Wash cycle fabric conditioning compositions

Claim 2

1 - A fabric conditioning composition capable of imparting softness and anti-static properties to fabrics treated therewith in a laundry bath without adversely affecting fabric cleaning comprising (a) a fabric conditioning amount of a multi-functional carboxylic acid complex of a tertiary amine formed from the reaction of (i) a tertiary amine having the general formula: wherein R₁ is methyl or ethyl, and R₂ and R₃ are each independently an aliphatic group having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and (ii) a multi-functional carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, and di and tri carboxylic acids having from 21 to 54 carbon atoms; and (b) an effective amount of unreacted tertiary amine having the general formula defined above, said effective amount being at least 0.2 times the stoichiometric amount of tertiary amine required to form the multi-functional carboxylic acid complex of (a).

Claim 3

2 - A fabric conditioning composition according to claim 1 wherein the tertiary amine is methyl distearyl amine.

Claim 4

3 - A fabric conditioning composition according to claim 1 wherein the amine is methyl di (hydrogenated tallow) amine.

Claim 5

4 - A fabric conditioning composition according to claim 1 wherein R₂ and R₃ are each an alkyl group.

Claim 6

5 - A fabric conditioning composition according to claim 1 wherein the multifunctional carboxylic acid is citric acid.

Claim 7

6 - A fabric conditioning composition according to claim 1 wherein said effective amount is about 0.3 to 6 times the stoichiometric amount of tertiary amine reacted to form said complex.

Claim 8

7 - A fabric conditioning composition according to claim 1 which is adsorbed and/or absorbed upon free-flowing porous base beads which comprise by weight from about 50 to 90% of an inorganic or organic detergent builder, the balance comprising water and adjuvants.

Claim 9

8 - A fabric conditioning composition according to claim 7 wherein said base beads comprise by weight from about 50 to 90% pentasodium tripolyphosphate.

Claim 10

9 - A fabric conditioning composition according to claim 7 wherein said base beads comprise by weight from about 50 to 90% of water softening aluminum silicate.

Claim 11

10 - A fabric conditioning composition according to claim 7 wherein said fabric conditioning composition is from about 5 to 50%, of the total weight of said conditioning composition and said base beads.

Claim 12

11 - A wash-cycle or rinse cycle additive aqueous liquid emulsion for providing softness and anti-static properties to fabrics treated therewith in a laundry bath comprising: (a) from about 5 to 30%, by weight, of a fabric conditioning composition according to claim 1; (b) from about 0.1 to 10%, by weight, of one or more emulsifying agents; and (c) the balance water and optionally a compound for providing anti-static properties additional to that provided by said fabric conditioning composition.

Claim 13

12 - A detergent and conditioning composition capable of cleaning softening and imparting anti-static properties to fabrics treated therewith in a laundry bath comprising: (a) from about 5 to 50%, by weight, of at least one detergent compound; (b) from about 5 to 75%, by weight, of an inorganic or organic detergent builder; (c) from about 0.5 to 15%, by weight, of a fabric conditioning composition in accordance with claim 1; and (d) the balance water and optionally a filler salt.

Claim 14

13 - A detergent and conditioning composition according to claim 12 wherein the fabric conditioning composition is present in an amount of from about 3 to about 9 percent.

Claim 15

14 - A detergent and conditioning composition according to claim 12 which contains from about 10 to 20% sodium alkyl benzene sulfonate, and from about 20 to 30% pentasodium tripolyphosphate.

Claim 16

15 - A detergent and cleaning composition according to claim 12 which contains from about 13 to 23% of a nonionic detergent compound, and from about 50 to 60% of pentasodium tripolyphosphate.

Claim 17

16 - A detergent and cleaning composition according to claim 12 wherein the unreacted tertiary amine in said fabric conditioning composition is present in amount of from about 0.3 to 6 times the stoichiometric amount of tertiary amine reacted to form said complex.

Claim 18

17 - A detergent and cleaning composition according to claim 12 wherein the tertiary amine in said fabric conditioning composition is methyl di (hydrogenated tallow) amine.

Claim 19

18 - A detergent and cleaning composition according to claim 12 wherein the multi-functional carboxylic acid in said fabric conditioning composition is citric acid.

Claim 20

19 - A detergent and cleaning composition according to claim 12 wherein the multi-functional carboxylic acid in said fabric conditioning composition is dimerized oleic acid.

Claim 21

20 - A process for imparting softness and anti-static properties to fabrics comprising the step of contacting the fabrics in a laundry wash or rinse liquor with an effective amount of a fabric conditioning composition comprising (a) a fabric conditioning amount of a multi-functional carboxylic acid complex of a tertiary amine formed from the reaction of (i) a tertiary amine having the general formula: wherein R₁ is methyl or ethyl, and R₂ and R₃ are each independently an aliphatic group having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and (ii) a multi-functional carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, and di and tri carboxylic acids having 21 to 54 carbon atoms; and (b) unreacted tertiary amine having the general formula defined above, said unreacted amine being present in an amount of at least 0.2 times the stoichiometric amount of tertiary amine required to form the multi-functional carboxylic acid complex of (a).

Claim 22

20 - A process for imparting softness and anti-static properties to fabrics comprising the step of contacting the fabrics in a laundry wash or rinse liquor with an effective amount of a fabric conditioning composition comprising (a) a fabric conditioning amount of a multi-functional carboxylic acid complex of a tertiary amine formed from the reaction of (i) a tertiary amine having the general formula: wherein R₁ is methyl or ethyl, and R₂ and R₃ are each independently an aliphatic group having from 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and (ii) a multi-functional carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, and di and tri carboxylic acids having 21 to 54 carbon atoms; and (b) unreacted tertiary amine having the general formula defined above, said unreacted amine being present in an amount of at least 0.2 times the stoichiometric amount of tertiary amine required to form the multi-functional carboxylic acid complex of (a).

Claim 23

21 - A process in accordance with claim 20 wherein the multifunctional carboxylic acid is citric acid.

Claim 24

22 - A process in accordance with claim 20 wherein the tertiary amine is methyl di(hydrogenated tallow) amine.

Claim 25

23 - A process for preparing a stable wash cycle or rinse cycle-additive liquid emulsion containing as the dispersed phase thereof the fabric conditioning composition of claim 1 for providing softness and anti-static properties to fabrics treated therewith in a laundry bath comprising the steps of: (a) introducing into an aqueous liquid (i) an effective amount of the fabric conditioning composition of claim 1; and (ii) a first portion of an emulsifying agent, said first portion being an amount selected to form upon mixing in liquid form with said effective amount of fabric conditioning composition, emulsified particles of the said fabric conditioning composition having a median diameter greater than about 10 microns; (b) heating said aqueous liquid prior to or subsequent to step (a) to a temperature corresponding to at least the melting point of said fabric conditioning composition such that upon mixing said effective amount of fabric conditioning composition and said first portion of emulsifying agent there is provided an emulsion containing liquid particles of said fabric conditioning composition as the dispersed phase; (c) cooling the resulting emulsion to a temperature sufficiently below the melting point of said fabric conditioning composition to at least partially solidify said emulsified particles of fabric conditioning composition; and (d) introducing into the emulsion formed in step (c) a second portion of one or more emulsifying agents to adjust the HLB value of the emulsion to that required for providing high-temperature stability.

Claim 26

24 - A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein prior to step (a) said aqueous liquid is heated to temperature corresponding to at least the melting point of said fabric conditioning composition.

Claim 27

25 - A process in accordance with claim 24 wherein in step (a) said fabric conditioning composition is introduced into the aqueous liquid at a temperature above its melting point.

Claim 28

26 - A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein step (a) said fabric conditioning composition is introduced into the aqueous liquid at a temperature below its melting point and wherein subsequent to step (a) said aqueous liquid is heated to a temperature sufficiently above the melting point of the fabric conditioning composition so as to form upon mixing an emulsion in accordance with step (b).

Claim 29

27 - A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein the tertiary amine in said fabric conditioning composition is methyl di(hydrogenated) tallow amine.

Claim 30

28 - A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein the multifunctional carboxylic acid in said fabric conditioning composition is citric acid.

Claim 31

29 - A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein the amount of unreacted tertiary amine in said fabric conditioning composition is from about 0.3 to 3 times the stoichiometric amount of amine reacted to form the complex.

Claim 32

30 - A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein said effective amount is from about 5 to 30%, by weight, of said liquid emulsion.

Claim 33

31 - A process in accordance with claim 23 further including the step of introducing a viscosity modifier and optionally other adjuvants into said aqueous liquid.

Claim 34

32 - A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein in step (a) said fabric conditioning composition and said first portion of emulsifying agent are introduced sequentially into said aqueous liquid.

Claim 35

33 - A process in accordance with claim 23 wherein in step (a) the emulsified particles of fabric conditioning composition have a median of from about 40 to 100 microns.