Detergent compositions

• US 5,019,292 A
• Filed: 12/21/1988
• Issued: 05/28/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Baeck, Andre C., Oh, Young S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barr, Josephine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ghyka, Alexander G.
• Application Number:
  US07/287,978
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 252/135, 252/544, 252/546, 252/547, 252/8.6, 252/8.8, 252/174.25
• US Class Current: 510/330
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/001 Softening compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/1253 Layer silicates, e.g. talcum, kaolin, clay, bentonite, smectite, montmorillonite, hectorite or attapulgite

Abstract

Detergent compositions are disclosed which comprise, as a fabric softening ingredient, a fabric softening clay. The fabric softening clay is a hectorite of natural origin, having a layer change distribution such that at least 50% is in the range 0.23-0.31. The clays preferably exhibit Relative Deposition values of at least 2.5.

Claims

1. A granular detergent composition comprising:

at least about 1% of a detersive surfactant;

from about 5% to about 35% detergent builders;

from about 1% to about 25% of a hectorite clay as a fabric softening ingredient, wherein said hectorite clay consists essentially of clay of natural origin having the general formula;

##EQU3## wherein Me^III is Al, Fe, or B;

or y=0;

Mⁿ⁺ is a monovalent (n=1) or divalent (n=2) metal ion, said clay having a layer charge distribution (x+y) such that at least 50% of the layer charge is in the range of from about 0.23 to about 0.31; and

in addition to said hectorite clay, from about 1% to about 10% of an additional fabric softening ingredient comprising;

an amine of the formula R₁ R₂ R₃ N, wherein R₁ is selected from C₆ to C₂₀ hydrocarbyl groups, R₂ is selected from C₁ to C₂₀ hydrocarbyl groups and R₃ is selected from C₁ to C₂₀ hydrocarbyl or hydrogen groups;

or an amide of the formula R₁₀ R₁₁ NCOR₁₂, wherein R₁₀ and R₁₁ are independently selected from C₁ -C₂₂ alkyl, alkenyl, hydroxy alkyl, aryl, and alkyl-aryl groups, R₁₂ is hydrogen, a C₁ -C₂₂ alkyl or alkenyl, an aryl group, an alkyl-aryl group, or an O-R₁₃ group, wherein R₁₃ is selected from a C₁ -C₂₂ alkyl or alkenyl group, an aryl, or an alkyl-aryl group;

or a 1-(higher alkyl) amide (lower alkyl)-2-(higher alkyl) imidazoline, wherein said higher alkyl is an alkyl having from about 12 to about 22 carbon atoms, and said lower alkyl is an alkyl having from about 1 to about 4 carbon atoms.

2. A granular detergent composition according to claim 1, wherein said hectorite clay has a distribution of layer charge (x+y) such that at least about 65% of the layer charge is in the range of from about 0.23 to about 0.31.

3. A granular detergent composition according to claim 2, comprising from about 1% to about 25% of a hectorite clay of natural origin, wherein cotton terry towels laundered with a detergent composition containing about 10% (weight) of the hectorite clay show a reduction of the shear hysteresis, 2HG5, of at least about 32%.

4. A granular detergent composition according to claim 3, wherein the reduction of the shear hysteresis is at least about 35%.

6. A granular detergent composition according to claim 1 wherein R₁ and R₂ of said amine are each alkyl having from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms, and R₃ is methyl.

7. A granular detergent composition according to claim 6 wherein the amine is present in the form of a complex with a fatty acid of the formula RCOOH, wherein R is a C₉ to C₂₀ alkyl or alkenyl.

8. A granular detergent composition according to claim 7 wherein the amine is present in form of a complex with a phosphate ester of the formula:

##STR4## wherein R₈ and R₉ are C₁ -C₂₀ alkyl, or ethoxylated alkyl groups of the general formula alkyl-(OCH₂ CH₂)_y, wherein the alkyl substituent is C₁ -C₂₀, and y is an integer of 1 to 15.

9. A granular detergent composition according to claim 4 wherein the amide is present in the form of a composite with the fatty acid of the formula RCOOH, wherein R is a C₉ to C₂₀ alkyl or alkenyl.

10. A granular detergent composition according to claim 4 further comprising from about 5% to about 35% of a builder system, said builder system comprising:

(a) from about 1% to about 99% by weight of a tartrate monosuccinate component of the structure;

##STR5## wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation; and

(b) from about 1% to about 99% by weight of a tartrate disuccinate component of the structure;

##STR6## wherein X is H or a salt-forming cation.

11. A granular detergent composition according to claim 4 comprising from about 1% to about 25% of a hectorite clay of natural origin, wherein the relative deposition of the clay is at least about 2.5.

12. A granular detergent composition according to claim 11, wherein the Relative Deposition of the clay is at least about 2.7.

13. A granular detergent composition according to claim 12, wherein the Relative Deposition of the clay is at least about 2.9.

5. A method for washing and softening fabrics with a detergent composition containing a fabric softening clay, wherein said detergent comprises at least about 1% of a detersive surfactant, from about 5% to about 35% detergent builders, and from about 1% to about 25% of a hectorite clay of natural origin, said hectorite clay having the general formula:

##EQU4## wherein Me^III is Al, Fe, or B;

or y=0;

Mⁿ⁺ is a monovalent (n=1) or divalent (n=2) metal ion, said clay having a layer charge distribution (x+y) such that at least 50% of the layer charge is in the range of from about 0.23 to about 0.31, and wherein said detergent composition is used at a concentration of at least about 500 ppm in an aqueous laundry bath.