Fabric softener composition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016289602-A1
Application number	US-201415037893-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention then concerns a fabric softener composition that performs well on softening fabrics, which comprises a blend of amphoteric surfactant carrying a C 12 -C 22 -alkyl or C 12 -C 22 -alkenyl, a fatty acid or a fatty alcohol, and a polysaccharide or polysaccharide derivative. The invention also concerns the use of said softening composition to impart fabric softness to fabrics.

First claim

1 - 23 : (canceled)

24 . A softening composition comprising at least:
a) 1-10% wt of an amphoteric surfactant carrying a C 12 -C 22 -alkyl or C 12 -C 22 -alkenyl; b) 0.1-5% wt of an alcohol compound carrying a C 10 -C 22 -alkyl or C 10 -C 22 -alkenyl and/or a carboxylic acid compound carrying a C 10 -C 22 -alkyl or C 10 -C 22 -alkenyl; weight ratio of compound a) to compound b) is comprised between 1:2 and 20:1; c) 0.01-2% wt of a polysaccharide or polysaccharide derivative; weight ratio of compound a) to compound c) is comprised between 3:1 and 30:1; and d) water; wherein the percent by weight is expressed in relation with the total weight of the softening composition.

25 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the amphoteric surfactant carries a C 16 -C 22 -alkyl or C 16 -C 22 -alkenyl.

26 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the amphoteric surfactant carries a C 16 -C 20 -alkyl or C 16 -C 20 -alkenyl.

27 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the softening composition is substantially free or completely free of anionic agent.

28 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the amphoteric surfactant is selected from the group consisting of: betaine, amine oxide, amphoglycinate, and amphopropionate.

29 . The softening composition according to claim 28 , wherein the betaine has the structure:
R 1 R 2 R 3 N + (CH 2 ) y C(O)O −   (I)
or (R 1 )(R 2 C(O)NH(CH 2 ) x )(R 3 )N + (CH 2 ) y C(O)O −   (II)
wherein R 1 is a C 1 -C 5 group which is optionally hydroxylated; R 2 is C 16 -C 20 -alkyl or C 16 -C 20 -alkenyl; R 3 is independently selected from a C 1 -C 5 group or C 16 -C 20 -alkyl or C 16 -C 20 -alkenyl as defined for R 1 and R 2 , respectively; x is 2-4, and y is 2-4; wherein any two of the groups R 1 -R 3 optionally form a ring structure.

30 . The softening composition according to claim 28 , wherein the amine oxide has the structure:
R 1 R 2 R 3 N + —O −   (III)
or (R 1 )(R 2 C(O)NH(CH 2 ) x )(R 3 )N + —O −   (IV)
wherein R 1 is a C 1 -C 5 group which is optionally hydroxylated; R 2 is C 16 -C 20 -alkyl or C 16 -C 20 -alkenyl; R 3 is independently selected from a C 1 -C 5 group or C 16 -C 20 -alkyl or C 16 -C 20 -alkenyl as defined for R 1 and R 2 , respectively; x is 2-4; wherein any two of the groups R 1 -R 3 optionally form a ring structure.

31 . The softening composition according to claim 28 , wherein the amphoglycinate and the amphopropionate have the structures:
R 2 N(R 4 )(CH 2 ) z C(O)O − Y +   (V)
and R 2 C(O)N(R 4 )(CH 2 ) x N(R 5 )(CH 2 ) z C(O)O − Y +   (VI)
wherein R 2 is C 16 -C 20 -alkyl or C 16 -C 20 -alkenyl; x is 2-4; R 4 is hydrogen or a C 1 -C 5 group which is optionally hydroxylated, R 5 is a C 1 -C 5 group which is optionally hydroxylated or a (CH 2 ) z C(O)O − group, z is 1-4, and Y + is a cation.

32 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the amphoteric surfactant is a compound of the formula (VII):
R 2 —N + (CH 3 ) 2 —CH 2 —COO −   (VII)
wherein R 2 is C 16 -C 20 -alkyl or C 16 -C 20 -alkenyl.

33 . The softening composition according to claim 32 , wherein the compound of formula (VII) is selected from the group consisting of: cetyl betaine, palmityl betaine, stearyl betaine, and oleyl betaine.

34 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the carboxylic acid compound is selected from the group consisting of: capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, and behenic acid.

35 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the alcohol compound is selected from the group consisting of: capryl alcohol, lauryl alcohol, myrityl alcohol, palmityl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, arachidyl alcohol, and behenyl alcohol.

36 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the polysaccharide or polysaccharide derivative is selected from the group consisting of: guar, cellulose, callose, xylan, mannan, galactomannan, and derivatives thereof.

37 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the polysaccharide or polysaccharide derivative is a nonionic guar or a cationic guar.

38 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the polysaccharide or polysaccharide derivative is guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride or hydroxypropyl guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride.

39 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the softening composition comprises less than 1 wt % of quaternary ammonium salt.

40 . The softening composition according to claim 24 , wherein the softening composition comprises less than 0.01 wt % of the quaternary ammonium salt.

41 . A softening system consisting of:
a) an amphoteric surfactant carrying a C 12 -C 22 -alkyl or C 12 -C 22 -alkenyl; b) an alcohol compound carrying a C 10 -C 22 -alkyl or C 10 -C 22 -alkenyl and/or a carboxylic acid compound carrying a C 10 -C 22 -alkyl or C 10 -C 22 -alkenyl; weight ratio of compound a) to compound b) is comprised between 1:2 and 20:1; and c) a polysaccharide or polysaccharide derivative; weight ratio of compound a) to compound c) is comprised between 3:1 and 30:1.

42 . The softening system according to claim 41 , wherein the amphoteric surfactant carrying a C 16 -C 20 -alkyl or C 16 -C 20 -alkenyl.

43 . A method for rinsing fabrics, which comprises the step of contacting the fabrics with a softening composition according to claim 24 .

44 . A method for softening a fabric comprising the step of contacting an aqueous medium comprising the softening composition according to claim 24 with a fabric during a rinse cycle of a fabric washing machine.

45 . A method for softening a fabric comprising the step of contacting an aqueous medium comprising the softening system according to claim 41 with a fabric during a rinse cycle of a fabric washing machine.

Assignees

• Rhodia Operations

Inventors

• Zhang Hai Zhou
• He Lin
• Zhan William

Classifications

• C11D3/2075

  Carboxylic acids-salts thereof · CPC title

• C11D3/202

  fatty or with at least 8 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain · CPC title

• C11D3/0015

  liquid · CPC title

• C11D3/222

  Natural or synthetic polysaccharides, e.g. cellulose, starch, gum, alginic acid or cyclodextrin · CPC title

• C11D3/2031

  fatty or with at least 8 carbon atoms in the alkenyl chain · CPC title