Liquid softener compositions and quaternary ammonium salt

A liquid softener composition comprising the following component (7-A) and water, wherein component (7-A) is present in the composition in an amount of 3 to 40% by weight:

• component (7-A):
• a quaternary ammonium salt represented by the formula (7-I):
• ##STR195## wherein R.sup.1 :
• branched C.sub.20 -C.sub.44 alkyl or alkenyl group;
• R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4 :
• C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group, wherein R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 may be the same or different from each other;
• Y:
• linear or branched C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkylene group;
• m:
• an average number of 0 to 20 moles of alkylene oxide;
• n:
• an integer of 1 to 6;
• and
• X.sup.- :
• an anion group.

A liquid softener composition comprising:

• (a) a mixture comprising a compound represented by the following formula (3-I);
• ##STR199## wherein A.sup.1, A.sup.2, A.sup.3 :
• RCO group or H atom, wherein R represents linear or branched C.sub.7 -C.sub.23 alkyl or alkenyl group, with the proviso that one of A.sup.1, A.sup.2 and A.sup.3 is RCO group and the others thereof are H atom,
• Q:
• C.sub.2 -C.sub.3 alkylene group or a mixture of C.sub.2 alkylene group with C.sub.3 alkylene group, and
• a, b, c:
• a number of 0 or above, with the proviso that the sum of a, b and c is 1 to 50 on an average,
• a compound represented by the following formula (3-II);
• ##STR200## wherein B.sup.1, B.sup.2, B.sup.3 :
• RCO group or H atom, wherein R is as defined above, with the proviso that two of B.sup.1, B.sup.2 and B.sup.3 are RCO group and the other thereof is H atom, and
• Q, a, b, c:
• each as defined above,
• a compound represented by the following formula (3-III) ##STR201## wherein D.sup.1, D.sup.2, D.sup.3 :
• RCO group wherein R is as defined above, and
• Q, a, b, c:
• each as defined above, and
• a compound represented by the following formula (3-IV) ##STR202## wherein Q, a, b, c;
• are each as defined above, with the provisos that a mixing ratio by weight of the compounds (3-I), (3-II), (3-III) and (3-IV) satisfy the following relationships:
• compound (3-I)/the total weight of compounds (3-I), (3-II), (3-III) and (3-IV)=0.040 to 0.527,
• compound (3-II)/the total weight of compounds (3-I), (3-II), (3-III) and (3-IV)=0.133 to 0.469,
• compound (3-III)/the total weight of compounds (3-I), (3-II), (3-III) and (3-IV)=0.013 to 0.661, and
• compound (3-IV)/the total weight of compounds (3-I), (3-II), (3-III) and (3-IV)=0.001 to 0.417;
• and also with the proviso that the mixture comprising compounds (3-I), (3-II), (3-III) and (3-IV) has a Griffin's HLB value of 5 to 15;
• and
• (b) a quaternary ammonium salt represented by the following formula (3-V):
• ##STR203## wherein R.sup.1 is a linear or branched C.sub.20 -C.sub.44 alkyl or alkenyl group;
• R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 are each a C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl or hydroxylalkyl group, wherein
• R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 may be the same or different from each other;
• Z is a C.sub.2 -C.sub.3 alkylene group or a mixture of a C.sub.2 alkylene group with C.sub.3 alkylene group;
• m is a number of 0 to 20;
• n is a number of 1 to 6;
• and
• X.sup.- is an anion group;
• and in a weight ratio of component (a) to component (b) is 2/1 to 1/9.

A liquid softener composition comprising the following components (4-A) and (4-B) at a weight ratio of the component (4-A) to the component (4-B) of 2/1 to 1/9:

• component (4-A)
• a compound represented by the following general formula (4-I):
• ##STR205## wherein R.sup.0 :
• linear or branched C.sub.7 -C.sub.23 alkyl or alkenyl group;
• M:
• C.sub.2 -C.sub.3 alkylene group or a mixture of C.sub.2 alkylene group with C.sub.3 alkylene group;
• and
• p, q:
• a number of 0 or above, with the proviso that the sum of p and q is 0 to 4 on an average and
• component (4-B)
• a quaternary ammonium salt represented by the following general formula (4-II):
• ##STR206## wherein R.sup.1 :
• linear or branched C.sub.20 -C.sub.44 alkyl or alkenyl group;
• R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 :
• C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group, wherein R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 may be the same or different from each other;
• Z:
• C.sub.2 -C.sub.3 alkylene group or a mixture of C.sub.2 alkylene group with C.sub.3 alkylene group;
• m:
• a number of 0 to 20;
• n:
• a number of 1 to 6;
• and
• X.sup.- :
• an anion group.

A process of preparing a quaternary ammonium salt represented by the general formula (5-I):

• ##STR208## wherein R.sup.1 represents a linear or branched C.sub.20 -C.sub.44 alkyl or alkenyl group;
• R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are the same or different from each other and represent a C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group;
• a is an number of 1 to 6;
• and
• X.sup.- represents an anion, which comprises reacting a tertiary amine of the formula NR.sup.2 R.sup.3 R.sup.4 where R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are defined above, with a quaternizing agent, in the presence of a polyhydric alcohol ester represented by the general formula (5-II):
• ##STR209## wherein G:
• is a residue of a polyhydric alcohol free from alcoholic hydroxyl groups;
• ##STR210## each bonded to G at a carbon atom to which an alcoholic hydroxy group used to be bonded,
• wherein
• A group represents C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkylene group,
• R group represents linear or branched C.sub.7 -C.sub.23 alkyl or alkenyl group, and
• m and n are each an average number of 0 to 100 moles of alkylene oxide, m and n being the same or different from each other;
• p, q, r and s:
• each a number of 0 or above, with the provisos that neither the sum of p and q nor that of r and s is 0.

A process of preparing a quaternary ammonium salt represented by the general formula (6-I):

• ##STR211## wherein R.sup.1 represents linear or branched C.sub.20 -C.sub.44 alkyl or alkenyl group;
• R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are the same or different from each other and represent a C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group;
• a is a number of 1 to 6;
• and tertiary amine of the formula NR.sup.2 R.sup.3 R.sup.4 where R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are defined above, compound represented by the general formula (6-II):
• ##STR212## wherein R.sup.5 represents linear or branched C.sub.7 -C.sub.35 alkyl or alkenyl group;
• A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 are the same or different from each other and represent a C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkylene group;
• and
• n and m may be the same or different from each other and represent an average number of alkylene oxide molecules, with the sum of n and m being 0 to 4.