Fabric Treatment Composition and Process for Preparation Thereof

• US 20100313360A1
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Henkel IP & Holding GmbH (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Henkel IP & Holding GmbH (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Inventors: Menting, Rob, Ranade, Vidyadhar Sudhir
• Application Number:
  US12/225,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20100313360A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/137
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/83 Mixtures of non-ionic with anionic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 11/0094 Process for making liquid detergent compositions, e.g. slurries, pastes or gels
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0004 Non aqueous liquid compositions comprising insoluble particles
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/043 Liquid or thixotropic (gel) compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0015 liquid
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/227 with nitrogen-containing groups

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for the preparation of a non-aqueous liquid fabric treatment composition wherein the process comprises a) provision of a pre-mix comprising cationic cellulosic polymer, water and optional solvent; b) admixture of the pre-mix with at least one anionic surfactant; and, c) subsequent addition of non-ionic surfactant, wherein the steps a) to c) are performed sequentially. The invention further relates to a process to produce a unit dose fabric treatment product, a product produced according to said process, the use of said product as a fabric softener, and a method of fabric treatment.

Claims

1. A process for the preparation of a non-aqueous liquid fabric treatment composition comprising no more than 20% by weight of water, characterised in that the process comprises:

a) provision of a pre-mix comprising cationic cellulosic polymer, water and optional solvent;

b) admixture of the pre-mix with at least one anionic surfactant; and

c) subsequent addition of non-ionic surfactant;

wherein the steps a) to c) are performed sequentially.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the cationic cellulosic polymer is a quaternary ammonium salt of a hydroxyethyl or hydroxypropyl substituted cellulosic polymer.

4. A process according to claim 3, wherein the cationic cellulosic polymer is selected from the group comprising cocodimethylammonium hydroxypropyl oxyethyl cellulose, lauryldimethylammonium hydroxypropyl oxyethyl cellulose, stearyldimethylammonium hydroxypropyl oxyethyl cellulose, and stearyldimethylammonium hydroxyethyl cellulose;

cellulose 2-hydroxyethyl 2-hydroxy 3-(trimethyl ammonio)propyl ether salt, polyquaternium-4, polyquaternium-10, polyquaternium-24 and polyquaternium-67 or mixtures thereof.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein the cationic cellulosic polymer is polyquaternium-10.

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein the cationic cellulosic polymer has a molecular weight of less than about 850,000 Daltons.

7. A process according to claim 1, wherein when the polymer pre-mix of step a) is made by dissolving the cationic polymer in a water and solvent mixture, the water activity of the pre-mix is from 0.2 to 0.7.

8. A process according to claim 7, wherein the water activity of the pre-mix is from 0.3 to 0.7.

9. A process according to claim 1, wherein the anionic surfactant has an organic counterion chosen from mono-, di- or tri-ethanolammonium salts.

10. A process according to claim 1, wherein the anionic surfactant is present in the composition at a level of from 2 to 70% by weight of the total composition.

11. A process according to claim 1, wherein the non-ionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of fatty alcohol ethoxylates, alkylphenol ethoxylates, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block polymers and mixtures thereof.

12. A process according to claim 1, wherein the non-ionic surfactant is present in the composition at a level of from 2 to 50% by weight of the total composition.

13. A process according to claim 1, wherein the non-ionic surfactant is present at a level of from 5 to 80% by weight of total surfactant present in the composition.

14. A process according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of 1,3-propanediol and 2-methyl-1,3-propanediol, glycerine, ethylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, tetramethylene glycol, pentamethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, 2,3 butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, and 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof.

15. A process according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is present at a level of from 2.5 to 50% by weight of the total composition.

16. A liquid fabric treatment product obtainable by the process according to claim 1.

18. A composition according to claim 16, wherein the viscosity of the composition is from 100 to 600mPa·

s at 25°

C. 21 1/s.

19. A method of fabric treatment comprising the steps of:

a) providing a unit dose fabric treatment product comprising a non-aqueous liquid fabric treatment composition according to claim 16; and

,

b) contacting one or more articles with the composition at one or more points during a laundering process.

20. A method according to claim 18 wherein step b) occurs during the main wash of a laundering process.

21. Use of a liquid unit dose fabric treatment product according to claim 16 to soften fabric.

2. A process for the preparation of a unit dose fabric treatment product comprising a non-aqueous liquid fabric treatment composition comprising no more than 20% by weight of water, characterised in that the process comprises:

a) provision of a pre-mix comprising cationic cellulosic polymer, water and optional solvent;

b) admixture of the pre-mix with at least one anionic surfactant;

c) subsequent addition of non-ionic surfactant,

wherein the steps a) to c) are performed sequentially, and wherein the process further comprises encapsulation of the non aqueous fabric treatment composition into a unit dose package.

17. A liquid unit dose fabric treatment product obtainable by the process according to claim 2.