Low solids, high viscosity fabric softener compositions and process for making the same

A process for making a fabric softener composition, comprising the steps of:

• making a concentrated pre-mix by adding a quaternary amine fabric softening active and a rheology modifying fabric softening active comprising a long chain amine, a derivative thereof, or a mixture thereof to water at a temperature of between about 35° C. and about 70° C. to form a homogeneous mixture, wherein the long chain amine has a general chemical structure of:
• wherein, R0 has a structure of R1—A—R2, where R1 is a C5-30 alkyl, alkylene, or alkenyl group, A is
• or
• where R5 is a C1-6 alkyl or alkylene group, a hydrogen, or a polyamine, R2 is a C1-6 alkylene group, a C1-30 alkoxylated group, or a covalent bond, and R3 or R4 independently is the same as R1—A—R2, a C1-5 alkyl group, or a hydrogen;
• cooling of the mixture to a temperature at about 10° C. below to about 10° C. above the re-crystallization/solidification phase transition temperature by the addition of a sufficient amount of cold water to dilute the mixture to a predetermined lower active concentration;
• in-situ adjusting the pH of the long chain amine, derivative thereof or mixtures thereof and the quaternary amine fabric softening active to a pH in the range of about 1.5 to about 7.0 by adding a polyprotic acid at about or under the re-crystallization/solidification phase transition temperature of the fabric softening active or actives to form the fabric softener composition.