Antistatic fabric conditioner compositions and method

Claim 1

An antistatic fabric conditioner composition comprising: (a) an antistatic-fabric conditioning agent comprising: (i) a quaternary ammonium salt component selected from the group consisting of a quaternary ammonium salt having the formula: ##STR3## wherein R 1 and R 2 each independently is long chain alkyl having from twelve to twenty-two carbon atoms, R 3 and R 4 each independently is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms, and An - is an anion; and a combination of the salt of formula I with a quaternary ammonium salt of the formula: ##STR4## wherein R 1 ' is long chain alkylamido-lower-alkyl having from ten to twenty carbon atoms in the long chain alkylamido moiety and from one to three carbon atoms in the lower-alkyl moiety, R 2 ' and R 3 ' each independently is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms, An' - is an anion, and R 4 ' is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms or benzyl, or R 4 ', together with the ammonium nitrogen atom and An' - , forms a zwitterion group; and (ii) a lactic acid salt selected from the group consisting of alkali metal lactate, alkaline earth metal lactate and ammonium lactate; and (b) a carrier for the antistatic-fabric conditioning agent selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, an aliphatic hydrocarbon having from two to six carbon atoms, and combinations thereof; wherein the weight ratio of (i) to (ii) and of the salt of formula I to the salt of formula II each independently is from around 4:1 to around 1:1.

Claim 8

A method of reducing or inhibiting the accumulation of an electrostatic charge on a textile fabric which comprises applying to the fabric an effective amount of an antistatic-fabric conditioning agent comprising: (i) a quaternary ammonium salt component selected from the group consisting of a quaternary ammonium salt having the formula: ##STR5## wherein R 1 and R 2 each independently is long chain alkyl having from twelve to twenty-two carbon atoms, R 3 and R 4 each independently is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms, and An - is an anion; and a combination of the salt of formula I with a quaternary ammonium salt of the formula: ##STR6## wherein R 1 ' is long chain alkylamido-lower-alkyl having from ten to twenty carbon atoms in the long chain alkylamido moiety and from one to three carbon atoms in the lower-alkyl moiety, R 2 ' and R 3 ' each independently is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms, An' - is an anion, and R 4 ' is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms or benzyl, or R 4 ', together with the ammonium nitrogen atom and An' - , forms a zwitterion group; and (ii) a lactic acid salt selected from the group consisting of alkali metal lactate, alkaline earth metal lactate and ammonium lactate; wherein the weight ratio of (i) to (ii) and of the salt of formula I to the salt of formula II each independently is from around 4:1 to around 1:1.

Claim 9

A method of reducing or inhibiting the accumulation of an electrostatic charge on a textile fabric which comprises applying to the fabric an effective amount of an antistatic-fabric conditioning agent comprising: (i) a quaternary ammonium salt component selected from the group consisting of a quaternary ammonium salt having the formula: ##STR5## wherein R 1 and R 2 each independently is long chain alkyl having from twelve to twenty-two carbon atoms, R 3 and R 4 each independently is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms, and An - is an anion; and a combination of the salt of formula I with a quaternary ammonium salt of the formula: ##STR6## wherein R 1 ' is long chain alkylamido-lower-alkyl having from ten to twenty carbon atoms in the long chain alkylamido moiety and from one to three carbon atoms in the lower-alkyl moiety, R 2 ' and R 3 ' each independently is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms, An' - is an anion, and R 4 ' is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms or benzyl, or R 4 ', together with the ammonium nitrogen atom and An' - , forms a zwitterion group; and (ii) a lactic acid salt selected from the group consisting of alkali metal lactate, alkaline earth metal lactate and ammonium lactate; wherein the weight ratio of (i) to (ii) and of the salt of formula I to the salt of formula II each independently is from around 4:1 to around 1:1.

Claim 12

A method of treating a textile fabric to reduce or inhibit the accumulation of an electrostatic charge thereon which comprises applying to the fabric an effective amount of an antistatic-fabric conditioning composition comprising: (a) an antistatic-fabric conditioning agent comprising: (i) a quaternary ammonium salt component selected from the group consisting of a quaternary ammonium salt having the formula: ##STR7## wherein R 1 and R 2 each independently is long chain alkyl having from twelve to twenty-two carbon atoms, R 3 and R 4 each independently is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms, and An - is an anion; and a combination of the salt of formula I with a quaternary ammonium salt of the formula: ##STR8## wherein R 1 ' is long chain alkylamido-lower-alkyl having from ten to twenty carbon atoms in the long chain alkylamido moiety and from one to three carbon atoms in the lower-alkyl moiety, R 2 ' and R 3 ' each independently is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms, An' - is an anion, and R 4 ' is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms or benzyl, or R 4 ', together with the ammonium nitrogen atom and An' - , forms a zwitterion group; and (ii) a lactic acid salt selected from the group consisting of alkali metal lactate, alkaline earth metal lactate and ammonium lactate; and (b) a carrier for the antistatic-fabric conditioning agent selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, an aliphatic hydrocarbon having from two to six carbon atoms, and combinations thereof; wherein the weight ratio of (i) to (ii) of the salt of formula I to the salt of formula II each independently is from around 4:1 to around 1:1; and drying the fabric.

Claim 13

A method of treating a textile fabric to reduce or inhibit the accumulation of an electrostatic charge thereon which comprises applying to the fabric an effective amount of an antistatic-fabric conditioning composition comprising: (a) an antistatic-fabric conditioning agent comprising: (i) a quaternary ammonium salt component selected from the group consisting of a quaternary ammonium salt having the formula: ##STR7## wherein R 1 and R 2 each independently is long chain alkyl having from twelve to twenty-two carbon atoms, R 3 and R 4 each independently is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms, and An - is an anion; and a combination of the salt of formula I with a quaternary ammonium salt of the formula: ##STR8## wherein R 1 ' is long chain alkylamido-lower-alkyl having from ten to twenty carbon atoms in the long chain alkylamido moiety and from one to three carbon atoms in the lower-alkyl moiety, R 2 ' and R 3 ' each independently is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms, An' - is an anion, and R 4 ' is lower-alkyl having from one to three carbon atoms or benzyl, or R 4 ', together with the ammonium nitrogen atom and An' - , forms a zwitterion group; and (ii) a lactic acid salt selected from the group consisting of alkali metal lactate, alkaline earth metal lactate and ammonium lactate; and (b) a carrier for the antistatic-fabric conditioning agent selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, an aliphatic hydrocarbon having from two to six carbon atoms, and combinations thereof; wherein the weight ratio of (i) to (ii) of the salt of formula I to the salt of formula II each independently is from around 4:1 to around 1:1; and drying the fabric.