US 7,351,749 B2Granted

Process for manufacture of personal care products utilizing a concentrate water phase

AssigneeUnilever Home & Personal Care USA, Division of Conopco, Inc.

InventorsPeter Anthony Divone, Walter Anthony Biercevicz, Joseph James Regan, Christy Ann Bridges, Kimberly Ann Priest, Matthew Jungblut

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Abstract

A process which may be continuous is provided for manufacture of personal care product compositions. The process involves feeding a first water phase which is a concentrate containing most if not all water soluble ingredients of the composition into a blending tube. A second phase which can be oily or aqueous and a third water phase, the latter being essentially pure water, are also fed into the blending tube. All of the phases are transported through the tube at a flow rate of about 5 to about 5,000 lbs./minute and at a pressure of about 10 to about 5,000 psi. Preferably the tube leads into a homogenizer such as a sonolator.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A process for manufacture of personal care compositions comprising:

(i) separately feeding a first water phase which is a concentrate comprising more than 15% by weight of the first water phase of ingredients other than water and having a viscosity from about 50 to about 30,000 cps into a blending tube of a sonic mixer;
(ii) separately feeding a second phase into the blending tube, the first phase entering the blending tube being at least 10° F. lower in temperature than that of the second phase entering the blending tube;
(iii) separately feeding a third phase comprising no more than 2% by weight of the third phase of ingredients other than water having a viscosity of less than 30 cps into the blending tube, the third phase being at least about 15% of the composition;
(iv) sonically mixing together all three of the phases, in the blending tube as a liquid stream at a pressure from about 10 to about 5,000 psi and at a flow rate of about 5 to about 5,000 pounds per minute, steps (i) through (iv) being performed in a continuous manner;
and
(v) recovering a resultant mixture as a personal care composition.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/320,029Filed 16 Dec 2002
Published: US 2004/0115230 A117 Jun 2004
Granted: 1 Apr 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

B01F 23/4111
Using electrical or magnetic fields, heat or vibrations: using vibrations
B01F 23/49
Mixing liquids with liquids; Emulsifying: mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams
B01F 35/831
By controlling the ratio of two or more flows, e.g. using flow sensing or flow controlling devices: using one or more pump or other dispensing…
B01F 25/50
Flow mixers; Mixers for falling materials, e.g. solid particles: circulation mixers, e.g. wherein at least part of the mixture is discharged from…