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(11) | EP 0 107 479 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Fabric conditioning composition |
| (57) A composition in liquid or solid form for conditioning fabrics from an aqueous liquor
comprises a nonionic fabric conditioning agent and aluminium chlorhydrate to increase
the efficiency of deposition. Typical nonionic fabric conditioners are glycerol monostearate
and lanolin. Minor amounts of cationic fabric softening agents may be present. Liquid
products may also contain a nonionic emulsifier. |
[0001] This invention relates to a fabric conditioning composition particularly suitable for the conditioning (eg softening) of fabrics in the rinse step of a fabric laundering process.
[0002] It is known to add fabric conditioning agents, particularly including fabric softening materials, to the rinse step of a fabric laundering process. These fabric softening materials are often cationic materials, for example quaternary ammonium salts.
[0003] One may wish to avoid or reduce the use of quaternary ammonium salts for reasons of cost and processing difficulties. Nonionic fabric conditioning agents are known, but when incorporated in compositions for treating fabrics from the rinse they suffer from the disadvantage of not being efficiently deposited on the fabric.
[0004] We have now discovered that the deposition of nonionic fabric conditioning agents can be improved by incorporating aluminium chlorhydrate in the fabric conditioning composition.
[0005] Thus, according to the invention there is provided a method of conditioning fabrics in the rinse step of a fabric laundering process in which fabrics are brought into contact with an aqueous liquor to which has been added a liquid or granular solid composition comprising a nonionic fabric conditioning agent, optionally a cationic fabric softening agent in an amount by weight which is less than that of the nonionic fabric conditioning agent and in which composition anionic surface active materials are absent or substantially absent, characterised in that said composition further contains aluminium chlorhydrate.
[0006] Aluminium chlorhydrate is a material which has a low degree of ionisation in the product to prevent coagulation and phase separation of the fabric conditioning materials.
[0007] The fabric conditioning composition for use in the invention includes at least one nonionic fabric conditioning agent. This material will normally be a nonionic fabric softening agent, but other nonionic fabric conditioning agents including nonionic anti-static agents may also be included.
[0008] Typical nonionic fabric softening agents include the fatty acid esters of mono- or polyhydric alcohols, or anhydrides thereof, containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms such as sorbitan esters including sorbitan monostearate, and sorbitan tristearate, ethylene glycol esters including ethylene glycol monostearate, glycerol esters including glycerol monostearate, alkyl mono- or di-alkanolamides such as palm or tallow mono ethanolamide and tallow di-ethanolamide, and other such materials disclosed in GB 1 550 206, the disclosure of which is incorporated heren by reference.
[0009] Alternative nonionic fabric softening agents include lanolin and lanolin-like materials such as acetylated lanolin.
[0010] The fabric conditioning composition for use in the invention may optionally also include at least one cationic fabric softening material. Suitable cationic fabric softening materials and mixtures thereof are well known in the art, particularly from Schwartz, Perry & Berch, "Surface Active Agents" (Vol I and II), from Davidson & Milwidsky, "Synthetic Detergents" (6th Edition, John Wiley & Sons 1978) and from Gutcho, "Household and Industrial Fabric Conditioners" (Noyes Data Corporation 1980). The reader's attention is directed to these documents for lists of suitable cationic fabric softening materials.
[0011] In particular, the present invention is of advantage if the cationic fabric softening material is an alkyl. quaternary ammonium salt of the general formula
where R and optionally R2 is a substituted or unsubstituted, saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched chain alkyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, R3, R4 and optionally R2 is an alkyl or substituted alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and X is an anion. An alternative class of cationic fabric conditioning agents are the imidazolinium compounds of the general formula
where R5 is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R6 is an alkyl group having 8 to 25 carbon atoms, R is a divalent alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R8 is hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and R9 is hydrogen or an alkyl group having 8 to 25 carbon atoms, each of the alkyl groups being either saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched alkyl group.
[0012] Specific examples of suitable cationic fabric softening materials include cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, dihardened tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride (available as Arquad 2HT), distearyl dimethylammonium chloride (available as Arosurf TA100), 1-methyl-l-oleyl- amido-ethyl-2-oleylimidazolinium methosulphate and the disoft tallow equivalent (available as Varisoft 475).
[0013] The fabric conditioning composition for use in the invention may also include other cationic fabric conditioning materials, such as cationic anti-static materials. When cationic fabric softening materials are included, the weight ratio of the cationic fabric softening material to the nonionic fabric softening material should be less than about 1:1, such as less than about 1:3.
[0014] Anionic surface active materials should be absent or substantially absent from the compositions. By "substantially absent", we mean that the weight ratio of any anionic material to the nonionic fabric conditioning agent is less than about 1:10, most preferably less than about 1:20.
[0015] The fabric conditioning compositions used in the method according to the invention may be in liquid or granular solid form.
[0016] When in liquid form, the composition may be in the form of a dilute rinse conditioner (containing say up to about 20% total active material) or in concentrated form. Suitable formulations for concentrated rinse conditioners will include viscosity control agents such as are disclosed in GB 2 053 249 (Unilever Limited) where the compositions contain materials such as polyethylene glycol and US 4 149 978 (Goffinet assigned to The Procter and Gamble Company) where the compositions contain hydrocarbons, these disclosures being incorporated herein by reference.
[0017] The fabric softening compositions optionally contain one or more nonionic emulsifying agents, such as the polymerised monoglycerides of long chain fatty acids having from 14 to 24 carbon atoms in the straight or branched saturated or unsaturated carbon chain; such as poly-monolauryl glyceride, poly-monostearyl glyceride, poly-monopalmityl glyceride or poly-monooleyl glyceride.
[0018] These nonionic emulsifying agents are available commercially by the Trade Marks WITCONOL (Witco Chemicals Limited) and TWEEN (Atlas Chemical). The nonionic emulsifying agent may be present at a level from about 0.1 to about 10% by weight, such as from about 0.5% to. about 6%.
[0019] In dilute liquid fabric conditioning compositions the total concentration of the fabric conditioning agent (that is the nonionic fabric conditioning agent and the cationic fabric conditioning agent, if any) may be. from about 0.5% to about 30% by weight, preferably from about 1.5% to about 10% by weight. The alumium chlorhydrate may occupy from about 0.1% to about 2.5% by weight, preferably from about 0.25% to about 1.0% by weight. The ratio of the fabric conditioning agent (or agents) to the alumniumum chlorhydrate is preferably at least about 1.5:1, and less than about 40:1 by weight, most preferably from about 4:1 to about 20:1. In concentrated liquid fabric conditioning compositions the concentration of the fabric conditioning agent (or agents) may be from about 10% to about 60% by weight, preferably from about 30% to about 50% by weight. In this case the ratio of the fabric conditioning agent (or agents) to the aluminium chlorhydrate is preferably from about 3:1 to about 80:1, most preferably from about 10:1 to about 60:1.
[0020] When in liquid form, the fabric conditioning composition will contain, in addition to the fabric conditioning agent (or agents) and the aluminium chlorhydrate, a liquid carrier such as an aqueous base which may consist only of water or of a mixture of water with other materials such as those referred to below.
[0021] The pH of the compositions may lie between about 3 and about 10, although products having a pH about 2 and about 3 are also possible. Suitable compositions can be prepared having a pH between about 3 and about 6. On dilution in the rinse liquor the pH will generally change to about 6 to about 8. '
[0022] The compositions may further include materials conventionally added to fabric conditioning compositions such as buffering agents, organic solvents, emulsifiers, colouring materials, bactericides, antioxidants, fluorescers, perfumes, perfume carriers, bleaches and hydrotropes.
[0023] When the fabric conditioning compositions are in granular solid form, they may be prepared either by dry blending the ingredients or by adsorbing the ingredients on a solid carrier, such as silica or urea. Alternatively the compositions may be formed into a slurry which is subsequently spray dried. In the case of a solid composition it is preferred that the composition contains from about 0.5% to about 85% by weight of the fabric conditioning agent (or agents), more preferably from about 2% to about 25% by weight, while the aluminium chlorhydrate accounts for from 0.1% to about 8% by weight, more preferably from about 0.3% to about 2.5% by weight. The remainder of the solid composition will be made*up of the solid carrier optionally together with the conventional additives for solid fabric conditioning compositions, such as those listed above for liquid compositions.
[0024] The aluminium chlorhydrate included in-the compositions may confer other benefits, once deposited on the fabric. Thus, in addition to improving the deposition of the nonionic fabric conditioner, it may act as a deodorant, a germicide, an anti-redeposition material, an anti-static material, an anti-yellowing material, an ironing aid, an anti-grease agent, a perfume carrier, or an anti-oxidant.
[0025] Compositions for use in the present invention may be prepared by a variety of methods. One suitable method, in the case of dilute liquid fabric conditioning compositions, is to form a molten premix consisting of the fabric conditioning agent (or agents), water and optionally a solvent and adding the aluminium chlorhydrate to this molten premix in the presence of sufficient water to give the desired dilution in the product.
EXAMPLES 1-4
[0027] Fabric conditioning compositions were prepared according to the following formulations by admixture of the specified components and thorough mixing. The compositions were found to be stable and to effectively soften fabrics from the rinse.
EXAMPLE 1
EXAMPLE 2
EXAMPLE 3
EXAMPLE 4
EXAMPLE 5
[0032] Fabric conditioning compositions were prepared according to the following formulations by admixture of the specific components and thorough mixing.
[0033] Formulations A-E were evaluated by rinsing pieces of cotton terry in solutions containing 50 ppm of softener actives at a liquor to cloth ratio of 10:1. The duration of the rinse treatment was 5 minutes using an agitation speed of 50 rpm. A rinse in water and in a 50. ppm dispersion of Arquad 2HT were used as controls. The pieces were assessed by five expert assessors and the results were, in order of softness.
where 2 HT and W refer to the Arquad 2HT and the water controls respectively.
[0034] The findings that E > D and B > A shows that aluminium chlorhydrate gives enhanced softening performance.
EXAMPLE 6
[0035] The following formulation was prepared in the same manner as the formulations described in Examples 1-5.
Viscosity at 110 sec-1= 91 cp.
[0036] Similar products will be obtained if:-
(1) GMS is replaced wholly or partly palm or tallow mono ethanolamide;
(2) TWEEN 20 is replaced wholly or partially by Solan E (ethoxylated lanolin) and/or Alkosurf TA 30 and/or Synperonic NP20 (all commercially available nonionic emulsifiers).
EXAMPLE 7
1. A method of conditioning fabrics in the rinse step of a fabric laundering process
in which fabrics are brought into contact with an aqueous liquor to which has been
added a liquid or granular solid composition comprising a nonionic fabric conditioning
agent, optionally a cationic fabric softening agent in an amount by weight which is
less than that of the nonionic fabric conditioning agent and in which composition
anionic surface active materials are absent or substantially absent, characterised
in that said composition further contains aluminium chlorhydrate.
2. A method according to Claim 1, characterised-in that said composition is a solid
composition comprising said nonionic fabric conditioning agent and said aluminium
chlorhydrate supported on a carrier.
3. A method according to Claim 2, characterised in that said composition contains
from about 0.5% to about 85% by weight of the nonionic fabric conditioning agent together
with the cationic fabric softening agent, if any, and from about 0.1% to about 8%
of aluminium chlorhydrate, the balance comprising a solid carrier.
4. A liquid fabric conditioning composition for use in the method according to Claim
1, comprising an aqueous base, at least about 0.5% by weight of a nonionic fabric
conditioning agent, optionally a'cationic fabric softening agent in an amount by weight
which is less than that of the nonionic fabric conditioning agent and in which composition
anionic surface active materials are absent or substantially absent, characterised
in that the composition further comprises aluminium chlorhydrate.
5. A composition according to Claim 4, characterised in that it further contains one
or more nonionic emulsifying agents.
6. A composition according to Claim 4, characterised in that it contains from about
0.5% to about 30% by weight of said nonionic fabric conditioning agent and from about
0.1% to about 2.5% by weight of aluminium chlorhydrate.