Compositions to boost fabric softener performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016145539-A1
Application number	US-201414550481-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 21, 2014
Priority date	Nov 21, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Method for treating a textile under industrial and institutional fabric care conditions to impart softness within a single wash and/or rinse cycle are disclosed. More particularly, the present invention relates to a combination of a liquid or solid fabric conditioning composition and a softening booster for treating a textile to impart softness within a single wash and/or rinse cycle. Compositions employed therein are further disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of conditioning and softening fabrics, comprising:
(a) washing the fabrics in a detergent with a pH range of about 7 to about 14; (b) contacting the fabrics with a fabric softening composition comprising from about 10 wt-% to about 55 wt-% of one or more softening agents; (c) contacting the fabrics with a softening booster composition comprising a sucrose fatty acid ester; and (d) drying the fabrics.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the softening booster composition has a %-actives concentration in use of from about 0.1% to about 40%.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the softening booster composition is selected from the group consisting of sucrose laurate, sucrose palmitate, sucrose stearate, sucrose distearate, sucrose polystearate, sucrose tetrastearate triacetate, polyglycerol monostearate, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan palmitate, polyglycerol and combinations of the same.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a surfactant in the fabric softening composition are selected from the group comprising of nonionic ethoxylated surfactants, quaternary surfactants, or mixtures thereof.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fabric softening composition comprises a quaternary ammonium compound in the amount of about 10 wt-% to about 45 wt-% and an amino-functionalized silicone compound in the amount of about 1 wt-% to about 20 wt-%.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fabric softening composition further comprises a solidification agent and/or a surfactant.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the percent actives ratio of fabric softening composition to softening booster composition is between about 2:1 to about 1:2.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the fabric softening composition comprises at least one of amidoamine quaternary ammonium, ester quaternary ammonium, dimethyl ditallowamine, imidozoline quaternary amine and mixtures thereof and an amino-functionalized silicone compound.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the fabric softening composition is in the range of about 2 to about 8 and the pH of the softening booster composition is in the range of about 2 to about 10.

10 . A method of softening fabrics, comprising:
(a) contacting the fabrics with a liquid or solid fabric softening composition comprising from about 10 wt-% to about 55 wt-% of one or more softening agents and a softening booster composition comprising a sucrose fatty acid ester in a rinse cycle; and (b) drying the fabrics; wherein the softening booster composition comprises in a use solution on an actives % basis from about 0.1% to about 40% sucrose fatty acid ester.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the softening booster composition is added in sequential dosing either before or after the fabric softening composition in said rinse cycle.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the fabric softening composition comprises at least one of amidoamine quaternary ammonium, ester quaternary ammonium, dimethyl ditallowamine, imidozoline quaternary amine or mixtures thereof and an amino-functionalized silicone compound.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the softening agent of the fabric softening composition is about 10 wt-% to about 45 wt-% quaternary ammonium component and about 1 wt-% to about 20 wt-% polydimethyl siloxane.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the percent actives ratio of fabric softening composition to softening booster composition is between about 2:1 to about 1:2.

15 . A conditioning and softening fabric system comprising:
a first fabric conditioning composition comprising an amino-functionalized silicone softening agent and a softening agent selected from the group consisting of amidoamine quaternary ammonium, ester quaternary
ammonium, dimethyl ditallowamine, imidozoline quaternary amine and mixtures thereof; and
a second softening booster composition comprising in a use solution on an actives % basis from about 0.1% to about 40% of a sucrose fatty acid ester softening booster.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the softening booster composition is selected from the group consisting of sucrose laurate, sucrose palmitate, sucrose stearate, sucrose disterarate, sucrose polystearate, sucrose tetrastearate triacetate, polyglycerol monostearate, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan palmitate, polyglycerol and combinations of the same.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the softening booster composition is sucrose laurate, sucrose palmitate and/or sucrose stearate.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the fabric conditioning composition further comprises a surfactant selected from the group comprising of nonionic ethoxylated surfactants, quaternary surfactants, and mixtures thereof.

19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first composition and/or the second composition are liquids, powders and/or solids.

20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first and/or second composition further comprises at least one additional functional ingredient selected from the group consisting of fragrances and/or dyes, anti-static agents, fiber protection agents, anti-wrinkling agents, soil release agents, optical brighteners, UV protection agents, anti-pilling agents, water repellency agents, disinfecting and/or sanitizing agents, scouring agents, insect repellants, bleaching agents, solubility modifiers, rheology modifiers or thickeners, buffers, solvents, dye scavengers, molecular chelants, sequestering agents and combinations of the same.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Blattner Amanda Ruth
• Hodge Charles Allen
• Notermann Claire Lucille
• Panama Julio R
• Kennedy Shaun Patrick

Classifications

• C11D3/3742

  Nitrogen containing silicones · CPC title

• C11D1/667

  Neutral esters, e.g. sorbitan esters · CPC title

• C11D1/62

  Quaternary ammonium compounds · CPC title

• C11D3/001 Primary

  Softening compositions · CPC title

• C11D3/221

  Mono, di- or trisaccharides or derivatives thereof · CPC title