Detergent compositions

• US 4,661,289 A
• Filed: 08/27/1985
• Issued: 04/28/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lever Brothers Company (Unilever PLC)
• Original Assignee: Lever Brothers Company (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Nooi, Jacobus R., Parslow, Michael W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wax, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US06/769,653
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 252/174.12, 252/8.8, 252/547
• US Class Current: 510/322
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/22 derived from aromatic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/62 Quaternary ammonium compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/72 Ethers of polyoxyalkylene glycols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/86 Mixtures of anionic, cationic, and non-ionic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/38645 containing cellulase

Abstract

The invention pertains to fabric-washing and -softening compositions comprising a combination of a cationic softening agent and a fungal cellulase. The compositions combine good cleaning performance with effective textile-softening performance on a wide range of natural and synthetic fibres.

Claims

1. An alkaline detergent composition for the cleaning and softening of fabrics comprising:

(a) from 2 to 50% by weight of a detergent surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic surfactants and mixtures thereof;

(b) from 1.5 to 6% by weight of a cationic fabric-softening compound;

(c) from 0 to 80% by weight of a detergency builder, and

(d) from 0.1 to 10% by weight of a fungal cellulase, comprising the cellulase in an amount corresponding to from about 4 to about 150 regular C_x units/gram of the detergent composition.

2. A composition according to claim 1, comprising a fungal cellulase having an optimum activity at alkaline pH values.

3. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the cationic compound is a di(C₁₆ -C₂₀ alkyl) di(C₁ -C₄ alkyl) ammonium salt.

4. A composition according to claim 1, wherein the cationic compound is a C₁₀ -C₂₅ alkyl imidazolinium salt corresponding to the formula:

##STR6## wherein R₆ is a C₁ -C₄ alkyl radical, R₅ is hydrogen or a C₁ -C₄ alkyl radical, R₈ is a C₁₀ -C₂₅ alkyl radical and R₇ is hydrogen or a C₁₀ -C₂₅ radical, X being a charge balancing anion.

5. A composition according to claim 1, which comprises 5 to 15% by weight of the anionic surfactant.