parts of stearic acid-monoethanolamide and 50 parts of stearic acid-diethanolamide are prepared and used to coat cellulose paper so that the deposition of coating agent is in an amount of about 0.004g/cm 2 in total on o both sides of a paper with a total surface (both sides) of about 1.000 cm. The thickness of the deposit is about 0.003 in, and the paper, which is about 0.008 cm thick, has the coating agent penetrated to a depth of less than about 0.001 cm.

Paper was coated by dipping in melts of each of the preparations, and approximately the same amounts of conditioning preparation by weight were taken up by each paper in fairly even coatings. The papers then assumed a wax-like appearance and became less pliable. Each paper measured approx.

17 cm x 30 cm

The drying conditions stated in example 1 were repeated using a single paper coated with either preparation A, B or C. After completion of the drying cycle, the conditioned laundry was examined. in each case it proved to be satisfactorily soft and static-free. Obviously, the paper treated with preparation B is better at conditioning than that treated with preparation C. However, all the products were usable, and no untoward discoloration appeared on the treated textiles.

Example 3

The experiment in example 1 was repeated, but with a polypropylene ball of the type shown in Figures 3 and 4. The treatment preparation comprises 80 parts of stearic acid monoethanolamide and 20 parts of stearic acid diethanolamide. It was applied as a melt to the polypropylene ball. Laundry was treated using this conditioning article, under the conditions indicated in Example 1. The results obtained are comparable to those obtained in

example 1.

Example 4

Foamed polystyrene balls like those in example 1 coated with a mixture of 2 parts of a block copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, with a molecular weight of approx. 18,000, sold as "Pluronic F-127", and 1 part sodium tallow alcohol sulfate, which includes 18%

sodium sulfate. The manufactured coated balls have a density of approx.

0.2 g/cm^ due to the fact that they contain an internal weight to adjust the density. Before coating, the polystyrene beads are smoothed using a fine sandpaper or polishing brush to remove any sharp edges that may become entangled in the laundry to be conditioned. The total thickness of the deposited coating is approx. 0.2 cm, and it is applied over the entire surface of the polystyrene balls. The weights of the applied conditioning preparation varied from 6 - 12 g, with an average of 9 g. The conditioning article was tested by the method in Example 1 and gave good softening and antistatic action without any discoloration. After application, approx. 2 g of conditioner left in the balls, under the surface of these..

Example 5

An ellipsoidal shaped polystyrene foam base, approx. 7 cm x 14 cm is coated with a melt consisting of 3 parts of dihydrogenated tallow, alkyl-dimethyl-ammonium chloride and 1 part of ethylene oxide condensation - the product of stearylamine and 15 moles of ethylene oxide (a tertiary amine with approximately equal polyoxyethylene ethanol chains). The coating is done by rolling the melt in a shallow heated pan. The melting temperature is approx. 70 - 8o°C. The polystyrene foam substrate is coated over the entire surface with a mostly even coating to a depth of approx. 0.03 cm, with a penetration below the surface of the polystyrene at a depth of approx. 0.005 cm. The coating is cream-coloured, looks waxy and is satisfactorily hard at room temperature. The density of the polystyrene ellipsoid is approx. 0.3 g/cm . The total weight of the conditioning preparation on it is approx. 12 g,

The fabric conditioning performance of the coated ellipsoidal article produced is tested by using it to condition a dryer loaded with laundry by the method of Example 1. When the machine is turned off and the laundry is removed, it is satisfactorily soft, static-free, non-creasing, and far superior in these properties than a similar rate in which the conditioning article is not used. The treated garments show no stains or discolorations during normal use, and when stains are effected (by restricting the movement of the conditioning article) and the garment is again washed, it is clean. Heavily discolored garments may require an additional wash to remove stains, but stains can usually • be removed by washing with common detergents, including synthetic organic detergents and alkaline salt builders, such as alkylbenzene sulfonate and sodium tripolyphosphate. When a conditioning agent comprising only the quaternary ammonium salt described above is used, without a release agent, staining builds up with repeated applications and is difficult to remove.

When instead of the formulation described above, 60 parts of the quaternary softening compound and 40 parts of the release agent are used, good softening is achieved, and the release is improved. However, the softening is not as good as that of the previously described product. If, moreover, the plasticizer is increased to 90 parts and the release agent is reduced to 10 parts, an improved release is obtained compared to preparations which do not contain any such agent, but the release is not as good as that of the present preparation. When other cationic compounds are used instead of the dihydrogenated tallow-alkyl-dimethyl-ammonium chloride, such as cetyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide, stearyl-trimethyl-ammonium chloride or distearyl-imidazoline, with the same releasing agent or with other such agents, as the condensation product of ethylene oxide and hydrogenated tallow alkylamine with 15 mol ethylene oxide, cetylamine with 10 mol ethylene oxide, or lauryl amine with 20 mol ethylene oxide, improved conditioning and release properties are obtained, compared to the control products. Such results are also obtained with non-ionic release agents of the previously described type.

Example 6

Using the apparatus illustrated in Figure 9, hollow paper balls are dipped, approx. 0.3 cm thick, with an external diameter of approx. 6 cm and made from wood pulp, in a melt of 50 parts of stearic acid monoethanolamide and 50 parts of stearic acid diethanolamide at a temperature of 80°C for 10 seconds. The coated balls are taken out and immediately subjected (within 2 seconds) to an air stream of 0°C, which almost instantly solidifies the coating on the outside and keeps it at a uniform thickness on the paper ball. Complete solidification takes place during approx. 20 seconds. The thickness of the coating is approx. 2.5 mm, corresponding to a weight amount of approx. 3 g.. The conditioning preparation penetrates the surface of the paper to a depth of approx. 0.04 cm and does not penetrate the hollow interior. The coated articles are tested using the method in example 1, and the laundry turns out to be soft and static-free.

Example 7

A preparation comprising 1 part potassium stearate and 2 parts lauric acid monoethanolamide is heated to a temperature of approx. 100°C and sprayed onto polystyrene blocks with rounded edges and of size 8 cm x 5 cm x 1.3 cm, using an apparatus as illustrated in Figure 2. The coating is applied to a thickness of approx. 0.4 cm and on a surface, the sides and the end of the block, and the spraying takes approx. 5 seconds per article. Within 10 seconds of spraying, they cool down

laid surfaces with air of a temperature of 10°C and an air flow speed of approx. 150 m/min. The applied coating is sufficiently hard to be removed and dropped into a bin with other such textile conditioning articles.

The thickness of the coatings is regulated by modifying the temperature, the viscosity, the spray stroke, the residence time in the spray zone, the temperature of the object being sprayed, pinch roller and coating knife settings, nozzle size, etc. In addition, greater thicknesses are obtained by passing the object through the spray zone a number of times.

Example 8

Paper strips were prepared, coated on both sides with a softening, softening and antistatic preparation comprising 5 parts stearic acid monoethanolamide, 2 parts dimethyl-dihydrogenated tallow-ammonium chloride, 0.1 part bactericide (benzethonium chloride), 0.1 part fluorescent lightener (stilbene derivative) and 0.2 parts perfume, together with 1 part "Carbo-wax 400" (polyoxyethylene). A melt of the conditioning preparation is produced and kept at a temperature of 100°C using the apparatus in figure 3- A sheet or strip of paper, standard bond with 25% cotton content and approx. 0.13 mm thick, is fed into a melt, held there for 5 seconds while moving forward, drawn out through pinch rollers to regulate coating thickness and cooled by an air stream, where the air is at 15°C. Cooling occurs almost instantaneously, and a thickness of the coating preparation of approx. 0.13 mm is obtained on each side of the paper. The paper is held in the air stream for approx. IO seconds and is then sufficiently hard to roll. Later, after further cooling, it is possibly cut up, packed, stored and sent for final use. When sheets of this paper in dimensions of 15 cm x 30 cm are used in a standard automatic clothes dryer with a 5 kg load of mixed washed laundry, softening is obtained and most of the conditioner is removed from the paper. In some cases, the paper becomes

folded so that the transfer of the conditioning preparation is prevented, and in such cases the conditioning is not effective. The treated cloth is also treated with bactericides, brighteners and perfumes, which impart their properties to the treated articles.

Claims (6)

1. Process for softening textiles consisting of cotton, synthetic materials and mixtures of cotton and synthetic materials, which may have been treated to permanently press them, and/or make them static-free, characterized in that damp textiles are tumbled at an elevated temperature, 50 - 90°C, in contact with a solid fabric softening preparation containing a mixture of poly-lower alkoxy-containing surface-active non-ionic compound with hydrophilic and lipophilic groups and with a molecular weight in range 300 - 25,000, and a water-soluble surfactant lipophilic sulfate or sulfonate salt, in a weight ratio between 1:10 and 10:1, until a sufficient amount of conditioning agent has been transferred to the textiles to soften them and/or make them static free. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a softening preparation comprising a homogeneous mixture of a block copolymer of lower alkylene oxides or glycols and a higher fatty alcohol sulfate salt is used.0 3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that a softening preparation is used in which the block copolymer is of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and propylene glycol, with a molecular weight of 9,000 - 20,000, and the higher fatty alcohol sulphate salt is sodium tallow alcohol sulphate. 4. Solid textile softening preparation suitable for the treatment of laundry in an automatic clothes dryer by the method according to claims 1-3, characterized in that it contains a mixture of poly-lower-alkoxy-containing surface-active non-ionic compound with hydrophilic and lipophilic groups and with a molecular weight in the range 300 - 25,000, and' a water-soluble surfactant lipophilic sulfate or sulfonate salt, in a weight ratio between 1:10 and 10:1. 5. Preparation according to claim 4, characterized in that it is a softening preparation comprising a homogeneous mixture of a block copolymer of lower alkylene oxides or glycols and a higher-fat alcohol sulfate salt. 6. Preparation according to claim 5, characterized in that the block copolymer is of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and propylene glycol, with a molecular weight of 9,000 - 20,000, and the higher fatty alcohol sulphate salt is sodium tallow alcohol sulphate.