CA1060604A - Softener, bleach and anti-cling composition - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a fabric softener, bleach and anti-cling composition which is compatible with organic detergents. It has been found that the conjoint use of a cationic softener, particularly the quaternary ammonium type, and a peroxygen bleach in the composition of the invention yields totally unexpected synergistic cleaning effects whilst simultaneously enhancing the softening and anti-static properties thereof.

Description

~ 6a~04 ¦ The present invention relates to a mu?tifun¢t~onal ¦~abrlc sortener and bloach produ~t th~t 80rten8 12undry item~, ¦roduce~ or ellminate~ stati~ cling Or ~yntheti~ ~abri~ ~nd boest~ the cleaning Or l~undry.
l The use Or variou8 and diverse chemical matorials, and ¦ parti¢ularl~ cationi¢ compounds a~ ~o~teners ror text~le prOdUCt~l, i8 very well known in the art. It i9 al9e well ~own to,employ ~u~h materials rer the~r 8e~tening offeot duri~g ~he ¦laundering oporation and particularl~ in the rin~e cycle o~ the ¦launder~ng process. This technique hàs been neoe~sitated by the ract that the so~teners hereto~ore employed, being m~ly l oationlo in n~ture, are not compatible with the ma~or type o~
Idetergent used in the washlng oycle. By ~ar, the predominating ¦ typo~or detergent used in home lau~der~ng proue9~0s ~ ~n~onio ¦~n nature. It ha9 been ~ound that oven tr~¢es Or anioni~ materi-¦ als results in a preolpitate which reduces the effectiveness .
¦ or sa~d cationio fabric ~ofteners. This manifestation o~
inoompatibilit~ ha8 nece~itated the u~e o~ oationia quaternar~
:~:ortenerq dur~ng laundering in the rin~e ~ycl9 arter 9ever~1 rinse~ to ~ree s~d laundered rabrio~ Or tr~OoJ o~ aD~-oni~
~t rg~nt.

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Similarly, bleaching agents are customarily added to the laundry during the washing operation, as a separate step. Thus, it is apparent that two separate products and two separate additions were required in the laundering operation heretofore.
It has now been found that a multifunctional single product com-patible with organic detergents can advantageously be added to the laundry during the wash cycle, comprising essentially a cationic softening agent and an inorganic peroxygen bleach. Instant composition, which is preferably in particulate form, provides softening, anti-static effects, enhances cleaning and stain removal to laundry treated therewith.
Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is the provision of a multifunctional product compatible with organic detergents inclusive of anionics and nonionics.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a fabric softening-bleach composition possessing anti-static properties.
Other objects will appear hereinafter as the description proceeds.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a wash cycle fabric softener, bleach and anti-cling composition compatible with organic detergents which comprises an inorganic peroxygen bleach compound and a cationic softening agent comprising a cationic nitrogen containing compound -in the weight ratio of 17:1 to 1:4 of bleach to softener.
The invention also provides a method of simultaneously bleaching, softening and reducing the electrostatic properties of fabrics which comprises applying to said fabrics in an aqueous bath, an amount of the composition defined above, sufficient to bleach, soften and reduce the electrostatic properties of fabrics.
According to another embodiment of the invention, in a process of simultaneously softening, bleaching and reducing the electrostatic proper- -ties of fabrics in water, there is provided the improvement which comprises adding to the water the composition defined above in the form of a dry powder in an ~mount sufficient to soften, bleach and provide anti-static properties to said fabrics.

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.

~(J6~?604 The cationic fabric softening compounds useful in the composition of the present invention are commercially known and comprise cationic nitrogen containing compounds, such as quaternary ammonium compound and amines containing one or two straight chain organic radicals of at least 8 carbon atoms and preferably containing at least one straight chain organic

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radical contAining rrom 12 to 22 carbon atoms.

Generally, the quaternary ammonium 90~to~ing age~t~
have the rOllOw~ng ~ormulae:

N ~ X-N ; ] X-~/ ~ ~ X-wherein R1 i~ a long cha~n aliphatia radical having rrom 8 to 22 a~rbon atoms, R2 i8 a long eh~ined aliphatic radical havi~g ~rom 8 to 22 chrbon atom~ or ~8 a lower alkyl rad~cal having from 1 to 4 carbon.atom~ or an aryl or aralkyl radical, R3 and R4 are lower alkyl radical~, n is a number between 1 and 15 and X i~ a water 901uble salt rorming anion, such as a halidel i.e. ohloride, bromida, iodlde; a sul~ate, acetateJ hydroxide, metho~ul~ate or similar inorganie or organic ~olubilizi~g mono-or dlbasic radical. Ex~mple3 o~ quatern~ry ammonium sorteni~
ag~nts suit~bl- ~or use ~n the co~position o~ tho pre~o~t

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060~ 1 invent~o~ include the rollowlng: hydrogenated ditallow d~nethyl ammoniurn chloride, ethoxylated di~tearyl ~nethyl ~noniwn chloride, l-hydroxyethyl-l-methyl-2-heptadecyl imidazolinium chloride; dimethyl di~tearyl ~mmonium chlor~de;
trimethyl st;earyl ammonium bromlde; cetyl trimethyl ammonium chlor~de, di-coco dimethyl ammonium chloride; cetyl pyridiniu~
chloride; higher alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride; di-i30butyl pheno~y ethoxy ethyl d~methyl benzyl ammonium chlorid-;
lauryl isoquinolinium brornide; distearyl dimethyl quaternary ammonium bromide; d~stearyl dimethyl quaternary ~mmon$um methyl~ulfate; dicoco dimethyl quaternary ~mmonium chlor~de;
dimethyl arachidyl, behenyl quaternary ~nonium chloride; di-(soya? dimethylammonium chloride, and di(coco) dimethyla~o~ium ~hloride, benzyl dimethyl atearyl ammon~urn ~hloride, etc.
Example~ o~ amines which may be utilized i~ the com~oqition of the present invention inelude primary tallow ~mine, primary coco amine, primary halogenated tallow amine, n-tallow 1,3-propylene diamine, oleyl 1,3-propylene dlam~ne, and coco 1,3-propylene diami~e.
The term "coco" when utilized rerers to ratty acid group~ formed ~n coconut o~l ratty acids Such acids co~tain ~rom about 8 to 1~ carbon atoms per molecule predominating in he C12-14 ac~d-An e99ential ingredient in iD3t~nt ~ofteningoompo~ltion i8 an inorgan~¢ pero-ygen bleaching compound. Any Or the perox~de oompounds conventionally employed in the art as bleaching agent~ are sultable for use herein with typi~al ~x~mples including, without neoessar~ limitation, inorga~

_ _ _. , . . ~ _ ._ ll lO~ O~ ~
persalts ~uch a~ typiried by perborates, percarbonate3, p~rphosphatec, per~ilicate~, persul~ates, hydrogen peroxide, sodium pero~ide and the l~ke. A9 will be appre~iate~, ~peciri~
circumstances may well ~erve to dictate the use Or a 9peai~1c type o~ pero~;ide compound, e.g., considerations as~ociated with compatibi~i ty, bleaching activity, active oxygen content etc.
In any event, particularly beneficial re~ult~ are obtained with the use o~ thé alkali metal perborate such as sod~um perborate, compounds Or this type having been round to permit the att~me~t Or optimum per~ormance as regards bleaching oapacity, cou~e~trs-tlon erriciency and the like.
Additionally, the present invention contemplates the employment o~ either or both Or the cationi~ so~tener and per-o~ide compound~ in admlxture compr~s~ng two or m~re~the a~vi~-ability of 80 proceeding depending primarily upon the require-ments Or the processor. In any event, this particular expedient arrords to the ~ormulator e~rective means whereby to ~apitalize on the bene~cial properties characterizing each Or a plurality of aationic and/or peroxide compound~. When provided in the rorm Or a ~imple blea¢h composition, the ~n~olved ingredisnts may comprise simply a mixture o~ the peroxide and cationic compound within the relative molar quantitie9 stated. Other ingredientR may be ~n~luded ~n minor amount~ i.e., from O to 5~ and pre~erably frQm 0.1% to 3% by weight Or compo~ition such ingrodients including without ne¢essary l~itation, phosphate3 to co~trol pH, olractory agent~, optical bri~hteners and dye8 eto. W~ere m~nuracture Or the bleaGh composition in the ~or~
Or a tqblet is contffmplated, material~ su¢h a~ typ~ried b~ corn . _' .

~ ~ 01~04 qtarch may be added to expedite breakup o~ the tablet. O~tional ingredients o~ the roregoing type will be discussed hereina~ter in gre~ter det~il.
In~tant compositio~ i~ particularly bene~loial ~
regard~ c~pability of providing a ~abrio hav~ng a softer hand, i~proved ~bqorbency9 permanency Or whitene~q, ~uperior stain removal, the elimination Or static electricity in 9ynthetic~
and the like. Discoloration and yellowing of ~abrics as well as the curtailment of the u~eful lire o~ fabric~ nor~ally associated with blea¢hing compounds upon ag~ng i~ elim~nated by instant c~mposition.
Weight ratios o~ 10:1 to 1:1 of inorganic peroxygen bleach:cationic sortener appear to be mo~t e~e~t~ve as a ~uperior multifun~tional treating composition ¢a?able Or yielding ~uporior softness~ bleaching and anti-¢ling propertie~ to rPbrie~
tre~ted therewith. ~owever, bene~cial re~ults have also been obtained, wherein the weight ratio of bleach: cationic ~orten~r is 17:1 to 1:4. proportion8 o~ each ~ngredient may be vari~d to alter bleaching, softening and anti-st~tic erfects.
The proce~s o~ treating ~abric~ with inqtant sortenine c~mposition9 i8 not dependent on temperature and perform~ well with either cold or warm launder~ng solutions. Also, the prooe88 oan be conducted uaing water of any rea90nabl~ degree of hard-ness, although obvioualy, the u~e of 9e~ter wa9h water i~
pr~erred.
The ~o~tening-bleach and ~nti-cling compo~ition Or in~tant invention m~y ~180 includ0 minor ~mount~ Or brighteners, bluing, germicides, per~u~ea, diluente or other additives whi~h do not intQr~ere with the ~o~tening, whitening and anti-~ling properties o~ ~aid conpo~ltion.
Th~ product i~ prererabl~ prepsred by dry blend~g ~o~o~o~
the ingredient~ to rorm a rree-~lowing powder. The peroxygen bleach and cationic so~tener, in particulate ~orm, may be added to the wa~h water simultaneously with the organic detergent or built detergent; or may be dry blended with spray dried beads o~ detergent or built detergent prior to add~tion to ths wash water. Inqtant product msy be granul~r or powdered as well as ror~ed into pellets or other ~uitable qhape. The amount Or cationic sortener based on the total weight o~ the laundering composition may be 3-20~ and the amount Or peroxygen bleaoh may con~titute about 5-50~ and prererably 20-40~ Or the total we~ght.
The invention has found its greate~t ub~lity thu~ ~ar in the so~tening and bleaching o~ cotton ~abrics, ~abric~ made o~ other cellulosic ribers, 9-g-, rayon or other te~tile ~lbers, e.g nylon, ~ilk, wool, polyethylene terephthalate, cellulose acetate, acrylonitrile polymer~ or copolymers, or blends of any two or more of the~e ~ibers ~e.g., cotton-polyester blends).
This so~tening-bleach and anti-cling composition may be applied to tl~e ~abric in an aqueous ~ath, either during the wash ¢ycle of laundering, or a~ a separat3 and diqtinot 90~tening and bleach operation. Since thi~ sortening-bleach composition is ~ompatible with anionic and non-ionic detergents, it is prererably added to the wash water during laundering. In u~e, 90g o~ the ~oftening-bleach composition is added to an automatic wa~hing achine or ~imilar treating both containing 17 gallons (35 liters) Or water, and an average load o~ fabrics (about 6 to 8 pound9). ~owever, le~ser or greater amounts may be utilized to obtain the desired degree Or so~tness, whiteness and anti-~ ~ atic properties, depending on the water temperature, thc water ! ~ -7-. ~

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hardness, the amount of water and clothes, etc.
The following examples are given to further illustrate this invention. All parts given are by weight unless otherwise indicated. In the Examples, the pressure is atmospheric unless otherwise indicated.

Ingredients %
1. Arosurf*TA-100 (softener) 10%
Sodium Perborate 25%
2. Spray-Dried Base Beads 65%
1. A powdered product by Ashland Chemical Co., containing 94% minimum dimethyl distearyl ammonium chloride.
2. Contains 16.7% sodium silicate solids (1:2.35) 16.7% sodium carbonate 57.7% sodium sulfate 3.3% C14-C15 linear alcohol ethoxylate (llE0~.
5.6 optical brighteners and moisture The individual components are dry mixed and the resultant composition is used in the laundering of fabrics.
Several swatches of cotton terry towel, cotton PP and Polyester/
cotton PP (PP~Permanent Press finish) are subjected to five consecutive 10 minute washes in water having a water hardness of 150 ppm at 120F with a heavy duty detergent comprising 10%
sodium linear tridecyl benzene sulfonate~ 2% C14-C15 fatty -~
alcohol with an average of 11 ethylene oxide groups, 2% mixed sodium coconut/tallow fatty acid soap, 35% pentasodium tri-polyphosphate, 7% sodium silicate (Na20:Sio2 ratio 1:2.35), 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and the balance sodium sulfate plus 90 grams of above composition.

* Trade Mark .

'10~0~
The ~inal ~oftness rating o~ the ~watche9 was 10~ , on a ~cale ~rom 1-10; where 1 represents no softness and 10 repre~ents e;;cellent softness, with a value o~ 5 bsing required ~or marginal ~oftnes3 and 8 representing de~irable so~tness.
The anti-static ef~ect on the synthetic fabric was very good.
Comparison tests run with detergent alone, detergent plus so.~tener, and detergent plus chloroic bleach gave the following results;
_ABLE I

Terry Towel Synthetic Fabric ~a~hing com~osition Sot~ J r~ ~ Anti-tatic effect detergent and composit- 10~
ion o~ Example 1 very good detergent alone 1 nil detergent ~o~tener 10 fair-~ome cling detergent +chlorox 5 poor - strong cling bleach In addition, the cleaning power ~nd ~tain removal ability o~ the detergent was enhanced by the presence o~ instant compo~ition.
Thu~, it is apparent that the con~oint use o~ the cationic ~ortener, particularly the quaternary ammonium type, and the peroxygen bleach yields a totally unexpected synergistic cleaning e~fect, enhancing the so~tening properties thereo~.
The weight ratio o~ peroxygen bleach to cationic ~o~tener herein i~ 2.5:1. .
E~AMPLE 2 The Arosur~ TA-100 content o~ Example 1 i~ reduced to 5~, the sodium perborate content is increa~ed to 35~, and the spray dried base beads i9 reduc0d to 60%.

~ Mark ~ abrics treated in accordance with the procedure of E;~ample 1 with this c~mposition, which represents a weight ratio of bleach to sortener of 7:1, e~hibited a qoftness rsting o~ 8, a very eood anti-static e~ect and excellent stain removal.
Thus, it i9 apparent that v6rying the ratio o~ blea~h to sortener within certain limits yield9 varying degree9 Or softneq~ and qtain removal.

~ n~ washing procedure of E.-ample 1 wa3 ~ollowed e~;c~pt that the fabric was subjected to one ten minute wa~h cycle, utilizing 95g of a~orede~ined heavy-duty detergent plus lOg so~tener and 20g sodium perborate ~a ratio o~ bleach to cationlc o~ 2:1) on variou~ stains using 4 swatches stained with ~blueberry pie ~illing, 4 swat~hes ~tained with clay, 4 swatches stained with potting ~oil, 1 strip o~ multi-stain ~abric ~nd

4 terry towels, with the ~ollowing results:
The effectivene~s of qtain removal is determined by reflectance readings, Rd (anti-redepo~ition) on the ~abric, using a Gardner Color Di~ference meter, wherein higher Rd values is indicative of increased whiteneqs; Rb (~luorescence) measures brightness with higher value~ indicating greater whiteness, a _rednes~ (~), green (-); and b ~ bluenes~ (-), yellow (~).

o~
TABLE II
Softness Stain Composition Rd a b Rb ratin~
Blueberry pie detergent + softener 71.6 -1.4 ~3.4 filling " " detergent + 2:1 perborate:
softener 79.8 -0.9 ~5.4 Clay detergent + softener 69.9 +3.3 ~10.4 ., detergent + 2:1 perborate:
softener 73.7 +2.6 +9.4 Potting soil detergent + softener 79.0 -0.5 +6.2 .. .. detergent + 2:1 perborate:
softener 76.5 -1.0 +4.7 Terry Towels detergent + softener 91.0 +1.1 -2.0 291 10 .~ ,1 detergent ~ 2:1 perborate: 92.4 +1.4 -3.0 321 8 softener Multistain . .
Strip Bleached Greige detergent + softener 88.1 -1.0 +2.4 1~ detergent + 2:1 bleach: 88.6 -1.0 +2.1 softener Bleached Oily detergent + softener 36.8 +0.3 +3.6 ,. ........... detergent + 2:1 bleach:
softener 41.8 +0.2 +3.7 Hemoglobin detergent ~ softener 60.9 +1.2 +9.4 detergent + 2:1 bleach: 37.2 +2.9 +13.0 softener CMS (Coco, milk, sugar) detergent + softener 47.8 +5.4 +9.7 detergent + 2:1 bleach: 50.2 +5.3 +9.2 softener BMl (blood, detergent + softener 31.Q 0.0 +3.3 milk, ink) .. - detergent + 2:1 bleach: 17.3 +0.2 +3.2 softener ~ily detergent + softener 26.7 -0.6 -2.6 .. detergent + 2:1 bleach: 28.6 -0.7 -2.b softener Softness Stain Composition Rd a b Rdrating Greige detergent ~ softener 71.4 ~1.0 ~11.8 detergent + 2:1 bleach:
softener 72.0 ~0.8 ~11.8 Red Wine detergent + softener 64.1 ~2.1 + 5.8 detergent ~ 2:1 bleach:
softener 65.5 ~2.3 + 6.6 The above results clearly show superior cleaning and stain removal for st stains inclusive of clay stains, blue :
berry pie stains, red wine stains, coco, milk and sugar stains, and oily stains except for potting soil, blood, milk and ink stains.

A clean load of assorted fabrics was washed once in accordance with the procedure in Example 1 and machine dried ~ .
for 1 hour, using 95g of the heavy detergent specified in Example 1 plus llOg Chlorox*; 95g detergent plus 90g of the composition of Example 2; 95g detergent plus 90g of the :~
composition of Example l; and 95g detergent plus 90g cationic -softener and the cleaning performance softener and anti-static properties thereof measured as shown in the following table~

TABLE III

CompositionFabric Rd a b Rb Softeness Anti-static - :

detergent l cotton 92.0 ~0.9 -3.1 287 poor-chlorox nylon 87.6 -0.9 +2.3 059 very strong -heavy dacron cotton/PP 87.7 +0.2 0.0 184 cling and -Terry Towels 94.1~1.1 -4.7 358 4 static ~' :;'-*Trademark: 5% aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution ~(~o~
Composition Fabric Rd a b Rb Softness Anti-static _ _ detergent I cotton 92.1~1.0 -3.3 302 very good Example 2 nylon 96.2+0.7 12.5 078 heavy dacron cotton/PP 87.7+0.4 -G.2 207 Terry towels 92.0 +0.9 -2.9 339 8 detergent + cotton 92.0+0.9 -2.7 275 fair -softener nylon 87.3 -1.4 +2.4 053 some cling heavy dacron cotton/PP 87.3+0.3 +0.3 177 +
Terry towels 91.7 ~0.8 -2.6 327 10 detergent + cotton 91.9+0.9 -3.4 297 very good Example 1 nylon 96.1+1.0 +2.7 066 heavy dacron cotton/PP 89.8 0.0 0.0 199 Terry towels 92.1 +0.8 -3.0 340 10 The overall performance of the compositions of in-instant invention was good with superior qualities in a, b, Rb, softness and anti-static properties exhibited by the composition of Example 1.
EXAMPLE ~
To the composition of Example 1 was added 0.2% lemon tang perfume and the content of spray dried base beads was adjusted accordingly. Fabrics treated herewith exhibited superior whiteness, softness and anti-static properties. -~

To the composition of Example 2 was added 0.2%
lemon tang perfume and the content of the spray dried base beads was adjusted accordingly. This product also yielded superior bleaching, softening and anti-cling properties. -Sodium percarbonate was substituted for the sodium erborate content of E~ar~le S with the sa=e beneficial resolts 0~0~ 1 as with the perborate-containing compos;tion.
E~AMPLE 8 Sodium percarbonate was utilized in lieu of the sodium perborate component Or E;~ ple 6. Similarly good results were obtained herewith with regard to whitening, ~o~tening and anti-cling properties.

~redients Sodium perborate 25.0 Arosur~ TA-100 15.0 ~.
Ba9e bead~ 60.0 Ingredients ~
Sodium Perborate 35.o Aro9urf TA-100 8.0 Base beads 57.o Instant products e~hibit good shelr propertie~ at room temperature with no visible caking a~ter 14 day aging, good flowability, no degradation a9 evidenced by no odor or .color change. In addition, the beneficial per~ormance o~
instant products are continuous as evidenced by increased whiteness, softness and anti-cling properties exhibited by ~abrics after ~ washes as compared to one wash.
W~ile variou~ preferred embodiments o~ the present .-invention have been illustrated by means Or speci~ic example~, ...
it is to be understood that the pre9ent invention i~ in no way to be deemed as limited thereto, but should be con~trued as broa y s 5 all or any equivslents thereor.

14_ ~c/e~7?a~k

Claims (9)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A wash cycle fabric softener, bleach and anti-cling composition compatible with organic detergents which comprises an inorganic peroxygen bleach compound and a cationic softening agent comprising a cationic nitrogen containing compound in the weight ratio of 17:1 to 1:4 of bleach to softener.

2. The composition of claim 1 which is in the form of a dry powder.

3. A composition in accordance with claim 2, wherein the cationic softening agent is a quaternary ammonium compound.

4. A composition in accordance with claim 3, wherein the softening agent is dimethyl distearyl ammonium chloride.

5. A composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein the peroxygen bleach is sodium perborate.

6. A composition in accordance with claim 1, wherein the peroxygen bleach is sodium percarbonate.

7. A method of simultaneously bleaching, softening and reducing the electrostatic properties of fabrics which comprises applying to said fabrics in an aqueous bath, an amount of the composition of claim 1, sufficient to bleach, soften and reduce the electrostatic properties of fabrics.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the composition of claim 4 is added to the wash cycle during laundering.

9. In the process of simultaneously softening, bleaching and reducing the electrostatic properties of fabrics in water, the improvement which com-prises adding to the water the composition of claim 2, in an amount sufficient to soften, bleach and provide anti-static properties to said fabrics.