Fragrance-containing long lasting solid particle for incorporation into detergent and fabric softening compositions

A fragrance-containing long lasting solid particle of improved substantivity for incorporation into (i) laundry detergents, (i) fabric softener compositions and (iii) drier-added fabric softener articles produced according to a process consisting essentially of the steps of:

• (A) selecting a fat component selected from the group consisting of partially hydrogenated soybean oil, partially hydrogenated cotton seed oil and partially hydrogenated palm oil;
• (B) heating said fat component to an elevated temperature sufficient to form a first molten melt thereof;
• (C) selecting a solid surface active agent which is a surfactant of HLB of from about 1 up to 3, defined as a mixture of components having the structures:
• ##STR16## wherein R is C.sub.11 -C.sub.17 alkyl or alkenyl;
• (D) heating said surface active agent to form a second molten melt thereof;
• (E) preparing a fragrance formulation containing at least ten pre-selected components by following a mathematical algorithm whereby:
• (a) the cumulative sum of weight percents of each of the fragrance components is a function of the log.sub.10 P of each fragrance component as defined by the equation:
• log.sub.10 P=M.sub.0 +M.sub.1 x+M.sub.2 x.sup.2 +M.sub.3 x.sup.3 ;
• x=.SIGMA.(wt. %);
• (b) the totality of the fragrance components has a pleasantness perception value of greater than 80 on a scale of 1-100;
• and
• (c) the totality of the fragrance components has an intensity perception value of greater ta 80 on a scale of 1-100,
• wherein:
• P is the n-octanol-water partition coefficient for singe fragrance component in the fragrance formulation;
• log.sub.10 P is measured on the Y axis;
• x is the cumulative sum of weight percentages of fragrance components in the fragrance formulation for a given value of log.sub.10 P shown thusly:
• x=.SIGMA.(wt. %);
• M.sub.0 is the log.sub.10 P intercept of the curve defining the algorithm in the X-Y plane on the Y axis;
• M.sub.1 is the root mean square of the tangent slopes to at least three points on the curve defining the algorithm at the "low" log.sub.10 P region of the curve defining the algorithm in the X-Y plane;
• M.sub.2 is the root mean square of the tangent slopes to at least three points on the curve defining the algorithm at the "intermediate" log.sub.10 p region of the curve defining the algorithm in the X-Y plane;
• M.sub.3 is the root mean square of the tangent slopes to at least three points on the curve defining the algorithm in the X-Y plane at the "high" log.sub.10 P region of the curve defining the algorithm in the X-Y plane;
• the "low" log.sub.10 P region of the curve is defined thusly:
• -2<log.sub.10 P.ltoreq.3.5;
• the "intermediate" log.sub.10 P region of the curve is defined thusly:
• 3.5<log.sub.10 P.ltoreq.5;
• the "high" log.sub.10 P region of the curve is defined thusly:
• 5<log.sub.10 P.ltoreq.8;
• (F) combining said first and second melts with said fragrance formulation and uniformly dispersing said fragrance formulation in the combined melt of said fat component and said surfactant;
• (G) rapidly cooling, using drum chilling, the resulting mixture of melts to form a solid material containing said fait component, said surfactant and said fragrance formulation;
• and
• (H) forming solid particles thereof by means of cryo-grinding, each of which particle has an effective diameter of from about 0.3 up to about 0.8 microns, and each of which particle contains from about 1.0 up to about 20.0% by weight of said fragrance formulation, from about 40 up to about 99% by weight of said fat component and from about 1 up to about 60% by weight of said surfactant.