NL8301673A - TISSUE SOFTENING PREPARATION. - Google Patents

Description

k * '* e VO 4787

Tissue softening preparation.

The invention relates to improved, highly effective fabric softening compositions which use, on the one hand, a cationic fabric softening compound or mixture of such compounds and, on the other hand, a higher alkyl sulfonate, which in itself does not provide a softening effect to the goods to be washed and a method for preparing and using such a preparation. The unique and synergistic effect of the combination of cationic compound and paraffin sulfonate allows the formulation of emollient preparations with lower active ingredient levels (A.I.) than when pure cationic material is used to achieve a similar emollient effect. This allows a wider margin in the preparation of the preparations as well as an important financial saving.

It has been empirically established that for a normal wash load (e.g. 4-5 kg) in the conventional washing machine using about 35 liters of water, about 30-60 grams of a 6% active cationic conditioner results in a very acceptable softening has. On a softness scale from 1 to 10, this means a rating of about 9 to 10.

At 6 and above, there is an observable difference for the consumer between the values 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.

From 1 to 5, the wax is completely unsatisfactory because it is very hard and feels shelf-like. In general, at these levels the consumer cannot detect any difference. Of course, the expert with more experience can distinguish differences among all these numerical valuations. The 6% active cationic level was the general industry-wide standard because higher concentrations in aqueous systems are often difficult to assemble, stability may be poor, castability deficient, gel formation a serious problem, and washability dispersibility difficult and up to poor softening and / or staining is leading.

U.S. Patent No. 4,000,077 describes improved fabric softening compositions in which a cationic softening agent is combined with a long chain aliphatic alcohol sulfate (including ethoxylated alcohol sulfates). It is clear 8301673-2- from this patent and it has been found empirically that lower levels of total activities (i.e. below 6%) can provide a softening equivalent to only 6% cationic material.

In U.S. Patent 3,997,453, fabric softening compositions with improved cold water dispersibility are obtained by the sharing of minor amounts of specified anionic sulfonates. Ratios of cationic component to anionic component of 80: 1 to 3: 1, 50: 1 to 4: 1 and 40: 1 to 5: 1 are disclosed. Among the disclosed sulfonates 10 are the Cg to C2Q paraffin sulfonates.

Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide a fabric softening composition which works excellently and is also economical.

Another object of the invention is to provide tissue softeners using lower levels of active ingredient but providing softening levels similar to formulations containing only cationic ingredient at higher levels of active material.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a synergistic tissue softening composition in which a cationic quaternary ammonium softener is combined with a long chain paraffin sulfonate.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method of preparing the new and unique fabric softening compositions described in this application as well as their use in treating (ie, softening) laundry, in particular in the rinse cycle of the usual automatic washing machines.

In accordance with the above objectives, a fabric softening composition is provided comprising an aqueous dispersion of a cationic fabric softener and a long chain paraffin sulfonate in a weight ratio of 5: 1 to 12: 1 (softener: sulfonate).

The useful cationic softeners are the conventional quaternary ammonium fabric softeners and in particular the water-dispersible di-long chain, di-short chain quaternary ammonium salts and the 2-long chain imidazolinium salts. Particularly preferred are the di-C 1 to alkyl, di-C 1 to C 3 alkyl quaternary 8301673

- * V

-3- ammonium salts (e.g., chloride, sulfate, methosulfate, acetate, etc.) and the 2-C18 to alkyl, 1,1-disubstituted imidazolinium salts (anion similar as above).

Generally, the above compounds can be represented by the formulas shown on the formula sheet for the imidazolinium softeners (A and AA) and quaternary salts (B) formula 1.

Herein is a C 1-8 aliphatic radical and preferably an up to C 1-8 alkyl or alkenyl;

R 1 and R 8 are independently R 2 or preferably lower alkyl or substituted alkyl of such as haloalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, acylaminoalkyl and the like; X a water-solubilizing anion such as chloride, bromide, iodide, fluoride, sulfate, methosulfate, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and carboxylate (preferably acetate, adipate, phthalate, benzoate, oleate, etc.); The preferred compounds have the formula 2 of the formula sheet wherein R 1 is as defined in formula 1; R 1 is R 1 or preferably lower alkyl or substituted alkyl of 20 -C 4 such as haloalkyl, hydroxyalkyl and the like; R1 can be hydrogen or alkyl or substituted alkyl;

Rg may be R 1 or R 2, preferably C 8 to C 14 aliphatic, and more preferably C 4 - C 14 g alkyl or alkenyl; and X is as defined in formula 1.

The quaternary ammonium compound has the general formula 3

of the formula sheet in which the R symbols are selected from - CgQ

aliphatic, preferably alkyl or alkenyl, aryl (e.g. phenyl, tolyl, cumyl, etc.); aralkyl (e.g. benzyl, phenethyl, etc.); and the halo, amide, hydroxyl, and carboxy substituents thereof; with the proviso that at least two of the symbols are RC ^ 4 - and preferably C ^ and the others are lower alkyl and more preferably at least two of the symbols R are C - C. and the others are lower alkyl of 14 lo C ^ ( most preferably methyl or ethyl) and Y is an anion as defined for X in formula 1.

Typical imidazolinium softeners include the following within the formula 1: 8301673 -4-2-heptadecy1-1-methyl-1-oleylamidoethy1-imidazolinium ethosulfate, 2-heptadecy1-1 -methyl-1- (2-stearoylamido) ethyl 1-imidazolinium sulfate, 2-heptadecyl-1-methyl-1- (2-stearoylam.ido) ethyl-imidazolinium chloride, 2-coco-1- (2-hydroxyethyl) -1-benzyl-imidazolinium chloride, 5 2-coco-1- (hydroxyethyl) -1 ~ (4-chlorobutyl) imidazolinium chloride, 2-coco-1- (2-hydroxyethyl) -1-octadeceny1-imidazolinium chloride, 2-tall oil fatty acid 1- (2-hydroxyethyl) -1-benzy1 imidazolinium chloride, 2-tall oil fatty acid 1- (2-hydroxyethyl) -1- (4-chlorobutyl) imidazolinium chloride, 10 2-heptadeceny 1-1- (2-hydroxyethyl) -1- (4-chlorobutyl) - imidazolinium chloride, 2-heptadeceny 1-1 - (2-hydroxyethyl) -1-benzyl-imidazolinium chloride, 2-heptadecyl-1- (hydroxyethyl) -1-octadecy 1-imidazolinium ethyl sulfate, Typical cationic compounds of the formula 2 include: 15 distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride di tallow dimethyl anm onium chloride dihexadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride distearyl dimethyl ammonium bromide di (hydrogenated talc) dimethyl ammonium bromide distearyl di (isopropyl) ammonium chloride distearyl dime thy 1 ammonium methosulfate.

In addition to the cationic softener component of the invention, many aqueous supplemental materials or optional components that do not adversely affect the stability and / or functional properties of the present invention may also be included in the aqueous compositions. For example, minor amounts of different surfactant materials, and in particular certain surfactant phosphate esters, may be present which may be desirable for obtaining anti-static control of the washed goods. Such conventional additional components also include fragrances, dyes, germicides pigments, optical brighteners, anti-corrosion agents (sodium silicate) and the like. Where used, each may represent, for example, 1% by weight of the compositions herein.

It may also be desirable to supplement and / or modify the viscosity properties of the composition of the invention by adding electrolyte material such as calcium chloride, sodium 8301673-5 nitrate, sodium format, and the like in amounts from about 0.05 to about 5 wt%. Minor amounts of other components may also be included, such as the lower alkanols, for example, ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol, as well as the usual opacifiers, especially of the resin emulsion types known in the art.

Obviously, most commercial materials contain a mixture of particles. For example, the long chain substituents on the cationic components may not consist of just a single carbon chain, but it is more likely to be a mixture. In this regard, a particularly suitable quaternary salt in which the alkyl substituents are derived from talc may consist of a mixture of about 35% Cg and 60% Cg and minor amounts of Cg. Similarly, the paraffin sulfonate may consist of a product with a single carbon chain mixture, but again it will generally be a mixture and preferably such mixture may be mixed (e.g. 26% C14; 32% C15 25% C 14% 14 C 4% C 13 1.5% C 1 and 0.5% C 4). Of course, other mixed alkyls can be used, but the preferred ones contain at least about 90% in the C14 - C17 range.

Generally, the aqueous compositions of the invention contain from 2 to 5% of the cationic compound and from 0.2 to 1% of the paraffin sulfonate with the ratio of cationic component to sulfonate ranging from 5: 1 to 12: 1. The preferred compositions have a total active material content (ie, cationic plus sulfonate) of about 4% to about 6%, with 4 to 5.5% being most preferred, and a ratio of cationic component to sulfonate most preferably of about 10: 1.

The preferred general method of preparing the compositions of the invention depends on whether a batch or continuous technique is used. In a batch process, about 2/3 of the water of the composition o is heated to about 35 - 50 C- Separately, the cationic component and the paraffin sulfonate are combined to form a fluid mixture (generally heated to 50 - 55 ° C). The latter is then added to the preheated water and mixed 8301673-6 until a homogeneous mass is obtained. The remaining water is then added with mixing.

In a continuous process, the premix of cationic material and paraffin sulfonate (at 50-55 ° C) is added to the total amount of water for the composition, which has been heated to about 70 ° C.

The invention is further elucidated by means of the examples below. The parts mentioned therein are parts by weight unless otherwise stated.

10 Example I.

(A) A 40 x 40 cm cotton towel that has been pre-washed six times to remove any material that may be contained in it is rinsed in tap water at room temperature and cut into five pieces after air drying. Each piece is treated with 1.5 g of an aqueous preparation containing 4% distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (DSDMAC). The softened towel pieces are evaluated via a paired comparison method against the following compositions which are also used to treat as above towels.

(B) 1.5 g of aqueous softener containing 3.75% DSDMAC and 0.14% 20 yy sodium paraffin sulfonate (SAS).

(C) 1.5 g of aqueous softener containing 3.50% DSDMAC and 0.28% SAS

(D) 1.5 g of aqueous softener containing 3.25% DSDMAC and 0.43% SAS.

The results of the evaluation indicate that (C) is best and (D) is second best, followed by (A) and then (B). It is noted that (C) and (D) are significantly less cationic constituent and even less total active material than (A) (cationic material only) and yet give better softening. In the case of (B), the amount of SAS is too low to give the synergistic effects shown by (C) and (D) which are examples of the present invention.

Further examples of aqueous preparations according to the invention are as follows:

% DSDMAC% SAS

Example II 3.67 0.52 III 4.40 0.425 35 "IV 4.40 '0.90" V 4.00 0.33 8 3 0 1 67 3 -7-

The DSDMAC of the previous examples has a molecular weight of about 575 and contains some alkyl in addition to C 1 -alkyl.

The paraffin sulfonate has a molecular weight of about 328 by the Epton method.

Example VI. ___ ^ __________

Each of the foregoing Examples IB, IC, ID, II, III, IV, and V is repeated using the following cationic compounds and paraffin sulfonates with similar results.

A. di-octadecyl, diethyl ammonium methosulfate 10 B. di-hexadecyl di-isopropyl ammonium acetate C. di-eicosyl dimethyl ammonium bromide D. 2-heptadecyl-1-oleylamidoethyl-imidazolinium- ethosulfate E. 2-coco-1- (2-hydroxyethyl) -1-benzyl-imidazolinium chloride F. distearyl, hydroxypropyl-methyl-ammonium chloride 15 GC paraffin sulfonate 16 H. C1Q paraffin sulfonate lö

The aqueous softening compositions of the invention are widely used as other such compositions, particularly in the rinse cycle of an axiomatic washing machine. In such operations as well as any other desired clothing treatment method, the compositions are usually used to provide an active x material concentration of generally about 0.005% to 0.3% based on the weight of the treated clothing, preferably 0.007% to about 0.2%, and most preferably about 0.01% to about 0.15%.

8301673

Claims (6)

An aqueous tissue egg softening composition comprising from 2% to 5% of a cationic softener and from 0.2% to 1% of a to C 2 paraffin sulfonate in a weight ratio of about 5: 1 to 12: 1. Preparation according to claim 1, characterized in that the cationic softener is selected from the group consisting of water-dispersible di-long chain aliphatic, di-short chain aliphatic quaternary ammonium salts and "2-long chain-1/1" di " 9 Substitute <imidazolinium salts. Preparation according to claim 2, characterized in that the cationic material is distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and the paraffin sulfonate paraffin sulfonate. Preparation according to claim 3, characterized in that the weight ratio of the cationic material to the sulfonate is about 10: 1. Method for preparing a preparation as defined in claim 1, characterized in that a liquid premix of the cationic material and the paraffin sulphonate is added at a temperature of about 40-70 ° C to a larger amount of the composition weight of the water which has been preheated to a temperature of about 35 to 75 ° C and mixes the whole to obtain a homogeneous dispersion of the active material in water. 6. Method for treating clothes to soften them, characterized in that a sufficient amount of a preparation as defined in claim 1 is added to the clothes in water to obtain a concentration of about 0.005 to about 0 , 3% of which, based on the weight of the clothes. 8301673 V * H2C ------ CH? 4- - - I I N N - * R- X- \ / \ c r2 R1 H2C -. ch2 o + I I 11 N N C0H, N - C Rr X ~ \ / \ I c R2 R4 ri. m R * R Colgate-Palmolive Company 8301673