Microcapsule preparations and detergents and cleaning agents containing microcapsules

• US 20030125222A1
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Inventors: Neumann, Peter, Boeckh, Dieter, Jahns, Ekkehard, Bertleff, Werner
• Granted Patent: US 6,951,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 510/130
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0039 Coated compositions or coated components in the compositions, (micro)capsules
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3703 Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3757 (Co)polymerised carboxylic acids, -anhydrides, -esters in solid and liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/505 encapsulated or adsorbed on a carrier, e.g. zeolite or clay

Abstract

Described are microcapsule formulations comprising microcapsules having a core of a hydrophobic material, which encloses at least one fragrance or perfume, and a capsule shell which is obtainable by either

i) free-radical polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising:

from 30 to 100% by weight of one or more C₁-C₂₄ alkyl esters of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid,

from 0 to 70% by weight of a bi- or polyfunctional monomer,

from 0 to 40% by weight of other monomers; or

ii) acid-induced condensation of melamine-formaldehyde precondensates and/or their C₁-C₄ alkyl ethers.

Also described are laundry detergent or cleaning product compositions which comprise the microcapsules.

Claims

1. A microcapsule formulation comprising microcapsules having a core of a hydrophobic material, which encloses at least one fragrance or perfume, and a capsule shell which is obtainable by either

i) free-radical polymerization of ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising:

from 30 to 100% by weight of one or more C₁-C₂₄ alkyl esters of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid,

from 0 to 70% by weight of a bi- or polyfunctional monomer,

from 0 to 40% by weight of other monomers;

or

ii) acid-induced condensation of melamine-formaldehyde precondensates and/or their C₁-C₄ alkyl ethers,

wherein the ratio of wall thickness to the diameter of the microcapsules is in the range from 0.005 to 0.1.

2. A formulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the average diameter of the microcapsules is in the range from 1 to 100 μ

m.

3. A formulation as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the hydrophobic material is liquid at 20°

C.

4. A formulation as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the capsule shell is obtainable by polymerizing from 30 to 95% by weight of one or more C₁-C₂₄ alkyl esters of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid,

from 5 to 40% by weight of a bi- or polyfunctional monomer, and

from 0 to 30% by weight of other monomers.

5. A laundry detergent composition for textiles or cleaning product composition for nontextile surfaces, such as skin or hair, comprising a microcapsule formulation as claimed in any of the preceding claims.

6. A laundry detergent or cleaning product composition as claimed in claim 5, comprising at least one further constituent selected from bleaches, bleach activators, builders, surfactants, standardizing agents, complexing agents, phosphates, dyes, corrosion inhibitors, grayness inhibitors, soil release polymers, color transfer inhibitors, bleach stabilizers, peroxide stabilizers, electrolytes, optical brighteners, enzymes, foam regulators, pH regulators, and viscosity regulators.

7. A process for preparing a microcapsule formulation as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which a hydrophobic material comprising at least one fragrance or perfume is emulsified together with ethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising

from 30 to 100% by weight of one or more C₁-C₂₄ alkyl esters of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid,

from 0 to 70% by weight of a bi- or polyfunctional monomer,

from 0 to 40% by weight of other monomers

and at least one polymerization initiator in water and the temperature is raised in order to trigger the thermal decomposition of the polymerization initiator.

8. A process for preparing a microcapsule formulation as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which melamine-formaldehyde precondensates and/or C₁-C₄ alkyl ethers thereof are subjected to acid-induced condensation in water in which a hydrophobic material has been emulsified which comprises at least one fragrance or perfume, in the presence of a protective colloid.