US 5,474,690 AGranted

Concentrated biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softener compositions containing intermediate iodine value fatty acid chains

AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company

InventorsErrol H. Wahl, Dennis R. Bacon, Ellen S. Baker, Jean-Francois Bodet, Hugo J. M. Demeyere, John C. Severns, Michael P. Siklosi, Alice M. Vogel, Jeffrey W. Watson

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

The present invention relates to stable, homogeneous, preferably concentrated, aqueous liquid textile treatment compositions that contain biodegradable diester quaternary ammonium compounds of the formula: ##STR1## wherein each Q is --O--(O)C-- or --C(O)--O--; n is 1 to 4; each R.sup.1 substituent is a short chain C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl group, benzyl group or mixtures thereof; each R.sup.2 is a long chain C.sub.11 -C.sub.21 hydrocarbyl, or substituted hydrocarbyl substituent and the counterion, X.sup.-, can be any softener-compatible anion; wherein the biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound is derived from C.sub.11 -C.sub.21 fatty acyl groups having an Iodine Value of from greater than about 5 to less than about 100, a cis/trans isomer weight ratio of greater than about 30/70 when the Iodine Value is less than about 25, the level of unsaturation of the fatty acyl groups is less than about 65% by weight, the aqueous compositions being stable without nonionic viscosity modifiers when the concentration is less than or equal to 13%.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A stable, homogeneous, liquid fabric softening composition comprising:

(A) from about 5% to about 50% of biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound;
(B) from about 0% to about 5% of dispersibility modifier selected from the group consisting of:
1. single-long-chain, C.sub.10 -C.sub.22 alkyl, cationic surfactant;
2. nonionic surfactant with at least 8 ethoxy moieties;
3. amine oxide;
4. C.sub.12 -C.sub.25 fatty acid;
and
5. mixtures thereof;
(C) from about 0% to about 2% of stabilizer;
and
(D) aqueous liquid carrier;
wherein the biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound has the formula:
##STR9## wherein each Q is --O--(O)C-- or --C(O)--O--;
n is 1 to 4;
each R.sup.1 is a short chain C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl group, benzyl group or mixtures thereof
each R.sup.2 is a long chain C.sub.11 -C.sub.21 hydrocarbyl, or substituted hydrocarbyl substituent;
and
the counterion, X.sup.-, is any softener-compatible anion;
wherein the biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound is derived from C.sub.11 -C.sub.21 fatty acyl groups having:
(a) an Iodine Value of from greater than about 5 to less than about 100;
(b) a cis/trans isomer weight ratio of greater than about 30/70 when the Iodine Value is less than about 25;
and (c) a level of unsaturation that is less than about 65% by weight;
and wherein said compositions have certain inherent viscosity and dispersibility characteristics and the dispersibility modifier affects the composition's characteristics with respect to viscosity, dispersibility, or both.

20 more elements

A stable, homogeneous, liquid fabric softening composition comprising:

(A) from about 5% to about 50% of biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound;
(B) from about 0% to about 5% of dispersibility modifier selected from the group consisting of:
1. single-long-chain, C.sub.10 -C.sub.22 alkyl, cationic surfactant;
2. nonionic surfactant with at least 8 ethoxy moieties;
3. amine oxide;
4. C.sub.12 -C.sub.25 fatty acid;
and
5. mixtures thereof;
(C) from about 0% to about 2% of stabilizer;
and
(D) liquid carrier;
wherein the biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound has the formula:
##STR10## wherein each Q is --O--(O)C-- or --C(O)--O--;
n is 1 to 4;
each R.sup.1 is a short chain C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl group, benzyl group or mixtures thereof;
each R.sup.2 is a long chain C.sub.11 -C.sub.21 hydrocarbyl, or substituted hydrocarbyl substituent;
and
the counterion, X.sup.-, is any softener-compatible anion;
wherein the biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound is derived from C.sub.11 -C.sub.21 fatty acyl groups having:
(a) an Iodine Value of from greater than about 20 to less than about 100 for optimum static control:
(b) a cis/trans isomer weight ratio of greater than about 30/70 when the Iodine Value is less than about 25;
and (c) a level of unsaturation that is less than about 65% by weight;
and wherein said compositions have certain inherent viscosity and dispersibility characteristics and the dispersibility modifier affects the composition's characteristics with respect to viscosity, dispersibility, or both and wherein the aqueous composition is stable without nonionic viscosity modifiers when the concentration of biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound (A) is less than, or equal to, 13%.

20 more elements

A stable, homogeneous, liquid fabric softening composition comprising:

(A) from about 5% to about 50% of biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound;
(B) from about 0% to about 5% of dispersibility modifier selected from the group consisting of:
1. single-long-chain, C.sub.10 -C.sub.22 alkyl, cationic surfactant;
2. nonionic surfactant with at least 8 ethoxy moieties;
3. amine oxide;
4. C.sub.12 -C.sub.25 fatty acid;
and
5. mixtures thereof;
(C) from about 0% to about 2% of stabilizer;
and
(D) aqueous liquid carrier;
wherein the biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound has the formula:
##STR12## wherein each Q is --O--(O)C-- or --C(O)--O--;
n is 1 to 4;
each R.sup.1 is a short chain C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl group, benzyl group or mixtures thereof;
each R.sup.2 is a long chain C.sub.11 -C.sub.21 hydrocarbyl, or substituted hydrocarbyl substituent;
and
the counterion, X.sup.-, is any softener-compatible anion;
wherein the biodegradable quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound is derived from C.sub.11 -C.sub.21 fatty acyl groups having:
(a) an Iodine Value of from greater than about 5 to less than about 25 for optimum low temperature stability;
(b) a cis/trans isomer weight ratio which is greater than about 30/70;
and (c) a level of unsaturation that is less than about 65% by weight;
and wherein said compositions have certain inherent viscosity and dispersibility characteristics and the dispersibility modifier affects the composition's characteristics with respect to viscosity, dispersibility, or both and wherein the pH of the aqueous composition is from about 2 to about 5.

20 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.