NZ203711A - Introducing volatile material into soap - Google Patents

Description

2 037 1 Priority Date(s): R%..:.?.? Complete Specification Filed: p?v?. Class: C.'.'.O. td.Ji .Q P.O. Journal, No: • QvA vA li. 25 MAR 1983 » W* *; NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 No.: Date: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION DETERGENT BAR PROCESSING ■f-/We, UNILEVER PLC a British company of Unilever House, Blackfriars, London EC4, England hereby declare the invention for which i / we pray that a patent may be granted to «te-/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- _ 1 - (followed by page la) - la - 20371 1 D. 700 TITLE : DETERGENT DAR ritOCECSING \ Field of the Invention This invention relates to the processing of soap feedstocks to introduce volatile components, for example perfumes. : 5 Background to the Invention When processing soap feedstocks a usual requirement is to introduce a perfume to provide a fragrance for the 10 product. It may also be desirable for some products to incorporate another class of volatile material, eg a solvent during processing. The efficiency of incorporation will depend on a number of factors including processing temperatures, and times, and communication with the 15 atmosphere.

General description It has been found a cavity transfer mixer provides 20 an efficient route for incorporation because the processing temperatures are maintained, in general, below those usually encountered in soap processing. The processing time is low and the mixing occurs in an enclosed volume. The energy required will normally be lower than that 25 required in conventional processes. 33E21E ' 2037 U D.700 The present invention uses a device of the cavity transfer mixer class to introduce a volatile component into the soap base. These devices comprise two closely spaced mutually displaceable surfaces each having a pattern of 5 cavities which overlap during movement of the surfaces so that the material moved between the surfaces traces a path through cavities alternately in each surface so that the bulk of the material passes through the shear zone generated in the material by displacement of the surfaces..

Cavity transfer mixers are normally prepared with a cylindrical geometry and in the preferred devices for this process the cavities are arranged to give constantly available but changing path ways through the device during mutual movement of the two surfaces. The devices having a cylindrical geometry can comprise a stator within which is journalled a rotor; the opposing faces of the stator and rotor carry the cavities through which the material passes during its passage through the device. on • -.

The temperature of processing is preferably from about 30 degrees C to about 55 degrees C, more preferably below about 40 degrees C.

- The device may also have a planar geometry in which opposed plane surfaces having patterns of cavities would be moved mutually, for example by rotation of one plane, so - that material introduced between the surfaces at the point of rotation would move outwards and travel alternately between cavities on each surface.

Another form of cylindrical geometry maintains the inner cylinder stationary while rotating the outer cylinder. The central stator is more easily cooled, or heated if required, because the fluid connections can be ' " made in a simple manner; the external rotor can also cooled or heated in a relatively simple mariner. It is also lb A mechanically simpler to apply rotational energy to the external body rather than the internal cylinder. Thus^%his ^ configuration has advantages in construction and use. \|jV 203711 D. 709 Material is forced through the mixer using auxiliary , equipment as the rotor is turned. Examples of the auxiliaryequipment are screw extruders and piston rams. The auxiliary equipment is preferably operated 5 separately from the mixer so that the throughput and work performed on it can be separately varied. The separate operation may be carried out with the auxiliary > euqipment arranged to provide material for processing at an angle to the centre line of the shear-producing device. This 10 arrangement allows rotational energy to be supplied to the device - - around its centre line.. An in—jline' arrangement is more easily achieved when the external member of the device is the rotor. Separate operation of the device and auxiliary equipment assists in providing 15 control of the processing.

In general a variety of cavity shapes can be used, for example Metal Box (UK 930 339) disclose longitudinal slots in the two surfaces. The stator and rotor may carry 20 slots, for example six to twelve, spaced around their periphery and extending along their whole length.

Preferably one or both surfaces are subjected to thermal control. The process allows efficient heating 25 /cooling of the materials to be achieved..

The detergent feedstock may contain non-soap detergents in amounts which do not - interfere with the desired effect. Examples of these actives are alkane 30 sulphonates, alcohol sulphates, alkyl benzene sulphonates, alkyl sulphates, acyl isethionates, olefin sulphonates and ethoxylated alcohols.

The processed feedstock was made into bar form using 3 5 standard stamping machinery. Other product forms, 2 037 ] 1 - 4 - D.709 extruded particles (noodles) and beads can be prepared from the feedstock.

Drawings; The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a cavity transfer mixer with cylindrical geometry; Figure 2 is a transverse section along the line II-II on Figure 1; Figure 3 illustrates the pattern of cavities in the device of Figure 1; Figures 4, 5 and 7 illustrate other patterns of cavities; Figure 6 is a transverse section through a mixer having grooves in the opposed surfaces of the device; Figure 8 is a longitudinal section of a cavity transfer mixer in which the external cylinder forms the rotor; Specific description of devices Embodiments of the devices will now be described.

A cavity transfer mixer is shown in Figure 1 in longitudinal section. This comprises a hollow cylindrical stator member 1, a cylindrical rotor member 2 journalled for rotation within the stator with a sliding fit, the 203711 - 5 - D.709 facing cylindrical surfaces of the rotor and stator carrying respective pluralities of parallel, circumferentially extending rows of cavities which are disposed with: a) the cavities in adjacent rows on the stator circumferentially offset; b) the cavities in adjacent rows on the rotor circumferentially offset; and c) the rows of cavities on the stator and rotor axially offset.

The pattern of cavities carried on the stator 3 and rotor 4 are illustrated on Figure 3. The cavities 3 on the stator are shown hatched. The overlap between patterns of cavities 3, 4 is also shown in Figure 2. A liquid jacket 1A is provided for the application of temperature control by the passage of heating or cooling water. A temperature control conduit 2A is provided in the rotor.

The material passing through the device moves through the cavities alternately on the opposing faces of the stator and rotor. The cavities immediately behind those shown in section are indicated by dotted profiles on Figure 1 to allow the repeating pattern to be seen.

The material flow is divided between pairs of adjacent cavities on the"same rotor or stator face because of the overlapping position of the cavities on the opposite' K'i stator or rotor face. j The whole or bulk of the material flow is subjec-fe T f /V to considerable working during its passage through jzhe shear zone generated by the mutual displacement of/jihe 203711 ;• ^ - 6 - B.709 stator and rotor surfaces. The material is entrained for a short period in each cavity during passage and thus one of its velocity components is altered.

The mixer had a rotor radius of 2.54 cm with 36 hemispherical cavities (radius 0.9 cm) arranged in six rows of six cavities. The internal surface of the stator carried seven rows of six cavities to provide cavity overlap at the entry and exit. The material to be worked 10 was injected into the device through channel 5, which communicates with the annular space between the rotor and stator, - by a screw extruder. The material left the device through nozzle 6.

Figure 4 shows elongate cavities arranged in a square pattern; these cavities have the sectional profile of Figure 2. These cavities are aligned with their longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device and the direction of movement of material through 20 the device; the latter is indicated by the arrow.

Figure 5 shows a pattern of cavities having the dimensions and profile of those shown in Figures lt 2 and 3. The cavities of Figure 5 are arranged in a square 25 pattern with each cavity being closely spaced.from four; adjacent cavities on the same surface. This pattern does not provide as high a degree of overlap as given by the pattern of Figure 3. The latter has each cavity closely spaced to six cavities on the same surface, ie a hexagonal 30 pattern.

Figure 6 is a section of a cavity transfer mixer having a rotor 7 rotatably positioned within the hollow stator 8 having an effective length of 10.7 cm and a '< £ >'V 35 diameter of 2.54 cm. The rotor carried five parallel/ grooves 9 of semi-circular cross section (diameter "r^AP(?J986,"' V. i V 203711 - 7 - D.709 equally spaced around the periphery and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis along the length of the rotor. The inner cylindrical surface of the stator 8 carried eight grooves 10 of similar dimensions extending along its length 5 and parallel to the longitudinal axis. This embodiment utilised cavities extending along the length of the stator and rotor without interruption. Temperature control jacket * , ' and conduit were present.

Figure 7 shows a pattern of cavities wherein the cavities on the rotor, shown hatched, and stator have a larger dimension normal to the material flow; the latter v ") is indicated by an arrow. The cavities are thus elongate.

This embodiment provides a lower pressure drop over its 15 length compared with devices of similar geometry but not having cavities positioned with a longer dimension normal, i.e. perpendicular to the material flow. To obtain a reduction in pressure drop at least one of the surfaces must carry elongate cavities having their longer dimension 2 0 normal to the material flow.

The cavity transfer mixer of Figure 8 had the external cylinder 11 journalled for rotation about the central shaft 12. Temperature control jacket 13 and conduit were 25 present but the latter is not J shown because the cavities on the central shaft are shown in plan view while the rotor is vsectioned. The central stator (diameter 52 mm) had three rows 14 of three cavities with partial, i.e. half cavities at the entry and exit points. On the rotor there were four 30 rows 15 of three cavities. The cavities on the stator and rotor were elongate with a total arc dimension of 5.1 cm normal to the material flow with hemispherical section ends of 1.2 cm radius joined by a semicircular sectioned panel of the same radius. The cavities were arranged in the 35 pattern of Figure 7, i.e. with their long dimension 263711 - 8 - D> 709 to material flow. The rotor was driven by a chain drive to external toothed wheel 16.

Examples of the process of the invention will now be given. All percentages and parts are by weight.,' Example I The mixer used the cavity pattern of Figure 3 and had a rotor radius of 2.54cm with 36 hemispherical cavities (radius 0.9cm) arranged in six rows of six cavities. The internal surface of the stator carried seven rows of six cavities to provide cavity overlap at the entry and exit.

A tallow/coconut superfat feedstock (60/40/7^) was prepared. 2-phenylethanol (1.0%) was added to this base in a ribbon mixer to coat the noodles with this volatile material. The base was divided with the first half being treated in the cavity transfer extruder with the aid of a soap plodder and the second being subjected to conventional treatment. Tablets were stamped and analysed by gas chromatography of the head space. Results showed less of the volatile component was lost by the cavity transfer mixer route.

Example II A tallow/coconut (80/20) soap with a glycerol content of 1.25% was used as base. Limonene (1.5% on base) was added to a sample of "soap in chip form and conventionally processed.

A second sample was mixed with the same quantity of limonene and passed through a device of Figure 1 having cavities of diameter 2.4 cm arranged with six cavities in a " circumferential circle. The stator carried four complete ,;\ ■y/y *-'v iz' - I 18 APR 1986£ \p 2 037 1 1 D. 709 cavities and the rotor three complete cavities with two half cavities at each end. The soap temperature was 25°C input and 35°C at exit with cooling applied to the stator and rotor. The throughput was 400 g/minute from a soap 5 plodder with the rotor operated at 35 r.p.m.

Using headspace analysis with a gas chromatograph it was found the conventional processed soap retained 60% of original perfume and the soap mixed according to the 10 invention retained 75%.

Claims (7)

203711 - 10 - B. 709 What we claim is: 10

1. The process of introducing a volatile material into a soap-containinq bar or other solid form in which the soap-containing material and volatile material are mixed by passing the materials in admixture between two closely spaced mutually displaceable surfaces each having a pattern of cavities which overlap during movement of the surfaces so that the material moved between the surfaces traces a path through cavities alternately in each surface, whereby the bulk of the material passes through the shear zone ~ generated in the material by displacement of the surfaces. 15

2. A process according to Claim 1 wherein the two surfaces have cylindrical geometry. 20

3. A process according to Claim 1 or 2 wherein thermal control is applied to at least one surface.

4. A process according to any preceding claim wherein the cavities in at least one surface are elongate with their long dimension normal to the flow of material. 25 J

5. A process according to any preceding claim wherein the temperature of the soap-containing formulation during processing is in the range from 30°C to 55°C.

6. A process according to any preceding claim wherein the 30 volatile material is a perfume.

7. A process of introducing a volatile material into a soap-containing bar or other solid form substantially as herein described with reference to the Exaitples. A3E303 By Bie-/Their authorised Agent A. J, PARK & SON Per; t/ff?" ^ 8APri$s6»I