NZ203582A

NZ203582A - Fabric softening compositions containing imidazolinium softeners

Info

Publication number: NZ203582A
Application number: NZ20358283A
Authority: NZ
Inventors: M-H Fraikin; A Dillarstone; M-C Houben; M Coutureau
Original assignee: Colgate Palmolive Co
Priority date: 1983-03-15
Filing date: 1983-03-15
Publication date: 1986-07-11

Description

<div class="application article clearfix" id="description"> New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number £03582 5~ Priority Date(s): Complete Specification Filed: Class: G&GM&I&fu. .QJJ?3&Qs.. GJWMGd irntow Publication Date: P.O. Journal, No: .. Patents Form No. 5 Number PATENTS ACT 1953 Dated COMPLETE SPECIFICATION CONCENTRATED FABRIC SOFTENING COMPOSITIONS //We COLGATE-PALMOLIVE COMPANY, a corporation duly organized under the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America of 300 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022, United States of America do hereby declare the invention for which JtJwe pray that a Patent may be granted to Mft/us. and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: N 2035 82 BACKGROUND CF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to fabric softener compositions adapted for the use in the rinse cycle of a laundering process and in particular to concentrated aqueous fabric softener compositions which exhibit stable viscosity characteristics at both low and high ambient temperatures, i.e. such compositions do not increase in viscosity to the point of forming a gel. Compositions containing quaternary ammonium salts having at least one long chain hydrocarbyl group are canmonly used to provide fabric softening benefits when employed in a laundry rinse operation; for example, see U.S. Patents 3,349,033; 3,644,203; 3,946,115; 3,997,453; 4,073,735 and 4,119,545. For most aqueous softener compositions containing cationic quaternary anmonium compounds as active ingredients, the concentration of such cationics has, in general, been limited to the range of about 3 to 6% by weight (see U.S. Patent 3,904,533 and U.S. Patent 3,920,565). Such a low concentration is generally necessitated by the fact that cationics form gels in water systems at concentrations at about above 8%, and while the use of electrolytes to lower the viscosity of such compositions is known (see in particular U.S. Patent 4,199,545), such electrolites are far from satisfactory from several points of view. On the one hand, from an economics point of view, the use of such electrolytes contributes to the cost of the product and this is generally undesirable. Fran a functional point of view, the electrolytes often do not perform as required particularly at concentrations of the cationics in the neighborhood of about 12-15%. And finally, while the performance of the electrolytes may mitigate most of the gelling problem, their use is far from satisfactory in providing a highly concentrated aqueous system of cationics which does not gel or severely change-in viscosity within the usual range of tonperatures # 203582 encountered in the handling thereof, for example cPf (about -180°C) up to about 140°F (about 60°C). In U.S. Patent 3,681,241 a concentrated fabric softening emulsion is described which consists essentially of 3.5 to 6.5 parts by weight of a compound represented for example by distearyl dimethyl anntonium chloride from 3.5 to 6.5 parts by weight of an alkyl amido imidazolinium alkylsulfate and from 0 to 3 parts by weight of a different but similar fatty amido imidazolinium alkylsulfate, the latter allegedly providing low temperature stability for the composition. The total actives contemplated range from about 8 to 13%. In U.S. Patent 4,155,855, there are described concentrated liquid fabric softeners containing (1) a fabric substantive agent which may be a polyamine, an alkylpyridinium salt or mixture of the two and (2) a fabric softener, in which the polyamines have the formula: R Ri N4* Rn (CH2)n K1 1ST1" ■ Ri m % A(-) wherein R is C^q to C24 alkyl or alkenyl or R-0-(CH2)n—;R^ may be hydrogen, hydroxyaUcoxy groups, to C3 alkyl etc.; n is 2 to 6 and m is 1 to 5 and A^ represents a charge balancing anion or anions. Among the fabric softeners are alkylimidazolinivim salts generally similar to those imidazolinium salts used in the compositions of the present invention. The composition contains 25% to about 55% of an active system of fabric substantive agent and fabric softening component, the former representing 25 to about 85% and the latter 15% to about 75% of the composition. In preferred aspects the fabric substantive component represents from 50 to 85% and preferably 65% to 80% and the softener 15 to 50% and preferable 20 to 35%. In all cases the lowest concentration of the fabric substantive component to the total of this plus softener is given (in terms of weight percentages) as 25% but based on the ratios of the two agents (6:1 to 1:4) this percentage could conceivably be as low as 20%. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides low and high temperature stable, concentrated, aqueous softener compositions based upon imidazolinium softening compounds and a minor amount of a dicationic or conventional quaternary ammonium compound which per se is not a softener. The present invention also provides a method by which highly concentrated fabric softening compositions are produced. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The compositions of the present invention are stable aqueous compositions which contain a high concentration of the cationic fabric softener which is a mixture of two different types of quaternary ammonium compounds as hereinafter described. The aqueous compositions of this invention contain at least about 8% cationic softener up to about 25% thereof and preferably from about 9-15&'-thereof, said cationic softener comprising a mixture of an imidazolinium softener generally of the Formula (A) H 2C CH2 N.v N V\ N.Z. PATENT 0FFJCE 2ZAPRD3S ! REC:: 203582 Wherein: R is a Cg to C^q aliphatic radical and preferably a C-j j( to I alkyl or alkenyl; i | Rg and R^ independently may be any of R^ or preferably lover j alkyl or substituted alkyl of to such as haloalkyH , hydroxy-' alkyl,acylaminoalkyl and the like; 1 X is a water-solubi1izing anion such as chloride, brcmide, idodide, fluoride, (suJ fate)j^, methosuJ fate, nitrite, nitrate, (phosphate)j^ and carboxylate, (e.g. acetate, adipate, phthalate, benzoate, oleate, etc.); the preferred compounds have the formula (AA) h2c ch2 / N N C2H4 N -R, R. Wherein; R^ is as defined in Formula (A); • R2 may be any of R^ or preferably lower alkyl or substituted alkyl of to such as haloalkyl , hydroxyalkyl and the like; ' may be hydrogen or C-^ to Cj( alkyl or substituted alkyl; Rij may be any of R-^ and R^ > preferably Cg to C^q aliphatic and more preferably Cll4 to C^g alkyl or alkenyl; and X is as defined in Formula (A) and of a dicationic, quaternary ammonium compound of the nenera-j. Formula (B) R I. R N I R •(CH„) -z n 'I- -N- -R, m [-] m + 1 1 R. N.Z, PATENT OFF ir.F * "8 MAY 1986 2035 82 wherein the R group is selected from C^q to C^g aliphatic, preferably alkyl or alkenyl; or RO-CCF^^-where R has same meaning as above, i.e. to C^q aliphatic and preferably alkyl or alkenyl; the R^'s may be hydrogen; C-^ to alkyl or hydroxyalkoxy groups; n is an integer of 2 to 6 and m is an integer from 1 to 5; and X is as defined in Formula (A). The preferred compounds are those where R is Cto and R^ is lower alkyl, especially methyl; or a conventional quaternary amnonium compound of the general formula (C) wherein the R groups are selected from to C^q aliphatic, preferably alkyl or alkenyl, aryl (e.g. phenyl, tolyl, cumyl, etc.); aralkyl (e.g. benzyl, phenethyl, etc.); and the halo, amide, hydroxyl, and carboxy substituents thereof; with the proviso that at least one R is C^ to C^q and preferably to C^g and the others are lower alkyl and more preferably at least two R's are to C^g and the others are lower alkyl of to (and most preferably methyl or ethyl) and Y is an anion as defined for X in Formula (A). The concentration of the imidazolinium compound (A) may range from about 8 to 20% by weight of the total composition and that of the dicationic compound (B) or conventional compound (C) may range from about 0.5 to 5% by weight of the total composition with a ratio of A to B (or C) ranging from about 40 : 1 to about 3 : 1 preferably 40 ; 1 to 5 : 1 and more preferably for (B) 15 ; 1 to 7 : 1. Typical imidazolinium softeners include the following within the above Formula (A) 2-heptadecyl-l-methyl-l-oleylamidoethyl imidazolinium ethosulfate 2-heptadecyl-l-methyl-l- (2-stearoylamido)ethyl - imidazolinium sulfate, 2-heptadecyl-l-methyl-l- (2-stearoylamido)ethyl - imidazolinium chloride, 2-coco-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l-benzyl imidazolinium chloride, 2(13 5 $ Z 2-coco-l-(hydroxyethyl)-l-(4-chlorobutyl)-imidazolinium chloride, 2-coco-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l-octadecenyl imidazolinium chloride, 2-tall oil fatty-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l-benzyl imidazolinium chloride, 2-tall oil fatty-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l-(4-chlorobutyl)-imidazolinium chloride, 2-heptadecenyl-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l-(4-chlorobutyl)-imidazolinium chloride, 2-heptadecenyl-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l-benzyl imidazolinium chloride, 2-heptadecyl-l-(hydroxyethyl)-l-octadecyl imidazolinium ethyl sulfate. Typical dicationics of Formula (B) include the following: N-Tallowyl-N,N,N"^, N^-tetramethyl-1,3-propanediammonium dimethosulfate N-Tallowy1-N, N"*", N^-trimethyl-1,3-propanediammonium dimethosulf ate 111 N-01eyl-N,N,N ,N ,N -pentamethyl-1,3-propanediammonium dimethosulfate N-Tallowy1-NN^-pentamethy1-1,3-propanediammonium dimethosulfate N-stearyl-N ,N .N"*",N"* .N^-pentamethyl-l, 3-propanediammonium dimethosulfate 1 1 N-stearyloxypropyl-N,N ,N tris(3-hydroxypropyl)-l,3-propane diaramonium diacetate Typical cationics of formula (C) include the following: distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride dihexadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride distearyl dimethyl ammonium bromide di (hydrogenated tallow) dimethyl ammonium bromide distearyl, di (isopropyl) ammonium chloride distearyl dimethyl ammonium methosulfate In addition to the cationic components of the present invention , there 1 may be also included in the aqueous compositions numerous conventional, supplemental materials or optional components which do not adversely affect the stability and/or functional characteristics of the present invention. Thus, for example, there may be present minor amounts of various surfactant materials and in particular certain surfactant phosphate esters which may be desirable to effect anti-static control of the laundered goods. Such conventional additional components also - 7 - include perfumea , dyes-, pigments > gCM*mi o i tli; s , option.! briirlitonorj , " anti-corrosion agents (sodium silicate) and the like. Where used, each of these may comprise e.g. 1% by weight of the instant compositions. ! It may also be desirable to supplement and/or modify the i f j viscosity features of the composition of this invention by the l addition of electrolyte material such as calcium chloride, sodium nitrate, sodium formate and the like in amounts from about 0.05 ij to about 5$ by weight. Minor proportions (.5 to 10$) of other i! I components may also be included such as the lower alkanols, ! | e.g. ethyl and isopropyl alcohol as well as the conventional ji opacifiers particularly of the resin emulsion types so well known !i in this art . 11 * ji i ;j The following examples will serve to illustrate the present ij invention without being deemed limitative thereof. Parts, where if 1 j specified are by weight unless otherwise indicated. . . s I EXAMPLE 1 .. The following composition is prepared: % "by weight 73.0 5 15 . 00 2.00 This composition has a viscosity of about 2U0 cps just after j preparation which increases to somewhat less than ^00 cps after i j six weeks ageing at room temperature and to about 6^0 cps upon six weeks ageing at U3°C(ll0^F). At these values the product viscosity is squarely within the acceptable range of viscosities Deionized water i 1-methyl-l-tallow amidoethyl-2-tallow imidazolinium methosulfate ; N-Tallowyl-N ,N,N1,N-1-,N1-pentamethyl-i 1,3-propane diammonium dimethyo- sulfate Balance to 100# of color and perfume - 8 - i i which varies from about 100 to about 1000 ccntipoises (cps) and preferably about' 200 to about 800 cps. Without the aicationic ! in the composition and containing 0.1% NaCl we find the ! I viscosity initially to be about 32U cps, 1700 cps after six weeks j ageing at room temperature and 2300 cps after six weeks ageing ; I at • 1j3°C . ' | ■ j EXAMPLE 2 J To 80 parts of deionized vater there are added 0.05 parts . . i sodium formate, followed by 15 parts of 1-methyl-l-stearyl i amidoethyl-2-stearyl imidazolinium methosulfate and 2.0 parts of dicationic of Example 1. There are then added 0.05 parts of calcium chloride. A very satisfactory product results from the foregoing components as well as the operational sequence of i component mixing. EXAMPLES 3a-f Each of Examples 1 and 2 is repeated' except that in place j of the dicationic thereof (2.0$ by weight) there are used the ! ; following: i . • % by weight (a) dicationic of Example 1 3.0 (b) dicationic of Example 1 1.0 (c) N-Tallowyl-N ,'W^ jN^-tetramet hyl-1 , 3-propanediammonium dimethosulfate 2.5 (d) W-Oleyl-N ,N jN"1". .N"1" jN^-pent amethyl-1 , 3-propanediammonium dimethosulfate 1-5 (e) N-Tallowyl-,N .N1 ,N°-trimethyl--l,U- -butanediammonium dimethosulfate 2.0 j (f) N-stearyloxypropyl,NjN1,N1-tris(3- hydroxypropyl)-1,3-propanediammouium diacetate ' 2.0 Mm V */ W OZ, T'lXAMPT. K«! )in-r Each of Examples 1, 2 and 3a to 3f is repeated except that ij lithe cationic imidazolinium softener .ic replaced nr. follow:-,: I i M !. % by weirrht (a) 2-heptadecyl-l-methyl-l-oleylamidoethyl imidazolinium methosulfate 12.0 (b) 2-heptadecyl-l-methyl-l-oleylamidoethyl imidazolinium methosulfate lU.'O (c) 2-heptadecenyl-l-methyl-l-oleylamidoethyl imidazolinium methosulfate lo.C (d) 2-heptadecenyl-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-benzyl imidazolinium chloride 12.0 (e) 2-heptadecenyl-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1- • j benzyl imidazolinium chloride 15.0 !j (f) 2-heptadecenyl-l-(2-hydroxyethyl )-l- ;! benzyl imidazolinium chloride 10.5 - 10 - EXAMPLE 5 The following composition is prepared: % by weight Deionized water 78.90 NaCl (10% aqueous sol.) 1.50 1-methyl-l-tallov amidoethyl-2-tallow imidazolinium methosulfate 12.00 Distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride 1.5 Balance to 100% of color and perfume This composition has a viscosity of about 79 cps just after preparation which increases to somewhat less than 400 cps after six weeks ageing at 43°C (110°F). At a viscosity of about 400 cps the product is squarely with the acceptable range of viscosities which varies from about 100 to about 1000 centipoises (cps) and preferably about 200 to about 800 cps. Without the dimethyl distearyl cationic softener the composition, after ageing has a viscosity of about 1500 and 2000 cps. EXAMPLE 6 Example 5 is repeated except that in addition to the sodium chloride (0.15%) there are also added calcium chloride (0.15%), sodium formate (0.15%) and sodium nitrate (0.15%). EXAMPLE 7 A composition similar to example 5 is prepared except that the softener is solely 13.5% distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. A very firm gel results' which is totally unsaleable. EXAMPLE 8 To 80 parts of deionized water there are added 0.04 parts sodium formate, followed by 12 parts of 1-methyl-l-stearyl amidoethyl-2-stearyl imidazolinium methosulfate and 1.5 parts of di(hydrogenated tallow) dimethyl ammonium chloride. There are then added 0.04 parts of calcium chloride. A very satisfactory product results from the foregoing components as well as the operational sequence of component mixing. - 11 - </div>

Claims

<div class="application article clearfix printTableText" id="claims"> EXAMPLES 9a-f / Each of Examples 5, 6 and 8 are repeated except that in place of distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (1.5% by weight) there are used the following: % by Weight (a) di(tallow) dimethyl ammonium chloride 2 (b) di(tallow) dimethyl ammonium chloride 3 (c) di(hydrogenated tallow) dimethyl ammonium methosulfate 1.5 (d) di(hydrogenated tallow) dimethyl ammonium methosulfate 2.5 (e) di(hydrogenated tallov^ dimethyl ammonium methosulfate 3.5 (f) di-oleyl diethyl ammonium acetate 1.5 EXAMPLES 10 a-f Each of Examples 5, 6 and 9a to 9f is repeated except that in place of the imidazolinium compound (12% byweight)- in such examples there are used the following: % by Weight (a) 2-heptadecyl-l-methyl-l-oleylamidoethyl imidazolinium methosulfate 12.0 (b) 2-heptadecyl-l-methyl-l-oleylamidoethyl imidazolinium methosulfate 14.0 (c) 2-heptadecyl-l-methyl-l-oleylamidoethyl imidazolinium methosulfate 16.0 (d) 2-heptadecenyl-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l- benzyl imidazolinium chloride 12.0 (e) 2-heptadecenyl-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l- benzyl imidazolinium chloride 15.0 (f) 2-heptadecenyl-l-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l- benzyl imidazolinium chloride 10.5 - 12 - WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A stable, aqueous, concentrated fabric softening composition comprising (A) 8 to 20% by weight of an imidazolinium softener; and (B) from 0.5 to 5% by weight of (i) a compound of the formul -(CH 2 n R, 1 X J m + 1 wherein R is C^g to C^g aliphatic radical; each is independently selected from hydrogen, C^ to C^ alkyl or hydroxyalkoxy; n is an integer from 2 to 6; m is an integer from 1 to 5; and X is a water-solubilizing anion or (ii) a compound of the formula: R- R I N I R -R wherein each R is independently selected from aliphatic radicals of C^ to C^g with at least one being alkyl of C14 t0 C30' the weight ratio of (A) to (B) ranging from 40 : 1 to 3 : 1.

2. A composition as defined in Claim 1 including up to 5% by wei of electrolyte.

3. A composition as defined in Claim 1 wherein the imidazolinium softener is a 2-heptadecyl-1-methyl-1-(2-stearoyl-amido)ethyl-imidazolinium salt.

4. A composition as defined in Claim 3 where compound (B)(i) is the dicationic compound N-tallowyl- .w'-pentamethyl-l,3- -13- 203582 propanediammonium dimethosulfate.

5. A composition as defined in Claim 4 wherein the amount of compound A is about 15% and that of B is about 2%.

6. A composition as defined in Claim 1 wherein A & B are the sole fabric softeners present in the composition.

7. A composition as defined in Claim 1 wherein the imidazolinium softener (A) has the formula : h2C -CH, i IN - \c/v c I Ri aliphatic radical; wherein : R1 is C8 to C30 R„ and R, independently may be any of R, or lower (C, ..) £5 I 1 — b alkyl or substituted alkyl; and X is a water-solubilizing anion.

8. A composition as defined in Claim 7 wherein R1 in the compound of formula (A) is a C^ to C^g alkyl or alkenyl group.

9. A composition as defined in Claim 7 or Claim 8 wherein R£ and in the compound of formula (A) are independently selected from the group consisting of lower (C^ ^an(j substituted C^ ^ alkyl groups.

10. A composition as defined in any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein X~ in the compound of formula (A) is a chloride, bromide, iodide, fluoride, (sulfate)^, methosulfate, nitrite, nitrate, (phosphate)1^, or carboxylate anion.

11. A composition as defined in Claim 3 wherein cationic softener (B) is distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride.

12. A composition as defined in Claim 11 wherein the ratio of (A) to (B) is 15:1 to 5:1.

13. A composition as defined in Claim 12 wherein the amount of compound (A) is about 12% and that of (B) is about 1.5%.

14. A composition as defined in Claim 12 wherein the total softener concentration is 10 to 15% by weight. 203582

15. A method forppeparing a composition as defined in Claim 2 which comprises first preparing an aqueous solution of at least part of the electrolyte and thereafter adding in sequence the softener components (A) and (B) and then the balance of any electrolyte whereby a stable composition is produced. </div>