STRUCTURING AGENT FOR LIQUID DETERGENT AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS

• US 20150210967A1
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Cooperatie Cosun U.A.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Cooperatie Cosun U.A.
• Inventors: Van Engelen, Gerardus Petrus Franciscus Maria, Van Ingen, Gijsbert Adriaan, Meeuwissen, Corne, Nolles, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,862,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/412 Microsized, i.e. having sizes between 0.1 and 100 microns
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/0241 Containing particulates characterized by their shape and/or structure see also A61K8/04, A61K8/11, and A61K8/14, further aspects are classified in A61K2800/40 and subcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/463 containing sulfuric acid derivatives, e.g. sodium lauryl sulfate
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/731 Cellulose; Quaternized cellulose derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/005 Preparations for sensitive skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/10 Washing or bathing preparations
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 5/02 Preparations for cleaning the hair
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 5/12 Preparations containing hair conditioners
• CPC Class Codes: C08H 8/00 Macromolecular compounds derived from lignocellulosic materials pretreatment thereof B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 1/02 Cellulose; Modified cellulose
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/16 Fibres; Fibrils
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/18 Spheres
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 5/06 Pectin; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 5/14 Hemicellulose; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 97/02 Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse manufacture of articles made from lignocellulosic material by dry processes B27N
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/0026 Structured liquid compositions, e.g. liquid crystalline phases or network containing non-Newtonian phase
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/222 Natural or synthetic polysaccharides, e.g. cellulose, starch, gum, alginic acid or cyclodextrin
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/382 Vegetable products, e.g. soya meal, wood flour, sawdust
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/44 Vegetable products
• CPC Class Codes: D21C 5/00 Other processes for obtaining cellulose, e.g. cooking cotton linters obtaining fibres for spinning D01C; Processes characterised by the choice of cellulose-containing starting materials
• CPC Class Codes: D21H 11/12 : Pulp from non-woody plants or crops, e.g. cotton, flax, straw, bagasse
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 : Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

This invention relates to an external structuring agent for application in liquid detergent and personal care products. It has been found that cellulose based particles, which comprise cell wall material and their networks of cellulose based fibers and nanofibrils can advantageously be used to structure liquid detergent and personal care products, providing certain benefits that are much sought after in the design of such products. It is assumed that the organization of the cellulose fibrils, as it exists in the parenchymal cell walls, is at least partly retained in the cellulose based particles of the invention, even though part of the pectin and hemicellulose is removed there from. The process of making the structuring agent involves processing under relatively mild conditions, of a biological material that is currently considered a by-product.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A parenchymal cellulose composition, comprising a particulate cellulose material comprising, by dry weight of the particulate cellulose material, (i) at least 70% cellulose, (ii) 0.5-10% pectin and (iii) 1-15% hemicellulose, wherein the particulate material has a volume-weighted median major particle dimension within the range of 25-75 μ

m, as measured by laser light diffractometry.

22. The parenchymal cellulose composition according to claim 21, wherein the particulate material has a volume-weighted median major particle dimension within the range of 35-65 μ

m, as measured by laser light diffractometry

23. The parenchymal cellulose composition according to claim 21, wherein at least 90%, on a volume basis, of the particles have a diameter less than 120 μ

m.

24. The parenchymal cellulose composition according to claim 21, wherein at least 90%, on a volume basis, of the particles have a diameter less than 110 μ

m.

25. The parenchymal cellulose composition according to claim 21, wherein the morphology of the particulate cellulose material has cellulose network structures.

26. The parenchymal cellulose composition according to claim 21, comprising less than 10 wt. % of unraveled cellulose nanofibrils.

34. A method of preparing a parenchymal cellulose composition according to claim 21, the method comprising:

(a) subjecting parenchymal cell-containing vegetable pulp to chemical and/or enzymatic treatment resulting in partial degradation and/or extraction of pectin and hemicellulose, wherein the mixture may be homogenized once or several times by applying low shear force during and/or after said chemical and/or enzymatic treatment;

(b) subjecting the material resulting from step (a) to a high shear process, wherein the particle size of the cellulose material is reduced so as to yield a particulate material having a volume-weighted median major dimension within the range of 25-75 μ

m, as measured by laser diffractiometry; and

(c) removing liquid from the mass obtained in step (b).

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the vegetable pulp is sugar beet pulp.

36. The method according to claim 34, wherein the chemical treatment comprises:

(i) mixing the parenchymal cell containing vegetable pulp with a 0.1-1.0 M alkaline metal hydroxide; and

(ii) heating the mixture of parenchymal cell containing vegetable pulp and alkaline metal hydroxide to a temperature within the range of 80-120°

C. for a period of at least 10 minutes.

37. The method according to claim 36, comprising mixing the parenchymal cell containing vegetable pulp with a 0.3-0.7 M alkaline metal hydroxide.

38. The method according to claim 34, wherein the alkaline metal hydroxide is sodium hydroxide.

39. The method according to claim 36, wherein the mixture is heated to a temperature between 90-100°

C.

40. The method according to claim 34, wherein the high sheer process comprises a high pressure homogenizer.

41. The method according to claim 34, wherein step (c) comprises pressing of the composition, while allowing the composition to expand laterally, to reduce the water content of the composition.

27. A liquid detergent product or liquid personal care product comprising:

(a) an aqueous medium;

(b) a surfactant system; and

(c) an external structuring agent;

wherein the structuring agent comprises the particulate cellulose material comprising, by dry weight of the particulate cellulose material, (i) at least 70% cellulose, (ii) 0.5-10% pectin and (iii) 1-15% hemicellulose, wherein the particulate material has a volume-weighted median major particle dimension within the range of 25-75 μ

m, as measured by laser light diffractometry.

28. The liquid detergent product or liquid personal care product according to claim 27, comprising:

0.1-70% (w/w) of the surfactant system and 0.01-5% (w/w) of the external structuring agent.

29. The liquid detergent or personal care product according to claim 27, comprising less than 0.05 wt. % of bacterial cellulose.

30. The liquid detergent or personal care product according to claim 27, comprising less than 0.001 wt. % of citrus fibres.

31. The liquid detergent or personal care product according to claim 27, wherein the composition has slope of stress (on y axis, measured in pascals) versus shear rate (on x axis, measured in s⁻

1) of 0.05 to 0.75.

32. The liquid detergent or personal care product according to claim 27, further comprising (d) up to 25% (w/w) of one or more adjunct ingredients.

33. The liquid detergent or personal care product according to claim 27, wherein the composition is a product selected from laundry detergent products;

hand dishwashing products;

machine dishwashing products;

cleaning products for hard surfaces, in particular lavatory fixtures, toilets, shower stalls, bathtubs, bidets, sinks, countertops, walls, floors, windows;

industrial detergents; and

liquid personal hygiene products, in particular shampoos, conditioners, skin cleansing products and baby care products.