Detergent compatible, dryer released fabric softening/antistatic agents in a sealed pouch

Fabric softener particles comprising an inner core of fabric softening composition and an outer coating completely surrounding said core. The outer coating is substantially water-insoluble and protects the inner core from dissolving when present in a typical fabric laundering operation, but releases the softener composition to the fabrics when the fabrics are dried in a heated dryer.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention pertains to coated particles of fabric softener which are 
included with detergent in the washing of fabrics. The particles survive 
the wash and release softener to the fabrics in a heated laundry dryer. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The advantages obtained from the application of fabric conditioning agents 
(i.e., fabric softeners and/or antistatic agents) to laundered fabrics is 
well-known. The present invention pertains to coated particulate 
softener/antistatic compositions which survive the wash process and 
release the active softening/antistatic agent to the laundered fabrics in 
the dryer. 
Fabric softening and antistatic benefits are a desirable part of the 
laundry process. Softening and antistatic compounds are, in general, 
quaternary ammonium compounds that are not compatible with anionic 
surfactants. These compounds will be referred to hereinafter as fabric 
softening compounds or fabric softeners, although it is to be understood 
that they deliver both softening and antistatic benefits to fabrics. The 
opposite electrical charge of the anionic surfactant used in most 
detergents and the quaternary ammonium fabric softening compounds leads to 
a mutual attraction which causes precipitation. This, in effect, removes 
surfactant and fabric softener from solution and reduces the cleaning 
capacity of the detergent while preventing effective fabric softener 
deposition on the fabric. 
One solution to this incompatibility problem is the separate addition of 
the fabric softener during either the rinse cycle of the wash or while the 
fabrics are in the dryer. This increases the inconvenience of using fabric 
softeners because of the need to add them at a point in the laundering 
process which is different from that at which the detergent is added. 
Various other solutions for this problem of incompatibility between 
detergent and softening compounds have been proposed in the art. U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,936,537, Baskerville Jr., issued Feb. 3, 1976, and U.S. Pat. No. 
4,095,946, Jones, issued June 20, 1978, teach the use of intimate mixtures 
of organic dispersion inhibitors (e.g., stearyl alcohol and fatty sorbitan 
esters) with solid fabric softener to improve the survival of the softener 
in the presence of detergent in the washer so the softener can act on the 
fabrics when it melts in the dryer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,627, Schilling, 
issued Nov. 18, 1980, teaches microencapsulation of fabric softener. The 
microcapsules survive the wash and adhere to the fabric surface. They are 
then ruptured by subsequent tumbling of the fabric in the dryer, thereby 
releasing softener to the fabrics. In spite of these developments, there 
is a continuing need for methods and compositions which are suitable for 
conveniently and effectively delivering fabric softeners to fabrics during 
the home laundering process. 
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide coated 
fabric softener compositions wherein the coating will be insoluble in a 
detergent solution but will release the softener to the fabrics at dryer 
temperatures. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to detergent-compatible, dryer-activated 
fabric softening particles having diameters of from about 5 microns to 
about 1,000 microns comprising an inner core of a fabric softener 
composition comprising a cationic fabric softener compound, and an outer 
coating comprised of water-insoluble material having a melting point above 
about 35.degree. C. 
The particles can be incorporated into laundry detergents. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to coated fabric softener particles which can 
be added to the wash step of the fabric laundering process and which 
release softener to fabrics in a laundry dryer. The invention also relates 
to laundry detergent compositions containing said particles. 
A. The Particles 
The particles of the present invention comprise an inner core of a fabric 
softener composition which comprises a cationic fabric softener, and an 
outer coating which completely surrounds the core and comprises a 
substantially water-insoluble material having a melting point above 
35.degree. C., preferably above 50.degree. C. By "substantially 
water-insoluble" herein is meant having a solubility in 35.degree. C. 
water of less than about 50 ppm. The particles have diameters of from 
about 5 microns to about 1,000 microns. The particles typically will be of 
a generally spherical shape, but can also have an irregular shape. The 
particle sizes quoted herein refer to the largest dimension (diameter or 
length) of the particle. 
Typical cationic fabric softeners useful herein are quaternary ammonium 
salts of the formula 
EQU [R.sub.1 R.sub.2 R.sub.3 R.sub.4 N].sup.+ Y.sup.- 
wherein one or two of R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 groups is an 
organic radical containing a group selected from a C.sub.12 -C.sub.22 
aliphatic radical or an alkylphenyl or alkylbenzyl radical having from 10 
to 16 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain, the remaining groups being selected 
from C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 hydroxyalkyl and cyclic 
structures in which the nitrogen atom in the above formula forms part of 
the ring, and Y constitutes an anionic radical such as halide, nitrate, 
bisulfate, methylsulfate, ethylsulfate and phosphate, to balance the 
cationic charge. 
In the context of the above definition, the hydrophobic moiety (i.e., the 
C.sub.12 -C.sub.22 aliphatic, C.sub.10 -C.sub.16 alkyl phenol or 
alkylbenzyl radical) in the organic radical R.sub.1 or R.sub.2 may be 
directly attached to the quaternary nitrogen atom or may be indirectly 
attached thereto through an amide, ester, alkoxy, ether, or like grouping. 
The quaternary ammonium compounds useful herein include both water-soluble 
compounds and substantially water-insoluble compounds which are 
dispersible in water. For example, imidazolinium compounds of the 
structure 
##STR1## 
wherein R is a C.sub.16 to C.sub.22 alkyl group, possess appreciable water 
solubility, but can be utilized in the present invention. 
The quaternary ammonium softener compounds used in this invention can be 
prepared in various ways well-known in the art and many such materials are 
commercially available. The quaternaries are often made from alkyl halide 
mixtures corresponding to the mixed alkyl chain lengths in fatty acids. 
For example, the ditallowalkyl quaternaries are made from alkyl halides 
having mixed C.sub.14 -C.sub.18 chain lengths. Such mixed di-long chain 
quaternaries are useful herein and are preferred from a cost standpoint. 
The anionic group which can be the counter-ion in the quaternary compounds 
useful herein is typically a halide (e.g., chloride or bromide), nitrate, 
bisulfate, ethylsulfate, or methylsulfate. The methylsulfate and chloride 
ions are the preferred counter-ions from an availability standpoint; while 
the methylsulfate anion is most preferred because of its minimization of 
corrosive effects on the automatic clothes dryers in which it is used. 
The following are representative examples of quaternary ammonium softening 
compounds suitable for use in the present invention. All the quaternary 
ammonium compounds listed can be included in the present invention, but 
the compilation of suitable quaternary compounds hereinafter is only by 
way of example and is not intended to be limiting of such compounds. 
Dioctadecyldimethylammonium methylsulfate is an especially preferred 
fabric softening compound for use herein, by virtue of its high 
antistatic, as well as fabric softening activity; 
ditallowalkyldimethylammonium methylsulfate is equally preferred because 
of its ready availability and its good antistatic activity; other useful 
di-long chain quaternary compounds are dicetyldimethylammonium chloride, 
didocosyldimethylammonium chloride, didodecyldimethylammonium chloride, 
ditallowalkyldimethylammonium bromide, dioleoyldimethylammonium 
methylsulfate, ditallowalkyldiethylammonium chloride, 
ditallowalkyldipropylammonium bromide, ditallowalkyldibutylammonium 
fluoride, cetyldecylmethylethylamonium chloride, 
bis-[ditallowalkyldimethylammonium] bisulfate, 
tris-[ditallowalkyldimethylammonium] phosphate, 
1-methyl-1-tallowamidoethyl-2-tallowimidazolinium methylsulfate, and the 
like. Particularly preferred quaternary ammonium fabric softening 
compounds are ditallowalkyldimethylammonium chloride and 
ditallowalkyldimethylammonium methylsulfate. The fabric softener core of 
the particles of the invention comprises from about 70% to about 97% and 
most preferably about 85% to about 97% of the particle. All percentages 
herein are "by weight" unless otherwise indicated. 
The core composition can consist entirely of cationic fabric softeners, and 
will generally comprise at least 10%, usually 10% to 50% cationic fabric 
softener. Optionally, and preferably, the core can contain additional 
materials such as perfume, auxiliary fabric softening agents (e.g., 
smectite clay, fatty alcohols and fatty amine, such as ditallowmethyl 
amine or 1-tallowamidoethyl-2-tallowimidazoline), soil release agents, 
fabric brighteners, etc. Additional disclosure of materials which can be 
applied to fabrics along with cationic fabric softening agents in a 
laundry dryer and, therefore, can be part of the core composition of the 
particles herein, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,073,996, Bedenk et 
al., issued Feb. 14, 1978; 4,237,155, Kardouche, issued Dec. 2, 1980; and 
4,421,792, Rudy et al., issued Dec. 20, 1983, all incorporated herein by 
reference. 
The coating materials are substantially water-insoluble materials, 
typically (but not necessarily) selected from waxy materials such as 
paraffinic waxes, microcrystalline waxes, animal waxes, vegetable waxes, 
saturated fatty acids and fatty alcohols having from 12 to 40 carbon atoms 
in their alkyl chain, and fatty esters such as fatty acid triglycerides, 
fatty acid esters of sorbitan and fatty acid esters of fatty alcohols, or 
from substantially water-insoluble polymers. Typical specific suitable 
waxy coating materials include lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, 
arachidic and behenic acids, stearyl and behenyl alcohol, 
micro-crystalline wax, beeswax, spermaceti wax, candelilla wax, sorbitan 
tristearate, sorbitan tetralaurate, tripalmitin, trimyristin and 
octacosane. A preferred waxy material is stearyl alcohol. 
Examples of water-insoluble polymeric materials which may be used for the 
coating of the particles herein are cellulose ethers such as ethyl, propyl 
or butyl cellulose; cellulose esters such as cellulose acetate, 
propionate, butyrate or acetate-butyrate; urea-formaldehyde resins, 
polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, 
polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polymethyl-methacrylates and nylon. Such 
materials and their equivalents are described in greater detail in any 
conventional handbook of synthetic organic plastics, for example, in 
Modern Plastics Encyclopaedia Volume, Vol. 62, No. 10A (for 1985-1986) at 
pages 768-787, published by McGraw-Hill, New York, N.Y. (October 1985), 
incorporated herein by reference. A preferred polymeric material is ethyl 
cellulose. The polymeric coating materials can be plasticized with known 
plasticizing agents such as phthalate, adipate and sebacate esters, 
polyols (e.g., ethylene glycol), tricresyl phosphate, castor oil and 
camphor. 
The coating surrounds the cationic fabric softener core and is present in 
an amount of from about 3% to about 30%, preferably from about 3% to about 
15% by weight of the particle. 
The coating material can comprise a mixture of waxy coating materials and 
polymeric coating materials. In such mixtures the waxy coating material 
will typically comprise from about 70% to about 90% of the mixture and the 
polymeric material about 30% to about 10%. 
Typically, the coating material will have a hardness which corresponds to a 
needle penetration value of about 0.6 mm or less, and preferably less than 
about 0.1 mm, as measured by ASTM Test D-1321, modified by using a 100 g 
weight instead of a 50 g weight. The test is performed at 
25.degree.-27.degree. C. In the case of polymeric coating materials, 
sample preparation is accomplished by dissolving the polymer in a volatile 
solvent and then evaporating the solvent after the polymer solution has 
been placed in the test container. For waxy coating materials, sample 
preparation is done by melting the sample and then solidifying it in the 
test container in the manner set forth in the ASTM method. 
Penetration values of a number of suitable coating materials are shown in 
the following table. 
TABLE 1 
______________________________________ 
Penetration Values of Representative Coating Materials 
Penetration 
Material in mm 
______________________________________ 
Stearyl alcohol 0.57 
Ethyl cellulose 0.09 
Cellulose acetate 0.00 
Ethyl cellulose + 10% dibutyl sebacate 
0.00 
70% Stearyl alcohol + 30% C.sub.30 alcohol 
0.32 
90% Stearyl alcohol + 10% Elvax-4310.sup.1 
0.12 
90% Stearyl alcohol + 10% BE-Square-195.sup.2 
0.40 
______________________________________ 
.sup.1 Terpolymer of ethylene, vinyl acetate and acid from DuPont 
.sup.2 Microcrystalline wax from Petrolite, Specialty Polymers Group 
The function of the coating which surrounds the fabric softener is to 
prevent the softener from becoming dissolved and/or dispersed in the wash 
water when the particles are present during the wash step of a laundry 
process, and thereby prevent interaction between the fabric softener and 
the detergent. During the washing and rinsing of the fabrics, a 
substantial amount of the particles adhere to, or become entrapped within 
folds of the fabrics. When the fabrics are dried in a heated automatic 
clothes dryer (typically at temperatures of about 65.degree. to 85.degree. 
C.), the coating and the fabric softener core composition melt, thereby 
permitting the softener to spread throughout the fabric load and soften 
the fabrics. 
If the particles are incorporated into a granular detergent composition, it 
is preferred that the particle size of the softener particles be similar 
to the particle size of the detergent granule in order to minimize 
segregation. This will typically be in the range of from about 500 to 
about 1000 microns. Softener particles which are smaller in size than the 
detergent granules can be agglomerated to form larger particles to match 
the particle size of the detergent granules into which they will be 
incorporated. The agglomeration can be accomplished by using water-soluble 
or dispersible materials such as polyvinyl alcohol, sodium carboxymethyl 
cellulose, gelatin and polyoxyethylene waxes. The agglomerates 
disintegrate when the detergent composition is added to water. Methods and 
agglomerating agents for agglomeration of fabric softener particles are 
described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,841, McDanald, issued Feb. 27, 1979, 
incorporated by reference herein. 
B. Preparation of Particles 
In preparing the softener particles of the invention, the solid fabric 
softener composition which is to be the core of the particles is formed 
into particles having a size of from about 4.5 to about 900 microns. This 
can be accomplished, for example, by milling the solid softener 
composition or by melting the composition and spraying it through 
appropriate sized nozzles into an atmosphere having a temperature below 
the melting point of the softener, thereby forming the softener 
composition into solid particles. 
The particles of softener composition can then be coated with coating 
material which is either melted or dissolved in a volatile solvent. The 
coating is done at a temperature which is below the melting point of the 
softener composition, and the coated particles are then cooled (or the 
solvent is evaporated) to solidify the coating. The coating is typically 
applied in a fluidized bed type apparatus. A suitable type of apparatus is 
that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,196,827, Wurster et al., issued July 27, 
1965, incorporated by reference herein. In this apparatus, solid softener 
core particles are suspended on an air stream which carries them in a 
smooth cyclic flow past the coating nozzle, which sprays them with fluid 
coating material. Air atomizes and expels the coating fluid through the 
coating nozzle. The atomized coating fluid covers the surfaces of the core 
particles. The coated particles are lifted on the air stream and the fluid 
coating solidifies on the surface of the particles as the air stream lifts 
them away from the nozzle. The particles then settle out of the air stream 
and begin another cycle which takes them past the nozzle again. The 
process is repeated until the desired amount of coating has been deposited 
on the particles. The amount of coating applied to the softener core 
particles is typically from about 3% to about 30%, preferably about 3% to 
about 15% by weight of total particle (i.e., core plus coating). 
Alternatively, other types of encapsulating processes such as described in 
an article by Nack entitled "Microencapsulation Techniques, Applications 
and Problems," J. Soc. Cos. Chem., Vol. 21, Pages 85-98 (Feb. 4, 1970), 
incorporated herein by reference, can be used. 
If it is desired to aggomerate the softener particles, this can be 
accomplished in the following manner. The softener particles are fed to a 
highly efficient mixer (e.g., Schugi Flexomix Model 160,335 or 400 from 
Schugi Process Engineers USA, 41-T Tamarack Circle, Skillman, N.J. 08558), 
or a pan agglomerator. Aqueous solution or dispersion of agglomerating 
agent is sprayed onto the moving particles causing them to stick to each 
other. The water is evaporated and the dried agglomerated particles are 
sized by sieving. Suitable agglomerating agents include dextrin starches, 
Pluronic Polyols (copolymers of ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide with 
either ethylene glycol or propylene glycol) and hydratable salts such as 
sodium tripolyphosphate or sodium sulfate. 
The type of apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,196,827 (Wurster et 
al.), cited supra, can also be used for agglomerating particles. 
C. Detergent Compositions 
The particles of the present invention are preferably formulated into 
detergent compositions. Such compositions typically comprise detersive 
surfactants and detergency builders and, optionally, additional 
ingredients such as bleaches, enzymes, fabric brighteners and the like. 
The particles are present in the detergent composition at a level 
sufficient to provide from about 0.5% to about 10%, and preferably from 
about 1% to about 5% of quaternary ammonium fabric softener in the 
detergent composition. The remainder of the detergent composition will 
comprise from about 1% to about 50%, preferably from about 10% to about 
25% detersive surfactant, and from about 15% to about 60%, preferably from 
about 20% to about 45% of a detergency builder, and, if desired, other 
optional laundry detergent components. 
1. The Surfactant 
Surfactants useful in the detergent compositions herein include well-known 
synthetic anionic, nonionic, amphoteric and zwitterionic surfactants. 
Typical of these are the alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl- and alkylether 
sulfates, paraffin sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, alkoxylated (especially 
ethoxylated) alcohols and alkyl phenols, amine oxides, alpha-sulfonates of 
fatty acids and of fatty acid esters, alkyl betaines, and the like, which 
are well known from the detergency art. In general, such detersive 
surfactants contain an alkyl group in the C.sub.9 -C.sub.18 range. The 
anionic detersive surfactants can be used in the form of their sodium, 
potassium or triethanolammonium salts; the nonionics generally contain 
from about 5 to about 17 ethylene oxide groups. C.sub.11 -C.sub.16 alkyl 
benzene sulfonates, C.sub.12 -C.sub.18 paraffin-sulfonates and alkyl 
sulfates are especially preferred in the compositions of the present type. 
A detailed listing of suitable surfactants for the detergent compositions 
herein can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,936,537, Baskerville, issued Feb. 
3, 1976, incorporated by reference herein. Commercial sources of such 
surfactants can be found in McCutcheon's Emulsifiers And Detergents, North 
American Edition, 1984, McCutcheon Division, MC Publishing Company, also 
incorporated herein by reference. 
2. Detergency Builders 
Useful detergency builders for the detergent compositions herein include 
any of the conventional inorganic and organic water-soluble builder salts, 
as well as various water-insoluble and so-called "seeded" builders. 
Nonlimiting examples of suitable water-soluble, inorganic alkaline 
detergent builder salts include the alkali metal carbonates, borates, 
phosphates, polyphosphates, tripolyphosphates, bicarbonates, silicates, 
and sulfates. Specific examples of such salts include the sodium and 
potassium tetraborates, bicarbonates, carbonates, tripolyphosphates, 
pyrophosphates, and hexametaphosphates. 
Examples of suitable organic alkaline detergency builder salts are: (1) 
water-soluble amino polyacetates, e.g., sodium and potassium 
ethylenediaminetetraacetates, nitrilotriacetates, and 
N-(2-hydroxyethyl)nitrilodiacetates; (2) water-soluble salts of phytic 
acid, e.g., sodium and potassium phytates; (3) water-soluble 
polyphosphonates, including sodium, potassium and lithium salts of 
ethene-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonic acid, sodium, potassium, and lithium 
salts of methylenediphosphonic acid and the like. 
Seeded builders include such materials as sodium carbonate or sodium 
silicate, seeded with calcium carbonate or barium sulfate. 
A detailed listing of suitable detergency builders can be found in U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,936,537, supra, incorporated herein by reference. 
3. Optional Detergent Ingredients 
Optional detergent composition components include enzymes (e.g., proteases 
and amylases), halogen bleaches (e.g., sodium and potassium 
dichloroisocyanurates), peroxyacid bleaches (e.g., 
diperoxydodecane-1,12-dioic acid), inorganic percompound bleaches (e.g., 
sodium perborate), activators for perborate (e.g., 
tetraacetylethylenediamine and sodium nonanoyloxybenzene sulfonate), soil 
release agents (e.g., methylcellulose) soil suspending agents (e.g., 
sodium carboxymethylcellulose) and fabric brighteners. 
C. Pouched Compositions 
When fabric softener particles of the invention are added to the wash step 
of a laundering process, it is inevitable that some of the particles will 
not adhere to or become trapped in the folds of the fabrics and will, 
therefore, be lost in the discarded wash solution or rinse water. In order 
to avoid such loss, the particles can be added to the wash solution in a 
sealed, porous water-insoluble pouch such as the type described in U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,223,029, Mahler et al., issued Sept. 16, 1980, incorporated by 
reference herein. Detergent granules can be included in the pouch with the 
softener particles. When the pouch is placed in water in the wash step of 
the laundering process, the detergent dissolves, but the softener 
particles remain in the pouch. The pouch remains with the fabrics through 
the wash and rinse. When the pouch is tumbled with the fabrics in the 
dryer, the softener particles release the softener, which melts onto the 
pouch material and is transferred from the pouch material to the fabrics 
as the pouch comes into contact with the fabrics during the drying cycle. 
Preferred pouch structures are multi-pouch porous sheet structures such as 
described in allowed application U.S. Ser. No. 675,804, Bedenk et al., 
filed Nov. 28, 1984, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,907, issued Jan. 27, 1987, 
and U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,383, Eggensperger et al., issued Mar. 31, 1981, 
both incorporated herein by reference. In a single pouch structure, the 
particles tend to collect in a relatively small area of the structure, 
whereas in a multi-pouch sheet structure the softener particles are 
distributed over a larger area of the structure thereby facilitating more 
even transfer of softener to fabrics in the dryer. 
Suitable pouch materials include, paper, nonwoven synthetics such as 
spunbonded polyester, and porous formed film plastic sheet material. 
In a further improvement of the multi-pouch type of structure, the 
individual pouches have a water-insoluble baffling means which provides 
some standoff between the interior major surfaces of the pouches while the 
multi-pouch sheet is being tumbled in the clothes dryer. The standoff 
prevents the interior major surfaces of each pouch from coming into 
intimate contact with each other during the drying cycle, thereby reducing 
the tendency of the molten softener to be squeezed out of the pouch during 
the drying cycle, which can cause fabric staining. It is preferred that 
the molten softener be permitted to gradually wick through the substrate 
and thereby gradually transfer to the tumbling fabrics. The baffling can 
be produced, for example, by printing a cross hatched glue pattern on one 
of the interior surfaces of the pouch material or by including a layer of 
polymeric net material between the interior major surfaces of the pouches.

The invention will be illustrated by the following examples. 
EXAMPLE I 
Fabric softener core particles are prepared according to the following 
formula: 
______________________________________ 
Ingredient Wt. % 
______________________________________ 
Ditallowdimethylammonium 
42.4 
methylsulfate (DTDMAMS) 
Sorbitan monostearate 
21.3 
Cetyl alcohol 21.3 
Bentonite clay 12.0 
Perfume 3.0 
Total 100.0 
______________________________________ 
The DTDMAMS is heated in a reaction vessel at 71.degree. C. under vacuum 
(Ca. 710 mm Hg) for 4 hours to remove residual moisture and/or 
isopropanol. The cetyl alcohol and sorbitan monostearate are then added, 
and the molten "triblend" is mixed for one hour at about 71.degree. C. 
The triblend is transferred into a PVM 40 Ross mixer (Charles Ross & Sons 
Company, Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788). The temperature of the triblend is then 
raised to 79.degree. C.-85.degree. C. under vacuum (about 330-430 mm Hg). 
When the temperature has stabilized in this range, the Ross' anchor and 
disperser are turned on and the clay is added. The mixture is blended for 
5 minutes and then sheared with the Ross' colloid mixer for 20 minutes. 
The perfume is then added and the mixture is blended for 5 minutes with 
the anchor, disperser and colloid mill still on. The softener composition 
is then poured into trays and cooled overnight at about 4.degree. C. 
The solid softener core composition is then converted to particles by 
milling in a Fitzmill, Model DA506 (The Fitzpatrick Company, Elmhurst, 
Ill. 60126) at 4740 rpm's through a 4 mesh screen. The particles are then 
sized through 12 on 30 (U.S. Standard screens, 1.7-0.6 mm particle size). 
The particles are then coated with a hot melt of fatty alcohol-based 
coating. The coating is a mixture of 90% stearyl alcohol and 10% 
Elvax-4310, a terpolymer of ethylene, vinyl acetate and acid from E. I. du 
Pont de Nemours & Co., Polymer Products Dept., 1007 Market St., 
Wilmington, Del. 19898. The coating is applied in an 18 Inch Wurster 
coater (Coating Place, Inc., P.O. Box 248, Verona, Wis. 53593). A detailed 
description of this type of equipment can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 
3,196,827, supra, incorporated by reference herein. 
Briefly, the Wurster Coater consists of an apparatus that is capable of 
suspending the softener core particles on a rapidly moving warm air 
stream. Encapsulation is accomplished by passing the softener particles 
through a zone of finely atomized droplets of coating. As the particles 
move up and away from the coating nozzle, the coating begins to solidify 
as the particles cool. When the particles can no longer be fluidized by 
the air stream, they move down in the opposite direction of the fluidizing 
air. The coated particles then reenter the coating zone and are recycled 
until the desired amount of coating is applied. The coating cycle takes 
place within a single chamber which preferably has a partition to separate 
the particles moving up through the coating zone from those moving down 
through the cooling zone. 
The following conditions are used to apply a hot melt coating: 
______________________________________ 
Stearyl Alcohol/Elvax 
79.degree. C. 
Temperature 
Fluidizing Air 15.8 Cu.M/min. at 40.5.degree. C. 
Atomizing Air Volume 
0.25 Cu.M/min. 
Atomizing Air Rate 
4218 g/sq.cm. 
Inlet Air Temperature 
20.degree. C.-38.degree. C. 
Outlet Air Temperature 
20.degree. C.-38.degree. C. 
Pump Rate 0.2 Kg/min. 
Nozzle Size CPI-18-A74* 
Partition Size 216 mm .times. 267 mm 
Partition Gap 19 mm 
Run Time 22 min. 
______________________________________ 
*Available from Coating Place, Inc. 
The amount of fatty alcohol coating applied to the softener particles is 
about 15% by weight of the total coated particle. After the coating 
process is complete the particles are resized through 12 on 20 mesh and 
are then ready for use "as is" or for blending into detergent granules. 
EXAMPLE II 
Softener core particles prepared as in Example I are coated with ethyl 
cellulose based coating instead of fatty alcohol. The coating is applied 
by spraying a 10% solids solution in methanol of 9 parts ethyl cellulose 
and 1 part dibutyl sebacate. The coating is applied in an 18 Inch Wurster 
coater as described in Example I. The ethyl cellulose used in Ethocel Std. 
4, (Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich. 48640) which has an Ubbelhhode 
viscosity of 3.0-5.5, measured at 25.degree. C. as a 5% solution in 80% 
toluene/20% ethanol. 
The following conditions are used to apply a solvent based coating: 
______________________________________ 
Fluidizing Air 15.8 Cu.M/min. at 40.5.degree. C. 
Atomizing Air Volume 
0.37 Cu.M/min. 
Atomizing Air Rate 
5624 g/sq.cm. 
Inlet Air Temperature 
38.degree. C.-43.degree. C. 
Outlet Air Temperature 
30.degree. C.-32.degree. C. 
Pump Rate 0.2 Kg/min. 
Nozzle Size CPI-18-A74* 
Partition Size 216 mm .times. 267 mm 
Partition Gap 19 mm 
Run Time 120 min. 
______________________________________ 
*Available from Coating Place, Inc. 
The amount of ethyl cellulose/dibutyl sebacate solids coated onto the 
particles is about 5% by weight of the total coated particle weight. When 
the coating is completed, the softener particles are resized through 12 on 
30 Mesh U.S. Standard screens and are then ready for use "as is" or for 
blending into detergent granules. 
EXAMPLE III 
A granular detergent/softener composition is prepared by mixing 4 parts of 
the coated softener particles of Example I or II with 96 parts of the 
following granular detergent composition. 
______________________________________ 
Ingredient Wt. % 
______________________________________ 
Sodium C.sub.13 linear alkylbenzene 
16.5 
sulfonate 
Sodium C.sub.14 -C.sub.15 linear fatty 
16.5 
alcohol sulfate 
Sodium sulfate 23.8 
Sodium silicate 9.2 
Polyethylene glycol 0.9 
Polyacrylic acid 1.3 
Sodium tripolyphosphate 
13.7 
Sodium carbonate 4.8 
Methyl cellulose 3.6 
Optical brightener 1.3 
Protease enzyme 1.6 
Moisture and miscellaneous 
6.8 
Total 100.0 
______________________________________ 
EXAMPLE IV 
A granular bleach/softener composition is prepared by mixing 4 parts of the 
coated softener particles of Example I or II with 96 parts of the 
following granular bleach composition. 
______________________________________ 
Ingredient Wt. % 
______________________________________ 
Diperoxydodecanedioic acid 
24.0 
Dodecanedioic acid 2.9 
Sodium C.sub.13 linear alkylbenzene 
5.5 
sulfonate 
Boric acid 27.7 
Sodium sulfate 39.7 
Miscellaneous 0.2 
Total 100.0 
______________________________________ 
EXAMPLE V 
A laundering article in the form of a multipouch sheet is prepared as 
follows. 
The sheet is comprised of two sheets of Reemay.RTM. 2420 spunbonded 
polyester (DuPont, Wilmington, Del.). In between the sheets in a honeycomb 
web made from polyethlene. The web has a thickness of approximately 0.04 
inch (0.10 cm) and the cells of the web are diamond shaped, having a cross 
dimension of approximately 0.19 inch (0.48 cm) and a length dimension of 
approximately 0.63 inch (1.60 cm). The three layered structure has outer 
edge dimensions of approximately 4.5 inch.times.11 inch (11.4 
cm.times.27.9 cm). The structure is laminated together in a pattern so as 
to form 6 equal sized pouches, two pouches at each end containing about 
14.7 grams each of the bleach/ethyl cellulose coated softener composition 
of Example IV and the four pouches in between containing about 15.5 grams 
each of the detergent/ethyl cellulose coated softener composition of 
Example III. 
The article is suitable for washing and softening laundry in a process 
involving washing and rinsing the fabrics, followed by tumble drying in a 
heated clothes dryer, wherein the article remains with the laundry 
throughout the entire process.