Fabric conditioner enhancing agent and emulsion and dispersant stabilizer

• US 20070199157A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Original Assignee: Milliken & Company
• Inventors: Torres, Eduardo, Michaels, Emily W., Valenti, Dominick J., Violette, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US11/645,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20070199157A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/115.51
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/662 Carbohydrates or derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/72 Ethers of polyoxyalkylene glycols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/74 Carboxylates or sulfonates esters of polyoxyalkylene glycols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0013 Liquid compositions with insoluble particles in suspension C11D17/0021, C11D17/0026, C11D17/003 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0015 liquid
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/12 Water-insoluble compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/20 containing oxygen C11D3/162, C11D3/164, C11D3/166, C11D3/168 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2068 Ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/221 Mono, di- or trisaccharides or derivatives thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a stable aqueous dispersion comprising a multi-branched soil release/wetting agent having an oxygen-containing polyfunctional base compound and at least two surfactant branches attached thereto, wherein each surfactant branch includes at least one hydrophilic and at least one hydrophobic constituent, wherein the multi-branched soil release/wetting agent is in an amount of between 0.05 and 3% by weight of the aqueous dispersion and particles selected from the group consisting of inorganic, organic, and polymeric particles having a size range between 50 nm and 45 μm, wherein the particle dispersion is stable for at least 10 days at 40° C. Enhanced fabric conditioners and the method of applying the enhanced fabric conditioners are also discussed.

Claims

1. A stable aqueous dispersion comprising:

a multi-branched soil release/wetting agent having an oxygen-containing polyfunctional base compound and at least two surfactant branches attached thereto, wherein each surfactant branch includes at least one hydrophilic and at least one hydrophobic constituent, wherein the multi-branched soil release/wetting agent is in an amount of between 0.05 and 3% by weight of the aqueous dispersion;

particles selected from the group consisting of inorganic, organic, and polymeric particles having a size range between 50 nm and 45 μ

m,

wherein the particle dispersion is stabilized for at least 10 days at 40°

C.

2. The stable particle dispersion of claim 1, wherein the multi-branched soil release/wetting agent comprises at least three surfactant branches attached thereto, wherein each surfactant branch includes at least one hydrophilic and at least one hydrophobic constituent.

3. The stable particle dispersion of claim 1, wherein the multi-branched soil release/wetting agent is selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated propoxylated triglyceride, ethoxylated propoxylated saccharide, and mixtures thereof.

4. The stable aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the oxygen-containing polyfunctional base compound is selected from the group consisting of a polyol, a polycarboxylic acid, and a lactone.

5. The stable aqueous dispersion of claim 4, wherein the polyfunctional base compound is a polyol selected from the group consisting of sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, pentaertythritol, sucrose, saccharose, galactose, leucrose, fructose, mannose, glucose, glycerol, glycerine and polyethylene glycol.

6. The stable aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the viscosity of the aqueous dispersion at 25°

C. with Brookfield RVT viscometer, spindle #2 and 50 RPM is between 50 and 800 cps.

7. The stable particle dispersion of claim 1, further comprising a gelling agent comprising tridecyl alcohol ethoxylate.

8. The stable aqueous dispersion of claim 7, wherein the multi-branched soil release/wetting agent is in an amount of between 0.05 and 3.0% by weight of the aqueous dispersion, the gelling agent is in an amount of between 0.05 and 3.0% by weight of the aqueous dispersion.

9. The stable aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the particles are added in an amount of between 0.05 and 3.5% by weight of the aqueous dispersion.

10. The stable aqueous dispersion of claim 1, further comprising a fabric conditioning agent.

11. An enhanced fabric conditioner formulation comprising:

a fabric conditioning agent;

a multi-branched soil release/wetting agent having an oxygen-containing polyfunctional base compound and at least two surfactant branches attached thereto, wherein each surfactant branch includes at least one hydrophilic and at least one hydrophobic constituent, wherein the multi-branched soil release/wetting agent is in an amount of between 0.05 and 3% by weight of the fabric conditioner;

particles selected from the group consisting of inorganic, organic, and polymeric particles having a size range between 50 nm and 45 μ

m,

wherein the stable particle dispersion is stable for at least 10 days at 40°

C.

12. The enhanced fabric conditioner of claim 11, wherein the multi-branched soil release/wetting agent is selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated propoxylated triglyceride, ethoxylated propoxylated saccharide, and mixtures thereof.

13. The enhanced fabric conditioner of claim 11, wherein the viscosity of the enhanced fabric conditioner at 25°

C. with Brookfield RVT viscometer, spindle #2 and 50 RPM is between 50 and 800 cps.

14. The enhanced fabric conditioner of claim 11, further comprising a gelling agent comprising tridecyl alcohol ethoxylate.

15. The enhanced fabric conditioner of claim 14, wherein the multi-branched soil release/wetting agent is in an amount of between 0.05 and 3.0% by weight of the fabric conditioning agent, the gelling agent is in an amount of between 0.05 and 3.0% by weight of the fabric conditioning agent, and the viscosity at 25°

C. with a Brookfield RVT viscometer, spindle #2 and 50 RPM is between 50 and 800 cps.

16. The enhanced fabric conditioner of claim 11, wherein the enhanced fabric conditioner is biodegradable.

17. The enhanced fabric conditioner of claim 11, wherein the particles are added in an amount of between 0.05 and 3.5% by weight of the fabric conditioning agent.

18. The process of applying enhanced fabric conditioner to a fabric comprising:

washing a fabric with a detergent and water;

adding an enhanced fabric conditioner formulation a rinse cycle, the enhanced fabric conditioner formulation comprising;

an aqueous solution, a fabric conditioning agent, a multi-branched soil release/wetting agent having an oxygen-containing polyfunctional base compound and at least two surfactant branches attached thereto, wherein each surfactant branch includes at least one hydrophilic and at least one hydrophobic constituent, and wherein the multi-branched soil release/wetting agent is in an amount of between 0.05 and 3% by weight of the fabric conditioner, particles selected from the group consisting of inorganic, organic, and polymeric particles having a size range between 50 nm and 45 μ

m, wherein the stable particle dispersion is stable for at least 10 days at 40°

C.; and

,

removing the water from the treated fabric.

19. The process of claim 18, wherein the dried treated fabric has a dynamic load of between 0.24 and 0.60 Newtons and a static load of between 0.20 and 0.50 Newtons as measured by the AATCC friction test method.

20. The process of claim 18, wherein the enhanced fabric conditioner formulation comprises a gelling agent comprising tridecyl alcohol ethoxylate.