CONCENTRATED FABRIC SOFTENING COMPOSITIONS

Abstract: An aqueous concentrated cationic fabric softening com­ position wherein the cationic softener system comprises a mixture of a mono nitrogen quaternary ammonium salt, a di(2-amidoethyl)methyl quaternary ammonium salt and an imidazolinium salt, the said cationic system having an Iodine Value of at least 4.2.

Description: CONCENTRATED FABRIC SOFTENING COMPOSITIONS This invention relates to fabric softening compositions and, in particular, to compositions in aqueous medium which contain a relatively high proportion of cationic fabric softening ingredients. Conventional rinse-added fabric softening compositions contain fabric softening agents which are substantially water-insoluble cationic materials usually having two long alkyl chains. Typical of such materials are distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and imidazolinium compounds substituted with two stearyl groups. These materials are normally prepared in the form of an aqueous dispersion or emulsion, and it is generally not possible to prepare such aqueous dispersions with more than about 6% of cationic materials without taking special precautions to ensure acceptable viscosity and stability characteristics. Indeed, with cationic levels in excess-of about 8% the problems of physical instability and high viscosity become, in the case of conventional fabric softening products, almost intractable. The formulation of fabric softener compositons with low levels of the active softener ingredients adds substantially to distribution and packaging costs. In addition to shipping and packaging economy, another advantage of a more concentrated fabric softening composition is that it permits the consumer to exercise choice in the type of performance desired, in that the concentrated product can either be used as such or can be diluted to a conventional concentration before use. This opens up the possibility of supplying the concentrated fabric softening composition in a more economically packaged form intended for making up by the consumer into a conventional bottle. The problem of preparing fabric softening compositions in concentrated form suitable for consumer use has already been addressed in the art, but the various solutions proposed have not been entirely satisfactory. U.S. Pat. No. 3,681,241, Rudy, issued August 1, 1972, utilizes a combination of quaternary ammonium softener, saturated imidazolinium softener, unsaturated imidazolinium softener and ionizable salts to formulate concentrated softeners, but the maximum concentration achieved in that patent is only 13%. The use of certain special processing techniques for reducing viscosity has also been suggested (for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,634, Monson, issued May 4, 1976) but again this does not provide a complete and satisfactory solution, and it is not an easy matter to adopt this type of process on a commercial scale. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,855, Goffinet et al., issued May 22, 1979, concentrated fabric softeners are disclosed which comprise three active softening ingredients, one of which is a highly soluble cationic fabric substantive agent. While such compositions do allow a high cocentzation of active ingredient, their overall softening performance is less cost effective than is the case with compositions containing predominantly a water-insoluble cationic softener. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,978, Goffinet, issued April 17, 1979, mixtures of cationic softener and paraffinic materials are proposed in a certain ratio which can allow the preparation of concentrated softening compositions when relatively high proportions of paraffinic materials are employed. Paraffins are not essential components of the compositions of the present invention and are preferably absent therefrom. Dutch Patent Application No. 6706178 relates to viscosity control in fabric softening compositions with up to 12% of cationic softener, and suggests the use of low molecular weight hydrocarbons for this purpose. British Patent No. 1,538,094, Hoechst, published January 17, 1979, discloses a complex softener/ disinfectant composition in which a long-chain fatty alcohol used at a relatively low ratio of cationic softener to alcohol is suggested as a solubilization aid. European Patent Application 0013780, published August 6, 1980, discloses concentrated aqueous fabric softener compositions comprising a cationic softener and a viscosity control agent selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, fatty acids, fatty acid esters and fatty alcohols. European Patent Application 0018039, published October 29, 1980, discloses concentrated aqueous fabric softening compositions comprising an insoluble cationic softener, a water-soluble nonionic or cationic surfactant and a hydrophobic adjunct selected from C12 to C20 paraffins and esters of C12 to C24 fatty acids and C1 to C8 fatty alcohols. Waterinsoluble fatty nonionic materials are not essential to the compositions herein and are preferably absent therefrom. The object of the present invention is to provide'highly concentrated aqueous fabric softening compositions, based on cation softener systems, which do not require substantial quantities of materials other than the cationic softeners to ensure physical stability and acceptable viscosity. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to highly concentrated aqueous liquid fabric softener compositions which comprise a mixture of specific types of cationic softeners and an ionizable salt, wherein the mixture of cationic softeners has an Iodine Value of at least about 4.2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In accordance with the present invention it has been found that when certain cationic softeners are formulated within certain proportions, highly concentrated aqueous fabric softening compositions can be prepared which contain in the order of 15% to 22.5% cationic softener ingredients. Specifically, the present invention is directed to concentrated aqueous fabric softener compositions which are pourable at 400F, the said compositions comprising: A. from about 2% to about 11% of a quaternary ammonium salt having the formula EMI4.1 wherein R1 and R2 can be the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl and alkenyl groups, R3 and R4 can be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of C1 to C3 alkyl or -(CnH2nO)xH groups wherein n is 2 or 3, x is from 1 to about 3, and wherein X is an anion selected from halide methylsulfate or ethylsulfate; ; B. from about 2% to about 14% of a di(2-amido ethyl) methyl quaternary ammonium salt having the formula EMI5.1 wherein R5 and R6 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group con sisting of C14 to 20 alkyl and alkenyl groups, wherein R7 is selected from the group consist ing of H, methyl, ethyl and (CnH2nO)xH wherein n is 2 or 3 and x is from 1 to about 5 and wherein X is selected from halide, ethyl sulfate or methylsulfate; C. from about 2% to about 13% of an imidazolinium salt having the formulas EMI5.2 wherein R8 and R9 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl and alkenyl groups, wherein X is halide, ethylsulfate or methylsulfate; ; EMI5.3 wherein R10 and Rll can be the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl and alkenyl and X is halide, methyl sulfate or ethylsulfate; EMI6.1 wherein R12, R13, and R14 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl or alkenyl, wherein X is halide, methyl sulfate or ethylsulfate; D. from about 0.05% to 0.68 of an inorganic water-soluble ionizable salt; and E. water; wherein the total amount of Components A + B + C is from about 15% to about 22.5% (preferably about 18% to about 21%), wherein there is unsaturation present on at least one of Components A, B or C such that the cationic active system has an Iodine Value of at least about 4.2, preferably at least about 10.5, and most preferably from about 10.5 to about 34. The compositions of the invention are stable and pourable at normally encountered temperatures (400- 100to) and are easily dispersible in water. In the context of the present invention, "pourable" means having a viscosity below about 5000 cP as measured by a Brookfield Synchro-lectric Viscometer with Spindle 4 at 60 rpm. The compositions provide excellent fabric softening and antistatic performance in laundry rinse solutions containing from about 25 ppm to about 90 ppm of the combination of Components A, B and C. The mono nitrogen quaternary ammonium salt softener of the compositions herein has'the structure: EMI7.1 wherein R1 and R2 can be the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl and alkenyl groups and R3 and R4 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C1 to C3 alkyls, or -(CnH2nO)XH wherein n is 2 or 3, x is from 1 to about 3, and wherein X is halide, methylsulfate or ethylsulfate. It is preferred that X be halide, and the preferred halides are chloride and bromide. It is preferred that R1 and R2 be alkyl, i.e., it is preferred that the unsaturation in the cationic active system come from Components B or C, or mixtures thereof. Exemplary compounds are dimyristyldimethyl ammonium chloride, dipalmityldiethyl ammonium bromide, distearyidimethyl ammonium chloride, distearyldimethyl ammonium bromide, distearyldiisopropyl ammonium bromide, diarachidyldimethyl ammonium chloride, distearyl-2-hydroxypropylmethyl ammonium chloride, oleylstearyldimetnyl ammonium ethylsulfate and distearyl-2-hydroxyethylmethyl ammonium methxlsulE-ate Preferably the R1 and R2 groups are derived from tallow and the R3 and R4 groups are methyl. The tallow can be hydrogenated or unhydrogenated. Hydrogenated (i.e., saturated) tallow is preferred, and halides are the preferred anions. Accordingly, preferred mono nitrogen quaternary ammonium salt softener compounds herein are dihydrogenatedtallowdimethyl ammonium chloride and dihydrogenatedtallowdimethyl ammonium bromide. Hydrogenated tallow often has some residual degree of unsaturation such that the Iodine Value of hydrogenated ditallowdimethyl ammonium salts can be up to about 5. Exemplary commercial quaternary ammonium salts which are suitable for use as Component A in the compositions herein are dihydrogenatedtallowdimethyl ammonium chloride sold under the name Adogen 442, and ditallowdimethyl ammonium chloride (I.V. about 29-30) sold under the name Adogen 470, both from Sherex Chemical Company. The quaternary ammonium salts are used in the compositions herein at levels of from about 2% to about 11%, preferably from about 5% to about 10%. (All percentages and proportions herein are "by weight" unless specified otherwise). The di(2-amidoethyl) methyl quaternary ammonium salt of the invention herein has the structure EMI8.1 wherein R5 and R6 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl and alkenyl groups, wherein R7 is selected from H, methyl, ethyl and -(CnH2nO)xH wherein n is 2 to 3 and x is from 1 to about 5 (preferably 3), and wherein X is an anion selected from halide, ethylsulfate or methylsulfate. Preferably R5 and R6 are alkyl and R7 is -(CnH2nO)xH. These compounds are used at levels of from about 2% to about 14%, preferably from about 5% to about 10%, in the compositions herein. This class of compounds is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,840, Minegishi et al., issued January 16, 1979, incorporated herein by reference. Exemplary compounds are di(2-hydrogenatedtallowamidoethyl) ethoxylated (2 ethoxy groups) methyl ammonium methylsulfate, di (2-hydrogenatedtallowamido- ethyl) dimethyl ammonium ethylsulfate, di(2-palmitylamidoethyl) hydromethyl ammonium chloride, di(2-oleylamidoethyl) propoxylated (3 propoxy groups methyl ammonium bromide, di(2-palmitoleylamidoethyl) dimethyl ammonium ethylsulfate and di(2-stearylamidoethyl) propoxylated (2 propoxy groups) methyl ammonium methylsulfate. Exemplary commercial materials suitable for use as Component B herein are di(2-hydrogenatedtallowamidoethyl) ethoxylated methyl ammonium methyl sulfate sold under the name Varisoft 110, and di(2-tallowamidoethyl) ethoxylated methyl ammonium methylsulfate (I.V. about 31) sold under the name Varisoft 222, both from Sherex Chemical Company. Component C, which is present at a level of from about 2% to about 13% (preferably from about 3% to about 108) of the compositions of the present invention is a cationic softener selected from a group consisting of three different types of imidazolinium salts. These Component C materials are designated herein as C. (1), C.(2) and C. (3). Component C. (1) has the formula: EMI10.1 wherein R8 and R9 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl and alkenyl groups, wherein X is halide, ethyl sulfate or methylsulfate. Preferably R8 and Rg are a mixture of alkyl and alkenyl groups such that Component C.(1) has an I.V. of from about 25 about 125, more preferably from about 25 to about 45. Exemplary compounds of this type are: l-methyll-tallowamidoethyl-2-tallowimidazolinium methylsulfate, l-methyl-l-oleylamidoethyl-2-oleylimidazolinium chloride, l-methyl-l-palmitoleylamidoethyl-2-palmitoleylimidazolinium ethyl sulfate, l-methyl-l-soyaamidoethyl-2soya- imidazolinium methylsulfate and l-methyl-l-hydrogenatedtallowamidoethyl-2-hydrogenatedtallowimidazolinium methylsulfate. Exemplary commercial materials are 1methyl-l-tallowamidoethyl-2-tallowimidazolinium methylsulfate (I.V. about 42) sold under the name Varisoft 475, and 1-methyl-1-hydrogenatedtailowamidoethyl-2- hydrogenatedtallowimidazolinium methyl sulfate sold under the name Varisoft 445, both available from Sherex Chemical Company. Component C. (2) has the formula: EMI10.2 mixture of alkenyl and alkyl groups such that the compound has an l.V. of from about 25 to about 125. Preferably Components A and B will be saturated compounds and the weight ratio of Component C to Components A + B will be at least about 0.2:1 and the sum of Components A + B + C will be from about 15% to about 21%. An essential feature of the compositions herein is that the cationic active system in the composition has an Iodine Value (I.V.) of at least about 4.2, i.e., a substantial amount of unsaturation must be present. In accordance with the invention it has been found that high active compositions which are based on substantially water-insoluble cationic softeners, such as those of the invention, cannot be made without having a substantial amount of unsaturation in the cationic active system. When using all-saturated active systems, the compositions will gel and become unusable at room temperature and below. Preferably the I.V. is at least about 10.5 and is most preferably from about 10.5 to about 34. The unsaturation can come from Component A, B or C, or any combination thereof. I.V. is a direct measure of the unsaturation and is based upon the reaction of iodine with unsaturated bonds in a molecule. The I.V. is defined as the number of decigrams of iodine which will readt with one gram of the cationic active system. The standard technique for determining I.V. is well known in the art. If one knows the I.V. of the individual components which are used in the active system, then the I.V. of the system can simply be calculated by multiplying the I.V. of each component by the percentage of that component in the composition and then dividing by the total percentage of components in the composition. For example, in a composition of the invention which contains 108 Component A, 5% Component B and 5% Component C, wherein Components A and B have I.V.'s of 0 and Component C has an I.V. of 40, the I.V. of the cationic active system is 10 (i.e., 5 x 40 - 20). wherein R10 and R11 can be the same or differ ent from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl and alkenyl and X is halide, methylsulfate or ethyl sulfate. Exemplary compounds of this type are: l-ethylene bis(2-stearyl, l-methyl, imidazolinium methylsulfate), l-ethylene bis(2-oleyl, l-methyl, imidazolinium methylsulfate) and l-ethylene bis(2-tallow, l-methyl, imidazolinium methylsulfate). The tallow derivative, in hydrogenated or unhydrogenated form, is commercially available from Sherex Chemical Company under the name Varisoft 6112. The unhydrogenated material has an I.V. of about 29. Component C.(3) has the formula: EMI12.1 wherein R12, R13, and R14 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl or alkenyl, wherein X is halide, methyl sulfate or ethylsulfate. Exemplary compounds of this type are: methyl 2-stearyl-3 [ (stearylamidoethyl-stearylamino) ethylenei imi- dazolinium ethylsulfate, l-methyl-2-oleyl-3[(oleylamido- ethyl-oleylamino)ethylene]imidazolinium ethyl sulfate and l-methyl-2-tallow-3Etallowamidoethyl-tallowamino) ethylene]imidazolinium ethylsulfate. The tallow derivative (I.V. about 32) is sold under the name Varisoft 3012 by the Sherex Chemical Company. Components C. (1), C. (2) and C. (3) can be used singly or in mixtures with each other. Preferably Component C in the compositions herein is Component C. (1), wherein R8 and Rg are a It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that not all possible combinations of Components A, B and C throughdut the total active level range of 15% to 22.5% will produce 400F-pourable compositions throughout the range of I.V.'s specified. Generally at the higher active levels, or at higher proportions of Component A in the system, higher I.V.'s are required. Also, if the unsaturation comes from Component A, a higher I.V. will be required than if the same quantity of unsaturation comes from Component B or C. Generally higher cationic system I.V.'s in the composition give a higher degree of pourability. However, excessively high I.V.'s (i.e., above about 40) should be avoided since these can result in gelling in some instances during the making process. Some formulation guidelines are given below. 1. A minimum I.V. of 4.2 provides'suitable 400F pourable compositions at 15% total cationic active when the ratio of Component A to Components B + C is from about 0.2 to about 1.14. 2. A minimum I.V. of 6.2 provides suitable 400F pourable compositions at 18% total cationic active when the ratio of Component A to Components B + C is from about 0.3 to about 1.25. 3. A minimum I.V. of 6.5 provides suitable 400F pourable compositions at 19% total cationic active when the ratio of Component A to Components B + C is from about 0.4 to about 1.1. 4. A minimum I.V. of 6.4 provides suitable 400F pourable compositions at 20% total cationic active when Component A constitutes one-fourth of the cationic active. 5. A minims I.V of 7.7 provides suitable 400F pourable compositions at 20 total cationic active when Component A constitutes 50% of the cationic active. 6. A minimum I.V. of 10.7 provides suitable 400F pourable compositions at 22.5% total cationic active when Component A constitutes 49% of the cationic active. Examples of various compositions of the invention wherein the total cationic level and the source and amount of unsaturation are varied are illustrated in the following table. TABLE I Formulas Component (%) 1 2 3 4 5 6 A (sat.) 10 10 10 7.5 10 5 A (unsat. - - - 2.5 - - I.V. = 33.3) B (sat.) 5 - 5 5 - 5.86 B (unsat. - 5 - - 4 4.14 I.V. = 30.9) C (sat.) - 5 1.38 2.5 5 5 C (unsat. 5 - 3.62 2.5 - I.V. = 42.7) CaCl2 - ppm 3000 3000 4250 3000 2150 3500 Alcohol 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 Dye solution 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 Perfume 0.75 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 Iodine Value 10.7 7 7.7 7.7 9.5 6.5 6.4 Component A is ditallowdimethyl ammonium chloride Component B is di (2-tallowamidoethyl) ethoxylated methylammonium methyl sulfate Component C is l-methyl-l-tallowamidoethyl-2 tallow imidazolinium methyl sulfate All compositions are adjusted to about pH 6 with NaOH or SC1 as needed. TABLE I (Contd) Formulas Component (E.) 7 8 9 10 11* A (sat.) 3.75 7.5 5 - A (unsat. - - 5 10 10 I.V. = 33,,3) B (sat.) 7.5 3.75 2.5 5 B (unsat. - - 2.5 - 5 I.V. = 301.9) C (sat.) 1.75 - 1.75 2.5 - C (unsat. 2 2 2.5 5 5 I.V. = 42.7) CaCl2 - ppm 500 1650 4500 4250 5500 Alcohol 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 Dye solution 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 Perfume 0.5 0.5 0.5. 0.5 0.5 Iodine Value 5.7 5.7 17.5 27.3 33.6 *Unsaturated Component A in this formula has an Iodine Value of 30.4 Component A is ditallowdimethyl ammonium chloride Component B is di (2-tallowamidoethyl) ethoxylated methylammonium methylsulfate Component C is l-methyl-l-tallowamidoethyl-2 tallow imidazolinium methyl sulfate All compositions are adjusted to about pH 6 with NaOH or HC1 as needed. A wide wariety of ionizable salts can be used as Component D in the compositions herein. The particular salt should b.- sufficiently soluble in the compositions to produce m concentration in solution of from about 500 to about 6000 ppm (preferably about 500 to abut 4000 ppm)and should not adversely inW ract with the fabric softener compounds. Examples of suitable salts are the halides of the Group 1A and 2A metals of the Periodic Table of Elements, e.g., sodium chloride, potassium bromide, lithium chloride, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. The ionizable salts provide viscosity control, particularly during the process of mixing the ingredients to make the compositions herein. The water used in the compositions herein is preferably distilled or deionized water and is generally present at levels of from about 76% to 84%. Preferred compositions of the invention are those wherein Components A and B are substantially saturated and Component C is unsaturated and is of the type identified herein as C.(1). These preferred compositions can be defined as follows; A. from about 3.75% to about 10.58 (preferably from about 5% to about 10%) of a quaternary ammonium salt having the formula EMI16.1 wherein R1 and R2 can be. the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl groups, R3 and R4 can be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of C1 to C3 alkyl groups and wherein X is halide; ; B. from about 3.758 to about 10.5% (preferably from about 5% to about 10%) of a di(2-amido ethyl) alkoxylated methyl quaternary ammonium salt having the formula EMI17.1 wherein H5 and R6 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl groups, wherein n is 2 or 3 and x is a number of from 1 to about 5 and wherein X is halide, ethyl sulfate or methylsulfate; ; C. at least about 2.5% (preferably from about 3% to about 10%, and most preferably from about 3.75% to about 5.25%) of an imidazo linium salt having the formula EMI17.2 wherein R7 and R8 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of alkenyl groups or a mix ture of alkyl and alkenyl groups, each con twining from about 14 to about 20 carbon atoms, wherein X is halide, ethylsulfate or methylsulfate, and wherein said Component C has an Iodine Value of from about 25 to about 125, preferably from about 25 to about 45; D. from about 0.05% to about 0.4% of an inorganic 'rater-soluble ionizable salt; and Z. water; the total amount of Components A + B + C in said composition being from about 15% to about 21% and the Iodine Value of the total cationic system being at least about 4.2. Various optional materials such as are ordinarily used in fabric softening compositions can be used in the compositions herein. These include, for example, perfumes at 0 1% to 1.0%, antimicrobials at 0.01% to 0.1% and dyes at 0.001% to 0.01%. In general, it is conventional to include lower aliphatic alcohols such as ethanol and isopropanol in liquid fabric softener compositions; in fact, the softening ingredients are normally sold to the formulator in the form of 70% to 90% pastes in which a lower alcohol is a diluent. It has been found that the compositions herein should preferably be substantially free of lower aliphatic alcohols, and that in any event these alcohols should not be present in said compositions at levels in excess of about 3%. If the softener ingredients are purchased as dispersions in amounts of alcohol which would produce alcohol levels in excess of about 3% in the finished compositions herein, some or all of the alcohol should be removed (e.g., by heatassisted evaporation) before use in preparing the compositions herein. Lower alcohols tend to cause viscosity increase during storage (particularly at higher storage temperatures) and if the alcohol is isopropanol, the odor imparted to the finished product. is undesirable. Agents which facilitate recovery of the compositions to a stable homogeneous liquid condition after having been subjected to freezing can be included in the compositions. Preferred freeze-thaw recovery agents are the di-polyetboxy monoalkyl amines of the formula EMI18.1 wherein R19 is an alkyl or alkenyl group of from about 14 to 20 carbon atoms and the sum of m + n is from about 10 to about 25. A preferred material is sold under the name Varonic T220 by Sherex Chemical Company wherein R19 is unhydrogenated tallow and the sum of m + n is about 20. Freeze-thaw agents are used in the compositions herein at levels of about 18. Care must be exercised in the preparation of the compositions herein. The order of addition and manner of mixing the components can have a significant effect on the physical characteristics of the composition. A particularly preferred method of preparation is as follows. Components A, B and C (and dyes, if used) are heated and blended together to form a melt at about 175-1850F, This melt is then added gradually to 1100F water with vigorous agitation. A portion of the ionizable salt is added to the water concurrently with the melted softeners at a rate necessary to keep the aqueous mix fluid and stirrable. Upon completion of the addition of the melted softeners, the remainder of the ionizable salt is added to produce the desired viscosity. Optional ingredients such as perfume, etc., are added after the viscosity of the mix has been reduced by the addition of most of the ionizable salt. After completion of the addition of ionizable salt the composition is cooled to room temperature before filling into containers. It is desirable that the compositions herein have a pH of from about 5.5 to about 6.5. Acids such as hydrochloric, sulfuric or citric or bases such as sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate can be added, as needed, to the compositions to achieve the desired pH. Normally, only very small amounts of such pH adjusting agents are required. The invention will be further illustrated by the following example. EXAMPLE I This example illustrates the preparation of a 200 ib. batch of a composition of the present invention. Materials: 23 libs. 87% active dihydrogenatedtallowdimethyl ammonium chloride (DTDMAC) 213.3 lbs 75% active di(2-hydrogenatedtallowamido ethyl) ethoxylated methyl ammonium methyl sulfate (Varisoft 110) 311.1 lbs 90% active l-methyl-l-unsaturatedtallow- amidoethyl-2-unsaturate & allowimidazolinium methylsulfate (Varisoft 475, I.V. 42) 1.2 lbs. 1.35% solution of Polar Brilliant Blue dye in water 960 ml 25% w/v CaC12 in water 1.5 lbs. perfume 147 lbs. deionized water 120 g. 20% w/v NaOH in water 1Contains 8% ethanol. 2Contains 12% isopropanol. 3Contains 10% isopropanol. Equipment: 20 gallon capacity steam-jacketed pre-mix tank 60 gallon capacity main-mix tank equipped with vertically mounted, variable speed (50-5a0 rpm) mixer with impeller Procedure: The pre-mix tank was charged with the molten softener actives in the sequence DTDMAC, Varisoft 110, Vaisoft 475. The resulting mixture was heated with stirring to 1700F, at which time the dye solution was added. Heating of the mixture then continued until a temperature of 185OF was reached. The main-mix tank was charged with 17.6 gal. (147 libs.) of deionized water which was then heated to 110OF. The agitator was set at 150 rpm and the contents of the pre-mix tank (at 1850F) were pumped into the main-mix tank over a period of 5 minutes. During this 5 minute period the agitator speed. was gradually increased to 275-300 rpm as the main-mix thickened. Also, beginning. at the point where about one-half of the premix had been added, the CaC12 solution was added in portions (see table below) at such a rate as to maintain a stirrable, flowable mixture. As the viscosity decreased the agitator speed was gradually reduced back to 150 rpm. The 120 g. of 20% NaOH solution was added about 7 minutes after the start of addition of the active pre-mix to the main-mix tank. (This solution of NaOH serves to adjust the final product pH to 6.0 and also reduces product viscosity.) The perfume was added 20 minutes after the start of addition of the active pre-mix to the main-mix tank. - Addition of Caul2 solution continued until the viscosity of the warm product was 140 cP. This required a final concentration of 2650 ppm (0.265t Caul2). Upon cooling to room temperature the resulting 200 libs. of product had a viscosity of 95 cP. The following table records the chronology of Caul2 solution addition to the main-mix tank and corresponding viscosity readings, where taken. Time (Min:Sec)* Total ml CaC12 Viscosity (cP) 2:10 30 2:39 50 2:55 100 3:25 115 3:40 200 4:00 225 4:10 260 4:45 300 7:00 (add NaOH) 8:15 400 10:00 400 420 15:00 550 235 20:00 650 173 20:00 (add perfume) 25:00 700 213 30:00 800 175 35:00 900 155 40:00 960 140 *Time 0 is the point where addition of the contents of the pre-mix tank to the main-mix tank begins. The composition above had the following approximate formula: Component Wt. % Dihydrogenatedtallowdimethyl ammonium chloride 10 Di(2-hydrogenatedtallowamidoethyl) ethoxylated methyl ammonium methyl sulfate 5 l-methyl-l-tallowamidoethyl-2 - tallowimidazolinium methylsulfate (I.V. 42) 5 Polar Brilliant Blue dye 80 ppm Calcium chloride 0.265 Perfume 0.75 Ethanol 0.92 Isopropanol 1.36 HO to 100 The Iodine Value of the total cationic active system was 10.5. This composition exhibits excellent softening and antistatic performance and has excellent physical stability and pourability between 400F and 1000F. Another formula which exhibits comparable performance, physical stability and pourability is made as above except that the active system consists of 5% dihydrogenatedtallowdimethyl ammonium chlorid. 10% di (2-hydrogenatedtallowamidoethyl) ethoxylated methyl ammonium methylsulfate and 5% l-methyl l-tallowamidoethyl-2-tallbwimidazolinium methyl sulfate (Varisoft 475). This formula also has an Iodine Value of 10.5 for the total cationic active system.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A concentrated homogeneous aqueous fabric softener composition which is pourable at 40OF, the said composition being characterized by: A. from about 28 to about 11% of a quaternary ammonium salt having the formula EMI24.1 wherein R1 and R2 can be the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl and alkenyl groups, R3 and R4 can be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of C1 to C3 alkyl and -(CnH2nO)xH groups wherein 2n x n is 2 or 3, x is from about 1 to about 3, and wherein X is an anion selected from halide, methylsulfate and ethylsulfate; ; B. from about 2% to about 14% of a di(2-amido ethyl) methyl quaternary ammonium salt having the formula EMI24.2 wherein R5 and R6 are the same or different from each other and are selected fiom the group consisting of C to C20 alkyl and alkenyl groups, wherein b lS is selected from the group consisting of , methyL, ethyl and (CnH2nO)XH wherein n is 2 or 3 and x is from 1 to about 5 and wherein X is selected from halide, ethylsulfate and methylsulfate; ; C. from about 2% to about 13% of an imidazolinium quaternary salt having the formulas EMI25.1 wherein R8 and Rg are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl and alkenyl groups, wherein X is halide, ethylsulfate or methyl sulfate; EMI25.2 wherein R10 and R11 can be the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl and alkenyl and X is halide, methylsulfate or ethylsulfate; and EMI25.3 wherein R12, R13, and R14 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl or alkenyl, wherein X is halide, methyl sulfate or ethylsulfate; D. from about 0.05% to 0.6% of an inorganic water-soluble ionizable salt; and E. water; wherein the total amount of Components A + B + C is from about 15% to about 22.5%, wherein there is unsaturation present on at least one of.Components A, B or C such that the cationic active system, Components A + B + C, has an Iodine Value of at least about 4.2. 2. A composition according to Claim l-characterized in that the Iodine Value is at least 10.5, preferably from 10.5 to 34. 3. A composition according to Claim 1 or 2 characterized in that Component A is present in the composiiton at a level of from 5% to 10%. 4. A composition according to any of Claims 1 to 3 characterized in that R1 and R2 are C14 to C20 alkyl groups and R3 and R4 are C1 to C3 alkyl groups. 5. A composition according to any of Claims 1 to 4 characterized in that Component B is present in the composition at a level of from 5% to 10%, wherein R7 is - (C2H40)xH and wherein x is from 1 to about 5. 6. A composition according to any of Claims 1 to 5 characterized in that Component C is C.(1) and is present at a level of from 3% to 10%. 7. A composition according to any of Claims 1 to 6 characterized in that the ionizable salt is a halide of a Group 1A or Group 2A metal of the Periodic Table of Elements. 8. A concentrated aqueous fabric softener which is pourable at 400F, said composition being characterized by: A. from about 3.75% to about 10.5% of a quaternary ammonium salt having the formula EMI27.1 wherein R1 and R2 can be the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl groups, R3 and R4 can be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of C1 to C3 alkyl groups and wherein X is halide; ; B. from about 3.75%to about 10.5% of a di(2 amidoethyl) alkoxylated methyl quaternary ammonium salt having the formula EMI27.2 wherein R5 and R6 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of C14 to C20 alkyl groups, wherein n is 2 or 3 and x is a number of from 1 to about 5 and wherein X is halide, ethyl sulfate or methylsulfate; C. at least about 2.5% of an imidazolinium salt having the formula EMI27.3 wherein R7 and R8 are the same or different from each other and are selected from the group consisting of alkenyl groups or a mix ture of alkyl and alkenyl groups, each con taining from about 14 to about 20 carbon atoms, wherein X is halide, ethylsulfate or methylsulfate, and wherein said Component C has an Iodine Value of from about 25 to about 125; ; D. from about 0.05% to about 0.4% of an inorganic water-soluble ionizable salt; and E. water; the total amount of Components A + B + C in said composition being from about 15% to about 21% and the Iodine Value of the total cationic system being at least about 4.2. 9. A composition according to any of Claims 1 to 8 characterized in that the weight ratio of Component C to Components A + B is at least 0.2:1, preferably from 0.2:1 to 1:1. 10. A composition according to any of Claims 1 to 9 characterized in that Component A is dihydrogenatedtallowdimethyl ammonium chloride, Component B is di(2-hydrogenatedtallowamidoethyl) ethoxylated methyl ammonium methylsulfate preferably having about 3 ethoxy groups, and Component C is l-methyl-l-tallow-amidoethyl-2-tallowimidazo- linium methylsulfate having an Iodine Value of about 40.

Inventors: BURNS, MICHAEL EUGENE
Applicants: THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY
Application year: 1981
Main classification: C11D1
IPC codes: D06M13, C11D3, C11D1