DISPERSIBLE FABRIC SOFTENERS

Abstract: Amines and phosphates esters and amine oxides are combined to provide water-insoluble, water-dispersible fab­ ric softeners. The softeners are formulated in a variety of laun­ dry compositions.

Description: Background The use of softeners to treat fabrics after a washing operation is a well-known laundering practice. Fabric softeners are, in the main, water-insoluble cationic materials that are incompatible with anionic detersive surfactants used in most fabric washing compositions. For that reason, the softening operation is generally carried out in the laundry rinse bath after the surfactant has been removed from the washing machine. This entails additional work for the user. Formulators of fabric laundering compositions have long sought means whereby fabric washing and softening could be done concurrently. Laundering methods employing clay softeners, mixtures of clays and various amine materials and the like, are described in the following patents : German 29/64114.3. 28/57163.3. 24/39541.3. 23/34899.4 and EPO 80200570.2. 80200877.1 and 80201015.7. The use of mixtures of amines and soaps (salt of fatty acids) as through-the-wash softeners is disclosed in U.K. Patent 1.514.276. The prior art also discribes the use of various cationic materials in sheet form. See U.S. Patent 4.220.562 and 3.936.538. The prior art also teaches the softener use of alkyl phosphonate and quaternary ammonium compounds. EPO Application 0 006 268, filed June 11, 1979. The prior art also teaches various mixtures of phosphate esters in detergents with fabric softening action - BE 802.679 or FR 2.385.839. Summary of the invention The present invention relates to water-dispersible fabric softening compositions comprising an amine, a phosphate ester, and an amine oxide. These fabric softening compositions are suitable for use in conjunction with detersive ingredients, to provide through-the-wash softening. The invention also encompasses detergent compositions (preferably granular) which may be described succinctly as containing conventional detergent ingredients such as detersive surfactants (including anionics), detergency builders, optical brighteners, detersive enzymes, fabric bleaches, and the like, all at rather conventional levels, as well as clay fabric softeners (preferably, smectite clays), said compositions being characterized in that they contain at least 0.1 % (preferably 1.0 % to 15 %) of the fabric softener composition herein. The most preferred compositions with clay are formulated to contain not more than 5 % (preferably not more than 1 % -2 % ) of a nonionic detersive surfactant. The invention also encompasses an article for use in a laundry bath or rinse bath, or in a laundry dryer, comprising the aforesaid amine/phosphate ester/amine oxide fabric softener composition releasably affixed to a water-insoluble carrier, for example, a sheet of paper or fabric. Such compositions are optionally formulated to contain a bleach activator and such activator-containing compositions are especially useful in laundry baths. The ingredients and means for preparing the compositions are disclosed more fully hereinafter. All weights and proportions are by weight, unless otherwise specified. Detailed Description of the Invention The water-dispersible fabric softener compositions herein contain an amine, a phosphate ester, and an amine oxide, each of which will be disclosed more fully hereinbelow. Amines - The amines employed herein are of the formula R₁R₂R₃N where R₁ is C₆ to C₂₀, R₂ is C₁ to C₂₀ hydrocarbyl, preferably alkyl or hydrogen, and R₃ is C₁ to C₁₀ hydrocarbyl, preferably alkyl, or hydrogen. Preferably, the amines have both R₁ and R₂ as C₆-C₂₀ alkyl, with C₁₆-C₁₈ being most preferred, and with R₃ as C₁-C₃ alkyl. Mixed amines, such as dicoconutalkyl-and ditallowalkyl-methyl amines can be used. Such materials are commercially available under Trade Marks such as "Armeen". Phosphate Ester - The phosphate esters which are critical to the practice of this invention are commercially available materials of the general formulae : wherein R and R' are C₁-C₂₀ alkyl or (preferably) ethoxylated alkyl groups of the general formulae : alkyl-(OCH₂CH₂) Y , wherein the alkyl substituent is C₁-C₂₀ preferably C₈-C₁₆ and Y is an integer of 1 to 15, preferably 2-10, most preferably 2-5. Such compounds are prepared by known methods from phosphorus pentoxide, phosphoric acid or phosphorus oxy halide and alcohols or ethoxylated alcohols. It will be appreciated that the formulae depicted represent mono- and di-esters, and commercial phosphate esters will generally comprise mixtures of the mono- and di-esters, together with some proportion of tri-ester. Typical commercial esters are available under the Trade Marks "Phospholan" PDB3 (Diamond Shamrock) and "Servoxyl" VPAZ (Servo). Amine oxides The amine oxide component of the fabric softener composition has the general formula wherein R₄ is C₁₀ to C₂₂ alkyl or alkenyl, R₅ , R₆ and R₇ are selected from C₁-C₄ alkyl, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, n is an integer from 1 to 6, m is an integer from 0 to 6, t is 0 or 1, p, q, and r are each 1 for alkyl substituents, and integers in the range from 1 to 10 for ethylene oxide or propylene oxide substituents, such that the sum of (p + q + r) is not greater than 25. Prefered amine oxides for use herein are defined by the following substituents : R₄ : hydrogenated tallow C₁₆-C₁₈ alkyl, coconut C₁₂-C₁₄ alkyl. R₅,R₆,R₇ : ethylene oxide, methyl, ethyl m : 0 or 1 n : 3 (assuming m is different from 0) p, q, r are each at least 1 and their sum is in the range from 2 to 12, for example 2,3,7 and 12. One particularly preferred class of amine oxide species is represented by mono-amine oxides having the following substituents. m : 0 R₅,R₆,R₇ : methyl, ethyl, ethylene oxide. R₄ : coconut C₁₂-C₁₄ alkyl p and q are both 1 A specific example of this preferred class of mono-amine oxides is : N-C₁₂-C₁₄ coconut alkyl-N,N-dimethyl amine oxide. Another particularly preferred class of amine oxide species is represented by bis-amine oxides having the following substituents. m : 1 R₄ : tallow C₁₆-C₁₈ alkyl, palmityl, oleyl, stearyl R₅, R₆, R₇ : ethylene oxide. n : 2 or 3. p, q and r : are each at last 1, and their sum is from 3 to 12. A specific example of this preferred class of bisamine oxides is : N-hydrogenated C₁₆-C₁₈ tallow alkyl-N, N',N'- tri- (2-hydroxyethyl)-propylene-1, 3-diamine oxide. In the fabric softener compositions the weight ratio amine : phosphate ester is at least 5:1, preferably from 5:1 to 20:1, most preferably from 7:1 to 15:1. The weight ratio amine : amine oxide is at least 1:1, preferably from 1:1 to 20:1, most preferably from 7:1 to 15:1. The invention also encompasses detergent compositions containing at least 0.1 weight %, preferably from 1 to 15 weight % of the fabric softener composition Preferably, the detergent compositions are in granular form. The detergent compositions typically contain conventional detersive ingredients, like detersive surfactants and detersive adjuncts, at conventional levels. Particularly preferred are compositions that further contain softener clay as an additional fabric softening ingredient. Detersive Surfactants The detergent compositions of this invention will contain organic surface-active agents ("surfactants") to provide the usual cleaning benefits associated with the use of such materials. Detersive surfactant useful herein include well-known synthetic anionic, amphoteric and zwitterionic surfactants. Typical of these are the alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl-and alkylether sulfates, paraffin sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, alpha-sulfonates of fatty acides and of fatty acid esters, and the like, which are well-known from the detergency art. In general, such detersive surfactants contain an alkyl group in the C₉-C₁₈ range : the anionic detersive surfactants can be used in the form of their sodium, potassium or triethanolammonium salts. U.S. Patent 4.111.855 contains detailed listings of such typical detersive surfactants. C₁₁-C₁₆ alkyl benzene sulfonates, C₁₂-C₁₈ paraffin-sulfonates and alkyl sulfates are especially preferred in the compositions of the present type. Also useful herein as the surfactant are the water-soluble soaps, e.g. the common sodium and potassium coconut or tallow soaps well-known in the art. It is to be understood that the use of typical alkoxylated nonionic surfactants (e.g. the C₉-C₁₈ alkyl) alcohols and alkyl phenols with 5 to 20 ethoxyl groups are preferably limited in the practice of this invention to levels of not more than about 5 %, preferably not more than 2 %, most preferably 0-1 %, of the compositions when clay is present as a co-softener, since alkoxylates can interfere with the softening properties of clay. In clay-free compositions, the alkoxylated nonionics can be used at any desired level. The surfactant component can comprise as little as 1% of the laundry detergent compositions herein, but generally the compositions will contain 5% to 40% , preferably 6% to 30%, of surfactant. Mixtures of the anionic, such as the alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates and paraffin sulfonates are preferred for through-the-wash cleansing of a broad spectrum of soils and stains from fabric. Detersive Adjuncts The compositions herein can contain other ingredients which aid in their cleaning performance. For example, it is highly preferred that through-the-wash detergent compositions contain a detergent builder and/or metal ion sequestrant. Compounds classifiable and well-known in the art as detergent builders include the nitrilotriacetates, polycarboxylates, citrates, water-soluble phosphates such as tri-polyphosphate and sodium ortho- and pyro-phosphates, silicates, and mixtures thereof. Metal ion sequestrants include all of the above, plus materials like ethylene diaminetetraacetate, the amino-polyphosphonates and phosphates (DEQUEST) and a wide variety of other poly-functional organic acids and salts too numerous to mention in detail here. See U.S. Patent 3.579.454 for typical examples of the use of such materials in various cleaning compositions. In general, the builder/sequestrant will comprise 0.5 % to 45 % of the composition. The 1-10 micron size zeolite (e.g. zeolite A) builders disclosed in German Patent 24 22 655 are especially preferred for use in low-phosphate compositions which contain the softeners described herein. The laundry compositions herein also preferably contain enzymes to enhance their through-the-wash cleaning performance on a variety of soils and stains. Amylase and protease enzymes suitable for use in detergents are well-known in the art and in commercially available liquid and granular detergents. Commercial detersive enzymes (preferably a mixture of amylase and protease) are typically used at levels of 0.001 % to 2 % and higher, in the prevent compositions. Moreover, the compositions herein can contain, in addition to ingredients already mentioned, various other optional ingredients typically used in commercial products to provide aesthetic or additional product performance benefits. Typical ingredients include pH regulants, perfumes, dyes, bleaches, optical brighteners, soil suspending agents, hydrotropes and gel-control agents, freeze-thaw stabilizers, bactericides, preservatives, suds control agents, bleach activators and the like. In a through-the-wash laundry mode, the compositions are typically used at a concentration of at least 500 ppm, preferably 0.10 % to 2.5 % in an aqueous laundry bath at pH 7-11 to launder fabrics The laundering can be carried out over the range from 5° C to the boil, with excellent results. Softener clay The above-disclosed amine-phosphate ester-amine oxide softeners are preferably used in granular detergent compositions in combination with a detergent-compatible clay fabric softener. Such clay softeners are well-known in the detergency patent literature and are in broad commercial use, both in Europe and in the United States. Included among such clay softeners are various heat-treated kaolins and various multi-layer smectites. Preferred clay softeners are smectite softener clays that are described in German patent document 23 34 899 and in U.K. Patent 1.400.898 which can be referred to for details. Softener clays are used in the preferred compositions at levels of at least 1%, generally 1-20 %, preferably 2-7%. In an alternate mode, the amine-phosphate ester-amine oxide softeners herein may be releasably adsorbed or releasably coated onto a non-particulate substrate such as a non-woven or paper sheet or flexible sponge mat, or the like. Such sheet-form objects may be added to the laundry or rinse bath, or to the laundry dryer, where the softener is released to provide fabric softening. In an alternate, and highly preferred, mode the amine-phosphate ester softener is used in sheet form in combination with a bleach activator (such as tetraacetyl ethylene diamine or a straight- or branched-chain C₆-C₁₀ oxybenzene sulfonate) as a combined perborate-activator and softener in a laundry liquor. See, for example U.S. Patent 4.220.562 Such sheet form products will generally employ 1-20 grams of the amine-phosphate ester softener and 1-20 grams of the bleach activator. In still another mode, the amine-phosphate ester-amine oxide can be formulated as a liquid fabric softener and used in a post-laundry rinse bath. Such liquid softeners can comprise, for example, a simple dispersion of the amine-phosphate ester-amine oxide softener in water or water-alcohol. In general terms, the amine-phosphate ester-amine oxide softeners are prepared separately from the balance of the compositions, and are preferably then added to the other, conventional ingredients to provide the final formulations. This can most conveniently be done by preparing a melt of the phosphate ester and the amine, adding the normally liquid amine oxide, and maintaining the melt stage for a few minutes. The melt can then be layered onto a sheet substrate to prepare, for example, a dryer-added fabric softener. To prepare a detergent, the melt can be dispersed into a stirred, aqueous crutcher mix comprising the balance of the detersive ingredients, and spray-dried in standard fashion. It is, in fact, an important advantage of the present fabric softener compositions that it can be added to an aqueous crutcher mix of detergent ingredients without substantial loss of fabric softening properties. As for example in intermediate document EP-A-168889 It has been found that softener compositions comprised of the amine component and the phosphate ester component (i.e., without the amine oxide), although having substantial fabric softening properties, lose a significant portion of their fabric softening properties if incorporated in a detergent composition via addition to an aqueous crutcher mix. An important aspect of the fabric softener compositions of the present invention is that they can be added to an aqueous crutcher mix without a significant loss of fabric softening performance characteristics. Hence, the problems of appearance (yellowing) and flow characteristics (caking), frequently associated with spray-on addition of major amounts of organic material, can be avoided. Industrial application The following examples are typical of the preferred compositions of this invention, but are not intented to limit the scope of the invention. Example 1 A mix of ditallow methyl amine (total 3.8 % of complete formulation after spray-drying) and monococonutalkyl (ethoxy) 1-5 phosphoric acid ester (0.38 % of complete formulation) are admixed and melted in a jacketed bath. Coconut N,N dimethyl amine oxide (0.42 % of complete formulation) is then added. Stirring assures homogeneity. A standard aqueous crutcher mix comprising the following ingredients is prepared (percentages listed relate to percent ingredients in the complete formulation after spray-drying). The pre-formed softener is poured into the stirred aqueous crutcher mix (60-90°C). The crutcher mix-plus-softener is then handled in entirely standard fashion, and spray-dried. The composition of Example I is free-flowing and provides excellent cleaning and through-the-wash fabric softening when used at laundry concentration of 0.1 % and above. The composition of Example I may be modified by dry-mixing 1.0 % tertraacetyl ethylenediamine (TAED) as a perborate bleach activator. The composition may be modified further by also adding monotallowalkyl trimethylammonium chloride as 2.4 % of the total composition. Example 2 A low- P spray-dried detergent formulation is as follows : The composition of Example II is prepared by spray-drying an aqueous crutcher mix, in the manner described for Example I. In use, the composition gives excellent cleaning and through-the-wash fabric softening performance. Example III A laundry additive product is prepared by warming 6.5 g of bis (tetradecyl) methyl amine and 0.8 g of tetradecylphosphate to form a melt adding N, N', N'-tri-(2-hydroxyethyl)-propylene-1, 3-diamine oxide, and spreading the melt onto an ordinary disposable paper hand-towel (20 x 20cm), 4 grams of TAED powder ( 1-10 microns) are sprinkled onto and pressed into, the melt before it has the chance to solidify. The article of Example III is added to a laundry liquor containing a commercial perborate/clay detergent composition (DASH-3 : Trade Mark) to enhance through-the-wash softening and bleaching performance. Example IV The article of Example III is modified by deleting the TAED and replacing the Example III softener with 3.5 g. of the amine-phosphate ester-amine oxide softener of Examples I and II. The resulting article is tumbled with damp fabrics in a standard hot air clothes dryer, whereby the softener is transferred to the fabrics to impart softness.

Claims: A water-dispersible fabric softening composition comprising : a) an amine of the formula R₁, R₂, R₃N wherein R₁, is C₆ to C₂₀ alkyl, R₂ is C₁ to C₂₀ alkyl or hydrogen, and R₃ is C₁ to C₁₀ alkyl or hydrogen; characterized in that it also comprises : b) a phosphate ester of the formula wherein R' is C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, or ethoxylated alkyl of the formula alkyl - (OCH₂CH₂) y , wherein the alkyl substituent is C₁-C₂₀, and Y is an integer from 1 to 15, and R is R' or hydrogen, and c) an amine oxide of the formula wherein R₄ is C₁₀-C₂₂ alkyl or alkenyl, R₅, R₆ and R₇ are selected from C₁-C₄ alkyl, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, n is an integer from 1 to 6, m is an integer from 0 to 6, t is O or 1, p, q and r are each 1 for alkyl substituents, and integers in the range from 1 to 10 for ethylene oxide or propylene oxide substituents such that the sum of (p + q + r) is not greater than 25 further characterized in that : the weight ratio of amine : phosphate ester is from 5:1 to 20:1 and the weight ratio amine : amine oxide is from 1:1 to 20:1. The fabric softening composition of Claim 1 wherein both R₁ and R₂ are C₆-C₂₀ alkyl, preferably C₁₆-C₁₈ alkyl. The fabric softening composition of Claim 1 or 2 wherein m = 0 and R₅ and R₇ are C₁-C₄ alkyl. A fabric softening composition according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the weight ratio amine : phosphate ester is from 7:1 to 15:1, and the weight ratio amine : amine oxide is from 7:1 to 15:1. A laundry detergent composition comprising conventional detersive ingredients, characterized in that it contains at least 0.1 % of the fabric softening composition of any of the preceding claims. A composition according to Claim 5 which contains from 1% to 15% of the fabric softening composition. A composition according to Claim 5 or 6 which further contains at least 1% of a clay fabric softener. A composition according to any one of Claims 5-7 which contains a detergency builder selected from phosphate, nitrilotriacetate, polycarboxylate, citrate and zeolite builders, or mixtures thereof. An article for use in a laundry or rinse bath, or in a laundry dryer, comprising a sheet-form substrate, preferably a flexible sheet, having releasably affixed thereto a fabric softener composition according to any one of Claims 1-4. An article according to Claim 9 which additionally comprises a bleach activator. A method of softening fabrics which comprises contacting said fabrics with a composition according to any one of Claims 1-8 in the presence of water. A process for preparing a granular detergent composition according to any one of Claims 5-8 whereby the fabric softening compositions is pre-formed as a melt and is added to an aqueous slurry containing some or all of the conventional detersive ingredients.

Inventors: BAECK, ANDRE, BUSCH, ALFRED, Baeck, André 
Applicants: PROCTER & GAMBLE EUROPEAN TECHNICAL CENTER, THE PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY
Application year: 1986
Main classification: C11D1
IPC codes: C11D3, C11D1, C11D17