WO2010069733A1

WO2010069733A1 - Improvements relating to fabric treatment compositions

Info

Publication number: WO2010069733A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/065893
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mansur Sultan Mohammadi
Original assignee: Unilever Plc; Unilever N.V.; Hindustan Unilever Limited
Priority date: 2008-12-16
Filing date: 2009-11-26
Publication date: 2010-06-24
Also published as: EP2366011A1; BRPI0922529A2; PL2366011T3; AR074747A1; ES2406058T3; ZA201103931B; CN102317427A; CN102317427B; EP2366011B1

Abstract

A fabric conditioning composition, which comprises: a) at least one cationic or nonionic softening agent, b) a powder of botanical origin, and c) an optional polymeric deposition aid, wherein the powder of botanical origin has a particle size of from 0.1 to 100 μm, preferably from 0.5 to 50 and most preferably from 1 to 45 μm.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO FABRIC TREATMENT COMPOSITIONS

Technical Field

The present invention relates to fabric conditioning compositions comprising micro powders of botanical origin.

Background

Using clay particles to impart softness to fabrics from the wash or from the rinse is well known in the art. Similarly the use of nano-particles of silica or titanium dioxide and micro-encapsulated perfume particles are now quite well documented for enhanced perfume impact.

US2003/0087788 (Rhodia Inc) discloses water dispersible granules comprising a hydrophobic fragrance in the form of droplets, which is finely divided in and encapsulated by a water-soluble/dispersible solid organic matrix, which may be polypeptides of plant or synthetic origin, such as soya or wheat.

EP0908171 (Gem Energy Industry Ltd) discloses a dry powder herbal cleaning composition containing (a) a herb which acts as a soap or detergent; (b) a herb which acts as a foaming accelerating agent; (c) a herb which acts as a foaming agent; (d) a herb which acts as a pigmentation or colour restoring or maintenance agent; and (e) a herb which acts as a conditioner.

WO00/77153 (Unilever pic) discloses a detergent tablet containing (a) particles which contain organic surfactant and detergency builder; and (b) water insoluble but water swellable particles of plant material which contain both cellulose and lignin, such as coconut husk, obtainable by fragmentation of plant material without separation of its fibres into a liquid dispersion. We have now discovered that micron ised powders of botanical origin can be deposited onto fabrics from a laundry rinse product to impart fabrics with benefit agents or for novel fragrance enhancement. Examples of such powders include ginger for fragrance; lime, lemon or orange rind for freshness; flower petals for perfume; exfoliating agents such as oat kernel flour, rice or rice bran flour; various pigments of natural origin, such as turmeric powder for anti-inflammatory benefit; seed derivatives such as cardamom and coriander for perfuming; various dried herbs such as mint, oregano, green tea, bay leaf and tea-tree for perfuming and anti-microbial benefits.

Definition of the Invention

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a fabric conditioning composition, which comprises:

a) at least one cationic or nonionic softening agent, c) a powder of botanical origin, and d) an optional polymeric deposition aid,

wherein the powder of botanical origin has a particle size of from 0.1 to

100 μm, preferably from 0.5 to 50 and most preferably from 1 to 45 μm.

In a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for treating fabric comprising the step of treating a fabric article with a composition as defined in any preceding claim.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of preparing a composition, comprising the step of pulverizing the powder of botanical origin to a particle size of from 0.1 to 100 microns preferably from 0.2 to 90 microns, more preferably from 0.5 to 60, even more preferably from 1 to 45 microns and most preferably from 2 to 30 microns.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The Powders of Botanical Origin

The present invention requires the use of ultra-fine powders. The powders suitable for use in the compositions of the invention are sparingly soluble, preferably insoluble particulate structures of botanical origin. They are preferably aromatic and as such preferably comprise one or more aromatic essential oils.

The powders of the present invention can be of any shape and are not necessarily spherical and can have aspect ratio (ratio of length to diameter) greater than 1. Within the context of this invention, by micronised, ultra-fine, or finely divided, is meant particle sizes having a maximum axis of from 0.1 to 100 microns preferably from 0.2 to 90 microns, more preferably from 0.5 to 60, even more preferably from 1 to 45 microns and most preferably from 2 to 30 microns.

Particles of suitable size may be obtained by any suitable process, for example pulverizing, milling, etc. Fractionation, for example by sieving, may be used to separate the required particle size range.

The powder is a material of botanical origin, and may be derived from any part of the plant, such as tubers, fruits, flowers, flower parts (calyx, stamen, etc), seeds, beans, pods, pith, woods, barks, stalks, stems, leaves, roots, rhizomes, husks, skins, rinds and mixtures thereof.

Examples of aromatic powders include vanilla bean powder, ginger powder, cinnamon powder, cocoa powder, clove powder, cardamom powder, coriander - A -

powder, cumin powder, caraway powder, dill powder, chili powder, cyanine powder, turmeric powder, coffee bean powder, tea leaf powder, tea-tree powder, blackberry leaf powder, Lemon balm leaf powder, herb powders (for example, rosemary, thyme, sweet bay, sage, tarragon, mint, basil, balm, lemon verbena, red bergamot, marjoram, lavender and oregano), chamomile powder, fennel powder, lime rind powder, lemon rind powder, grapefruit rind powder, tangerine rind powder, mandarin rind powder, lemon grass powder, apple pomace powder, Lemon myrtle powder, red clover powder, liquorice powder and mixtures thereof.

Preferred non-aromatic powders include ginseng powder, rice husk flour, wheat husk flour, buckwheat husk flour and mixtures thereof.

The powdered material can be in native form or may result from processes such as ageing, fermenting and roasting that would increase or alter the constituent aroma chemicals.

Delivery of such powders onto fabrics and clothing by a laundry product can impart a host of benefits from ingredients in their natural state that otherwise would be difficult to deliver from laundry applications. These include long lasting perfume and freshness, anti-bacterial activity, deodorizing activity, skin anti- ageing and well-being activity, change of fabric feel (handle), cooling benefit and warming benefit.

The plant powders of the invention can be incorporated into laundry compositions in a similar fashion as other powdered ingredients.

The powder of botanical origin is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 10 wt %, preferably from 0.3 to 6 wt %, more preferably from 0.4 to 4 wt % and most preferably from 0.5 to 3 wt % by weight of the total composition. The powders of botanical origin suitable for use in the invention are not extracted or isolated materials, such as polymers, for example lignin, starches or proteins, but are plant parts that are powdered in their bulk state. The powders are not intended to include cellulose or cellulose derivatives such as polymeric derivatives such as cellulose ethers. The plant parts (i.e. pre-powdered) and the powders are not subject to chemical purification, for example, to remove components such as lignin or pigments (but may, of course, be washed or cleaned).

The Polymeric Deposition Aid

Deposition of micro-powder from the laundry formulations of the invention onto a substrate may be achieved by any suitable route.

For example, by filtration, in which the particle size of the powder is such that the particles are trapped between the fibres of the fabric. The filtration mechanism requires particles or clusters of primary particles of a size comparable with the interyarn pore size.

The particle size suitable for filtration is typically in the range of from 1 to 30 microns. Larger particles begin to be visible to the unaided eye, whereas smaller particles tend to be removed in the wash. Particles of around from 5 to 15 microns are preferred as they tend to be invisible to the eye and exhibit good deposition by filtration onto fabrics.

Deposition of micro-powders from laundry formulations of the invention may also be achieved and enhanced over and above the delivery by filtration method, by polymer aided deposition. Where present, the polymeric deposition aid is suitably present at a level of from 0.01 to 5% by total weight of the composition preferably from 0.02 to 3%, more preferably from 0.2 to 2 % and most preferably from 0.5 to 1 .6 %. Polymeric deposition agent suitable for use in the present invention include modified natural polymers and synthetic polymers.

Polymers suitable for the deposition of micro-powders are disclosed in WO9709406, particularly high MW polyethylene oxides (PEO) which are used to deposit clay particles in the main wash; EP0299575B1 and WO9527037 disclose high MW PEO, polyacrylates, polyacryl amides, poly vinyl alcohol and poly ethylene imines, which are used to deposit clay particles in the main wash; and EP0387426B1 which utilizes a similar list of polymers as well as guar gums.

WO 01/07546 A1 discloses suitable rinse stage polymeric deposition aids for emulsion droplets including cationic guar polymers, cationic polyacrylamides, cationic potato starch, and cationic cellulose derivates.

Preferred modified natural polymers suitable for use in the present invention may be selected from the group consisting of cationic starches, cationic guars, cationic cellulose, and nonionic locust bean gums (LBGs). A preferred cationic starch is a cation ical Iy modified potato starch.

Suitable examples of cationic polymers include cationic guar polymers such as Jaguar (ex Rhone Poulenc), cationic cellulose derivatives such as Celquats (ex National Starch), Flocaid (ex National Starch), cationic potato starch such as Softgel (ex Aralose) and cationic polyacrylamides such as PCG (ex Allied Colloids).

Suitable non-ionic deposition aids include high molecular weight polyethylene glycols, for example PEO WSRN 750 (ex Union Carbide).

Preferred synthetic polymers, for use as a deposition aid, may be selected from the group consisting of polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyethylene imine (PEI), poly (acrylate), poly (acrylamide), polyethylene terephthalate-polyoxyethylene terephthalate (PET/POET) polymers and mixtures thereof.

The Fabric Softening Agent

The Fabric Conditioning Composition

The fabric conditioning composition of the invention is suitable for use in a laundry process. Examples include a rinse treatment (e.g. conditioner or finisher), or a post-treatment 'wet tissue' type product. The compositions of the present invention are preferably rinse-added softening compositions.

The compositions of the invention may be in any physical form e.g. a tablet, a bar, a paste, gel or liquid, spray, stick, impregnated substrate, foam or mousse. In particular the compositions may be liquid or unit dose such as a pouch.

The liquid products of the invention may have pH ranging from 2.5 to 7. This pH range preferably remains stable over the shelf life of the product.

The active ingredient in the compositions is a fabric conditioning agent. More than one active ingredient may be included.

The Softening Agent

Any conventional fabric conditioning agent may be used in the compositions of the present invention. The conditioning agents may be cationic or non-ionic. They may for example be used in amounts from 0.5% to 35%, preferably from 1 % to 30% more preferably from 3% to 25% by weight of the composition. The preferred softening active for use in rinse conditioner compositions of the invention is a quaternary ammonium compound. The quaternary ammonium fabric softening material for use in compositions of the present invention can be an ester-linked triethanolamine (TEA) quaternary ammonium compound comprising a mixture of mono-, di- and tri-ester linked components.

Typically, TEA-based fabric softening compounds comprise a mixture of mono, di- and tri-ester forms of the compound where the di-ester linked component comprises no more than 70% by weight of the fabric softening compound, preferably no more than 60%, e.g. no more than 55%, or even no more than 45% of the fabric softening compound and at least 10% of the monoester linked component by weight of the fabric softening compound.

A first group of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) suitable for use in the present invention is represented by formula (I):

[(CH₂)_n(TR)]_m

I R¹-N⁺-[(CH₂)n(OH)]_3-m X- (I)

wherein each R is independently selected from a C_5-35 alkyl or alkenyl group; R¹ represents a Ci_-4 alkyl, C_2-4 alkenyl or a Ci_-4 hydroxyalkyl group; T is generally O- CO. (i.e. an ester group bound to R via its carbon atom), but may alternatively be CO-O (i.e. an ester group bound to R via its oxygen atom); n is a number selected from 1 to 4; m is a number selected from 1 , 2, or 3; and X^~ is an anionic counter- ion, such as a halide or alkyl sulphate, e.g. chloride or methylsulphate. Di-esters variants of formula I (i.e. m = 2) are preferred and typically have mono- and tri- ester analogues associated with them. Such materials are particularly suitable for use in the present invention. Especially preferred agents are di-esters of triethanolamine methylsulphate, otherwise referred to as "TEA ester quats.". Commercial examples include Prapagen TQL, ex Clariant, and Tetranyl AHT-1 , ex Kao, (both di-[hardened tallow ester] of triethanolamine methylsulphate), AT-1 (di-[tallow ester] of triethanolamine methylsulphate), and L5/90 (di-[palm ester] of triethanolamine methylsulphate), both ex Kao, and Rewoquat WE15 (a di-ester of triethanolamine methylsulphate having fatty acyl residues deriving from Ci₀-C₂O and Ci₆-Ci₈ unsaturated fatty acids), exWitco Corporation.

The second group of QACs suitable for use in the invention is represented by formula (II):

(R¹)₃N⁺-(CH₂)_n-CH-TR² X^" (H)

CH₂TR²

wherein each R¹ group is independently selected from Ci_-4 alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or C_2-4 alkenyl groups; and wherein each R² group is independently selected from Cs- ₂s alkyl or alkenyl groups; and wherein n, T, and X^" are as defined above.

Preferred materials of this second group include 1 ,2 ιb/s[tallowoyloxy]-3- trimethylamine propane chloride, 1 ,2 ιb/s[hardened tallowoyloxy]-3-thmethylamine propane chloride, 1 ,2-ιb/s[oleoyloxy]-3-thmethylanrιine propane chloride, and 1 ,2 ib/s[stearoyloxy]-3-thmethylamine propane chloride. Such materials are described in US 4,137,180 (Lever Brothers). Preferably, these materials also comprise an amount of the corresponding mono-ester. A third group of QACs suitable for use in the invention is represented by formula

(R¹)2-N⁺-[(CH₂)n-T-R²]₂ X- (III)

wherein each R¹ group is independently selected from Ci_-4 alkyl, or C_2-4 alkenyl groups; and wherein each R² group is independently selected from C_8-28 alkyl or alkenyl groups; and n, T, and X^" are as defined above. Preferred materials of this third group include bis(2-tallowoyloxyethyl)dimethyl ammonium chloride and hardened versions thereof.

The iodine value of the quaternary ammonium fabric softening material is from 0 to 60, preferably from 0 to 45, more preferably from 0 to 30, and most preferably from 0 to 20.

Iodine value is defined as the number of grams of iodine absorbed per 100 g of test material. NMR spectroscopy is a suitable technique for determining the iodine value of the softening agents of the present invention, using the method described in Anal. Chem., 34, 1136 (1962) by Johnson and Shoolery and in EP 593,542 (Unilever, 1993).

The non-ester softening compound preferably has the alkyl or alkenyl chain lengths referred to above for the non-ester softening compound.

One preferred type of non-ester softening compound is a quaternary ammonium material represented by formula (IV):-

R¹

(IV) R N R X

R²

wherein each R¹ group is independently selected from Ci_-4 alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or C_2-4 alkenyl groups; R² group is independently selected from C_8-28 alkyl or alkenyl groups, and X^" is as defined above.

The compositions may comprise a total amount of from 0.5 wt % to 40 wt % by weight of the fabric softening compounds, preferably from 1.5 wt % to 30 wt %, more preferably from 4 to 25 wt %, most preferably from 10 to 30 wt %, based on the total weight of the composition.

The compositions may alternatively or additionally contain nonionic fabric softening agents such as lanolin and derivatives thereof. A further nonionic fabric softening agent suitable for use in the compositions of the invention is Castor oil, for example, from Now Chemicals.

Lecithins and other phospholipids are also suitable softening compounds.

A further preferred type of softening agent is a sugar polyester. Where present, the sugar polyester is preferably selected from the group consisting of sucrose polyesters, glucose polyesters and cellobiose polyesters, and is most preferably a sucrose polyester. The sugar polyester may be liquid, soft solid or solid.

The preferred sucrose polyesters for use in the present invention have 2 to 4 hydrocarbon chains per sugar ring, where the hydrocarbon chain has a length of from 12 to 22 carbon atoms. A particularly preferred sucrose polyester is sucrose tetraerucate.

An example of a preferred sucrose polyester is Ryoto Sugar Ester ER290 supplied by Mitsubishi Kagaku Foods Corporation, which is a sucrose tetraerucate and according to the manufacturer's specification is mainly Tetraerucate, Pentaerucate and Hexaerucate and has a HLB value of 2.

The sugar polyester may be pure, or may contain impurities. When present, the impurities are preferably selected from the group consisting of free fatty acid, fatty acid methyl ester, soap, inorganic salts and mixtures thereof.

The most preferred SPEs are commercially available, such as Emanon SCR-PK (ex KAO), which is a palm kernel derived SPE containing mainly C12-C14 with about 20% C18 mono unsaturatation and SPE-THSBO (ex Clahant), which is derived from touch hardened soy bean oil, having mainly C16-C18 chains with about 80% mono and di unsaturation. The average degree of esterification of the above preferred SPEs is from 4.2 to 4.7.

SCR-PK contains up to 20% impurities but SPE-THSBO is pure. SCR-PK contains from 4 to 6 wt% of K soap, 2.5 wt% of free fatty acid, from 10 to 15 wt% of fatty acid methyl ester and less than 1 % of KCI. The sugar polyester, being non-ionic oil, requires an emulsifier, that is to say, the sugar polyester must be in an emulsified form. The emulsifier is preferably selected from cationic surfactant, anionic surfactant, non-ionic surfactant, and mixtures thereof.

The ultra-fine particles of the invention themselves can act as stabilizer and emulsifier for the nonionic softeners such as sugar polyesters (SPEs). Recently the interest in study of solid particles as emulsifies has been re-awakened (Binks, B. P. Current Opinions in Colloid Interface Science, 2002, 7, 21 ).

Most of recent activities on surface active colloidal particles have focused on very low aspect ratio (spherical) particles. Only recently Alargova et al, Langmuir, 2006, 22, 765-774, have shown that high aspect ratio particles can be used for emulsion stabilisation.

In fabric softening compositions a nonionic stabilising agent may be present. Suitable nonionic stabilising agents may be present such as linear Cs to C22 alcohols alkoxylated with 10 to 20 moles of alkylene oxide, C10 to C20 alcohols, or mixtures thereof. Other stabilising agents include the deflocculating polymers as described in EP 0415698A2 and EP 0458599B1.

Advantageously the nonionic stabilising agent is a linear Cs to C22 alcohol alkoxylated with 10 to 20 moles of alkylene oxide. Preferably, the level of nonionic stabiliser is within the range from 0.1 to 10% by weight, more preferably from 0.5 to 5% by weight, most preferably from 1 to 4% by weight. The mole ratio of the quaternary ammonium compound and/or other cationic softening agent to the nonionic stabilising agent is suitably within the range from 40:1 to about 1 :1 , preferably within the range from 18:1 to about 3:1. The composition can also contain fatty acids, for example Cs to C2₄ alkyl or alkenyl monocarboxylic acids or polymers thereof. Preferably the fatty acid is non-saponified, more preferably the fatty acid is free, for example oleic acid, lauric acid or tallow fatty acid. The level of fatty acid material is preferably more than 0.1 % by weight, more preferably more than 0.2% by weight. Concentrated compositions may comprise from 0.5 to 20% by weight of fatty acid, more preferably 1 % to 10% by weight. The weight ratio of quaternary ammonium material or other cation ic softening agent to fatty acid material is preferably from 10:1 to 1 :10.

It is also possible to include certain mono-alkyl cationic surfactants which can be used in main-wash compositions for fabrics. Cationic surfactants that may be used include quaternary ammonium salts of the general formula R1 R2R3R4NT X^" wherein the R groups are long or short hydrocarbon chains, typically alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or ethoxylated alkyl groups, and X is a counter-ion (for example, compounds in which R1 is a C8-C22 alkyl group, preferably a Cs-Cio or C12-C14 alkyl group, R2 is a methyl group, and R3 and R4, which may be the same or different, are methyl or hydroxyethyl groups); and cationic esters (for example, choline esters).

For aqueous rinse added conditioners the level of cationic or nonionic softener varies from 3 to 30% more preferably from 5 to 25%. In super concentrates the botanical powders can be incorporated in predominately non-aqueous systems containing up to 60% fabric softening actives.

The fabric conditioning compositions of the invention can also contain adjuvants that are normal in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and/or dermatological field, such as hydrophilic or lipophilic gelling agents, hydrophilic or lipophilic active agents, preserving agents, antioxidants, solvents, fragrances, fillers, screening agents, bactericides, odour absorbers, photobleaches (singlet oxygen or radical type) and dyestuffs. The amounts of these various adjuvants are those conventionally used in the field under consideration and are, for example, from 0.01 to 20% of the total weight of the composition. Depending on their nature, these adjuvants can be introduced into the fatty phase and/or into the aqueous phase. Examples of suitable biocides for use in the present invention include Proxel (1 ,2- benzisothiazolin-3-one), available from, for example, Univar, Avecia and Uniqema; and Kathon CG (Methylchloroisothiazolinone and Methylisothiazolinone), available from Rhom and Haas.

Substrate

When used in laundering, the substrate may be any substrate onto which it is desirable to deposit the botanical particles and which is subjected to treatment such as a washing or rinsing process.

In particular, the substrate may be a textile fabric.

Treatment

The treatment of the substrate with the composition of the invention can be made by any suitable method such as washing, soaking or rinsing of the substrate but also by direct application such as spraying, rubbing, spotting, smearing, etc.

The treatment may involve contacting the substrate with an aqueous medium comprising the material of the invention.

The treatment may be provided as a spray composition e.g., for domestic (or industrial) application to fabric in a treatment separate from a conventional domestic laundering process. Suitable spray dispensing devices are disclosed in WO 96/15310 (Procter & Gamble) and are incorporated herein by reference. The compositions of the invention may be used to provide a perfume and/or odour benefit, for example a reduction in malodour, to fabric.

Examples

Embodiments of the invention are now illustrated with reference to the following non-limiting examples. Unless stated otherwise, all proportions are given in weight percent by weight of the total composition.

Example 1 : Preparation of powders for use in the invention

(a) Centrifugal milling

Plant powders having a particle size within the claimed range were prepared using a Retsch ZM1000 Ultra Centrifugal Mill operating at a speed of 10,000 rpm. The mill was fitted with a 24 tooth rotor and a 0.12 mm screen.

To avoid heating of the materials during milling and potential loss or denaturing of the essential oils, they were co-mixed with dry-ice before being fed into the mill.

(b) Size fractionation

The fine powders from the centrifugal milling were then separated into different size fractions using Endecotts Ltd (England) Test Sieve.

Sieves of different aperture sizes were stacked on top of each other and 10 g of the powder placed on the top sieve and the sieve stack placed on a Retsch AS200 Sieve Shaker to allow the powder separation into different size fractions. The Retsch controls were set to shake for 5 minutes with 10 second vibration intervals at an amplitude of 1.5 mm. The sieve stack was removed and manually tapped a few times between the intervals.

Some aromatic botanical powders became heavily agglomerated during the milling process. This made size fractionation by shaking impractical. However the powder could be brushed through the sieves with ease to allow separation into different size ranges.

Table 1 gives two examples of the size fractions that remained on each sieve from 10g of the starting powder.

Table 1 : Weight fractions remaining on the sieve from 10g of starting powder after 30 minutes of shaking (for ginger) and by brushing (for cardamom).

In all the following particle deposition experiments the < 45 μm size fractions were used.

Example 2: Softener compositions 1 to 4 comprising herbs and spices, according to the invention Fabric conditioner compositions 1 to 4 in Table 2 containing herbs and spices according to the invention.

Table 2: Fabric softening of compositions 1 to 4

^* Ginger, cardamom, and lavender pulverized and size fractionated as described above. Lavender 70%, chamomile 30%.

^** The Ayurvedic blend comprising Liquorice 15%, Cinnamon 5%, Ginger 15%,

Orange peel 20%, Cardamom 40%, Cloves 5%.

^** TEA quat is a cationic softener based on thethanolamine with tallow or hard tallow chains and 15% IPA as solvent.

*** Emanon SCR-PK is Sucrose Poly Ester softening oil derived from palm kernel oil. Example 3: Evaluation of deposition of powders onto fabrics

To evaluate the deposition of the ultra-fine plant particles from a cationic softening solution during the rinse a Linitester was used, which simulates the tumbling action of an automatic washing machine on a scale of 100 ml.

The level of deposition of the particles from a rinse solution can be quantified by measuring the turbidity, or light transmission, of the rinse solution before and after the solution is contacted with the fabrics. Light transmission or turbidity measurements for this purpose cannot be conducted in the presence of cationic softeners because of their inherent milkiness. To simulate the cationic conditions of the rinse environment we therefore relied on a transparent micellar solution of a cationic surfactant (CTAC) and followed the procedure outlined below:-

1. Each Linitester pot was charged with 100 g of a solution comprising:-

• Cetylthmethylammonium chloride (CTAC) cationic surfactant (0.025g),

• Deposition polymer (from a polymer solution prepared earlier) (0.002 g), and

• Botanical powder (0.015 g).

2. The Linitester temperature was set to 40⁰C.

3. After 5 minutes (i.e. before deposition) a 5 ml sample was taken for light transmission measurement.

4. A 20 x 20 cm² fabric monitor was added to the pot.

5. The Linitester was then run for 20 minutes. 6. At end of run, the fabric was removed, spun and line dried.

7. A second 5 ml sample (i.e. after deposition) was withdrawn for transmission measurement.

8. The samples were analyzed on a spectrometer for percent transmission at 560nm. Table 3 below summarizes the deposition from the rinse solution for mint particles < 45 μm in the presence of 3 different deposition polymers. Deposition is expressed as a percentage of the total amount of added particles in the solution.

To convert the % transmission to % deposition, a calibration curve was obtained for % transmission as a function of micropowder concentration.

Table 3: Deposition of mint particles onto cotton, polycotton and polyester in the presence of Softgel BDA, Locust Bean Gum and Polymer JR from rinse solutions containing 0.002 % polymeric deposition aids.

% Transmission at λ = 560 nm measured using a Hewlett Packard 8453 UVA/is

Spectrometer.

Softgel BDA (Avebe) is a cationic potato starch with low, 0.05%, degree of substitution (charge).

Ucare polymer JR-30M (Amerchol) is a cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose with a 1.5-

2.2% degree of substitution.

LBG (Sigma) is a non-ionic locust bean gum polysaccharide. The level of delivery from the rinse solution simulating the washing machine condition is surprisingly good from the cationic solution alone compared to water. The polymers have improved the deposition except for polyester where the high charged density JR polymer has improved deposition over and above that of control CTAC.

Surprisingly LBG has improved the deposition on cotton and polycotton (positively charged substrates in CTAC) most likely through its affinity and recognition of cellulose units.

The wet monitors had a strong smell of the deposited particles which on drying had a faint remnant. On synthetics like polyester this was sufficient to mask the dusty vinegar smell of polyester fabric to a pleasant smell.

Claims

1. A fabric conditioning composition, which comprises:

a) at least one cationic or nonionic softening agent, b) a powder of botanical origin, and c) an optional polymeric deposition aid,

wherein the powder of botanical origin has a particle size of from 0.1 to 100 μm, preferably from 0.5 to 50 and most preferably from 1 to 45 μm.

2. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the powder of botanical origin is selected from tubers, fruits, flowers, flower parts (calyx, stamen, etc), seeds, beans, pods, pith, woods, barks, stalks, stems, leaves, roots, rhizomes, husks, skins, rinds and mixtures thereof.

3. A composition according to claim 2, wherein the powder is selected from vanilla bean powder, ginger powder, cinnamon powder, cocoa powder, clove powder, cardamom powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, caraway powder, dill powder, turmeric powder, coffee bean powder, tea leaf powder, tea-tree powder, blackberry leaf powder, Lemon balm leaf powder, herb powders, chamomile powder, fennel powder, lime rind powder, lemon rind powder, grapefruit rind powder, tangerine rind powder, mandarin rind powder, lemon grass powder, apple pomace powder, Lemon myrtle powder, red clover powder, liquorice powder, chili powder, cyanine powder and mixtures thereof.

4. A composition according to claim 3, wherein the herbs are selected from rosemary, thyme, sweet bay, sage, tarragon, mint, basil, balm, lemon verbena, red bergamot, marjoram, lavender and oregano.

5. A composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the powder is selected from ginseng powder, rice husk flour, wheat husk flour, buckwheat husk flour and mixtures thereof.

6. A composition according to any claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the powder is an exfoliating agents selected from oat kernel flour, rice, rice bran flour and mixtures thereof.

7. A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the powder of botanical origin is present in an amount of from 0.1 to 10 wt %, preferably from 0.3 to 5 wt %, most preferably from 0.5 to 3 wt % by weight of the total composition.

8. A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the botanical powder is in native state, aged, matured, fermented or roasted.

9. A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the polymeric deposition aid is present at a level of from 0.01 to 5 % by total weight of the composition.

10. A composition according to any preceding claim in which the polymeric deposition agent is a modified natural polymer or a synthetic polymer.

11. A composition according to claim 10, wherein the modified natural polymer is selected from the group consisting of cationic starches, cationic guars, cationic cellulose, and nonionic locust bean gums (LBGs).

12. A composition according to claim 11 , wherein the cationic starch is a cationically modified potato starch.

13. A composition according to claim 10, wherein the synthetic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyethylene imine (PEI), poly (acrylate), poly (acrylamide), polyethylene terephthalate-polyoxyethylene terephthalate (PET/POET) polymers and mixtures thereof.

14. A composition according to any preceding claim, wherein the cationic softening agent is a quaternary ammonium compound.

15. A composition according to claim 14, wherein the quaternary ammonium compound is an ester-linked triethanolamine (TEA) quaternary ammonium compound comprising a mixture of mono-, di- and tri-ester linked components.

16. A process for treating fabric comprising the step of treating a fabric article with a composition as defined in any preceding claim.

17. A method of preparing a composition as defined by any one of claims 1 to 15, comprising the step of pulverizing the powder of botanical origin to a particle size of from 0.1 to 100 μm, preferably from 0.5 to 50 and most preferably from 1 to 45 μm.

18. Use of a composition as defined in any one of claims 1 to 15 to provide a perfume and/or odour benefit to fabric.