Detergent compositions containing starch

Laundry detergent compositions comprising an organic surface-active agent and low concentrations of substantially water-insoluble starch, the starch being added to the compositions as an intimate comixture with polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of from about 400 to about 50,000, are disclosed. These compositions impart anti-wrinkling and ease-of-ironing benefits to fabrics laundered with them.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to laundry detergent compositions of the type 
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,681, Edwards and Diehl, issued July 1, 
1975, said patent being incorporated herein by reference. The dry starches 
disclosed in that patent are, in general, quite dusty and difficult to 
handle, posing a potential dust explosion hazard, in the processing of the 
detergent compositions. The detergent compositions described in U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,116,854, Temple et al, issued Sept. 26, 1978, also incorporated 
herein by reference, utilizes water-insoluble starch which contains from 
about 0.01% to about 5% by weight of a substantially water-insoluble 
organic liquid as a means of minimizing these dust/handling problems, 
while simultaneously providing the fabric care benefits described in the 
Edwards et al patent. These compositions, however, may leave laundered 
fabrics with difficult to remove creases, if those fabrics are not removed 
from the laundry dryer promptly at the conclusion of the heated drying 
cycle. 
By utilizing the compositions described herein, it is possible to minimize 
both the dustiness of the compositions described in the Edwards et al 
patent and the creasing properties of the compositions described in the 
Temple et al application, while also providing laundered fabrics with 
anti-wrinkling and ease-of-ironing benefits. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The instant invention provides detergent compositions which are capable of 
concurrently cleaning and imparting desirable fabric care and handling 
properties to fabrics laundered therewith. These compositions comprise: 
(A) FROM ABOUT 4% TO ABOUT 60% BY WEIGHT OF AN ORGANIC SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENT 
SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ANIONIC, NONIONIC, ZWITTERIONIC, AND 
AMPHOLYTIC DETERGENTS, AND MIXTURES THEREOF; AND 
(B) FROM ABOUT 0.1% TO ABOUT 8% BY WEIGHT OF AN INTIMATE COMIXTURE OF A 
GRANULAR, SUBSTANTIALLY WATER-INSOLUBLE STARCH HAVING AN AVERAGE TICLE 
DIAMETER OF FROM ABOUT 1 TO ABOUT 45 MICROMETERS AND A SWELLING POWER OF 
LESS THAN ABOUT 15 ABOUT A TEMPERATURE OF 65.degree. C., and polyethylene 
glycol having a molecular weight of from about 400 to about 50,000, 
wherein the ratio of starch to polyethylene glycol component is from about 
10:1 to about 1:25. 
A method aspect of this invention relates to a method for treating fabrics 
to simultaneously clean and impart anti-wrinkling and ease-of-ironing 
benefits, comprising the agitation of those fabrics in an aqueous solution 
containing from about 0.01% to about 0.3%, preferably from about 0.02% to 
about 0.2%, by weight, of the detergent compositions described herein. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The ingredients, including the starch, anionic surface-active agents, 
nonionic surface-active agents, ampholytic surface-active agents, 
zwitterionic surface-active agents, clays, detergency builder salts, and 
additional laundry additives, which can be present in the compositions of 
this invention, are fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,681, Edwards et 
al, issued July 1, 1975, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,854, Temple et al, issued 
Sept. 26, 1978, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
The compositions of the present invention contain from about 0.1% to about 
8%, preferably from about 0.5% to about 3%, most preferably from about 1% 
to about 2%, especially about 1.5%, of an intimate comixture of the starch 
component together with polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of 
from about 400 to about 50,000, preferably from about 400 to about 20,000. 
Polyethylene glycols are polymeric compounds having the formula 
HO(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n H, where n varies to give the appropriate 
molecular weight. The starch and polyethylene glycol components are 
intimately mixed together, in ratios defined herein, and the mixture is 
generally formed into a particulate additive or is sprayed onto the 
remainder of the detergent composition. In either case, it is preferred 
that the polyethylene glycol be in molten form when mixed with the starch. 
Where the comixture of starch and polyethylene glycol is to be sprayed 
onto the remainder of the detergent composition, it is preferred that the 
polyethylene glycol have a molecular weight of from about 400 to about 
3,000. Where the method of incorporation utilizes the starch/polyethylene 
glycol comixture in particulate form, such as admixing of a coflake or 
prill, it is preferred that the polyethylene glycol have a molecular 
weight of from about 3,000 to about 20,000, preferably from about 3,600 to 
about 9,000, especially from about 6,000 to about 7,500. A particularly 
preferred polyethylene glycol component is PEG 6000, commercially 
available from Union Carbide Corporation, New York, New York. The starch 
and polyethylene glycol components are included in the comixture in a 
ratio of starch to polyethylene glycol of from about 10:1 to about 1:25, 
preferably from about 3:1 to about 1:5, more preferably from about 2:1 to 
about 1:2, especially about 2:3. 
The preferred starch for use in the compositions of the present invention 
is corn starch. 
The starch/polyethylene glycol comixture may be incorporated into the 
detergent compositions in ways which are conventionally known and used in 
the detergency arts. For example, the starch and polyethylene glycol 
components may be mixed together and either sprayed onto or agglomerated 
with the remainder of the detergent composition, in granular or 
particulate form. The polyethylene glycol component may also be sprayed 
onto the starch, with the resulting product being admixed with the 
remainder of the detergent composition. In these processes it is preferred 
that the polyethylene glycol used have a relatively low molecular weight 
(i.e., from about 400 to about 3,000) in order to give the mixture 
sufficient fluidity to facilitate the spraying process. 
The starch/polyethylene glycol mixture may also be incorporated into the 
detergent composition by premixing molten polyethylene glycol with the 
starch and forming either a prill or a coflake from the mixture, using 
conventionally known techniques, and admixing these prills or coflakes 
with the remainder of the detergent composition. If the prills or coflakes 
are admixed with the granules immediately following the spray drying 
operation, the granules are relatively hot (170.degree.-200.degree. F.), 
and the prills or coflakes fuse to the granule surfaces. This is 
desirable, since it decreases segregation of the starch/polyethylene 
glycol comixture and detergent granules. When the starch/polyethylene 
glycol comixture is incorporated into the detergent composition in a 
particulate form, such as a prill or coflake, it is preferred that its 
particulate size be on the same order of magnitude as the detergent 
granules with which it is admixed, in order to minimize segregation of the 
starch/polyethylene glycol particles from the remainder of the detergent 
composition. It is preferred that the prills or coflakes formed be of an 
average size such that they will pass through a No. 10 Tyler Standard Test 
Sieve, but will remain on a No. 65 Tyler Standard Test Sieve. Further, 
where the polyethylene glycol and starch components are formed into a 
coflake, it is preferred that this flake have an average thickness of from 
about 0.01 to about 0.02 inch in order to improve product solubility and 
provide a composition which is uniform in appearance. 
Contrary to the teachings found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,681, it has now been 
discovered that it is possible to incorporate the starch/polyethylene 
glycol comixtures, disclosed herein, into a spray-dried detergent granule 
by incorporating the comixture into the crutcher mix prior to 
spray-drying. Preferably the conditions of the crutcher are such that only 
a minimal amount of the starch will be degraded. These conditions, of 
course, will have to take into account the time the starch is exposed to 
the crutcher mix, the temperature of the crutcher mix, and the other 
ingredients of the crutcher mix, among other factors. The combination of 
all the factors must be adjusted, as is well known in the art, so as to 
avoid degradation of the starch during the crutching process. 
Preferably, the temperature of the crutcher mix should be kept as low as 
possible, preferably below the gelation temperature of the starch, which 
is normally in the range of from about 170.degree. F. to 180.degree. F. 
In a preferred method of incorporation, the starch/polyethylene glycol 
comixture is added to a slurry composed of any silicate that may be used 
in the composition, optical brighteners, colorants, etc. This slurry can 
then be added to the crutcher along with the other ingredients. Typically, 
the crutcher mix is heated to a temperature of from about 150.degree. F. 
to about 160.degree. F. and then atomized in a spray-drying tower, to form 
the granule. 
All percentages, parts, and ratios used herein are by weight unless 
otherwise specified.

The following nonlimiting examples illustrate the compositions and the 
method of the present invention. 
EXAMPLE I 
Three spray-dried detergent compositions were prepared and their 
anti-wrinkling performance tested in the following manner. Composition A 
was prepared by combining and spray-drying the ingredients given below. 
Composition B, having basically the same formula as that given below 
except that 0.6% corn starch replaced an equal amount of sodium sulfate, 
was prepared by combining the ingredients, except for the corn starch, and 
spray-drying them to form a granule which was then admixed with the dry 
corn starch. The handling, preparation and admixing of this composition 
resulted in the presence of corn starch dust in the air. Composition C, 
having the same formulation as Composition B, was prepared by forming a 
prill of the corn starch and polyethlene glycol components, and admixing 
this prill with a spray-dried detergent granule formed with the remaining 
components. 
______________________________________ 
Component Weight % 
______________________________________ 
Sodium C.sub.13 linear alkylbenzene 
16.8 
sulfonate 
Sodium tripolyphosphate 32.8 
Sodium sulfate 33.5 
Sodium silicate solids (2.0r) 
6.0 
Polyethylene glycol 6000 
0.9 
Condensation product of coconut alkyl 
0.5 
alcohol with 6 moles of ethylene oxide 
Moisture and minors (including perfume 
balance to 100 
and brightener) 
______________________________________ 
Shirt back panels (polyester/cotton fabric) were washed in each of the 
three compositions and dried in a heated tumble laundry dryer for several 
cycles. These panels were then round-robin paired and comparison graded by 
three judges for the last four cycles of the test. Usually there were four 
replicates of three colors of the shirt panels in each test. Visual 
preferences were recorded after each of the drying cycles, using a 0 to 4 
rating scale where 0 equals no difference between the panels compared, and 
4 equals a very large difference. This procedure was repeated twice for 
each of the detergent compositions and the results were averaged. The 
panels were washed in a Kenmore top-loading automatic washer set at about 
100.degree. F., using 17 gallons of 7 grains hardness water and 77 grams 
of product. 
The results were as follows. Composition A gave panels which had a relative 
wrinkle appearance with a grade defined as 0; Composition B gave fabrics 
with a relative wrinkle appearance grade of 0.91; and Composition C, the 
composition of the present invention, gave fabrics with a relative wrinkle 
appearance grade of 0.90. Compositions B and C yielded fabrics that were 
clearly less wrinkled than fabrics which were washed with Composition A. 
These data indicate that the compositions of the present invention yield 
an anti-wrinkling advantage when compared to compositions which do not 
contain the starch component and, at the same time, do not cause the dust 
and processing disadvantages which accompany the preparation of dry starch 
compositions, such as Composition B. 
Substantially equivalent results are obtained when the anionic surfactants 
in the above compositions are replaced with an equivalent amount of the 
condensation product of nonylphenol with about 9.5 moles of ethylene 
oxide, the condensation product of coconut fatty alcohol with about 6 
moles of ethylene oxide, the condensation product of tallow fatty alcohol 
with about 11 moles of ethylene oxide, the condensation product of a 
secondary fatty alcohol containing about 15 carbon atoms with about 9 
moles of ethylene oxide, 3(N,N-dimethyl-N-alkylammonio) 
propane-1-sulfonate, wherein the alkyl group averages about 14.8 carbon 
atoms in length, 3(N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecylammonio)-propane-1-sulfonate, 
or mixtures of these surfactants. 
Excellent results are obtained where the granular corn starch, used above, 
is replaced with rice starch, tapioca starch, wheat starch, sweet potato 
starch, grain sorghum starch, arrowroot granular starch, or mixtures 
thereof; as well as with comixtures having starch to polyethylene glycol 
ratios of 5:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:3, 1:10 or 1:15. 
Substantially equivalent results are also obtained where the polyethylene 
glycol used in the above compositions is replaced by an equivalent amount 
of polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of about 1,000, 
polyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight of about 3,500, 
polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of about 7,500, or 
polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of about 9,000. 
Excellent performance is also obtained when the sodium tripolyphosphate 
builder used in the compositions above, is replaced with an equivalent 
amount of sodium nitrilotriacetate, sodium melitate, sodium citrate, 
sodium carbonate, or mixtures thereof. 
EXAMPLE II 
A detergent composition having the following formula is prepared by forming 
coflakes of the polyethylene glycol and corn starch components and 
admixing these coflakes with spray-dried detergent granules formed with 
the remaining components, given below. 
______________________________________ 
Component Weight % 
______________________________________ 
Coflake 
Polyethylene glycol having a 
0.5 
molecular weight of about 8000 
Rice starch 1.0 
Detergent Granule 
Sodium tallow alkyl sulfate 
11.0 
Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate 
9.0 
Sodium tripolyphosphate 
47.0 
Sodium silicate (1.6r) 5.0 
Sodium sulfate 11.0 
Moisture and minors balance to 100 
______________________________________ 
This composition, when used in the automatic laundering process, at a 
concentration of about 0.15% in aqueous solution, provides cleaning, 
anti-wrinkling and ease-of-ironing benefits to the laundered fabrics. 
EXAMPLE III 
A granular detergent composition, having the formula given below, is 
prepared by combining the polyethylene glycol and corn starch components, 
forming this mixture into prills, and admixing these prills with detergent 
granules formed by spray-drying the remaining components, given below. 
______________________________________ 
Component Weight % 
______________________________________ 
Prill 
Corn starch 0.6 
Polyethylene glycol 6000 
0.9 
Detergent Granule 
Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate 
12.0 
Sodium C.sub.14-16 alkyl sulfate, ethoxy- 
8.0 
lated with an average of 1.1 moles 
of ethylene oxide per molecule 
Sodium tripolyphosphate 
24.4 
Sodium sulfate 33.2 
Sodium silicate (2.0r) 
12.0 
Coconut fatty alcohol 0.33 
Moisture and minors balance to 100 
______________________________________ 
This composition, when used to launder fabrics, cleans those fabrics while 
simultaneously providing anti-wrinkling and ease-of-ironing benefits to 
them. 
EXAMPLE IV 
The following composition is prepared by mixing the polyethylene glycol and 
corn starch components, forming them into prills, and admixing these 
prills with detergent granules, made by combining and spray-drying the 
remaining components, given below. 
______________________________________ 
Component Weight % 
______________________________________ 
Prill 
Corn starch 0.6 
Polyethylene glycol 6000 
0.9 
Detergent Granule 
Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate 
12.6 
Sodium C.sub.14-16 alkyl sulfate, ethoxy- 
5.4 
lated with an average of 2.3 moles 
of ethylene oxide per molecule 
Zeolite A - Na.sub.12 (AlO.sub.2 . SiO.sub.2).sub.12 . 27H.sub.2 O 
25.0 
Sodium silicate (1.6r) 7.0 
Sodium carbonate 13.0 
Sodium acetate 3.0 
sodium sulfate 21.7 
Polyethylene glycol 6000 
0.7 
Moisture and minors balance to 100 
______________________________________ 
This composition yields excellent cleaning, wrinkle reduction and 
ease-of-ironing benefits when used to launder fabrics; and is easy to 
handle and does not cause a starch dust hazard in its preparation. 
EXAMPLE V 
A composition, the formula for which is given below, is prepared by making 
coflakes out of the polyethylene glycol and corn starch components and 
admixing these coflakes with detergent granules formed by spray-drying the 
remaining components. 
______________________________________ 
Component Weight % 
______________________________________ 
Coflake 
Corn starch 0.6 
Polyethylene glycol 6000 
0.9 
Detergent granule 
Sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate 
14.0 
Sodium C.sub.14-16 alkyl sulfate, ethoxy- 
6.0 
lated with an average of 2.3 moles 
of ethylene oxide per molecule 
Sodium sulfate 30.8 
Sodium silicate (2.4r) 
20.0 
Sodium carbonate 20.0 
Polyethylene glycol 6000 
0.7 
Moisture and minors balance to 100 
______________________________________ 
This composition yields anti-wrinkle and ease-of-ironing benefits which are 
superior to those obtained using the same composition without the corn 
starch additive, and provides processing advantages, in terms of dust 
control, over a detergent composition having the same formulation but 
where the dry starch is admixed with the detergent granules.