FABRIC SOFTENERS

ASSOUPLISSEURS DE TISSUS

English Abstract

HOE 79/F 203
FABRIC SOFTENER
Abstract of the disclosure:
Fabric softeners in the form of an aqueous solution or
dispersion, which contain from 1 to 15 % by weight of one
or several compounds of formulae I to III

Image I



II
Image



Image III


in which R1 is alkyl or alkenyl each with 10 to 30 carbon
atoms, R2 is alkyl of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R3 is methyl
or hydrogen, m is a number of from 1 to 15, and A is an
anion,and from 0.01 to 4 % by weight of a fatty acid
ethanolamide polyglycol ether of formula IV

Image IV

in which R4 is C4-C20-alkyl, n is a number of from 2 to
20, x and y represent hydrogen or methyl, but are not
methyl at the same time, and further common auxiliaries
and additives.

Claims

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

1. A fabric softener in the form of an aqueous solution or
dispersion, which contains from 1 to 15 % by weight of one or more
compounds of formulae I to III



Image I




Image II




Image
III,


in which Rl is alkyl or alkenyl of from 10 to 30 carbon atoms, R2
is alkyl of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R3 is methyl or hydrogen, m
is a number of from 1 to 15, and A is an anion, and from 0.01 to
less than 3 % by weight of a fatty acid ethanolamide polyglycol
ether of formula IV
IV,
Image




in which R4 is C4-C20-alkyl, n is a number of from 2 to 20 x and y
represent hydrogen or methyl, but are not methyl at the same time.

2. A fabric softener as claimed in claim 1 which contains
from 1 to 15 % by weight of one or more compounds of formulae I to
III in which Rl is alkyl or alkenyl each with 8 to 14 carbon atoms,
R2 is methyl, R3 is methyl or hydrogen, m is 1 and A is Cl.THETA., Br.THETA.,
R2OSO3.THETA. or R2OPO3e and from 0.5 to 2.5 % by weight of a fatty acid
ethanolamide polyglycol ether of formula IV in which R4 is
C8-C16-alkyl, n is a number of from 2 to 6 and x and y are as
defined in claim 1.


3. A fabric softener as claimed in claim 1, which contains
from 2 to 6 % by weight of one or more compounds of formulae I,
II or III and from O.S to 2.5 % by weight of a fatty acid
ethanolamide polyglycol ether of formula IV.

Description

~JV~A.
- 2 - ~IOE 79/F 203
It is known tha-t textiles W}li ch have been washed,
especially in an au-tomatic washer, and partlcularly those
made from cellulcse ibers, are in an unpleasant hardene-1
state aEter drying. This undes:irably hardened feel can be
overcome by treating the te~tiles af-ter washing in a
rinsing bath with cationic substances which contain at
least two long-chain aliphatic radicals in the molecule.
Especially the dialkyl-dimethylammonium salts dispersible
in water have proved in practice to be suitable for
this application. However, on overdosage, these products
have the disadvantage of ma~ing the treated fabric hydro-
phobic, thus retaxding rewetting.
It has now been found~that these disadvantages are
overcome by combining the quaternary ammonium compounds
used as fabric softeners with a fatty acid ethanolamide
po]yglycol ether. ~ubjec-t of the invention are therefore
fabric softeners in -the form of an aqueous solution or
dispersion which contain from 1 to 15, preferably 2 to 6,
% by weiyht of one or more compounds of formu]ae I to III


' \ a / 2 l A~ X
R1 R2
-


R~ C N-~ 2 l A II
~----^-C~I~
~ .
R2 CH2 Cll2 NH C R~


R1 \ / R2 l III

R1 \ (CII~C'.I~ H ~ A

~153S~O

in which Rl is alkyl or alkenyl each with 10 to 30 carbon atoms, preferably
from 8 to 14 carbon atoms, R2 is alkyl of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably
methyl, R3 is methyl or hydrogen, m is a number of from 1 to 15, preferably 1,
and A is an anion, such as Cl( ), Br( ), R20S03( ) or R20P03( ), and from 0.01
to less than 3, preferably from 0.5 to 2.5, % by weight of a fatty acid
ethanolamide polyglycol ether of formula IV
R4-C0-NH-(CH-ICHO)nH IV,
x y
in which R4 is C4-C20-alkyl, preferably C8-Cl6-alkyl, n is a number of from 2
to 20, preferably from 2 to 6, x and y represent hydrogen or methyl, but are not methyl at the same time.
This combination of compounds I, II or III with a compound of formula
IV imparts a pleasant and soft feel to any textile material, especially those
made from natural or regenerated cellulose, wool, cellulose acetate, cellulose
triacetate, polyamide, polyacrylonitrile, polyesters, or polypropylene.
Especially advantageous is its use for the after-treatment of terry fabrics and
underwear made of cotton. The fabric softeners of the invention are prepared by
simply mixing or dispersing the individual components in water. They may
contain one compound each of formulae I to III, or a mixture of two or more
compounds of these formulae within the ranges as indicated. In the case of a
mixture of two or more compounds of formulae I to III, the mixing ratio thereof
with one another is not at all critical and may have any value.
The fabric softeners of the invention may also contain further
substances and auxiliaries which are either mixed already with the concentrate
of the fabric softener or are added separately to the ready-to-use dilute
composition. These are substances or auxiliaries which are conventionally
used in softening compositions;

1153510
- 4 - EIOE 79/F 203
they include, for example, cationic and nonionic sur-
face-actlve substances, electrolytesl neutralizing
agents, organic complexing agents, optical brighteners
and solubilizers, as well as dyestuffs and perfumes.
Additives of this kind serve, for example, to further
influence the feel of the fabric or other properties
of the tex~ile goods to be treated, or the adjustment
of the viscosity or pH or further promote the stability
of the solutions at low temperatures.
The fabric softeners are applied as usual, that
is, they are added to the last rinsing water after the
washing operations are complete. The textiles so treated
are subsequently dried, the rewettability of the textile
material thus being markedly improved as compared with
commercial agents.
In the following Examples, some fabric softeners
of the invention have been described. The percentages
are in all cases per cent by weight. These fabric
softeners are in all cases prepared by simply mixing
aqueous solutions of the individual components with
ayitation in the cold.
E X A M P L E
Distearyldimethylammonium chloride~ %
Coconut fatty acid ethanolamide +2 %
25 S ethylene oxide units
Dyestuff, perfume, water remainder ad 100 %
E X A M P L E 2
Di-tallow fatty alkyl-dimethylammonium chloride S.3 %
Coconut fatty acid ethanolamide + 5 EO 2
30 Dyestuff, perfume, water remainderad 100 %
E X A M P L E 3
DialkyJ imida~oline derivative of formula IL~
R C -C -alkenyl, R2=CH3, A 3 3
Coconut- fatty acid ethanolamide + 5 EO 2 %
35 Dyestuff~ pexfume and water remainder ad 100 %

~53S~O
- 5 - HOE 79/F 203
E X A M P L E 4
Comparative formulation

Distearyldimethylammonium chloride6 %
Non-ionic surfactant nonylpheno] oxethylate 1 %
+ 10 ethylene oxide units
Dyestuff, perfume and water remainder ad 100 %.
These fabric softeners were tested for their
influence on the rewettabilit~ according to the method
of capillary rise (German Industrial Standard DIN 53 924).
Smooth cotton fabrics are treated with the mi.xtures
of the invention. A commercial softener (Example 4) was
used for comparison. According to this test method, the
results listed in the following Table were obtained for
the mixtures of Examples 1 to 4. The rise of unfinished
fabrics is defined as being 100 %.

Rise in %
1 g of FS/kg of fabric
___ _

20 Example 1 73 %
Example 2 70 %
Example 3 71 %
Example 4 (Comparative formulati.on) 50 %

The results show that the fabric softener comh.inati.ons
of the invention havc an improved absorption capaci.ty
as compared against a commercial product.