Highly acidic laundry sour softener with extra stability, laundry fire mitigation, and oily soil removal properties

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12344818-B2
Application number	US-202117645526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2021
Priority date	Dec 23, 2020
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure relates to laundry finishing compositions providing textile souring and softening efficacy, along with methods of making and use thereof, wherein the compositions comprise a chelating agent or a stabilizing agent, an acidulant, and an amine or ammonium softening agent. The compositions and methods of use beneficially provide effective souring and softening while also reducing the risk of laundry fire and promoting stubborn soil removal, particularly oily soils.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A laundry softening composition comprising:
A) from about 8 wt. % to about 25 wt. % amine softening agent selected from the group consisting of ethyl-bis(tallow amidoethyl)-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, methyl bis(oleylamidoethyl)-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, methyl bis(tallow amidoethyl)-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, ditallow diamidoamine ethoxylated ammonium methylsulfate, dimethyl dihydrogenated tallow ammonium chloride, dimethyl di(C14-C18 alkyl) ammonium chloride, dicoco dimethyl ammonium chloride, methyl tri-C8-C10 ammonium chloride, tallow trimethyl ammonium chloride, tallow diamine pentamethyl dichloride, or a combination thereof;
B) from about 0.5 wt. % to about 5 wt. % stabilizing agent selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetrapropionic acid, triethylenetetraaminehexaacetic acid, alanine-N, N-diacetic acid, N,N-dicarboxymethyl glutamic acid tetrasodium salt, methylglycinediacetic acid, iminodisuccinate, or a combination thereof; and
C) from about 10 wt. % to about 30 wt. % of an acidulant selected from the group consisting of methane sulfonic acid, ethane sulfonic acid, propane sulfonic acid, butane sulfonic acid, xylene sulfonic acid, cumene sulfonic acid, benzene sulfonic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, mono, di, or tri-halocarboyxlic acids, picolinic acid, dipicolinic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, mandelic acid, salicylic acid, beta-hydroxybutanoic acid, tropic acid, trethocanic acid, or a combination thereof;
wherein the composition has a pH of less than about 2, and wherein the laundry softening composition removes fatty soil or oily soil and minimizes the risk of a laundry fire.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a polysiloxane polyethylene glycol ether.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing agent further comprises calcium chloride, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, sodium bisulfate, or a combination thereof.

4. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a carrier.

5. The composition of claim 4 , wherein the carrier is present in an amount of from about 50 wt. % to about 75 wt. %.

6. The composition of claim 4 , wherein the carrier is water or a lipophilic fluid.

7. A textile comprising a surface treated with a laundry softening composition, wherein the laundry softening composition comprises:
A) from about 8 wt. % to about 25 wt. % amine softening agent selected from the group consisting of ethyl-bis(tallow amidoethyl)-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, methyl bis(oleylamidoethyl)-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, methyl bis(tallow amidoethyl)-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, ditallow diamidoamine ethoxylated ammonium methylsulfate, dimethyl dihydrogenated tallow ammonium chloride, dimethyl di(C14-C18 alkyl) ammonium chloride, dicoco dimethyl ammonium chloride, methyl tri-C8-C10 ammonium chloride, tallow trimethyl ammonium chloride, tallow diamine pentamethyl dichloride, or a combination thereof;
B) from about 0.5 wt. % to about 5 wt. % stabilizing agent selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetrapropionic acid, triethylenetetraaminehexaacetic acid, alanine-N,N-diacetic acid, N,N-dicarboxymethyl glutamic acid tetrasodium salt, methylglycinediacetic acid, iminodisuccinate, or a combination thereof; and
C) from about 10 wt. % to about 30 wt. % of an acidulant selected from the group consisting of methane sulfonic acid, ethane sulfonic acid, propane sulfonic acid, butane sulfonic acid, xylene sulfonic acid, cumene sulfonic acid, benzene sulfonic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, mono, di, or tri-halocarboyxlic acids, picolinic acid, dipicolinic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, mandelic acid, salicylic acid, beta-hydroxybutanoic acid, tropic acid, trethocanic acid, or a combination thereof;
wherein the composition has a pH of less than about 2, and wherein the laundry softening composition removes fatty soil or oily soil and minimizes the risk of a laundry fire.

8. A method of softening a textile comprising applying a laundry softening composition to a surface of the textile, wherein the laundry softening composition comprises:
A) from about 8 wt. % to about 25 wt. % amine softening agent selected from the group consisting of ethyl-bis(tallow amidoethyl)-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, methyl bis(oleylamidoethyl)-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, methyl bis(tallow amidoethyl)-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate, ditallow diamidoamine ethoxylated ammonium methylsulfate, dimethyl dihydrogenated tallow ammonium chloride, dimethyl di(C14-C18 alkyl) ammonium chloride, dicoco dimethyl ammonium chloride, methyl tri-C8-C10 ammonium chloride, tallow trimethyl ammonium chloride, tallow diamine pentamethyl dichloride, or a combination thereof;
B) from about 0.5 wt. % to about 5 wt. % stabilizing agent selected from the group consisting of hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediaminetriacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetrapropionic acid, triethylenetetraaminehexaacetic acid, alanine-N,N-diacetic acid, N,N-dicarboxymethyl glutamic acid tetrasodium salt, methylglycinediacetic acid, iminodisuccinate, or a combination thereof; and
C) from about 10 wt. % to about 30 wt. % of an acidulant selected from the group consisting of methane sulfonic acid, ethane sulfonic acid, propane sulfonic acid, butane sulfonic acid, xylene sulfonic acid, cumene sulfonic acid, benzene sulfonic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, mono, di, or tri-halocarboyxlic acids, picolinic acid, dipicolinic acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, mandelic acid, salicylic acid, beta-hydroxybutanoic acid, tropic acid, trethocanic acid, or a combination thereof;
wherein the composition has a pH of less than about 2, and wherein the laundry softening composition removes fatty soil or oily soil and minimizes the risk of a laundry fire.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of applying the composition to the textile results in depositing the laundry softening composition on the surface of the textile.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the depositing removes carryover alkalinity from the textile.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method occurs during a wash cycle comprising a pre-soak phase, a wash phase, a rinsing phase, a finishing phase, and an extraction phase.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the laundry softening composition is applied to the textile during the pre-soak phase or the finishing phase.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising a step of diluting the laundry softening composition to form a use solution.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the use solution has a pH of less than about 5.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Mcgrane Peter J
• Man Victor Fuk-Pong

Classifications

• C11D3/373

  containing silicones · CPC title

• C11D3/30

  Amines; Substituted amines {; Quaternized amines} · CPC title

• C11D3/0047

  pH regulated compositions · CPC title

• C11D3/2075

  Carboxylic acids-salts thereof · CPC title

• C11D3/33

  Amino carboxylic acids · CPC title