Fabric softener of mixed quaternary ammonium salts: combination of linear alkyl and methyl-branched alkyl quaternary ammonium salts

Claim 1

A softener comprising: (A) a linear alkyl quaternary ammonium salt represented by the formulas (I) or (II): ##STR14## wherein R 1 and R 2 independently represent an alkyl group, alkenyl group, or β-hydroxyalkyl group having 10 to 24 carbon atoms; R 3 , R 4 , and R 5 independently represent an alkyl group or hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, a benzyl group, or --(C 2 H 4 O) n .sbsb.1 H in which n 1 is 1 to 3; and X represents a halogen atom or monoalkyl sulfate group having an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms; and (B) a methyl-branched alkyl quaternary ammonium salt represented by the formulas (III) or (IV): ##STR15## wherein R 6 and R 7 independently represent ##STR16## in which m is an integer of 2 to 14, n is an integer of 3 to 11, and the sum of m and n is an integer of 9 to 20; R 8 , R 9 , and R 10 independently represent an alkyl group or hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, a benzyl group, --C 2 H 4 O) k H, or --C 3 H 6 O) l H in which k and l independently represent an integer of 1 to 3; and X represents a counter anion, the ratio of (A) to (B) being 70/30 to 10/90 by weight.