Process for making a liquid fabric softening composition

• US 6,218,354 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2000
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Demeyere, Hugo Jean Marie, De Poortere, Johan
• Primary Examiner(s): HARDEE, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US09/555,588
• Time in Patent Office: 320 Days
• Field of Search: 510/515, 510/527
• US Class Current: 510/527
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/62 Quaternary ammonium compounds
• 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 1/835 Mixtures of non-ionic with cationic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 11/0094 Process for making liquid detergent compositions, e.g. slurries, pastes or gels
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/0015 liquid

Abstract

There is provided a process for preparing a liquid softening composition comprising a fabric softener, a nonionic alkoxylated stabilizing agent, and a dye component, whereby the resulting softening composition exhibits effective freeze-thaw recovery properties and good dye homogeneity.

Claims

1. A process for making a liquid fabric softening composition which comprises the steps of:

a)-mixing and heating the fabric softener active and optional additives to form a melt;

b)-dispersing the melt in water;

c)-cooling the resulting dispersion to below the Krafft temperature of the softener active before adding a dye and a nonionic, alkoxylated stabilising agent.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said nonionic stabilising agent is selected from:

3. A process according to claim 2, wherein said hydrocarbyl group of the nonionic stabilising agent has a chain length of from 8 to 20 carbon atoms.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein said nonionic stabilising agent is selected from the group consisting of straight-chain primary alcohol alkoxylates, straight-chain secondary alcohol alkoxylates, alkyl phenol alkoxylates, olefinic alkoxylates branched chain alkoxylates and mixtures thereof.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein said nonionic alkoxylated stabilising agent is incorporated into the cold finished fabric softening composition at a level of 0.05% to 5% by weight of the liquid softening composition.

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein a perfume is added to the cold finished product.

7. A process according to claim 3, wherein said hydrocarbyl group of the nonionic stabilising agent has a chain length of from 10 to 18 carbon atoms.