Fabric care compositions comprising an organophilic clay and a functionalized oil

• US 6,787,516 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2003
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Henkel IP & Holding GmbH (Henkel AG & Co KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Unilever Home & Personal Care USA (Unilever PLC)
• Inventors: Whilton, Nicola, Moorfield, David
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYER, CHARLES I
• Application Number:
  US10/634,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20040038853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 510/276, 510/334, 510/437, 510/463, 510/485, 510/504, 510/507, 510/515
• US Class Current: 510/507
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 1/36 of unknown constitution , e.g. natural products
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/1253 Layer silicates, e.g. talcum, kaolin, clay, bentonite, smectite, montmorillonite, hectorite or attapulgite
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/382 Vegetable products, e.g. soya meal, wood flour, sawdust

Abstract

A fabric care composition comprises

(i) an organophilic clay;

(ii) a functionalized oil; and

(iii) water.

The composition may be used to provide fabrics with softness and/or anti-wrinkle and/or other fabric benefits in laundering processes.

Claims

1. Fabric care composition comprising

(i) an organophilic clay;

(ii) a functionalized oil;

(iii) water; and

(iv) a compound selected from a cationic or nonionic fabric softening compound, fluorescers, antifoaming agents, antiredeposition agents, enzymes, optical brightening agents, dye transfer inhibitors, anti-shrinking agents, anti-spotting agents, chlorine scavengers, dye fixatives, anti-corrosion agents, drape imparting agents, antistatic agents, ironing aids, bleach systems, soil release agents, 10 to 70% by wt. of a detergency builder, or a blend thereof.

2. A fabric care composition according to claim 1 wherein said organophilic clay comprises a smectite-type clay.

3. A fabric care composition according to claim 2 wherein said smectite-type clay is a member selected from the group consisting of montmorillonite, bentonite, beidellite, hectorite, saponite, stevensite, and mixtures thereof.

4. A fabric care composition according to claim 2 wherein said organophilic clay comprises a first organic cation.

5. A fabric care composition according to claim 4 wherein said first organic cation is a member selected from the group consisting of quaternary ammonium salts, phosphonium salts, sulfonium salts and mixtures thereof.

6. A fabric care composition according claim 1 wherein the organophilic clay is included in the composition in the form of a gel comprising an oil.

7. A fabric care composition according to claim 6 wherein said oil comprises a vegetable oil which is a member selected from the group consisting of corn oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, cotton-seed oil, castor oil, linseed oil, safflower oil, palm oil, peanut oil, lanolin, sesame oil, olive oil, avocado oil, truffle oil, rapeseed oil, soyabean oil, maize oil and mixtures thereof.

8. A fabric care composition according to claim 1 wherein said organophilic clay is in particulate form.

9. A fabric care composition according to claim 1 wherein said functionalised oil comprises a functionalised vegetable oil in which the vegetable oil is a member selected from the group consisting of corn oil, coconut oil, soybean oil, cotton-seed oil, castor oil, linseed oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, peanut oil, lanolin, sesame oil, olive oil, avocado oil, truffle oil, rapeseed oil, soyabean oil, maize oil and functionalised mixtures thereof.

10. A fabric care composition according to claim 9 wherein said functionalised oil is a sulfated vegetable oil.

11. A fabric care composition according to claim 10 wherein said functionalised oil is sulfated castor oil.

12. A fabric care composition according to claim 1 wherein said organophilic clay is present in an amount of from 0.001% to 10% by weight of the composition.

13. A fabric care composition according to claim 9 wherein said functionalised oil is present in an amount of from 0.01% to 50% by weight of the composition.

14. A fabric care composition according to claim 1 wherein said weight ratio of (i):

(ii) is in the range of from 10;

1 to 1;

10.

15. A method of treating fabric to provide softness benefits for fabric and/or to provide anti-wrinkle benefits for fabric comprising applying to a fabric a composition comprising

(i) an organophilic clay;

(ii) a functionalised oil;

(iii) water; and

(iv) a compound selected from a cationic or nonionic fabric softening compound, fluorescers, antifoaming agents, antiredeposition agents, enzymes, optical brightening agents, dye transfer inhibitors, anti-shrinking agents, anti-spotting agents, chlorine scavengers, dye fixatives, anti-corrosion agents, drape imparting agents, antistatic agents, ironing aids, bleach systems, soil release agents, 10 to 70% by wt. of a detergency builder, or a blend thereof.