Process for making high solids fabric softeners using low amounts of solvents and eliminating side reactions

A method for manufacturing a cleaning composition with a quaternary ammonium compound, comprising 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 an amine and a quaternizing agent in the presence of a relatively small amount of a solvent based on an alcohol and water to obtain a first mixture of a quaternary ammonium compound, said alcohol and sad 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 mixture of said quaternary ammonium compound and said fatty acid that is substantially free of solvents, fatty acid esters and amine salts

• wherein 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 amine and quaternizing agent being reacted in amounts sufficient to provide said quaternary ammonium compound in an amount from about 10% to about 90% by weight, said fatty acid being added in an amount to be present in an amount from about 90% to about 10% by weight, the weight percents of said quaternary ammonium compound and said fatty acid being based on the total amount of quaternary ammonium compound and fatty acid, said alcohol and water being sufficiently removed so that a mixture of quaternary ammonium compound and fatty acid is obtained having from about 95% to about 100% of said quaternary ammonium compound and fatty acid,
• wherein said amine has the formula:
• ##STR6## where R, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are any of:
• (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 amino alkylene group of the formula;
• ##STR7## where R.sup.4 is lower alkylene and R.sup.3 is any of a linear or branched chain aliphatic saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having up to about 22 carbon atoms, a hydroxy lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, or a poly(oxyloweralkylene) group;
• (4) a lower alkoxy group;
• or
• (5) a poly(oxyloweralkylene) group;
• so that at least one of R, R.sup.1 or R.sup.2 is one of said hydrocarbon groups or one of said hydroxy lower alkyl groups;
• or said amine is an imidazoline of the formula;
• ##STR8## where 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 having the formula R.sub.(a-b).sup.7 A;
• said fatty acid is a linear or branched chain saturated or unsaturated fatty acid having from about 12 to 22 carbon atoms;
• said quaternary ammonium compound having the formula:
• ##STR9## where R.sup.7 is a lower alkyl group, cyclo lower alkyl group, benzyl, cyclohexylmethyl, tolyl, xylyl, or napthylmethyl;
• A is chlorine, iodine, bromine, sulfate, methyl sulfate, carbonate, phosphate, or borate group;
• a is equal to the valence of A;
• and b is from 1 to the vlaence of A;
• and
• combining said mixture with a detergent.