NZ231892A - Granular fabric softening composition comprising agglomerates of a binding/dispersing agent and a natural hectorite clay - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number £31 89£ 23 1 8 Priority -1 a On CN ..an. ".'on-'-'n cpc::ificr.tion Filed: '■ (1} .OCY 1.1../ I.. X j . .C..U.ID.3./.IJ+- p-y vw- . ? 8 APR 1952 .o ... • .. ./3-C30.. • f 'v V U ^^-Vew zealan zealand PATENTS ACT. 1953 No.: Date: complete specification FABRTC CONDITIONING OOMPOSITICNS We. THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY, a corporation organised under the laws of the State of Ohio, USA, located at: One Procter & Gamble Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, USA hereby declare the invention for which ix/ we pray that a patent may be granted to cae/us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - (followed by page la) 231898 fabric conditioning compositions Andro' Gesar Baeek Young Oh The present invention relates to granular fabric conditioning compositions. More specifically it relates to compositions containing a fabric-softening amount of'a hectorite clay, the clay being in the form of particles having a narrowly-defined layer charge distribution and preferably having a high level of deposition upon fabrics.

British Patent 1 400 898 discloses detergent compositions comprising, as a fabric-softening ingredient, a smectite-type clay. Any smectite-type clay having a cation exchange capacity of at least 50 meg/100 g is taught to be suitable. Gelwhite CP and Volclay BC, both of which are sodium montmori11onite clays, are disclosed to be preferred for reasons of color and cation exchange capaci ty.

It is now well recognized in the detergent industry that clays of the type disclosed in British Patent 1 400 898 provide significant fabric softening benefits when used in a laundry detergent. Yet, it is equally well recognized that deposition of these clays onto the fabrics during the laundering process is far from complete; in fact, under typical European laundry conditions, less than half of the available clay is deposited onto the fabrics, the remainder being rinsed away with the laundry liquor during the subsequent rinsing steps. Moreover, the softening effect obtained as a result of the clay deposition is affected by factors that are not well understood.

It is an object of the present invention to provide granular fabric conditioning compositions that can be added to the laundry during a rinse stage of the laundry process comprising a fabric softening clay from which the clay particles are more efficiently deposited onto fabrics during the laundry process. It is further object of this invention to select clay materials for use in conditioning compositions that provide a significantly better fabric-softening performance than the clay materials used to date in commercial detergent and other fabric conditioning compositions. .1: <, j;i summary of the invention The present invention relates to granular fabric conditioning compositions containing a hectorite clay for addition to laundry 5 loads in the rinse stage, as opposed to the wash stage wherein detergent ingredients are typically present in substantial amounts. The clay is in the form of agglomerates. The clay has a narrowly defined layer charge distribution, such that at least about 50% of the clay has a layer charge of from about 0.23 to 10 about 0.31. Preferably the compositions of the present invention exhibit Relative Depositions of at least about 2.5. detailed description of the invention The fabric conditioning compositions of the present invention contain from about 10% to about 99% of the fabric softening clay described below, and from about .5% to about 40% of a binding/dispersing agent. The clay is in the form of an agglomerate. The composition may optionally contain other fabric 20 conditioners, perfumes, dyes or other ingredients useful for fabric conditioning compositions. These agglomerated particles should not contain detersive ingredients, such as surfactants, builders, clay soil removers, enzymes, and the like, in sufficiently large quantities to significantly interfere with the 25 rinsing process. The agglomerated clay particles may contain low amounts of ingredients such as surfactants, builders, and the like which can aid in dispersing the clay in the rinse. Generally, less than about 30%, by weight of the agglomerate, of such compounds will be present, preferably less than about 15%, more 30 preferably less than about 10%. The clay, utilized in the present invention which is of the smectite-type, is selected on basis of its layer charge properties. The hectorite clays of natural origin, suitable for the detergent compositions of the present invention, have the general formula: ff* - ^ '/*• ' *o; 6 fl JAN \Wjx); // // i- ' i.-r..' " tM93-xLi x) S i 4-yHe11~y01q(OH2-ZFZ)] "(x+y)(x_+_y)Mn + n wherein y = 0; or, if y / 0, is Al, Fe, or B: Mn* is a nonovalent (n = 1) or divalent (n = 2) metal ion, for example 5 selected from Na, K, Mg, Ca, Sr. The value of (x + y) is the layer charge of the hectorite clay. The hectorite clays suitable for the detergent compositions of the present invention have a layer charge distribution such that at least 50% is in the range of from 0.23 to 0.31.

Preferred are hectorite clays of natural origin having a layer charge distribution such that at least 65% is in the range of from 0.23 to 0.31.

The layer charge distribution of the clay material can be 15 determined using its swelling in the presence of cationic surfactants having specific chain lengths. This method is described in detail by Lagaly and Weiss. Zeitschrift fuer Pflanzenernaehrung und Bodenkunde, 130( 1 ), 197 1, pages 9-24, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The hectorite clay is provided in the composition of the present invention as free-flowing agglomerates of clay. The agglomerates can comprise smaller particles of clay such as are commercially available in the industry. Typically, the particles 25 will be from about 1 micron to about 50 microns. The clay agglomerates can also be made in the desired size range (discussed below) directly from an aqueous clay slurry by spray drying or other techniques known in the art. The agglomerates should have a median diameter of from about 75 microns to about 2000 microns, 30 preferably a median diameter of from about 100 microns and about 1250 microns, most preferably from about 300 microns to about 1000 microns. The clay agglomerates are preferably screened so as to separate agglomerates less than about 75 microns, preferably less than about 100 microns, and greater then about 2000 microns, preferably greater than about 1250 microns. sn /<> ^ x V „=* '1 J AH nn 0*1? ^ ' / \ * s. t \ >£'' 2 3 18 9 2 It is an essential aspect of this invention that the clay agglomerates contain, in addition to the clay, a binding/dispersing agents as described hereafter. It has been found that the clay, when agglomerated and added to the rinse stage of an automatic washing machine without presence of such binding/dispersing agent, does not provide wel1 -distributed deposition of the clay upon the fabrics. Rather, the clay tends to further agglomerate at the surface of the rinse water and deposit upon the fabrics with poor distribution. It is important for obtaining even deposition that the clay agglomerates sink or otherwise remain below the surface of the rinse water during the rinse stage and, further, become wel1-dispersed prior to the end of the rinse stage. Typically, the rinse stage of an automatic washing machine will be between about 2 and about 5 minutes.

Agglomeration methods and equipment suitable for use include those methods known in the art. Non-limiting examples of the equipment suitable for agglomeration of clay from smaller particles include a Dravo pan agglomerator, KG/Schugi B1ender-Granulator, whirling knife continuous vertical fluidized bed agglomerator. Niro Fluidized Bed agglomerator, Obrian Mixer/Agglomerator, and a Littleford mixer (Littleford Brothers, Inc., Florence, Kentucky, USA, eg. Model FM130D).

Other methods and equipment which use larger amounts of water, including the manufacture of agglomerates (as defined herein) directly from a clay slurry, include a spray drying tower, and a prilling tower.

On a laboratory scale, food processors which are widely available to the general public can be used to agglomerate smaller clay particles into agglomerates in the disclosed size ranges.

In making the clay agglomerates, an aqueous mixture of water and the binding/dispersing agent can be first prepared and slowly added to the clay while the clay is subjected to the mechanical agitation of the agglomeration equipment. Once agglomerated, the clay can be dried, but should not be over-dried. Overdrying can, as will be understood by those skilled in the clay art, lead .V■'»; 6 to reduced ability of the clay to disperse. Drying at ambient temperatures unaided or aided by forced air provides acceptable drying levels.

Preferred binding/dispersing agents are water-soluble inorganic salts. These can include sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, potassium carbonate, potassium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, lithium sulfate, lithium carbonate, sodium citrate, and sodium sesquicarbonate. Preferred are sodium sulfate and sodium carbonate. Without limiting the invention, it is theorized that salts such as sodium carbonate which are basic in character are particularly advantageous for the present compositions. These water soluble inorganic salts are believed to act as binding agents which impart a temporary binding force that facilitates agglomerate integrity for a sufficiently long period after being added to the rinse stage of an automatic washing machine such that the agglomerates can sink or remain below the surface of the water. However, importantly, since the salts are water soluble, the binding force dissipates during the rinse stage so that the clay agglomerates can hydrate and disperse, to thereby facilitate even distribution of the clay upon the fabrics in the washing machine. Additionally, the salts are of relatively high density and inclusion of the salts into the agglomerates can aid with increasing the agglomerate density. Excessive compression of the clay to achieve the desired density can inhibit dispersion. The agglomerates preferably have a density of greater than about 1.0 g/cc. The agglomerates typically will contain from about 1% to about 40%, preferably from about 5% to about 35%, more preferably from about 10% to about 35% of a water soluble inorganic salt, based upon the total weight of the agglomerate.

Another type of binding/dispersing agent that and be used, alone or in combination with a water insoluble inorganic salt, is 11 JAN 1930 ^ J a dispersing aid. Dispersing aids that can be used can generally include surfactants. These include surfactants preferably in an amount ranging from about 0.5'J to about 30'< by weight of the agglomerates commonly used as detersives in laundry detergents (though they will be present in substantially lower concentrations when added to the rinse stage as part of the present compositions). The surfactants suitable for use can comprise an anionic, nonionic, ampholytic or zwitterionic surfactant or a mixture thereof. Nonionic surfactants, or other surfactants, that can interfere with clay deposition should be used in low amounts only, preferably less than about 10% of the weight of the agglomerate. Anionic surfactants are preferred. Typical anionic surfactants are the alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkly- and alkylether sulfates, paraffin sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, alkoxylated (especially ethoxylated) alcohols and alky phenols, amine oxides, al pha-sulfonates of fatty acids and of fatty acid esters, and the like, which are well-known from the detergency art. In general, such surfactants contain an alkyl group in the c8-c26 range, more generally in the ca-c14 range. The anionic surfactants can be used in the form of their sodium, potassium or triethanolammonium salts: Anionic phosphate surfactants are also useful in the present invention. These are surface active materials in which the anionic solubilizing group connecting hydrophobic moieties is an oxy acid of phosphorus. The more common solubilizing groups, of course are -S04H and -S03H. Alkyl phosphate esters such as (R--0)2P02H and R0P03H2 in which R represents an alkyl chain containing from about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms are useful herein. Suitable nonionic surfactants useful in the present invention include those obtained by the condensation of one to twelve ethylene oxide mcieties with a c10-cj8 aliphatic alcohol. The alcohol may be completely linear as occurs in materials derived from the natural feedstocks such as vegetable oils and animal fats, or may be slightly branched as occurs in petroleum derived alcohols made by oxo-type synthesis. Other nonionic materials are c14-c15 alcohol condensed with an average of seven ethylene oxide groups c j2 -c! 3 alcohol condensed with an average 23 1891 • 8 - of about four ethylene oxide groups and then subjected to stripping to remove unethoxylated and low ethoxylated materials, to leave an ethoxylated having a mean of 4.5 ethylene oxide groups. Suitable zwitterionic materials include derivatives of quaternary ammonium compounds containing an aliphatic straight chain group of 14-18 carbon atoms and a sulfate or sulfonate anionic solubilizing group. Specific examples include 3-N, N-dimethyl-N-hexadecylammonio-2-hydroxpropane-1 - sul fonates; 3-(N,N-d imethyl-N-tallowylammon i o) - 2 - hydroxypropane-1-sulfonate; 3-(N,N-dimethyl-N-tetradecyl amonio)-propane-1 sul fonate; and 6-(N,N-dime thy1-N-hexadecylammonion)-hexanoate.

The preferred composition of the present invention will contain at least about 10%, more preferably at least about 20%, most preferably at least about 40%, of a binding aid as defined above, and optionally contain about 1% to about 10% a dispersing aid.

When the clay agglomerates are made from clay slurry, the binding/dispersing agent can be added and mixed with the slurry prior to formation of the clay into relatively small particles by, for example, prilling or spray drying. These particles can then be agglomerated into the agglomerate range defined above. Alternately, agglomerates encompassed by said size range can be formed directly from the slurry by the same general processing methods. In the former case, the particles are preferably agglomerated with the use of an aqueous solution which contains more of a binding/dispersing agent.

Recently, a method has developed for objective assessment of fabric softeners. The method consists of a battery of tests, known in the detergent industry as the KES-F system of Kawabata. The method is described in S. Kawabata, "The Standardization and Analysis of Hand Evaluation", 2nd Ed., Textile Mach. Soc. of Japan, Osaka, 1980, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The shear hysteresis parameter 2HG5 of the KES-F system is believed to be particularly useful in the characterization of fabric softening clays. Preferred herein are hectorite clays which, when incorporated in fabric conditioning LM I c,'Xt 9 <■> compositions at 10% by weight, reduce the shear hysteresis of fabrics laundered therein by at least 32%, -ore preferable by at least 35%. The shear hysteresis parameter 2HG5 is discussed in more detail in Finnimore and Koenig, Me 11iand Texti1berichte 67 (1986) pages 514-516, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Softness measurements can also be obtained from expert panelists' subjective assessment of softness relative to a control.

The preferred hectorite clays used in the fabric conditioning compositions can be further characterized by their high level of deposition onto fabrics. Deposition of hectorite clays of the present invention from fabric conditioning composition onto fabrics is surprisingly greater than the deposition of other naturally occurring clays. Deposition can be measured according to the Relative Deposition procedure described on pages 13-16. The Relative Deposition of the clays of the present invention for 77 ppm treatment levels is preferably at least about 2.5 more preferably at least about 2.7, and most preferably at least about 2.9 as defined therein. As used herein, "Relative Deposition" shall refer to the above-referenced procedure using a 77 ppm treatment level, unless otherwise specifically indicated.The deposition of these" clays appears to be proportional to the softness of the treated fabric. Examples of suitable hectorite clays include Bentone EW and Macaloid, both mined in or near Amargosa Valley, Nevada (U.S.A.) and available from NL Chemicals, NJ. Naturally occurring hectorite clays within the scope of the present invention also include IMV Hectorite, available from Industrial Mineral Ventures, Amargosa Valley, Nevada. Also encompassed herein are hectorites mined in Turkey such as, but not limited to, Turkish calcium hectorite clay. 23 18 92 Additional Conditioning Ingredients The fabric conditioning compositions of the present invention may further contain, in addition to the clay material, other fabric conditioning ingredients. Organic and inorganic materials can be included either as part of the hectorite-containing agglomerates, or as separate particles or agglomerates admixed with the hectorite-containing agglomerates. Suitable examples include amines of the formula R1R2R3N, wherein Rj is C6 to C20 hydrocarbyl , R2 is Cj to C20 hydrocarbyl , and R3 is C, to Cl0 hydrocarbyl or hydrogen. A preferred amine of this type is di tallowmethyl ami ne.

Preferably, the conditioning amine is present as a complex with a fatty acid of the formula RCOOH, wherein R is a C9 to C20 alkyl or alkenyl. It is desirable that the amine/fatty acid complex be present in the form of microfine particles, having a particle size in the range of from e.g., 0.1 to 20 micrometers. These amine/fatty acid complexes are disclosed more fully in European Patent Application No. 0 133 804, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Preferred are compositions that contain from 1% to 10% of the amine.

Suitable are also complexes of the above described amine and phosphate esters of the formula 0 0 R8 P OH and HO OH 0r9 or9 wherein r8 and R9 are C^Cjo alkyl, or ethoxylated alkyl groups of the general formula alkyl-(0CH2CH2)y, wherein the alkyl substituent is Cj-C20, preferably C8-C16, and y is an integer of 1 to 15, preferably 2-10, most preferably 2-5. Amine/phosphate ester complexes of this type are more fully disclosed in European Patent Application No 0 168 889, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 23/m J Further examples of optional conditioning ingredients include the amides of the formula Rio^-ll^COR^. wherein R^q and R^ are independently selected from C1-C12 alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxyl alkyl, aryl, and alkyl-aryl group?: R^ is hydrogen, or a C^-C22 alkyl or alkenyl, an aryl or alkyl-aryl group. Preferred examples of these amides are ditallow acetamide and ditallow benzamide. Good results are obtained when the amides are present in the composition in the form of a composite with a fatty acid or with a phosphate ester, as described hereinbefore for the softening amines.

The amides are present in the composition at 1I-10Z by weight.

The additional conditioning ingredients may be incorporated into the conditioning compositions by those methods known in the art.

Thus the additional softness can be added to the crutcher mix and spray-dried, or may be added as a dry powder to a clay slurry which is then formed into the agglomerates of the present invention, or may be sprayed onto the clay agglomerates or onto a carrier, either in melted or in dissolved form. An example of a suitable carrier is perborate monohydrate.

Suitable conditioning ingredients are also the amines disclosed in U.K. Patent Application GE 2 173 827, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, in particular the substituted cyclic amines disclosed therein. Suitable are imidazolines of the general formula 1-(higher alkyl) amido (lower alky 1)-2-(higher alkyl) imidazoline wherein higher alky is alkyl having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and lower alkyl is alkyl having from 1 to u carbon atoms. Softener materials of this typ" are preferably added to the composition as particles or agglomerates as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Serial Number 922 912. filed October 24. 1986 by Baker et al, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 23 1892 A preferred cyclic amine is 1-talicwamidoethyl-2-tallow imidazoline. Preferred compositions contain from 1% to 10% of the substituted cyclic amine.

It may also be desirable to include a conditioning agent which controls static in the dryer. Suitable static control agents include ion-pair complexes of the formula (RjR2RjN^H) (A") wherein Rt and R2 are Cw-C20 alkyl or alkenyl, R3 is H or CH3 and A" is an anion, such as a C.-Cla linear alkyl benzene sulfonate. These and other suitable anti-static agents are disclosed in U.S. Serial No. 153,173, 0. S. Caswell, filed February 8, 1988, and U.S. Patent 3,959,1 55, R. E. Montgomery, et al., issued Hay 25, 1S76, both incorporated herein by reference.

Mcrsover, the compositions herein can contain, in addition to ingredients already mentioned, various other optional ingredients typically used in commercial products to provide aesthetic or additional product performance benefits. Typical ingredients include pH regulants, perfumes, dyes, bleach, optical brighteners. soil suspending agents, hydrotropes and gel-control agents, freeze-thaw stabilizers, bactericides, preservatives, carriers for such optional ingredients, and the like.

The fabric conditioning compositions are typically used at a concentration to provide in the rinse cycle at least about 75 ppm, preferably at least about 100 ppm, and less than about 200 ppm, more preferably between about 100 ppm and about 150 ppm, of clay based upon the clay/water weight ratio. When used at concentration of 150 ppm, the compositions encompassed by the present invention will typically have a Relative Deposition, as measured by the test described in the Experimental, of at least about 13.0 in an aqueous laundry bath at pH 7-11. The fabric conditioning can be carried out over the range from about 5'C to the boi1. 23 18 92 EXPERIMENTAL Relative Deposition Measurement A. Washing procedure: Prewash: Cotton/Polyester (86%/14%) terry cloths (Style 4025, Dundee Mills, Griffin, GA) that are 11 X 11 square inches (27.9 X 27.9 square cm) and weigh about 50g each are used for the Relative Deposition test. The cloths are washed two times with a conventional non-clay containing detergent formulation (shown below) in 0 grain/gallon water at 125°F (52°C) for 12 minutes each, then washed two times in 0 grain/gallon water at 125°F (52°C) without detergent and dried in a Whirlpool 3 Cycle Portable Dryer (Model ?LE4905XM, Whirlpool Corp., Benton Harbor, MI).

Prewash Detergent Composition: Ingredient %(Wt.) Ci2 Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate (Na Salt) 4.1 Tallow Alcohol Sulfate (Na Salt) 5.0 NeodolR 23-6.5 (Alkyl Ethoxylate) 2.0 Tal1ow Soap 1.9 Sodium Tripolyphosphate 32.0 Si 1icate 6.5 Water and Miscellaneous --balance to 100 - - Test Wash: A mini washer with five pots (such as those manufactured by Yorktown Tool & Die Corp., Yorktown, IN) is used. 30 For wash added clay softener tests, 9.12g of detergent product (Testwash Detergent Composition, as shown below) and 0.58g of a clay of the present invention (77ppm in the wash) are added to two gallons of 6 grain/gallon water at 95°F (35°C) in each mini-washer pot and agitated for two minutes. Alternately, where specifically 35 set forth herein, higher clay concentrations, eg. 150 ppm, can be 14 utilized. This, of course, will affect results and direct comparisons between clay concentrations are not reliable. A load of fabrics weighing about 341 g and including test fabrics of four of the prewashed terry cloths, six polyester/cotton (65%/35%) 11 x 5 1 square inch (27.9 x 27.9 square cm) swatches (product *7435, Test Fabrics, Middlesex, NJ) weighing a total of about 37g, three 11 X 11 inch nylon swatches (product #322, Test Fabrics) weighing a total of about 1 Sg, three 11 X 11 inch polyester swatches (product #720-H, Test Fabrics) weighing a total of about 44g, and 10 one polyacrylic sock (Burlington Socks, Balfour Inc., Asheboro, NC) weighing about 42g are added to the wash water. The fabrics are washed for 12 min. and spin dried for two minutes. The fabrics are then rinsed with two gallons of 6 grain/gallon water at 70°F (21 °C) for two minutes, spin dried for two minutes, and 15 dried in a Whirlpool 3 Cycle Portable Dryer (Model No. LE4905XK, Whirlpool Corp., Benton Harbor, MI). This test wash procedure is repeated for a second cycle, and the Relative Deposition is measured as described below.

Test Wash Detergent Composition Ingredient % (Wt.) Ci3 Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate 9.0 C14.15 Alkyl Sulfate 9.0 Neodol^ 23-6.5T (Alkyl ethoxylate) 1.5 (Mfg. by She11 Chem. Co.) Sodium Tripolyphosphate 38.4 Silicate 14.6 Sodium Carbonate 21.3 Water and Miscellaneous --balance to 100 - - B. Relative Deposition Measurement A+" .

!' W .. vc- i i 11 J AH \ r . O /* j/ 'i The deposition of the clay containing compositions is calculated based on the deposition of silicon (Si) of terry cloth swatches washed with the test wash detergent composition relative to terry cloth swatches that were prewashed but not subjected to the test wash procedure (blank swatches). Silicon deposition is determined by measurement of the X-ray fluorescence of the silicon. Each Silicon fluorescence is measured in the following manner: An EDAX 9500 X-ray fluorescence unit with a rhodium anode X-ray source (Philips Electronics, Inc., Cincinnati, OH) is used. Each terry cloth swatch is analyzed for 100 live seconds. Count rate of Si (on a per second basis) for each sample is measured and recorded.

Relative Deposition of clay is calculated by the following equat ion: Relative Deposition = STF - SBF x 1000 wherein, STF is the Si count rate of clay-treated terry cloth fabric, SBF is the Si count rate of blank terry cloth fabric and SW is the Si count rate of a clay sample wafer (pressed clay particles of same area of terry cloth fabric). Count rates of Si for the clay sample wafer and clay deposition on fabric are measured as follows: (a) Si count rate for clay sample wafer: The X-ray generator is set at 20 kV/500 microamps. About 2g of clay powder is pressed at about 20,000 psi into a pellet with a 30 ton hydraulic press (Angstrom, Inc., Chicago, IL). The sample is rotated during the count rate analysis in a vacuum atmosphere (less than 300 mi 11i torr). (b) Si count rate for the terry cloth treated with clay: The X-ray generator parameter is set at 15kV/500 microamps. A disk with a 3cm diameter is cut from a terry cloth swatch. The disk is compressed at about 2 3 18 9 2 ton hydraulic press, then rotated d-ring the count rate analysis in a vacuum atmosphere.

EXAMPLES The following product formulations exemplify the present invention.

Example * Ingredient (all wt. percentages) I II III IV V Bentone EW (NL Industries) 90% 67% 90% 76.5% 76.5% Sodium Carbonate 10% 33% - - 15.0% Sodium Sulfate - - 10% 15.0% Silica/dye composite - - 8.5% 8.5% In the formulations above the Bentone EW can be replaced, in whole or part, with Macoloid (NL Industries), IMV Hectorite 15 (Industrial Mineral Ventures), or Turkish Calcium Hectorite Clay, while still providing excellent results.

The compositions can be prepared by agglomerating the cla> in a commercial food processor, or other agglomeration equipment known in the art, with a solution of trie salt dissolved in 20 deionized water (eg. 15.0 g salt per 30.0 ml water). The salt solution should be slowly added during the agglomeration procedure. The resulting product can be air-dried at ambient temperature.

Optionally, a water-soluble dye can be incorporated into the 25 composition. This can be done, as in Example IV and V, by stirring a carrier, such as formed silica gel particles (eg. Syloid R 234), with the agglomeration equip-ent and slowly adding a dye solution (eg. 1.0 gram of F.D. & C Blue #1 per 30 ml of deionized water), at a final dye to silica weight ratio of about 30 1.0%, until the desired dye level (relative to the total weight of the composition) is obtained. The silica/dye particles can then be agglomerated, preferably with an aqueous salt solution (15.0 g Na2S04 in 30.0 ml deionized water), air dried, and admixed with the clay particles. 23 18 92 The agglomerated clay and silica/dye particles are screened with testing sieves known in the art to, separate agglomerates less than 100 microns and greater than 1250 microns. 231892

Claims (16)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A granular fabric conditioning composition comprising, by weight, agglomerates of from 0.5 to 40 • of a binding/dispersing agent and from 10» to 99- of a hectorite clay of natural origin, said hectorite clay having the general formula: [(Mg,_xLix) Si4.yMeiny 0l0(0H2-2Fz)]"'x+i')(2_jL_K)MrU n wherein is A1 , Fe, or B; or y = o; Mn+ is a monovalent (n = 1) or divalent (n = 2) metal ion, said clay having a layer charge distribution (xry) such that at least 50% of the layer charge is in the range of from 0.23 to 0.31, and wherein said agglomerates have a median diameter of between 75 microns and 2000 microns.

2. A granular fabric conditioning composition according to Claim 1. wherein said hectorite clay has a distribution of layer charge (x+y) such that at least 65% of the layer charge is in the range of from 0.23 to 0.31.

3. A granular fabric conditioning composition according to claim 2 natural origin, wherein cotton terry towels laundered with a fabric conditioning containing 10% (weight) of the hectorite clay show a reduction of the shear hysteresis, 2HG5, of at least 32%.

4. A granular fabric conditioning composition according to Claim 3. wherein the reduction of the shear hysteresis is at least 35%.

5. A granular fabric conditioning composition according to Claim 4 further comprising, by weight, as an additional softening ingredient, from 1':- to 10^ of an amine of the formula R, R~ N, wherein R, is selected from 1 il J J. Cg to C£q hydrocarbyl groups, Rg is selected from C^ to C^q hydrocarbyl groups and R~ is selected from C^ to C2Q hydrocarbyl or hydrogen groups.

6. A granular fabric conditioning composition according to Claim 5 wherein said composition additionally comprises an anti-static agent. ■y.'i 19 -

7. A granular fabric conditioning composition according to Claim 5 wherein said composition additionally comprises an organic softening ingredient.

8. A granular fabric conditioning composition as in Claim 1, wherein said binding/dispersing agent is a water soluble inorganic salt and said agglomerates comprise, by weight, from I" to 40 of said inorganic salt.

9. A granular fabric conditioning composition as in Claim 3, wherein said binding/dispersing agent is a water soluble inorganic salt and said agglomerates comprise, by weight, from 5 to 40- of said inorganic salt.

10. A granular fabric conditioning agent as in Claim 9, wherein said inorganic salt is a sodium salt of a sulfate or a carbonate.

11. A granular fabric conditioning composition according to Claim 8 wherein said binding/dispersing agent further comprises a surfactant, and said surfactant comprises, by weight, from .5 to 30 of said agglomerates.

12. A granular fabric conditioning composition according to Claim 1 wherein said binding/dispersing agent is a surfactant which comprises, by weight, from .5". to 30- of said agglomerates.

13. A granular fabric conditioning composition according to Claim 1 wherein the Relative Deposition (77 ppm) of the clay is at least 2.5.

14. A granular fabric conditioning composition according to Claim 8, wherein the Relative Deposition (77 ppm) of the clay is at least 2.9. V O < .. n, CJ K) ^ K) 20 -

15. A granular fabric conditioning composition according to Claim 14, wherein the binding/dispersing aid is a sodium salt of sulfate or carbonate and said agglomerates comprise, by weight, from 5". to 35., of said sodium salt.

16. a oortposition as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 substantially as hereinbefore described with referonoe to any exanple thereof. J. f K [rJt''•/ ,/ 7 //« '<■' \