Solid concentrated fabric softener composition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969957-B2
Application number	US-201615182823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2016
Priority date	Jun 22, 2011
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A solid fabric softening composition is disclosed which includes a quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound which is stabilized to form a solid with a mixture of a water soluble organic salt and a medium to long chain carboxylic acid. This stabilizing combination has been shown to effectively form a solid quaternary ammonium based fabric softening composition with up to as much as 70% by weight of quaternary ammonium compound. The formulations are stable at typical storage temperatures of up to 110° F. and provide fabric softening similar to and even superior to other traditional liquid formulations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A solid cast biodegradable fabric softening composition comprising a mixture of:
(a) from about 25 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a quaternary ammonium compound
(b) a medium to long chain carboxylic acid, and
(c) a water soluble organic salt, wherein the medium to long chain carboxylic acid and water soluble organic salt are in a ratio sufficient to stabilize the quaternary ammonium compound in a solid non-weeping formulation at 110° F.

2. The solid cast fabric softening composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a mixture of two or more of the quaternary ammonium compound.

3. The solid cast fabric softening composition according to claim 2 wherein at least one said quaternary ammonium compound is a di-tallow quaternary ammonium compound.

4. The solid cast fabric softening composition according to claim 3 wherein said quaternary ammonium compound is methyl bis[ethyl (tallowate)]-2-hydroxyethyl ammonium methyl sulfate.

5. The solid cast fabric softening composition according to claim 1 , wherein the quaternary ammonium compound has been stabilized with a combination of from about 0.1 wt. % and about 4 wt. % of medium to long chain carboxylic acid and from about 10% wt. % to about 60 wt. % of water soluble organic salt.

6. The solid cast fabric softener of claim 1 , comprising a sufficient amount of Sokalan DCS to reduce the amount of sloughing of a capsule during dispensing.

7. The solid cast fabric softener of claim 1 having a dispense rate with water at between 40° C. and 60° C. of greater than 10 g/min.

8. The solid cast fabric softener of claim 1 having a dispense rate with water at between 40° C. and 60° C. of greater than 15 g/min.

9. The solid cast fabric softener of claim 1 having a dispense rate with water at between 40° C. and 60° C. of greater than 20 g/min.

10. A method of making a solid cast biodegradable fabric softening composition comprising:
(a) mixing from about 25 wt. % to about 65 wt. % of a quaternary ammonium compound; from about 8 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of water soluble organic salt; from about 0.5 wt. % to about 4.5 wt. % of a medium to long chain carboxylic acid and any other additional components,
(b) heating and stirring the mixture obtained in step (a) to form a melt, and thereafter
(c) allowing the mixture to cool to room temperature and to solidify wherein said cast solid is non-weeping at 110° F.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said mixture is prepared in a mechanical mixer under heating and stirring conditions.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said mixture is heated to such a temperature in order to create a completely fluid liquid.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said mixture is heated to a temperature of greater than 49° C.

14. The solid fabric softening composition of claim 10 further comprising a from about 0.5 wt. % to about 10 wt. % of a silicone compound.

15. The solid fabric softening composition of claim 10 further comprising from about 5 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of an acidulant.

16. The solid fabric softening composition of claim 10 further comprising a solidification agent selected from the group consisting of solid polyethylene glycol, or a solid EO/PO block copolymer.

17. The solid fabric softening composition of claim 16 wherein said solidification agent is present in an amount of from about 0.5 wt. % to about 30 wt. % of said solid fabric softener composition.

18. A method for treating fabric in a wash wheel, the method comprising:
(a) obtaining a solid block biodegradable fabric treatment composition, wherein the composition comprises a mixture of from about 25 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of a quaternary ammonium compound, a medium to long chain carboxylic acid, and a water soluble organic salt, wherein the formulation is non-weeping at 110° F.,
(b) contacting the solid cast fabric treatment composition with water to form an aqueous suspension of the fabric treatment agent, and;
(c) transferring the resulting fabric treatment agent suspension to a wash wheel, where it contacts the fabric to be treated.

19. A method according to claim 18 , wherein fabric dried after the fabric treatment composition exhibits at least a panel softening test value of 3 on a 1-to-7 softening test as compared with the fabric dried outside of the presence of the fabric treatment composition.

20. A method according to claim 18 , wherein fabric dried after the fabric treatment composition exhibit at least a panel softening test value of 4 on a 1-to-7 softening test as compared with the fabric dried outside of the presence of the fabric treatment composition.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Christensen Stephen B
• Pham Joanna A
• Bull Jessica

Classifications

• C11D3/2079

  Monocarboxylic acids-salts thereof · CPC title

• D06M15/6436

  containing amino groups · CPC title

• C11D3/001 Primary

  Softening compositions · CPC title

• C11D1/62

  Quaternary ammonium compounds · CPC title

• D06M13/184

  Carboxylic acids; Anhydrides, halides or salts thereof · CPC title