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Fabric color care method

  • US 6,916,774 B2
  • Filed: 05/25/2004
  • Issued: 07/12/2005
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for restoring and/or rejuvenating color of a worn, faded color fabric, wherein said method comprises applying an effective amount of a fabric color care active to said fabric, wherein said fabric color care active is selected from the group consisting of:

  • (i) polysaccharides selected from the group consisting of;

    heteropolysaccharides;

    algal polysaccharides;

    microbial polysaccharides;

    lipopolysaccharides;

    fungal polysaccharides;

    animal polysaccharides; and

    mixtures thereof;

    (ii) water soluble and/or water dispersible synthetic polymer selected from the group consisting of homopolymer of hydrophilic monomers;

    homopolymer of hydrophobic monomers;

    copolymer of hydrophilic monomers and hydrophobic monomers; and

    mixtures thereof;

    wherein said hydrophilic monomers are selected from the group consisting of;

    acrylic acid;

    methacrylic acid;

    crotonic acid;

    maleic acid and its half esters;

    itaconic acid;

    salts of said acids;

    vinyl alcohol;

    allyl alcohol;

    vinyl pyrrolidone;

    vinyl caprolactam;

    vinyl pyridine;

    vinyl imidazole;

    vinyl sulfonate;

    N,N-dimethylacrylamide;

    N-t-butyl acrylamide;

    hydroxyethyl methacrylate;

    dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate; and

    mixtures thereof; and

    wherein said hydrophobic monomers are selected from the group consisting of;

    methyl acrylate;

    ethyl acrylate;

    t-butyl acrylate;

    methyl methacrylate;

    2-ethyl hexyl methacrylate;

    methoxy ethyl methacrylate;

    vinyl acetate;

    vinyl propionate;

    vinyl neodecanoate;

    styrene;

    t-butyl styrene;

    vinyl toluene;

    methyl vinyl ether;

    vinyl chloride;

    vinylidene chloride;

    ethylene;

    propylene;

    other unsaturated hydrocarbons; and

    mixtures thereof;

    (iii) fabric softening actives capable of forming a bilayer structure, wherein said fabric softening activves are biodegradable and have with highly unsaturated and/or branched hydrophobic chains; and

    (iv) mixtures thereof;

    and wherein the color restoration and/or rejuvenation is characterized by the ability of said active to change the properties of a worn, faded black cotton (chino) twill test fabric, resulting in;

    (A) a percentage reflectance reduction Δ

    R of at least about 5%;

    (B) a Hunter L value reduction Δ

    L of at least about 1.0; and

    (C) a percentage pill number reduction Δ

    P of at least at least about 20%.

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