Process for making high solids fabric softeners using low amounts of solvents and no side reactions

A method for making a mixture of a quaternary ammonium compound and a fatty acid which is substantially free of solvents, fatty acid esters and amine salts by reacting a tertiary amine and a quaternizing agent in the presence of a solvent based on an alcohol and water to obtain a first mixture of a quaternary ammonium compound, said alcohol and said water, adding a fatty acid to said first mixture to obtain a second mixture that is relatively fluid and removing said alcohol and said water as a vapor to thereby obtain said quaternary ammonium compound and said fatty acid that is substantially free of solvents, fatty acid esters and amine salts:

• where in said quaternizing reaction said amine is present in a slight stoichiometric excess based on said quaternizing agent, said alcohol is present in an amount from about 0.1 to about 5% by weight, said water is present in an amount from about 0.25 to about 5% by weight, said amounts of alcohol and water being based on the total amount of amine, quaternizing agent, alcohol, water and fatty acid;
• said tertiary amine having the formula:
• ##STR6## wherein R, R.sup.1 or R.sup.2 are:
• (1) a linear or branched chain aliphatic saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having up to about 22 carbon atoms;
• (2) a hydroxy lower alkyl group;
• (3) an alkyl amide alkylene group of the formula;
• ##STR7## where R.sup.4 is lower alkylene and wherein R.sup.3 is (1), (2), (4), or (5);
• (4) a lower alkoxy group;
• (5) a poly(oxyloweralkylene) group;
• so that at least one of R, R.sup.1, R.sup.2 is one of said hydrocarbon groups or one of said hydroxy lower alkyl groups;
• or said tertiary amine is an imidazoline of the formula;
• ##STR8## wherein R.sup.5 is a linear or branched chain aliphatic saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having up to about 22 carbon atoms and R.sup.6 is a lower alkylene group;
• said quaternizing agent being capable of producing a quaternary ammonium compound having anions A.sup.- ;
• wherein said fatty acid is a linear or branched chain saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having from about 12 to about 22 carbon atoms;
• said quaternary ammonium compound having the formula:
• ##STR9##