Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WATER-SOLUBLE UNIT DOSE ARTICLES COMPRISING WATER-SOLUBLE FIBROUS
STRUCTURES AND PARTICLES
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Described herein is a household care composition, which delivers active agents
onto
fabric, in the form of a water-soluble unit dose article comprising a water-
soluble fibrous
structure and one or more particles, as well as methods for making the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Water-soluble unit dose articles are desired by consumers as they provide a
convenient,
efficient, and clean way of dosing a fabric or hard surface treatment
composition. Water-soluble
unit dose articles provide a measured dosage of a treatment composition,
thereby avoiding over or
under dosing. Fibrous water-soluble unit dose articles are of increasing
interest to consumers. The
technology related to such articles continues to advance in terms of providing
the desired active
agents with the articles enabling the consumers to do the job that they wish
to accomplish.
Many consumers use washing machines that utilize less water than prior
generations. As
such there is a need within fibrous water-soluble unit dose articles to
formulate fibrous water-
soluble unit doses that are capable of dissolving quickly in a limited amount
of fluid. Faster
dissolution in limited fluid allows for the release of cleaning agents so that
they become readily
available. Surprisingly, it has been found that water-soluble unit dose
articles comprising low
density particles having desirable densities and particle size distributions,
as described herein,
exhibit improved dissolution profiles versus other compositions while
delivering similar amounts
of surfactant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Described herein is a water-soluble unit dose comprising a water-soluble
fibrous structure
comprising a with a particle having a ratio of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate
to Alkylethoxylated
Sulfate of greater than L
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a cross-sectional view of an example
of a multi-
ply fibrous structure.
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FIG. 2 is a micro-CT scan image showing a cross-sectional view of an example
of a
water-soluble unit dose article.
FIG. 3 is a process for making plies of a material.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY
DETERGENT UNIT embodying a new design.
FIG. 5 is a front view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a right view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of FIG. 4.
FIG. 7 is a back view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of FIG. 4.
FIG. 8 is a left view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of FIG. 4.
FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 4.
FIG. 10 is a top view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of FIG. 4.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY
DETERGENT UNIT embodying a new design.
FIG. 12 is a front view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 is a right view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 11.
FIG. 14 is a back view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
.. FIG. 11.
FIG. 15 is a left view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 11.
FIG. 16 is a bottom view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 11.
FIG. 17 is a top view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 11.
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY
DETERGENT UNIT embodying a new design.
FIG. 19 is a front view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 18.
FIG. 20 is a right view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 18.
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FIG. 21 is a back view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 18.
FIG. 22 is a left view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 18.
FIG. 23 is a bottom view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 18.
FIG. 24 is a top view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 18.
FIG. 25 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY
DETERGENT UNIT embodying a new design.
FIG. 26 is a front view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 25.
FIG. 27 is a right view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 25.
FIG. 28 is a back view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 25.
FIG. 29 is a left view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 25.
FIG. 30 is a bottom view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 25.
FIG. 31 is a top view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 25.
FIG. 32 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY
DETERGENT UNIT embodying a new design.
FIG. 33 is a front view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 32.
FIG. 34 is a right view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 32.
FIG. 35 is a back view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 32.
FIG. 36 is a left view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 32.
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FIG. 37 is a bottom view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 32.
FIG. 38 is a top view of the SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT of
FIG. 32.
FIG. 39 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a CONTAINER without a lid
embodying a new design.
FIG. 40 is a right view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 39.
FIG. 41 is a back view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 39.
FIG. 42 is a left view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 39.
FIG. 43 is a front view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 39.
FIG. 44 is a top view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 39.
FIG. 45 is a bottom view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 39.
FIG. 46 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a CONTAINER with a lid
embodying
a new design.
FIG. 47 is a right view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 46.
FIG. 48 is a back view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 46.
FIG. 49 is a left view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 46.
FIG. 50 is a front view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 46.
FIG. 51 is a top view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 46.
FIG. 52 is a bottom view of the CONTAINER of FIG. 46.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Definitions
Features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the
following
description, which includes examples intended to give a broad representation
of the invention.
Various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this
description and from
practice of the invention. The scope is not intended to be limited to the
particular forms disclosed
and the invention covers all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives
falling within the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.
As used herein, the articles including "the," "a" and "an" when used in a
claim or in the
specification, are understood to mean one or more of what is claimed or
described.
As used herein, the terms "include," "includes" and "including" are meant to
be non-
limiting.
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The term "substantially free of' or "substantially free from" as used herein
refers to either
the complete absence of an ingredient or a minimal amount thereof merely as
impurity or
unintended byproduct of another ingredient. A composition that is
"substantially free" of/from a
component means that the composition comprises less than about 0.5%, 0.25%,
0.1%, 0.05%, or
5 0.01%, or even 0%, by weight of the composition, of the component.
It should be understood that the term "comprise" includes also embodiments
where the term
"comprises" means "consists of' or "consists essentially of."
As used herein, "sebum" refers to an oily secretion of the sebaceous glands
and any
artificial compositions intended to replicate an oily secretion of the
sebaceous glands.
Representative sebum includes and is not limited to artificial sebum as
described in EP1482907,
artificial sebum described in EP0142830B1, artificial sebum according to D4265-
14, and artificial
sebum sold as CFT PCS-132. CFT PCS-132 has an estimated composition of 18%
Free Fatty
Acids, 32% Beef Tallow (Stearic/Oleic Acid Triglycerides), 4% Fatty Acid
Triglycerides, 12%
Hydrocarbon Mixture, 18% Lanoline (Waxy Esters, C13-C24), 12% Cutina (waxes
and wax
esters), and 4% Cholesterol.
All cited patents and other documents are, in relevant part, incorporated by
reference as if
fully restated herein. The citation of any patent or other document is not an
admission that the
cited patent or other document is prior art with respect to the present
invention.
In this description, all concentrations and ratios are on a weight basis of
the composition
unless otherwise specified.
It should be understood that every maximum numerical limitation given
throughout this
specification includes every lower numerical limitation, as if such lower
numerical limitations
were expressly written herein. Every minimum numerical limitation given
throughout this
specification will include every higher numerical limitation, as if such
higher numerical
limitations were expressly written herein. Every numerical range given
throughout this
specification will include every narrower numerical range that falls within
such broader
numerical range, as if such narrower numerical ranges were all expressly
written herein.
Fibrous Water-soluble unit dose article
As used herein, the phrases "water-soluble unit dose article," "water-soluble
fibrous
structure", and "water-soluble fibrous element" mean that the unit dose
article, fibrous structure,
and fibrous element are miscible in water. In other words, the unit dose
article, fibrous structure,
or fibrous element is capable of forming a homogeneous solution with water at
ambient
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conditions. "Ambient conditions" as used herein means 23 C 1.0 C and a
relative humidity of
50% 2%. The water-soluble unit dose article may contain insoluble materials,
which are
dispersible in aqueous wash conditions to a suspension mean particle size that
is less than about
20 microns, or less than about 50 microns.
The fibrous water-soluble unit dose article may include any of the disclosures
found in
U.S. Patent Application No. 15/880,594 filed on January 26, 2018; U.S. Patent
Application No.
15/880,599 filed January 26, 2018; and U.S. Patent Application No. 15/880,604
filed January 26,
2018; incorporated by reference in their entirety.
These fibrous water-soluble unit dose articles can be dissolved under various
wash
conditions, e.g., low temperature, low water and/or short wash cycles or
cycles where consumers
have been overloading the machine, especially with items having high water
absorption capacities,
while providing sufficient delivery of active agents for the intended effect
on the target consumer
substrates (with similar performance as today's liquid products). Furthermore,
the water-soluble
unit dose articles described herein can be produced in an economical manner by
spinning fibers
comprising active agents. The water-soluble unit dose articles described
herein also have improved
cleaning performance.
The surface of the fibrous water-soluble unit dose article may comprise a
printed area.
The printed area may cover between about 10% and about 100% of the surface of
the article.
The area of print may comprise inks, pigments, dyes, bluing agents or mixtures
thereof. The area
of print may be opaque, translucent or transparent. The area of print may
comprise a single color
or multiple colors. The printed area maybe on more than one side of the
article and contain
instructional text and/or graphics. The surface of the water-soluble unit dose
article may
comprise an aversive agent, for example a bittering agent. Suitable bittering
agents include, but
are not limited to, naringin, sucrose octacetate, quinine hydrochloride,
denatonium benzoate, or
mixtures thereof. Any suitable level of aversive agent may be used. Suitable
levels include, but
are not limited to, 1 to 5000ppm, or even 100 to 2500ppm, or even 250 to
2000ppm.
The water-soluble unit dose articles disclosed herein comprise a water-soluble
fibrous
structure and one or more particles. The water-soluble fibrous structure may
comprise a plurality
of fibrous elements, for example a plurality of filaments. The one or more
particles, for example
one or more active agent-containing particles, may be distributed throughout
the structure. The
water-soluble unit dose article may comprise a plurality of two or more and/or
three or more
fibrous elements that are inter-entangled or otherwise associated with one
another to form a
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fibrous structure and one or more particles, which may be distributed
throughout the fibrous
structure.
The fibrous water-soluble unit dose articles may exhibit a thickness of
greater than 0.01
mm and/or greater than 0.05 mm and/or greater than 0.1 mm and/or to about 100
mm and/or to
about 50 mm and/or to about 20 mm and/or to about 10 mm and/or to about 5 mm
and/or to about
2 mm and/or to about 0.5 mm and/or to about 0.3 mm as measured by the
Thickness Test Method
described herein.
The fibrous water-soluble unit dose articles may have basis weights of from
about 500
grams/m2 to about 5,000 grams/m2, or from about 1,000 grams/m2 to about 4,000
grams/m2, or
from about 1,500 grams/m2 to about 3,500 grams/m2, or from about 2,000
grams/m2 to about 3,000
grams/m2, as measured according to the Basis Weight Test Method described
herein.
The fibrous water-soluble unit dose article may comprise a water-soluble
fibrous structure
and a plurality of particles distributed throughout the structure, where the
water-soluble fibrous
structure comprises a plurality of identical or substantially identical, from
a compositional
perspective, fibrous elements. The water-soluble fibrous structure may
comprise two or more
different fibrous elements. Non-limiting examples of differences in the
fibrous elements may be
physical differences, such as differences in diameter, length, texture, shape,
rigidness, elasticity,
and the like; chemical differences, such as crosslinking level, solubility,
melting point, Tg, active
agent, filament-forming material, color, level of active agent, basis weight,
level of filament-
forming material, presence of any coating on fibrous element, biodegradable or
not, hydrophobic
or not, contact angle, and the like; differences in whether the fibrous
element loses its physical
structure when the fibrous element is exposed to conditions of intended use;
differences in
whether the fibrous element's morphology changes when the fibrous element is
exposed to
conditions of intended use; and differences in rate at which the fibrous
element releases one or
more of its active agents when the fibrous element is exposed to conditions of
intended use. Two
or more fibrous elements within the fibrous structure may comprise different
active agents. This
may be the case where the different active agents may be incompatible with one
another, for
example an anionic surfactant and a cationic polymer. When using different
fibrous elements,
the resulting structure may exhibit different wetting, imbibitions, and
solubility characteristics.
The fibrous water-soluble unit dose article may exhibit different regions,
such as different
regions of basis weight, density, caliper, and/or wetting characteristics. The
fibrous water-soluble
unit dose article may be compressed at the point of edge sealing. The fibrous
water-soluble unit
dose article may comprise texture on one or more of its surfaces. A surface of
the fibrous water-
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soluble unit dose article may comprise a pattern, such as a non-random,
repeating pattern. The
fibrous water-soluble unit dose article may comprise apertures. The fibrous
water-soluble unit
dose article may comprise a fibrous structure having discrete regions of
fibrous elements that differ
from other regions of fibrous elements in the structure. The fibrous water-
soluble unit dose article
may be used as is or it may be coated with one or more active agents.
The fibrous water-soluble unit dose article may comprise one or more plies.
The fibrous
water-soluble unit dose article may comprise at least two and/or at least
three and/or at least four
and/or at least five plies. The fibrous plies can be fibrous structures. Each
ply may comprise one
or more layers, for example one or more fibrous element layers, one or more
particle layers, and/or
one or more fibrous element/particle mixture layers. The layer(s) may be
sealed. In particular,
particle layers and fibrous element/particle mixture layers may be sealed,
such that the particles do
not leak out. The water-soluble unit dose articles may comprise multiple
plies, where each ply
comprises two layers, where one layer is a fibrous element layer and one layer
is a fibrous
element/particle mixture layer, and where the multiple plies are sealed (e.g.,
at the edges) together.
Sealing may inhibit the leakage of particles as well as help the unit dose
article maintain its original
structure. However, upon addition of the water-soluble unit dose article to
water, the unit dose
article dissolves and releases the particles into the wash liquor.
FIG. 2 is a micro-CT scan image showing a cross-sectional view of an example
of a water-
soluble unit dose article comprising three plies, where each ply is formed of
two layers, a fibrous
element layer and a fibrous element/particle mixture layer. Each of the three
plies comprises a
plurality of fibrous elements 30, in this case filaments, and a plurality of
particles 32. The multiply,
multilayer article is sealed at the edges 200, so that the particles do not
leak out. The outer surfaces
of the article 202 are fibrous element layers.
The fibrous elements and/or particles may be arranged within the water-soluble
unit dose
.. article, in a single ply or in multiple plies, to provide the article with
two or more regions that
comprise different active agents. For example, one region of the article may
comprise bleaching
agents and/or surfactants and another region of the article may comprise
softening agents.
The fibrous water-soluble unit dose article can be viewed hierarchically
starting from the
form in which the consumer interacts with the water-soluble article and
working backward to the
raw materials from which the water-soluble article is made, e.g., plies,
fibrous structures, and
particles. The fibrous plies can be fibrous structures. For example, FIG. 1
shows a first ply 10 and
a second ply 15 associated with the first ply 10, wherein the first ply 10 and
the second ply 15 each
comprises a plurality of fibrous elements 30, in this case filaments, and a
plurality of particles 32.
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In the second ply 15, the particles 32 are dispersed randomly, in the x, y,
and z axes, and in the
first ply, the particles 32 are in pockets.
The water-soluble unit dose article described herein may comprise a water-
soluble fibrous
structure and one or more rheology-modified particles comprising: (a) from
about lOwt% to about
80wt% of an alkylalkoxylated sulfate; and (b) from about 0.5wt% to about 20wt%
of a rheology
modifier. The particles described herein may comprise one or more additional
active agents (in
addition to surfactant as described hereinabove).
The rheology-modified particle may comprise:
(a) from about lOwt% to about 80wt% alkylalkoxylated sulfate;
(b) from about 0.5wt% to about 20wt% of a rheology modifier selected from the
group consisting an alkoxylated amine, preferably an alkoxylated polyamine,
more preferably a quatemized or non-quaternized alkoxylated
polyethyleneimine, wherein said alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine has a
polyalkyleneimine core with one or more alkoxy side chains bonded to at least
one nitrogen atom in the polyalkyleneimine core, an ethylene oxide-propylene
oxide-ethylene oxide (E0x1POyE0x2) triblock copolymer wherein each of xi
and x2 is in the range of about 2 to about 140 and y is in the range of from
about
15 to about 70, and mixtures thereof.
As used herein, the term "rheology modifier" means a material that interacts
with
concentrated surfactants, preferably concentrated surfactants having a
mesomorphic phase
structure, in a way that substantially reduces the viscosity and elasticity of
said concentrated
surfactant. Suitable rheology modifiers include, but are not limited to,
sorbitol ethoxylate, glycerol
ethoxylate, sorbitan esters, tallow alkyl ethoxylated alcohol, ethylene oxide-
propylene oxide-
ethylene oxide (E0x1POyE0x2) triblock copolymers wherein each of xi and x2 is
in the range of
about 2 to about 140 and y is in the range of from about 15 to about 70,
alkoxylated amines,
alkoxylated polyamines, polyethyleneimine (PEI), alkoxylated variants of PEI,
and preferably
ethoxylated PEI, and mixtures thereof. The rheology modifier may comprise one
of the polymers
described above, for example, ethoxylated PEI, in combination with a
polyethylene glycol (PEG)
having a weight average molecular weight of about 2,000 Daltons to about 8,000
Daltons.
As used herein, the term "functional rheology modifier" means a rheology
modifier that has
additional detergent functionality. In some cases, a dispersant polymer,
described herein below,
may also function as a functional rheology modifier. A functional rheology
modifier may be
present in the detergent particles of the current invention at a level of from
about 0.5% to about
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20%, preferably from about 1% to about 15%, more preferably from about 2% to
about 10% by
weight of the composition.
Without being limited by theory, it is believed that functional rheology
modifiers are able
to interact with the molecular structure of intermediate-phase surfactants,
especially alcohol-based
5 anionic sulfate surfactants, said intermediate phases having more water
than solid-phase surfactant,
and less water than micellar phases typical of wash solutions. In other words,
intermediate phase
surfactants represent a transitional state from solid to micellar phase that
may be achieved in the
successful use of fibrous water-soluble unit dose articles comprising a water-
soluble fibrous
structure and particles; if the rheology of this intermediate state is too
viscous or sticky, it may
10 under circumstances of insufficient local dilution and/or insufficient
shear result in undesired
residue on fabrics. By substantially reducing the viscosity and elasticity of
said intermediate
phases, rheology modifiers aid dispersion, mitigating the risk of forming
residue on fabrics.
Further, for any residue, e.g., lump-gels, that may form, rheology modifiers
can reduce their
persistence. The net effect is to mitigate the occurrence of surfactant
residues that persist on fabrics
through the wash.
Alkoxylated Amine: The alkoxylated amine may be partially or fully protonated
or not
protonated across the pH range of the concentrated surfactant mixture.
Alternatively, the
alkoxylated amine may be partially or fully quatemized. The alkoxylated amine
may be non-
quaternized. The alkoxylated amine may comprise ethoxylate (EO) groups.
The alkoxylated amine may be linear, branched, or combinations thereof,
preferably
branched.
The alkoxylated amine may contain two or more amine moieties, such as
N,N,N',N'-
tetra(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine (also described as a type of
hydroxylalkylamine).
N,N,N',N'-tetra(2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamine also functions as a chelant.
The alkoxylated amine may comprise (or be) an alkoxylated amine comprises an
alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine. The alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine may be an
alkoxylated
polyethyleneimine (PEI).
Typically, the alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine polymer comprises a
polyalkyleneimine
backbone. The polyalkyleneimine may comprise C2 alkyl groups, C3 alkyl groups,
or mixtures
thereof, preferably C2 alkyl groups. The alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine polymer
may have a
polyethyleneimine ("PEI") backbone.
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The alkoxylated PEI may comprise a polyethyleneimine backbone having a weight
average molecular weight of from about 400 to about 1000, or from about 500 to
about 750, or
from about 550 to about 650, or about 600, as determined prior to
ethoxylation.
The PEI backbones of the polymers described herein, prior to alkoxylation, may
have the
general empirical formula:
= oi
,A,NN1/4õ.7.,
======'
H=s.=N
1
1
,
11-1
where B represents a continuation of this structure by branching. In some
aspects, n+m is equal
to or greater than 8, or 10, or 12, or 14, or 18, or 22.
The alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine polymer comprises alkoxylated nitrogen
groups. The
alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine polymer may independently comprise, on average
per alkoxylated
nitrogen, up to about 50, or up to about 40, or up to about 35, or up to about
30, or up to about
25, or up to about 20, alkoxylate groups. The alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine
polymer may
independently comprise, on average per alkoxylated nitrogen, at least about 5,
or at least about
10, or at least about 15, or at least about 20, alkoxylate groups.
The alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine polymer, preferably alkoxylated PEI, may
comprise
ethoxylate (EO) groups, propoxylate (PO) groups, or combinations thereof. The
alkoxylated
polyalkyleneimine polymer, preferably alkoxylated PEI, may comprise ethoxylate
(E0) groups.
The alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine polymer, preferably alkoxylated PEI, may be
free of
propoxyate (PO) groups.
The alkoxylated amine, preferably the alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine polymer,
more
preferably alkoxylated PEI, may comprise on average per alkoxylated nitrogen,
about 1-50
ethoxylate (E0) groups and about 0-5 propoxylate (PO) groups. The alkoxylated
polyalkyleneimine polymer, preferably alkoxylated PEI, may comprise on average
per
alkoxylated nitrogen, about 1-50 ethoxylate (EO) groups and is free of
propoxylate (PO) groups.
The alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine polymer, preferably alkoxylated PEI, may
comprise on
average per alkoxylated nitrogen, about 10-30 ethoxylate (EO) groups,
preferably about 15-25
ethoxylate (EO) groups.
Suitable polyamines include low molecular weight, water soluble, and lightly
alkoxylated
ethoxylated/propoxylated polyalkyleneamine polymers. By "lightly alkoxylated,"
it is meant the
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polymers of this invention average from about 0.5 to about 20, or from 0.5 to
about 10,
alkoxylations per nitrogen. The polyamines may be "substantially noncharged,"
meaning that
there are no more than about 2 positive charges for every about 40 nitrogens
present in the
backbone of the polyalkyleneamine polymer at pH 10, or at pH 7; it is
recognized, however, that
the charge density of the polymers may vary with pH.
Suitable alkoxylated polyalkyleneimines, such as PEI600 E020, are available
from BASF
(Ludwigshafen, Germany).
Ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-ethylene oxide (E0x1POyE0x2) triblock
copolymer: In
the ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-ethylene oxide (E0x1POyE0x2) triblock
copolymer, each of
xi and x2 is in the range of about 2 to about 140 and y is in the range of
from about 15 to about
70. The ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-ethylene oxide (E0x1POyE0x2) triblock
copolymer
preferably has an average propylene oxide chain length of between 20 and 70,
preferably
between 30 and 60, more preferably between 45 and 55 propylene oxide units.
Preferably, the ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-ethylene oxide (E0x1POyE0x2)
triblock
copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of between about 1000 and
about 10,000
Dalions, preferably between about 1500 and about 8000 Dalions, more preferably
between about
2000 and about 7000 Dalions, even more preferably between about 2500 and about
5000
Dalions, most preferably between about 3500 and about 3800 Dalions.
Preferably, each ethylene oxide block or chain independently has an average
chain length
of between 2 and 90, preferably 3 and 50, more preferably between 4 and 20
ethylene oxide
units.
Preferably, the copolymer comprises between 10% and 90%, preferably between
15%
and 50%, most preferably between 15% and 25% by weight of the copolymer of the
combined
ethylene-oxide blocks. Most preferably the total ethylene oxide content is
equally split over the
two ethylene oxide blocks. Equally split herein means each ethylene oxide
block comprising on
average between 40% and 60% preferably between 45% and 55%, even more
preferably between
48% and 52%, most preferably 50% of the total number of ethylene oxide units,
the % of both
ethylene oxide blocks adding up to 100%. Some ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-
ethylene oxide
(E0x1POyE0x2) triblock copolymer, where each of xi and x2 is in the range of
about 2 to about
140 and y is in the range of from about 15 to about 70, improve cleaning.
Preferably the copolymer has a weight average molecular weight between about
3500 and
about 3800 Dalions, a propylene oxide content between 45 and 55 propylene
oxide units, and an
ethylene oxide content of between 4 and 20 ethylene oxide units per ethylene
oxide block.
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Preferably, the ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-ethylene oxide (E0x1POyE0x2)
triblock
copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of between 1000 and 10,000
Daltons,
preferably between 1500 and 8000 Daltons, more preferably between 2000 and
7500 Daltons.
Preferably, the copolymer comprises between 10% and 95%, preferably between
12% and 90%,
most preferably between 15% and 85% by weight of the copolymer of the combined
ethylene-
oxide blocks. Some ethylene oxide-propylene oxide-ethylene oxide (E0x1POyE0x2)
triblock
copolymers, where each of xi and x2 is in the range of about 2 to about 140
and y is in the range
of from about 15 to about 70, improve dissolution.
Suitable ethylene oxide ¨ propylene oxide ¨ ethylene oxide triblock copolymers
are
commercially available under the Pluronic PE series from the BASF company, or
under the
Tergitol L series from the Dow Chemical Company. A particularly suitable
material is Pluronic
PE 9200.
Alkylalkoxylated Sulfate: The alkylalkoxylated sulfate (AAS) may be an
alkylethoxylated
sulfate (AES), preferably an ethoxylated C12-C18 alkyl sulfate having an
average degree of
ethoxylation of from about 0.5 to about 3Ø
Typically, the weight ratio of alkylalkoxylated sulfate to rheology modifier
is in the range of
from 4:1 to 40:1. The weight ratio of alkylalkoxylated sulfate to rheology
modifier may depend
on the molecular weight of alcohol precursors of the alkylalkoxylated sulfate,
degree of
alkoxylation, and blend ratio of LAS/AES in a blended surfactant system. For
example, for a
degree of ethoxylation of about 1.0 (e.g., NaAE1S), an NaLAS/NaAEiS blend
ratio of about 1/3,
and an AE1 alcohol precursor having a 12-15 carbon chain-length blend, the
functional rheology
modifier / NaAEiS mass ratio may be at least about 4% to improve dissolution,
such as for
example, between 5% and 10%; for a higher MW alcohol precursor having a 14-15
carbon chain-
length blend, the preferred functional rheology modifier / NaAElS mass ratio
may be at least about
9%, such as, for example between 9% and 20%. The level of functional rheology
modifier can be
adjusted to maintain product dissolution over a range of possible anionic
surfactant materials and
their blend ratios.
The mass of rheology modifier (RM) relative to mass of NaAES surfactant may
follow the
following relationship, RM/NaAES >f(alc) / ( a*(LAS/AES) + b ), where f(alc)
is a function of the
structure and molecular weight of the alcohol used to make the AES surfactant,
(LAS/AES) is the
blend ratio of LAS to AES in the surfactant paste, a ¨ 30, and b ¨ 2. For a
reference blend of
predominantly C12-C15 linear alcohol ethoxylate (C25AE1), f(alc) ¨ 1.0; for a
blend of
predominantly C14-C15 linear alcohol ethoxylate (C45AE1), f(alc) ¨ 1.2. The
above guideline is
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further dependent on the degree of ethoxylation and any branching structure of
ethoxylated alcohol
precursors to the AES surfactant. The above guideline can be expressed as a
Guidance Ratio,
where values of >1 may indicate improved dissolution, and values <1 may
indicate worse
dissolution. The Guidance Ratio is: (RM/NaAES) / (ftalc)/( 30*(LAS/AES) + 2))
The particle may comprise from about 15wt% to about 60wt%, or from 20wt% to
40wt%
alkylalkoxylated sulfate, or from 30wt% to 80wt% or even from 50wt% to 70wt%
alkylalkoxylated
sulfate.
The particle may comprise alkylbenzene sulfonate, for example, linear
alkylbenzene
sulfonate (LAS). The particle may comprise from 1 wt% to 50wt% alkylbenzene
sulfonate, or from
5wt% to 30wt% alkylbenzene sulfonate.
The particle may have a particle size distribution such that the D50 is from
greater than about
150 micrometers to less than about 1700 micrometers. The particle may have a
particle size
distribution such that the D50 is from greater than about 212 micrometers to
less than about 1180
micrometers. The particle may have a particle size distribution such that the
D50 is from greater
than about 300 micrometers to less than about 850 micrometers. The particle
may have a particle
size distribution such that the D50 is from greater than about 350 micrometers
to less than about
700 micrometers. The particle may have a particle size distribution such that
the D20 is greater
than about 150 micrometers and the D80 is less than about 1400 micrometers.
The particle may
have a particle size distribution such that the D20 is greater than about 200
micrometers and the
D80 is less than about 1180 micrometers. The particle may have a particle size
distribution such
that the D20 is greater than about 250 micrometers and the D80 is less than
about 1000
micrometers. The particle may have a particle size distribution such that the
D10 is greater than
about 150 micrometers and the D90 is less than about 1400 micrometers. The
particle may have a
particle size distribution such that the D10 is greater than about 200
micrometers and the D90 is
less than about 1180 micrometers. The particle may have a particle size
distribution such that the
D10 is greater than about 250 micrometers and the D90 is less than about 1000
micrometers.
The particle may be used in a bead-like detergent or derivative thereof. The
particle may
have a particle size distribution such that the D50 is from greater than about
lmm to less than about
4.75mm. The particle may have a particle size distribution such that the D50
is from greater than
about 1.7mm to less than about 3.5mm. The particle may have a particle size
distribution such that
the D20 is greater than about lmm and the D80 is less than about 4.75mm. The
particle may have
a particle size distribution such that the D20 is greater than about 1.7mm and
the D80 is less than
about 3.5mm. The particle may have a particle size distribution such that the
D10 is greater than
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about lmm and the D90 is less than about 4.75mm. The particle may have a
particle size
distribution such that the D10 is greater than about 1.7mm and the D90 is less
than about 3.5mm.
The particle's size distribution is measured according to applicants' Granular
Size
Distribution Test Method.
5 The particle may comprise from about lOwt% to about 80wt% detergent
builder, preferably
from about 20wt% to about 60wt%, preferably from about 30wt% to about 50wt%.
The particle may comprise from about 2wt% to about 40wt% buffering agent,
preferably
from about 5wt% to about 30wt%, preferably from about lOwt% to about 20wt%.
The particle may comprise from about 2wt% to about 20wt% chelant, preferably
from about
10 5wt% to about lOwt%.
The particle may comprise from about 2wt% to about 20wt% dispersant polymer,
preferably
from about 5wt% to about lOwt%.
The particle may comprise from 0.5wt% to 15wt% of a soluble film or fiber-
structuring
polymer. Examples of soluble film or fiber structuring polymers include, but
are not limited to,
15 polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrillidone, polyethelene oxide, modified
starch or cellulose
polymers, and mixtures thereof. Such polymers may be present in product
recycle streams
comprising soluble fiber or film materials, for example unitary dose products
comprising pouch
material, where it is advantageous to incorporate said recycle materials into
the current particle.
The particle may have a density of less than 500 g/L. The particle may have a
density of less
than 450 g/L such as, for example between 50 g/L and 450 g/L, between 100 g/L
and 400 g/L,
between 150 g/L and 350 g/L, between 200 g/L and 400 g/L, between 250 g/L and
400 g/L, or
between 300 g/L and 400 g/L.
The particle may have a density of between 250 g/L to 400 g/L while having a
particle size
distribution such that the D10 is greater than about 300 micrometers and the
D90 is less than about
1100 micrometers.The particle may have a particle size distribution such that
the D10 is between
300 and 500 micrometers.
Applicants have found that by using low density particles that fall within
desirable size
distributions, one can deliver a similar level of surfactant as higher density
particles while greatly
increasing the dissolution rate and availability of the surfactant.
Additionally, the use of low density high active particles allows for the use
of an increased
amount of particles thereby delivering a higher level of particle percentage
as a function of the total
finished pad weight percentage.
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Further, as shown in Table 5, the use of low density particles allows for a
significant increase
in LAS surfactant to greater than 20% of the total fibrous product, such as,
between 20% and 40%.
The rheology-modified particle may be coated or at least partially coated with
a layer
composition, for example as disclosed in US2007/0196502. Preferably the layer
composition
comprises non-surfactant actives. More preferably, said non-surfactant actives
are selected from
the group consisting builder, buffer and dispersant polymer. Even more
preferably, said non-
surfactant actives are selected from the group consisting of zeolite-A, sodium
carbonate, sodium
bicarbonate, and a soluble polycarboxylate polymer. This is especially
advantageous when the
actives (for non-limiting example AES) are suitable for cleaning in cold-water
and/or high hardness
wash water conditions. The presence of the actives in the layer promotes the
initial dissolution of
the cold-water and/or hardness-tolerant chemistry. While not being bound by
theory, it is
hypothesized that having cold-water and hardness-tolerant chemistries earlier
in the order of
dissolution can protect the more conventional cleaning actives (for non-
limiting example LAS
-- surfactant), resulting in superior overall cleaning performance.
Process of Making Rheology-Modified Particle
A concentrated aqueous paste comprising a mixture of alkylalkoxylated sulfate
anionic
detersive surfactant and a rheology modifier, preferably a functional rheology
modifier, may be
-- used to make the rheology-modified detergent particle according to a paste-
agglomeration process.
The paste-agglomeration process comprises the steps of: (a) adding powder raw
ingredients into a
mixer-granulator, where the powder raw ingredients may comprise one or more
dry builder, buffer,
dispersant polymer or chelant ingredient, necessary powder process aides, and
fines recycled from
the agglomeration process; (b) adding a paste comprising a premix of
concentrated surfactant and
functional rheology modifier; (c) of running the mixer-granulator to provide a
suitable mixing flow
field to disperse the paste with the powder and form agglomerates; optionally,
(d) adding additional
powder ingredients to at least partially coat the agglomerates, rendering
their surface less sticky;
(e) optionally drying the resultant agglomerates in a fluidized-bed dryer to
remove excess moisture;
(1) optionally cooling agglomerates in a fluidized bed cooler; (g) removing
any excess fine particles
from the agglomerate particle size distribution, preferably by elutriation
from the fluidized beds of
steps e and/or f, and recycling fines back to step a; (h) removing excess
oversize particles from the
agglomerate particle size distribution, preferably by screen classification;
(i) grinding the oversize
particles and recycling the ground particles to step a, e, or f. The paste-
agglomeration process may
be a batch process or a continuous process.
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A variation of the above preferred embodiment may include addition of
supplemental LAS
cosurfactant in a stream that is separate from the pre-mixed surfactant paste
of step (b). Process
options include adding pre-neutralized LAS as a solid powder in step (a),
adding a neutralized or
partially-neutralized LAS paste as a supplement in step (b), or adding a
liquid acid precursor
(HLAS) as a supplement in step (b). In the latter cases, sufficient free
alkalinity must be present
in the powders added in step (a) to effectively neutralize the HLAS during the
agglomeration
process. Alternatively, HLAS neutralization may be done in a separate pre-
processing step, first
premixing HLAS with alkaline buffer powder ingredients and other optional
solid carriers to form
a neutralized pre-mix of LAS and alkaline buffer powder in a powder form, and
then adding said
premix in step (a) above.
As shown in the tables below, it has been surprisingly found that by adding
LAS in particle
form during the particle agglomeration process to a separate surfactant
slurry, one can create a
particle that has an LAS to AES ratio of greater than 1, such as, for example
between 1.01 and 3.0,
between 1.05 and 2.5, between 1.1 and 2.0, between 1.2 and 1.8. These
particles are capable of
achieving lower densities while increasing the amount of readily available
LAS. As shown in the
tables below, when combined with a web comprising LAS, the total product LAS
to AES ratio can
be greater than 1.0, such as, for example between 1.01 and 3.0, between 1.05
and 2.5, between 1.1
and 2.0, between 1.2 and 1.8.
Alternatively, a concentrated aqueous paste comprising a mixture of
alkylalkoxylated sulfate
anionic detersive surfactant and a rheology modifier, an extrusion process may
be used. Extrusion
processes are well known in the art.
Alternatively, the rheology modifier may be used as a binder in an
agglomeration process to
make the rheology modified detergent particle.
Surprisingly, the rheology-modified particle is finer and stronger, as
compared to the same
.. particle without a rheology modifier.
pH Adjusting Agent
The single unit dose may comprise one or more Base pH adjusting agents that
increase the
pH of the wash liquor to a pH greater than 8. Suitable Base pH adjusting
agents include, without
limitation, compounds that include sulfate ions, dihydrogen phosphate ions,
fluoride ions, nitrite
ions, acetate ions, hydrogen carbonate ions, hydrogen sulfide ions, ammonia,
carbonate ions,
hydroxide ions, and combinations thereof. The inclusion of Base pH adjusting
agents does not
preclude the inclusion of Acid pH adjusting agents such as, for example,
citric acid. The single
unit dose may include Acid pH adjusting agents provided that the wash liquor
final pH is greater
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than 8, such as for example, 8.2, 8.4, 8.6, 8.8, 9, 9.2, 9.4, 9.6, 9.8, 10,
10.2, 10.4, 10.6, 10.8, 11,
11.2, 11.4, 11.6, 11.8, 12, 12.2, 12.4, 12.6, 12.8 or 13.
Concentrated surfactant paste
Concentrated surfactant pastes are intermediate compositions that may be
combined with
other ingredients to form a rheology modified particle. Concentrated
surfactant compositions may
comprise, may consist essentially of, or may consist of the following
components: a surfactant
system that may include an alkylalkoxylated sulfate surfactant; a rheology
modifier, as described
herein; an organic solvent system; and water. These components are described
in more detail
below.
The concentrated surfactant composition may comprise: from about 70% to about
90%, by
weight of the composition, of a surfactant system, where the surfactant system
comprises from
about 50%, or from about 60%, or from about 70%, or from about 80%, to about
100%, of
alkylalkoxylated sulfate surfactant; from about 0.1% to about 25%, by weight
of the composition,
of a rheology modifier; less than about 5%, by weight of the composition, of
an organic solvent
system; and water. The surfactant system of the paste preferably includes LAS
co-surfactant. If
LAS is included in the surfactant system, the ratio of LAS:AES may be from
about 0 to about 1,
preferably from about 0.2 to about 0.7, more preferably from about 0.25 to
about 0.35, and even
more preferably from 0.3 to about 0.6.
Solid carrier: Suitable solid carriers include inorganic salts, such as sodium
carbonate,
sodium sulfate and mixtures thereof. Other preferred solid carriers include
aluminosilicates, such
as zeolite, dried dispersant polymer in a fine powder form, and absorbent
grades of fumed or
precipitated silica (for example, precipitated hydrophilic silica
commercialized by Evonik
Industries AG under the trade name 5N340). Mixtures of solid carrier materials
may also be used.
Fibrous Structure
Fibrous structures comprise one or more fibrous elements. The fibrous elements
can be
associated with one another to form a structure. Fibrous structures can
include particles within
and or on the structure. Fibrous structures can be homogeneous, layered,
unitary, zoned, or as
otherwise desired, with different active agents defining the various aforesaid
portions.
A fibrous structure can comprise one or more layers, the layers together
forming a ply.
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Fibrous Elements
The fibrous elements may be water-soluble. The fibrous elements may comprise
one or
more filament-forming materials and/or one or more active agents, such as a
surfactant. The one
or more active agents may be releasable from the fibrous element, such as when
the fibrous element
and/or fibrous structure comprising the fibrous element is exposed to
conditions of intended use.
The fibrous elements of the present invention may be spun from a filament-
forming
composition, also referred to as fibrous element-forming compositions, via
suitable spinning
process operations, such as meltblowing, spunbonding, electro-spinning, and/or
rotary spinning.
"Filament-forming composition" and/or "fibrous element-forming composition" as
used
herein means a composition that is suitable for making a fibrous element of
the present invention
such as by meltblowing and/or spunbonding. The filament-forming composition
comprises one or
more filament-forming materials that exhibit properties that make them
suitable for spinning into
a fibrous element. The filament-forming material may comprise a polymer. In
addition to one or
more filament-forming materials, the filament-forming composition may comprise
one or more
active agents, for example, a surfactant. In addition, the filament-forming
composition may
comprise one or more polar solvents, such as water, into which one or more,
for example all, of
the filament-forming materials and/or one or more, for example all, of the
active agents are
dissolved and/or dispersed prior to spinning a fibrous element, such as a
filament from the filament-
forming composition.
The filament-forming composition may comprise two or more different filament-
forming
materials. Thus, the fibrous elements may be monocomponent (one type of
filament-forming
material) and/or multicomponent, such as bicomponent. The two or more
different filament-
forming materials may be randomly combined to form a fibrous element. The two
or more
different filament-forming materials may be orderly combined to form a fibrous
element, such as
a core and sheath bicomponent fibrous element, which is not considered a
random mixture of
different filament-forming materials for purposes of the present disclosure.
Bicomponent fibrous
elements may be in any form, such as side-by-side, core and sheath, islands-in-
the-sea and the like.
The fibrous elements may be substantially free of alkylalkoxylated sulfate.
Each fibrous
element may comprise from about 0%, or from about 0.1%, or from about 5%, or
from about 10%,
or from about 15%, or from about 20%, or from about 25%, or from about 30%, or
from about
35%, or from about 40% to about 0.2%, or to about 1%, or to about 5%, or to
about 10%, or to
about 15%, or to about 20%, Or to about 25%, Or to about 30%, or to about 35%
or to about 40%.
or to about 50% by weight on a dry fibrous element basis of an
alkylalkoxylated sulfate. The
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amount of alkylalkoxylated sulfate in each of the fibrous elements is
sufficiently small so as not to
affect the processing stability and film dissolution thereof. Alkylalkoxylated
sulfates, when
dissolved in water, may undergo a highly viscous hexagonal phase at certain
concentration ranges,
e.g., 30-60% by weight, resulting in a gel-like substance. Therefore, if
incorporated into the fibrous
5 elements in a significant amount, alkylalkoxylated sulfates may
significantly slow down the
dissolution of the water-soluble unit dose articles in water, and worse yet,
result in undissolved
solids afterwards. Correspondingly, most of such surfactants are formulated
into the particles.
The fibrous elements may each contain at least one filament-forming material
and an active
agent, preferably a surfactant. The surfactant may have a relatively low
hydrophilicity, as such a
10 surfactant is less likely to form a viscous, gel-like hexagonal phase
when being diluted. By using
such a surfactant in forming the filaments, gel-formation during wash may be
effectively reduced,
which in turn may result in faster dissolution and low or no residues in the
wash. The surfactant
can be selected, for example, from the group consisting of unalkoxylated C6-
C20 linear or
branched alkyl sulfates (AS), C6-C20 linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), and
combinations
15 thereof. The surfactant may be a C6-C20 linear alkylbenzene sulfonates
(LAS). LAS surfactants
are well known in the art and can be readily obtained by sulfonating
commercially available linear
alkylbenzenes. Exemplary C6-C20 linear alkylbenzene sulfonates that can be
used include alkali
metal, alkaline earth metal or ammonium salts of C6-C20 linear alkylbenzene
sulfonic acids, such
as the sodium, potassium, magnesium and/or ammonium salts of CH-Cis or Cu-C14
linear
20 alkylbenzene sulfonic acids. The sodium or potassium salts of Ci2 linear
alkylbenzene sulfonic
acids, for example, the sodium salt of Ci2 linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid,
i.e., sodium
dodecylbenzene sulfonate, may be used as the first surfactant.
The fibrous element may comprise at least about 5%, and/or at least about 10%,
and/or at
least about 15%, and/or at least about 20%, and/or less than about 80%, and/or
less than about
75%, and/or less than about 65%, and/or less than about 60%, and/or less than
about 55%, and/or
less than about 50%, and/or less than about 45%, and/or less than about 40%,
and/or less than about
35%, and/or less than about 30%, and/or less than about 25% by weight on a dry
fibrous element
basis and/or dry fibrous structure basis of the filament-forming material and
greater than about
20%, and/or at least about 35%, and/or at least about 40%, and/or at least
about 45%, and/or at
least about 50%, and/or at least about 55%, and/or at least about 60%, and/or
at least about 65%,
and/or at least about 70%, and/or less than about 95%, and/or less than about
90%, and/or less than
about 85%, and/or less than about 80%, and/or less than about 75% by weight on
a dry fibrous
element basis and/or dry fibrous structure basis of an active agent,
preferably surfactant. The
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fibrous element may comprise greater than about 80% by weight on a dry fibrous
element basis
and/or dry fibrous structure basis of surfactant.
Preferably, each fibrous element may be characterized by a sufficiently high
total surfactant
content, e.g., at least about 30%, or at least about 40%, or at least about
50%, or at least about 60%,
or at least about 70%, by weight on a dry fibrous element basis and/or dry
fibrous structure basis
of the first surfactant.
The total level of filament-forming materials present in the fibrous element
may be from
about 5% to less than about 80% by weight on a dry fibrous element basis
and/or dry fibrous
structure basis and the total level of surfactant present in the fibrous
element may be greater than
about 20% to about 95% by weight on a dry fibrous element basis and/or dry
fibrous structure
basis.
One or more of the fibrous elements may comprise at least one additional
surfactant
selected from the group consisting of other anionic surfactants (i.e., other
than AS and LAS),
nonionic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants,
cationic surfactants, and
combinations thereof.
Other suitable anionic surfactants include C6-C20 linear or branched alkyl
sulfonates, C6-
C20 linear or branched alkyl carboxylates, C6-C20 linear or branched alkyl
phosphates, C6-C20 linear
or branched alkyl phosphonates, C6-C20 alkyl N-methyl glucose amides, C6-C20
methyl ester
sulfonates (MES), and combinations thereof.
Suitable nonionic surfactants include alkoxylated fatty alcohols. The nonionic
surfactant
may be selected from ethoxylated alcohols and ethoxylated alkyl phenols of the
formula
R(OC2H4)OH, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic
hydrocarbon radicals
containing from about 8 to about 15 carbon atoms and alkyl phenyl radicals in
which the alkyl
groups contain from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms, and the average value of
n is from about 5
to about 15. Non-limiting examples of nonionic surfactants useful herein
include: Cg-C18
alkylethoxylates, such as, NEODOL nonionic surfactants from Shell; C6-C12
alkyl phenol
alkoxylates where the alkoxylate units may be ethyleneoxy units, propyleneoxy
units, or a mixture
thereof; C12-Cis alcohol and C6-C12 alkyl phenol condensates with ethylene
oxide/propylene oxide
block polymers such as Pluronic from BASF; C14-C22 mid-chain branched
alcohols, BA; C14-C22
mid-chain branched alkylalkoxylates, BAE,,, wherein x is from 1 to 30;
alkylpolysaccharides;
specifically alkylpolyglycosides; polyhydroxy fatty acid amides; and ether
capped
poly(oxyalkylated) alcohol surfactants. Suitable nonionic detersive
surfactants also include alkyl
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polyglucoside and alkylalkoxylated alcohol. Suitable nonionic surfactants also
include those sold
under the tradename Lutensol from BASF.
Non-limiting examples of cationic surfactants include: the quaternary ammonium
surfactants, which can have up to 26 carbon atoms include: alkoxylate
quaternary ammonium
(AQA) surfactants; dimethyl hydroxyethyl quaternary ammonium; dimethyl
hydroxyethyl lauryl
ammonium chloride; polyamine cationic surfactants; cationic ester surfactants;
and amino
surfactants, e.g., amido propyldimethyl amine (APA). Suitable cationic
detersive surfactants also
include alkyl pyridinium compounds, alkyl quaternary ammonium compounds, alkyl
quaternary
phosphonium compounds, alkyl ternary sulphonium compounds, and mixtures
thereof.
Suitable cationic detersive surfactants are quaternary ammonium compounds
having the
general formula:
(R)(Ri)(R2)(R3)N+ X-
wherein, R is a linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted C6_18 alkyl
or alkenyl moiety,
Ri and R2 are independently selected from methyl or ethyl moieties, R3 is a
hydroxyl,
hydroxymethyl or a hydroxyethyl moiety, X is an anion which provides charge
neutrality, suitable
anions include: halides, for example chloride; sulfate; and sulfonate.
Suitable cationic detersive
surfactants are mono-C6_18 alkyl mono-hydroxyethyl di-methyl quaternary
ammonium chlorides.
Highly suitable cationic detersive surfactants are mono-C8_1() alkyl mono-
hydroxyethyl di-methyl
quaternary ammonium chloride, mono-C1o_12 alkyl mono-hydroxyethyl di-methyl
quaternary
ammonium chloride and mono-Cio alkyl mono-hydroxyethyl di-methyl quaternary
ammonium
chloride.
Suitable examples of zwitterionic surfactants include: derivatives of
secondary and tertiary
amines, including derivatives of heterocyclic secondary and tertiary amines;
derivatives of
quaternary ammonium, quaternary phosphonium or tertiary sulfonium compounds;
betaines,
including alkyl dimethyl betaine, cocodimethyl amidopropyl betaine, and sulfo
and hydroxy
betaines; C8 to C18 (e.g., from C12 to C18) amine oxides; N-alkyl-N,N-
dimethylammino-l-propane
sulfonate, where the alkyl group can be C8 to C18.
Suitable amphoteric surfactants include aliphatic derivatives of secondary or
tertiary
amines, or aliphatic derivatives of heterocyclic secondary and tertiary amines
in which the aliphatic
radical may be straight or branched-chain and where one of the aliphatic
substituents contains at
least about 8 carbon atoms, or from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms, and at
least one of the
aliphatic substituents contains an anionic water-solubilizing group, e.g.
carboxy, sulfonate, sulfate.
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Suitable amphoteric surfactants also include sarcosinates, glycinates,
taurinates, and mixtures
thereof.
The fibrous elements may comprise a surfactant system containing only anionic
surfactants, e.g., either a single anionic surfactant or a combination of two
or more different
anionic surfactants. Alternatively, the fibrous elements may include a
composite surfactant
system, e.g., containing a combination of one or more anionic surfactants with
one or more
nonionic surfactants, or a combination of one or more anionic surfactants with
one or more
zwitterionic surfactants, or a combination of one or more anionic surfactants
with one or more
amphoteric surfactants, or a combination of one or more anionic surfactants
with one or more
cationic surfactants, or a combination of all the above-mentioned types of
surfactants (i.e.,
anionic, nonionic, amphoteric and cationic).
In general, fibrous elements are elongated particulates having a length
greatly exceeding
average diameter, e.g., a length to average diameter ratio of at least about
10. A fibrous element
may be a filament or a fiber. Filaments are relatively longer than fibers. A
filament may have a
length of greater than or equal to about 5.08 cm (2 in.), and/or greater than
or equal to about 7.62
cm (3 in.), and/or greater than or equal to about 10.16 cm (4 in.), and/or
greater than or equal to
about 15.24 cm (6 in.). A fiber may have a length of less than about 5.08 cm
(2 in.), and/or less
than about 3.81 cm (1.5 in.), and/or less than about 2.54 cm (1 in.).
The one or more filament-forming materials and active agents may be present in
the fibrous
element at a weight ratio of total level of filament-forming materials to
active agents of about 2.0
or less, and/or about 1.85 or less, and/or less than about 1.7, and/or less
than about 1.6, and/or less
than about 1.5, and/or less than about 1.3, and/or less than about 1.2, and/or
less than about 1,
and/or less than about 0.7, and/or less than about 0.5, and/or less than about
0.4, and/or less than
about 0.3, and/or greater than about 0.1, and/or greater than about 0.15,
and/or greater than about
0.2. The one or more filament-forming materials and active agents may be
present in the fibrous
element at a weight ratio of total level of filament-forming materials to
active agents of about 0.2
to about 0.7.
The fibrous element may comprise from about 10% to less than about 80% by
weight on a
dry fibrous element basis and/or dry fibrous structure basis of a filament-
forming material, such as
polyvinyl alcohol polymer, starch polymer, and/or carboxymethylcellulose
polymer, and greater
than about 20% to about 90% by weight on a dry fibrous element basis and/or
dry fibrous structure
basis of an active agent, such as surfactant. The fibrous element may further
comprise a plasticizer,
such as glycerin, and/or additional pH adjusting agents, such as citric acid.
The fibrous element
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may have a weight ratio of filament-forming material to active agent of about
2.0 or less. The
filament-forming material may be selected from the group consisting of
polyvinyl alcohol, starch,
carboxymethylcellulose, polyethylene oxide, and other suitable polymers,
especially hydroxyl-
containing polymers and their derivatives. The filament-forming material may
range in weight
average molecular weight from about 100,000 g/mol to about 3,000,000 g/mol. It
is believed that
in this range, the filament-forming material may provide extensional rheology,
without being so
elastic that fiber attenuation is inhibited in the fiber-making process.
The one or more active agents may be releasable and/or released when the
fibrous element
and/or fibrous structure comprising the fibrous element is exposed to
conditions of intended use.
The one or more active agents in the fibrous element may be selected from the
group consisting of
surfactants, organic polymeric compounds, and mixtures thereof.
The fibrous elements may exhibit a diameter of less than about 300 um, and/or
less than
about 75 um, and/or less than about 50 um, and/or less than about 25 um,
and/or less than about
10 um, and/or less than about 5 um, and/or less than about 1 um as measured
according to the
Diameter Test Method described herein. The fibrous elements may exhibit a
diameter of greater
than about 1 um as measured according to the Diameter Test Method described
herein. The
diameter of a fibrous element may be used to control the rate of release of
one or more active agents
present in the fibrous element and/or the rate of loss and/or altering of the
fibrous element's
physical structure.
The fibrous element may comprise two or more different active agents, which
are
compatible or incompatible with one another. The fibrous element may comprise
an active agent
within the fibrous element and an active agent on an external surface of the
fibrous element, such
as an active agent coating on the fibrous element. The active agent on the
external surface of the
fibrous element may be the same or different from the active agent present in
the fibrous element.
If different, the active agents may be compatible or incompatible with one
another. The one or
more active agents may be uniformly distributed or substantially uniformly
distributed throughout
the fibrous element. The one or more active agents may be distributed as
discrete regions within
the fibrous element.
Active Agents
The water-soluble unit dose articles described herein may contain one or more
active
agents. The active agents may be present in the fibrous elements (as described
above), in the
particles (as described above), or as a premix in the article. Premixes for
example, may be
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slurries of active agents that are combined with aqueous absorbents. The
active agent may be
selected from the group consisting of a surfactant, a structurant, a builder,
an organic polymeric
compound, an enzyme, an enzyme stabilizer, a bleach system, a brightener, a
hueing agent, a
chelating agent, a suds suppressor, a conditioning agent, a humectant, a
perfume, a perfume
5 microcapsule, a filler or carrier, an alkalinity system, a pH control
system, a buffer, an
alkanolamine, and mixtures thereof.
Surfactant
The surfactant may be selected from the group consisting of anionic
surfactants, nonionic
10 surfactants, cationic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, amphoteric
surfactants, ampholytic
surfactants, and mixtures thereof. These surfactants are described in more
detail above.
Enzymes
Examples of suitable enzymes include, but are not limited to, hemicellulases,
peroxidases,
15 proteases, cellulases, xylanases, lipases, phospholipases, esterases,
cutinases, pectinases,
mannanases, pectate lyases, keratinases, reductases, oxidases, phenoloxidases,
lipoxygenases,
ligninases, pullulanases, tannases, pentosanases, malanases, B-glucanases,
arabinosidases,
hyaluronidase, chondroitinase, laccase, and amylases, or mixtures thereof. A
typical combination
is an enzyme cocktail that may comprise, for example, a protease and one or
more non-protease
20 enzymes such as, for example, a lipase in conjunction with amylase or
any of those listed above.
When present in a detergent composition, the aforementioned additional enzymes
may be
present at levels from about 0.00001% to about 2%, from about 0.0001% to about
1% or even
from about 0.001% to about 0.5% enzyme protein by weight of the composition.
The
25 compositions disclosed herein may comprise from about 0.001% to about 1%
by weight of an
enzyme (as an adjunct), which may be selected from the group consisting of
lipase, amylase,
protease, mannanase, cellulase, pectinase, and mixtures thereof.
Proteases
Preferably the enzyme composition comprises one or more proteases. Suitable
proteases
include metalloproteases and serine proteases, including neutral or alkaline
microbial serine
proteases, such as subtilisins (EC 3.4.21.62). Suitable proteases include
those of animal,
vegetable or microbial origin. In one aspect, such suitable protease may be of
microbial origin.
The suitable proteases include chemically or genetically modified mutants of
the aforementioned
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suitable proteases. In one aspect, the suitable protease may be a serine
protease, such as an
alkaline microbial protease or/and a trypsin-type protease.
Builders
Suitable builders include aluminosilicates (e.g., zeolite builders, such as
zeolite A, zeolite
P, and zeolite MAP), silicates, phosphates, such as polyphosphates (e.g.,
sodium tri-
polyphosphate), especially sodium salts thereof; carbonates, bicarbonates,
sesquicarbonates, and
carbonate minerals other than sodium carbonate or sesquicarbonate; organic
mono-, di-, tri-, and
tetracarboxylates, especially water-soluble nonsurfactant carboxylates in
acid, sodium, potassium
or alkanolammonium salt form, as well as oligomeric or water-soluble low
molecular weight
polymer carboxylates including aliphatic and aromatic types; and phytic acid.
Additional suitable
builders may be selected from citric acid, lactic acid, fatty acid,
polycarboxylate builders, for
example, copolymers of acrylic acid, copolymers of acrylic acid and maleic
acid, and copolymers
of acrylic acid and/or maleic acid, and other suitable ethylenic monomers with
various types of
additional functionalities. Alternatively, the composition may be
substantially free of builder.
Polymeric Dispersing Agents
Suitable polymers include, but are not limited to, polymeric carboxylates,
such as
polyacrylates, poly acrylic-maleic co-polymers, and sulfonated modifications
thereof, for example,
a hydrophobically modified sulfonated acrylic acid copolymer. The polymer may
be a cellulosic
based polymer, a polyester, a polyterephthalate, a polyethylene glycol, an
ethylene oxide-
propylene oxide-ethylene oxide (E0x1POyE0x2) triblock copolymer, where each of
xi and x2 is
in the range of about 2 to about 140 and y is in the range of from about 15 to
about 70, a
polyethyleneimine, any modified variant thereof, such as polyethylene glycol
having grafted vinyl
and/or alcohol moieties, and any combination thereof. In some cases, the
dispersant polymer may
also function as a rheology modifier, as described above.
Suitable polyethyleneimine polymers include propoxylated polyalkylenimine
(e.g., PEI)
polymers. The propoxylated polyalkylenimine (e.g., PEI) polymers may also be
ethoxylated. The
propoxylated polyalkylenimine (e.g., PEI) polymers may have inner polyethylene
oxide blocks and
outer polypropylene oxide blocks, the degree of ethoxylation and the degree of
propoxylation not
going above or below specific limiting values. The ratio of polyethylene
blocks to polypropylene
blocks (nip) may be from about 0.6, or from about 0.8, or from about 1, to a
maximum of about
10, or a maximum of about 5, or a maximum of about 3. The nip ratio may be
about 2. The
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propoxylated polyalkylenimines may have PEI backbones having weight average
molecular
weights (as determined prior to alkoxylation) of from about 200 g/mol to about
1200 g/mol, or
from about 400 g/mol to about 800 g/mol, or about 600 g/mol. The molecular
weight of the
propoxylated polyalkylenimines may be from about 8,000 to about 20,000 g/mol,
or from about
10,000 to about 15,000 g/mol, or about 12,000 g/mol.
Suitable propoxylated polyalkylenimine polymers may include compounds of the
following
structure:
E06(PO)5 (E0)1(i(P0)5
(PO)gEO)it(Ns''' E0).io(P0)5
(E0)1o(P0)5
(E0)10(P0)5 `N (E0).ic,(P0)5
(P0)6(E0)10-
---14,..--(E0)1o(P0)5
(P0)5(E06 ,N (E0)1o(F)9)5.
(EO'PO L.
N-- (E-0)1o(P0)6
1
(E0)1a(P9)5
where E0s are ethoxylate groups and POs are propoxylate groups. The compound
shown above
is a PEI where the molar ratio of EO:PO is 10:5 (e.g., 2:1). Other similar,
suitable compounds may
include EO and PO groups present in a molar ratio of about 10:5 or about
24:16.
Soil release polymer
Suitable soil release polymers have a structure as defined by one of the
following
structures (I), (II) or (III):
(I) -ROCHIV-CHR2)a-0-0C-Ar-00-1,1
(II) -ROCHR3-CHR4)b-0-0C-sAr-00-1 e
(III) -ROCHR5-CHR6)e-OR71(
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wherein:
a, b and c are from 1 to 200;
d, e and f are from 1 to 50;
AT is a 1,4-substituted phenylene;
sAr is 1,3-substituted phenylene substituted in position 5 with SO3Me;
Me is Li, K, Mg/2, Ca/2, A1/3, ammonium, mono-, di-, tri-, or
tetraalkylammonium
wherein the alkyl groups are CI-CB alkyl or C2-Cio hydroxyalkyl, or mixtures
thereof;
IV, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 are independently selected from H or CI-CB n- or iso-
alkyl; and
R7 is a linear or branched Ci-Cis alkyl, or a linear or branched C2-
C30alkenyl, or a
cycloalkyl group with 5 to 9 carbon atoms, or a Cs-C30 aryl group, or a C6-
C30arylalkyl group.
Suitable soil release polymers are polyester soil release polymers such as
Repel-o-tex
polymers, including Repel-o-tex SF, SF-2 and SRP6 supplied by Rhodia. Other
suitable soil
release polymers include Texcare polymers, including Texcare SRA100, SRA300,
SRN100,
5RN170, 5RN240, SRN300 and 5RN325 supplied by Clariant. Other suitable soil
release
polymers are Marloquest polymers, such as Marloquest SL supplied by Sasol.
Cellulosic polymer
Suitable cellulosic polymers including those selected from alkyl cellulose,
alkyl
alkoxyalkyl cellulose, carboxyalkyl cellulose, alkyl carboxyalkyl cellulose.
The cellulosic
polymers may be selected from the group consisting of carboxymethyl cellulose,
methyl
cellulose, methyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl carboxymethyl cellulose, and
mixures thereof.
In one aspect, the carboxymethyl cellulose has a degree of carboxymethyl
substitution from 0.5
to 0.9 and a molecular weight from 100,000 Da to 300,000 Da.
Amines
Non-limiting examples of amines may include, but are not limited to,
polyetheramines,
polyamines, oligoamines, triamines, diamines, pentamines, tetraamines, or
combinations thereof.
Specific examples of suitable additional amines include
tetraethylenepentamine,
triethylenetetraamine, diethylenetriamine, or a mixture thereof.
Bleaching Agents
Suitable bleaching agents other than bleaching catalysts include
photobleaches, bleach
activators, hydrogen peroxide, sources of hydrogen peroxide, pre-formed
peracids and mixtures
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thereof. In general, when a bleaching agent is used, the detergent
compositions of the present
invention may comprise from about 0.1% to about 50% or even from about 0.1% to
about 25%
bleaching agent by weight of the detergent composition.
Bleach Catalysts
Suitable bleach catalysts include, but are not limited to: iminium cations and
polyions;
iminium zwitterions; modified amines; modified amine oxides; N-sulphonyl
imines; N-
phosphonyl imines; N-acyl imines; thiadiazole dioxides; perfluoroimines;
cyclic sugar ketones
and mixtures thereof.
Brighteners
Commercial fluorescent brighteners suitable for the present disclosure can be
classified into
subgroups, including but not limited to: derivatives of stilbene, pyrazoline,
coumarin,
benzoxazoles, carboxylic acid, methinecyanines, dibenzothiophene-5,5-dioxide,
azoles, 5- and 6-
membered-ring heterocycles, and other miscellaneous agents.
The fluorescent brightener may be selected from the group consisting of
disodium 4,4'-
bis P-anilino-6-morpholino-s-triazin-2-yll-aminol-2,2'-stilbenedisulfonate
(brightener 15,
commercially available under the tradename Tinopal AMS-GX by BASF),
disodium4,4'-bisl 114-
anilino-6-(N-2-bis-hydroxyethyl)-s-triazine-2-yll-amino1-2,2' -
stilbenedisulonate (commercially
available under the tradename Tinopal UNPA-GX by BASF), disodium 4,4' -bis [4-
anilino-6-(N-
2-hydroxyethyl-N-methylamino)-s -triazine-2-yll -amino1-2,2'-
stilbenedisulfonate (commercially
available under the tradename Tinopal 5BM-GX by BASF). More preferably, the
fluorescent
brightener is disodium 4,4'-bisl P-anilino-6-morpholino-s-triazin-2-yll-aminol-
2,2'-
stilbenedisulfonate.
The brighteners may be added in particulate form or as a premix with a
suitable solvent, for
example nonionic surfactant, propanediol.
Fabric Hueing Agents
A fabric hueing agent (sometimes referred to as shading, bluing or whitening
agents)
typically provides a blue or violet shade to fabric. Hueing agents can be used
either alone or in
combination to create a specific shade of hueing and/or to shade different
fabric types. This may
be provided for example by mixing a red and green-blue dye to yield a blue or
violet shade.
Hueing agents may be selected from any known chemical class of dye, including
but not limited
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to acridine, anthraquinone (including polycyclic quinones), azine, azo (e.g.,
monoazo, disazo,
trisazo, tetrakisazo, polyazo), including premetallized azo, benzodifurane and
benzodifuranone,
carotenoid, coumarin, cyanine, diazahemicyanine, diphenylmethane, formazan,
hemicyanine,
indigoids, methane, naphthalimides, naphthoquinone, nitro and nitroso,
oxazine, phthalocyanine,
5 pyrazoles, stilbene, styryl, triarylmethane, triphenylmethane, xanthenes
and mixtures thereof.
Suitable fabric hueing agents include dyes, dye-clay conjugates, and organic
and
inorganic pigments. Suitable dyes also include small molecule dyes and
polymeric dyes.
Suitable small molecule dyes include small molecule dyes selected from the
group consisting of
dyes falling into the Color Index (C.I.) classifications of Direct, Basic,
Reactive or hydrolysed
10 Reactive, Solvent or Disperse dyes for example that are classified as
Blue, Violet, Red, Green or
Black, and provide the desired shade either alone or in combination. Suitable
polymeric dyes
include polymeric dyes selected from the group consisting of polymers
containing covalently
bound (sometimes referred to as conjugated) chromogens, (dye-polymer
conjugates), for example
polymers with chromogens co-polymerized into the backbone of the polymer and
mixtures
15 thereof. Suitable polymeric dyes also include polymeric dyes selected
from the group consisting
of fabric-substantive colorants sold under the name of Liquitint (Milliken,
Spartanburg, South
Carolina, USA), dye-polymer conjugates formed from at least one reactive dye
and a polymer
selected from the group consisting of polymers comprising a moiety selected
from the group
consisting of a hydroxyl moiety, a primary amine moiety, a secondary amine
moiety, a thiol
20 moiety and mixtures thereof. Suitable polymeric dyes also include
polymeric dyes selected from
the group consisting of Liquitint Violet CT, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)
covalently bound
to a reactive blue, reactive violet or reactive red dye such as CMC conjugated
with C.I. Reactive
Blue 19, sold by Megazyme, Wicklow, Ireland under the product name AZO-CM-
CELLULOSE,
product code S-ACMC, alkoxylated triphenyl-methane polymeric colourants,
alkoxylated
25 thiophene polymeric colourants, and mixtures thereof.
The aforementioned fabric hueing agents can be used in combination (any
mixture of
fabric hueing agents can be used).
Encapsulates
30 An
encapsulate may comprise a core, a shell having an inner and outer surface,
said shell
encapsulating said core. The core may comprise any laundry care adjunct,
though typically the
core may comprise material selected from the group consisting of perfumes;
brighteners; hueing
dyes; insect repellants; silicones; waxes; flavors; vitamins; fabric softening
agents; skin care
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agents in one aspect, paraffins; enzymes; anti-bacterial agents; bleaches;
sensates; and mixtures
thereof; and said shell may comprise a material selected from the group
consisting of
polyethylenes; polyamides; polyvinylalcohols, optionally containing other co-
monomers;
polystyrenes; polyisoprenes; polycarbonates; polyesters; polyacrylates;
aminoplasts, in one
aspect said aminoplast may comprise a polyureas, polyurethane, and/or
polyureaurethane, in one
aspect said polyurea may comprise polyoxymethyleneurea and/or melamine
formaldehyde;
polyolefins; polysaccharides, in one aspect said polysaccharide may comprise
alginate and/or
chitosan; gelatin; shellac; epoxy resins; vinyl polymers; water insoluble
inorganics; silicone; and
mixtures thereof.
Preferred encapsulates comprise perfume. Preferred encapsulates comprise a
shell which
may comprise melamine formaldehyde and/or cross linked melamine formaldehyde.
Other
preferred capsules comprise a polyacrylate based shell. Preferred encapsulates
comprise a core
material and a shell, said shell at least partially surrounding said core
material, is disclosed. At
least 75%, 85% or even 90% of said encapsulates may have a fracture strength
of from 0.2 MPa
to 10 MPa, and a benefit agent leakage of from 0% to 20%, or even less than
10% or 5% based
on total initial encapsulated benefit agent. Preferred are those in which at
least 75%, 85% or
even 90% of said encapsulates may have (i) a particle size of from 1 microns
to 80 microns, 5
microns to 60 microns, from 10 microns to 50 microns, or even from 15 microns
to 40 microns,
and/or (ii) at least 75%, 85% or even 90% of said encapsulates may have a
particle wall thickness
of from 30 nm to 250 nm, from 80 nm to 180 nm, or even from 100 nm to 160 nm.
Formaldehyde scavengers may be employed with the encapsulates, for example, in
a capsule
slurry and/or added to a composition before, during or after the encapsulates
are added to such
composition.
Suitable capsules that can be made using known processes. Alternatively,
suitable capsules
can be purchased from Encapsys LLC of Appleton, Wisconsin USA. In a preferred
aspect the
composition may comprise a deposition aid, preferably in addition to
encapsulates. Preferred
deposition aids are selected from the group consisting of cationic and
nonionic polymers.
Suitable polymers include cationic starches, cationic hydroxyethylcellulose,
polyvinylformaldehyde, locust bean gum, mannans, xyloglucans, tamarind gum,
polyethyleneterephthalate and polymers containing dimethylaminoethyl
methacrylate, optionally
with one or more monomers selected from the group comprising acrylic acid and
acrylamide.
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Perfumes
Non-limiting examples of perfume and perfumery ingredients include, but are
not limited
to, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and the like. Other examples include various
natural extracts and
essences which can comprise complex mixtures of ingredients, such as orange
oil, lemon oil, rose
.. extract, lavender, musk, patchouli, balsamic essence, sandalwood oil, pine
oil, cedar, and the like.
Finished perfumes can comprise extremely complex mixtures of such ingredients.
Finished
perfumes may be included at a concentration ranging from about 0.01% to about
2% by weight of
the detergent composition.
Dye Transfer Inhibiting Agents
Dye transfer inhibiting agents are effective for inhibiting the transfer of
dyes from one
fabric to another during the cleaning process. Generally, such dye transfer
inhibiting agents may
include polyvinyl pyrrolidone polymers, polyamine N-oxide polymers, copolymers
of N-
vinylpyrrolidone and N-vinylimidazole, manganese phthalocyanine, peroxidases,
and mixtures
thereof. If used, these agents may be used at a concentration of about 0.0001%
to about 10%, by
weight of the composition, in some examples, from about 0.01% to about 5%, by
weight of the
composition, and in other examples, from about 0.05% to about 2% by weight of
the composition.
Chelating Agents
Suitable chelating agents include copper, iron and/or manganese chelating
agents and
mixtures thereof. Such chelating agents can be selected from the group
consisting of phosphonates,
amino carboxylates, amino phosphonates, succinates, polyfunctionally-
substituted aromatic
chelating agents, 2-pyridinol-N-oxide compounds, hydroxamic acids,
carboxymethyl inulins and
mixtures thereof. Chelating agents can be present in the acid or salt form
including alkali metal,
ammonium, and substituted ammonium salts thereof, and mixtures thereof. Other
suitable
chelating agents for use herein are the commercial DEQUEST series, and
chelants from Monsanto,
Akzo-Nobel, DuPont, Dow, the Trilon series from BASF and Nalco, copolymers of
maleic and
acrylic acid available from BASF, DOW, and Nippon Shokubai.
Suds Suppressors
Compounds for reducing or suppressing the formation of suds can be
incorporated into the
water-soluble unit dose articles. Suds suppression can be of particular
importance in the so-called
"high concentration cleaning process" and in front-loading style washing
machines. Examples of
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suds supressors include monocarboxylic fatty acid and soluble salts therein,
high molecular weight
hydrocarbons such as paraffin, fatty acid esters (e.g., fatty acid
triglycerides), fatty acid esters of
monovalent alcohols, aliphatic C18-C40 ketones (e.g., stearone), N-alkylated
amino triazines, waxy
hydrocarbons preferably having a melting point below about 100 C, silicone
suds suppressors,
and secondary alcohols.
Additional suitable antifoams are those derived from phenylpropylmethyl
substituted
polysiloxanes.
The detergent composition may comprise a suds suppressor selected from
organomodified
silicone polymers with aryl or alkylaryl substituents combined with silicone
resin and a primary
.. filler, which is modified silica. The detergent compositions may comprise
from about 0.001% to
about 4.0%, by weight of the composition, of such a suds suppressor.
The detergent composition comprises a suds suppressor selected from: a)
mixtures of from
about 80 to about 92% ethylmethyl, methyl(2-phenylpropyl) siloxane; from about
5 to about
14% MQ resin in octyl stearate; and from about 3 to about 7% modified silica;
b) mixtures of
from about 78 to about 92% ethylmethyl, methyl(2-phenylpropyl) siloxane; from
about 3 to about
10% MQ resin in octyl stearate; from about 4 to about 12% modified silica; or
c) mixtures thereof,
where the percentages are by weight of the anti-foam.
Suds Boosters
If high sudsing is desired, suds boosters such as the Cio-C16 alkanolamides
may be used.
Some examples include the Cm-C14 monoethanol and diethanol amides. If desired,
water-soluble
magnesium and/or calcium salts such as MgCl2, MgSO4, CaCl2, CaSO4, and the
like, may be added
at levels of about 0.1% to about 2% by weight of the detergent composition, to
provide additional
suds and to enhance grease removal performance.
Conditioning Agents
Suitable conditioning agents include high melting point fatty compounds. The
high melting
point fatty compound useful herein has a melting point of 25 C or higher, and
is selected from the
group consisting of fatty alcohols, fatty acids, fatty alcohol derivatives,
fatty acid derivatives, and
mixtures thereof. Suitable conditioning agents also include nonionic polymers
and conditioning
oils, such as hydrocarbon oils, polyolefins, and fatty esters.
Suitable conditioning agents include those conditioning agents characterized
generally as
silicones (e.g., silicone oils, polyoils, cationic silicones, silicone gums,
high refractive silicones,
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and silicone resins), organic conditioning oils (e.g., hydrocarbon oils,
polyolefins, and fatty esters)
or combinations thereof, or those conditioning agents which otherwise form
liquid, dispersed
particles in the aqueous surfactant matrix herein.
Fabric Enhancement Polymers
Suitable fabric enhancement polymers are typically cationically charged and/or
have a
high molecular weight. The fabric enhancement polymers may be a homopolymer or
be formed
from two or more types of monomers. The monomer weight of the polymer will
generally be
between 5,000 and 10,000,000, typically at least 10,000 and preferably in the
range 100,000 to
.. 2,000,000. Preferred fabric enhancement polymers will have cationic charge
densities of at least
0.2 meq/gm, preferably at least 0.25 meq/gm, more preferably at least 0.3
meq/gm, but also
preferably less than 5 meq/gm, more preferably less than 3 meq/gm, and most
preferably less
than 2 meq/gm at the pH of intended use of the composition, which pH will
generally range from
pH 3 to pH 9, preferably between pH 4 and pH 8. The fabric enhancement
polymers may be of
natural or synthetic origin.
Pearlescent Agent
Non-limiting examples of pearlescent agents include: mica; titanium dioxide
coated
mica; bismuth oxychloride; fish scales; mono and diesters of alkylene glycol.
The pearlescent
agent may be ethyleneglycoldistearate (EGDS).
Hygiene and malodor
Suitable hygiene and malodor active agents include zinc ricinoleate, thymol,
quaternary
ammonium salts such as Bardac , polyethylenimines (such as Lupasol from BASF)
and zinc
complexes thereof, silver and silver compounds, especially those designed to
slowly release Ag+
or nano-silver dispersions.
Buffer System
The water-soluble unit dose articles described herein may be formulated such
that, during
use in aqueous cleaning operations, the wash water will have a pH of between
about 7.0 and about
12, and in some examples, between about 7.0 and about 11. Techniques for
controlling pH at
recommended usage levels include the use of buffers, alkalis, or acids, and
are well known to those
skilled in the art. These include, but are not limited to, the use of sodium
carbonate, citric acid or
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sodium citrate, lactic acid or lactate, monoethanol amine or other amines,
boric acid or borates,
and other pH-adjusting compounds well known in the art.
The detergent compositions herein may comprise dynamic in-wash pH profiles.
Such
detergent compositions may use wax-covered citric acid particles in
conjunction with other pH
5 control agents such that (i) about 3 minutes after contact with water,
the pH of the wash liquor is
greater than 10; (ii) about 10 minutes after contact with water, the pH of the
wash liquor is less
than 9.5; (iii) about 20 minutes after contact with water, the pH of the wash
liquor is less than 9.0;
and (iv) optionally, wherein, the equilibrium pH of the wash liquor is in the
range of from about
7.0 to about 8.5.
Method for Making
As exemplified by illustration in FIG. 3, a solution of a filament forming
composition 35
is provided. The filament forming composition can comprise one or more
filament forming
materials and optionally one or more active agents. The filament forming
composition 35 is passed
through one or more die block assemblies 40 comprising a plurality of
spinnerets 45 to form a
plurality of fibrous elements 30 comprising the one or more filament forming
materials and
optionally one or more active agents. Multiple die block assemblies 40 can be
employed to spin
different layers of fibrous elements 30, with the fibrous elements 30 of
different layers having a
composition that differ from one another or are the same as one another. More
than two die block
assemblies in series can be provided to form three, four, or any other integer
number of layers in a
given ply. The fibrous elements 30 can be deposited on a belt 50 moving in a
machine direction
MD to form a first ply 10.
Particles can be introduced into the stream of the fibrous elements 30 between
the die
Mock assembly 40 and the belt 50. Particles can be fed from a particle
receiver onto a belt feeder
41 or optionally a screw feeder. The belt feeder 41 can be set and controlled
to deliver the
desired mass of particles into the process. The belt feeder can feed an air
knife 42 that suspends
and directs the particles in an air stream into the fibrous elements 30 to
form a particle-fiber layer
of comingled fibrous elements 30 and particles that is subsequently deposited
on the belt 50.
To form the water-soluble product, a first ply 10 can be provided. A second
ply 15 can be
provided separate from the first ply 10. The first ply 10 and the second ply
15 are superposed
with one another. By superposed it is meant that one is positioned above or
below the other with
the proviso that additional plies or other materials, for example active
agents, may be positioned
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between the superposed plies. A portion of the first ply 10 can be joined to a
portion of the
second ply 15 to form the water-soluble product 5. Each ply may comprise one
or more layers.
Particle-Fiber Layer
A particle-fiber layer may be arranged in several ways. Clusters of particles
may be
distributed in pockets distributed in the layer, where such pockets may be
formed between layers
of fibrous elements; the contact network and porosity within each cluster of
particles is governed
by physics of conventional particle packing, yet the clusters are
substantially dilated in the layer.
The particles may be distributed relatively homogeneously throughout the
fibrous structure,
substantially free of local particle clusters; packing is substantially
dilated on the scale of individual
particles, with fewer inter-particle contacts and greater inter-particle
porosity. Without wishing to
be bound by theory, it is believed that a water-soluble unit dose article
comprising a layer
comprising fibrous elements and particles, where sticky surfactants, such as
AES, are segregated
into particles having a dilated structure, provides for an improvement in
dispersion and dissolution
of the unit dose article, both by faster imbibition of water into the dilated
structure and by a
reduction in contacts among particles having sticky surfactants.
Pouches. The single unit dose may be in the form of a pouch. The composition
may be
provided in the form of a unitized dose, either tablet form or preferably in
the form of a liquid/solid
(optionally granules)/gel/paste held within a water-soluble film in what is
known as a pouch or
pod. The composition can be encapsulated in a single or multi-compartment
pouch. Multi-
compartment pouches are described in more detail in EP-A-2133410. Shading or
non-shading
dyes or pigments or other aesthetics may also be used in one or more
compartments.
Suitable film for forming the pouches is soluble or dispersible in water, and
preferably has
a water-solubility/dispersibility of at least 50%, preferably at least 75% or
even at least 95%, as
measured by the method set out here after using a glass-filter with a maximum
pore size of 20
microns:
50 grams 0.1 gram of pouch material is added in a pre-weighed 400 ml beaker
and 245m1
lml of distilled water is added. This is stirred vigorously on a magnetic
stirrer set at 600 rpm,
for 30 minutes. Then, the mixture is filtered through a folded qualitative
sintered-glass filter with
a pore size as defined above (max. 20 micron). The water is dried off from the
collected filtrate by
any conventional method, and the weight of the remaining material is
determined (which is the
dissolved or dispersed fraction). Then, the percentage solubility or
dispersability can be calculated.
Preferred film materials are polymeric materials. The film material can be
obtained, for example,
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by casting, blow-moulding, extrusion or blown extrusion of the polymeric
material, as known in
the art. Preferred polymers, copolymers or derivatives thereof suitable for
use as pouch material
are selected from polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyalkylene
oxides, acrylamide,
acrylic acid, cellulose, cellulose ethers, cellulose esters, cellulose amides,
polyvinyl acetates,
polycarboxylic acids and salts, polyaminoacids or peptides, polyamides,
polyacrylamide,
copolymers of maleic/acrylic acids, polysaccharides including starch and
gelatine, natural gums
such as xanthum and carragum. More preferred polymers are selected from
polyacrylates and
water-soluble acrylate copolymers, methylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose
sodium, dextrin,
ethylcellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose,
maltodextrin,
.. polymethacrylates, and most preferably selected from polyvinyl alcohols,
polyvinyl alcohol
copolymers and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), and combinations
thereof. Preferably,
the level of polymer in the pouch material, for example a PVA polymer, is at
least 60%. The
polymer can have any weight average molecular weight, preferably from about
1000 to 1,000,000,
more preferably from about 10,000 to 300,000 yet more preferably from about
20,000 to 150,000.
.. Mixtures of polymers can also be used as the pouch material. This can be
beneficial to control the
mechanical and/or dissolution properties of the compartments or pouch,
depending on the
application thereof and the required needs. Suitable mixtures include for
example mixtures
wherein one polymer has a higher water-solubility than another polymer, and/or
one polymer has
a higher mechanical strength than another polymer. Also suitable are mixtures
of polymers having
different weight average molecular weights, for example a mixture of PVA or a
copolymer thereof
of a weight average molecular weight of about 10,000- 40,000, preferably
around 20,000, and of
PVA or copolymer thereof, with a weight average molecular weight of about
100,000 to 300,000,
preferably around 150,000. Also suitable herein are polymer blend
compositions, for example
comprising hydrolytically degradable and water-soluble polymer blends such as
polylactide and
polyvinyl alcohol, obtained by mixing polylactide and polyvinyl alcohol,
typically comprising
about 1-35% by weight polylactide and about 65% to 99% by weight polyvinyl
alcohol. Preferred
for use herein are polymers which are from about 60% to about 98% hydrolysed,
preferably about
80% to about 90% hydrolysed, to improve the dissolution characteristics of the
material.
Naturally, different film material and/or films of different thickness may be
employed in
making the compartments of the present invention. A benefit in selecting
different films is that the
resulting compartments may exhibit different solubility or release
characteristics.
Most preferred film materials are PVA films known under the MonoSol trade
reference
M8630, M8900, H8779 (as described in the Applicants co-pending applications
ref 44528 and
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11599) and those described in US 6 166 117 and US 6 787 512 and PVA films of
corresponding
solubility and deformability characteristics.
The film material herein can also comprise one or more additive ingredients.
For example,
it can be beneficial to add plasticisers, for example glycerol, ethylene
glycol, diethyleneglycol,
.. propylene glycol, sorbitol and mixtures thereof. Other additives include
functional detergent
additives to be delivered to the wash water, for example organic polymeric
dispersants, etc.
Bittering agent may be incorporated into a pouch or pod, either by
incorporation in the
composition inside the pouch, and/or by coating onto the film.
.. Method of laundering
The present invention also encompasses a method of laundering using an article
according
to the present invention, comprising the steps of, placing at least one
article according to the present
invention into the washing machine along with the laundry to be washed, and
carrying out a
washing or cleaning operation. Specifically, the method may include obtaining
a fabric having a
sebum deposited thereon, treating the fabric in a wash step, wherein the wash
step includes
contacting the fabric with a wash liquor. Wherein the wash liquor is prepared
by diluting a water-
soluble unit dose in water by between 300 and 800 fold, preferably between 400
and 700 fold;
wherein the wash liquor consists of a pH greater than or equal to 8.
Any suitable washing machine may be used. Examples include an automatic
washing
machine, a manual wash operation or a mixture thereof, preferably an automatic
washing machine.
Those skilled in the art will recognize suitable machines for the relevant
wash operation.
The article of the present invention may be used in combination with other
compositions, such as
fabric additives, fabric softeners, rinse aids and the like.
The wash temperature may be between 5 C and 90 C, such as, for example, 30 C
or less.
The wash process may comprise at least one wash cycle having a duration of
between 5 and 50
minutes. The automatic laundry machine may comprise a rotating drum, and
wherein during at
.. least one wash cycle, the drum has a rotational speed of between 15 and 40
rpm, preferably between
20 and 35 rpm.
The fabric may be cotton, polyester, cotton/polyester blends or a mixture
thereof, preferably
cotton.
The water-soluble unit dose article comprising a water-soluble fibrous
structure and one or
more rheology-modified particles distributed throughout the structure may
remove one or more
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types of stains such as, for example, butter, beef, grass, tea, spaghetti,
sebum, wine, and any other
type of stain which may be imparted on a fabric.
Test Methods
Basis Weight Test Method
Basis weight of a fibrous structure is measured on stacks of twelve usable
units using a top
loading analytical balance with a resolution of 0.001 g. The balance is
protected from air drafts
and other disturbances using a draft shield. A precision cutting die,
measuring 3.500 in 0.0035
in by 3.500 in 0.0035 in is used to prepare all samples.
With a precision cutting die, cut the samples into squares. Combine the cut
squares to form
a stack twelve samples thick. Measure the mass of the sample stack and record
the result to the
nearest 0.001 g.
The Basis Weight is calculated in lbs/3000 ft2 or g/m2 as follows:
Basis Weight = (Mass of stack) / [(Area of 1 square in stack) x (No.of squares
in stack)]
For example,
Basis Weight (lbs/3000 ft2) = [[Mass of stack (g) / 453.6 (g/lbs)] / 1112.25
(in2) / 144 (in2/ft2) x 1211
x 3000
or,
Basis Weight (g/m2) = Mass of stack (g) / 1179.032 (cm2) / 10,000 (cm2/m2) x
121
Report result to the nearest 0.1 lbs/3000 ft2 or 0.1 g/m2. Sample dimensions
can be changed or
varied using a similar precision cutter as mentioned above, so as at least 100
square inches of
sample area in stack.
Thickness Test Method
Thickness of a fibrous structure is measured by cutting 5 samples of a fibrous
structure
sample such that each cut sample is larger in size than a load foot loading
surface of a VIR
Electronic Thickness Tester Model II available from Thwing-Albert Instrument
Company,
Philadelphia, PA. Typically, the load foot loading surface has a circular
surface area of about 3.14
in2. The sample is confined between a horizontal flat surface and the load
foot loading surface.
The load foot loading surface applies a confining pressure to the sample of
15.5 g/cm2. The
thickness of each sample is the resulting gap between the flat surface and the
load foot loading
surface. The thickness is calculated as the average thickness of the five
samples. The result is
reported in millimeters (mm).
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Granular Size Distribution Test Method
The granular size distribution test is conducted to determine characteristic
sizes of particles.
It is conducted using ASTM D 502 ¨ 89, "Standard Test Method for Particle Size
of Soaps and
Other Detergents", approved May 26, 1989, with a further specification for
sieve sizes and sieve
5 time used in the analysis. Following section 7, "Procedure using machine-
sieving method," a
nest of clean dry sieves containing U.S. Standard (ASTM E 11) sieves #4 (4.75
mm), #6 (3.35
mm), #8 (2.36 mm), #12 (1.7 mm), #16 (1.18 mm), #20 (850 um), #30 (600 um),
#40 (425 um),
#50 (300 um), #70 (212 um), #100 (150 um) is required to cover the range of
particle sizes
referenced herein. The prescribed Machine-Sieving Method is used with the
above sieve nest.
10 A suitable sieve-shaking machine can be obtained from W.S. Tyler
Company, Ohio, U.S.A. The
sieve-shaking test sample is approximately 100 grams and is shaken for 5
minutes.
The data are plotted on a semi-log plot with the micron size opening of each
sieve plotted
against the logarithmic abscissa and the cumulative mass percent (Q3) plotted
against the linear
ordinate. An example of the above data representation is given in ISO 9276-
1:1998,
15 "Representation of results of particle size analysis ¨ Part 1: Graphical
Representation", FIG. A.4.
A characteristic particle size (Dx), for the purpose of this invention, is
defined as the abscissa
value at the point where the cumulative mass percent is equal to x percent,
and is calculated by a
straight line interpolation between the data points directly above (a) and
below (b) the x% value
using the following equation:
20 Dx = 10AlLog(Da) - (Log(Da) - Log(Db))*(Qa - x%)/(Qa - Qb)1
where Log is the base-10 logarithm, Qa and Qb are the cumulative mass
percentile values of the
measured data immediately above and below the xth percentile, respectively;
and Da and Db are
the micron sieve size values corresponding to these data.
Example data and calculations:
sieve size (um) weight on sieve (g) cumulative mass% finer (CMPF)
4750 0 100%
3350 0 100%
2360 0 100%
1700 0 100%
1180 0.68 99.3%
850 10.40 89.0%
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600 28.73 60.3%
425 27.97 32.4%
300 17.20 15.2%
212 8.42 6.8%
150 4.00 2.8%
pan 2.84 0.0%
For D10 (x = 10%), the micron screen size where CMPF is immediately above 10%
(Da) is
300 um, the screen below (Db) is 212 um. The cumulative mass immediately above
10% (Qa) is
15.2%, below (Qb) is 6.8%.
D10 = 101 Log(300) ¨ (Log(300) ¨ Log(212))*(15.2% - 10%)/(15.2% - 6.8%) 1 =
242 um
For D50 (x = 50%), the micron screen size where CMPF is immediately above 50%
(Da) is
1180 um, the screen below (Db) is 850 um. The cumulative mass immediately
above 90% (Qa)
is 99.3%, below (Qb) is 89.0%.
D50 = 101 Log(600) - (Log(600) - Log(425))*(60.3% - 50%)/(60.3% - 32.4%) 1 =
528 um
For D90 (x = 90%), the micron screen size where CMPF is immediately above 90%
(Da) is
600 um, the screen below (Db) is 425 um. The cumulative mass immediately above
50% (Qa) is
60.3%, below (Qb) is 32.4%.
D90 = 101 Log(1180) - (Log(1180) - Log(850))*(99.3% - 90%)/(99.3% - 89.0%) 1 =
878 um
Diameter Test Method
The diameter of a discrete fibrous element or a fibrous element within a
fibrous structure
is determined by using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) or an Optical
Microscope and an
image analysis software. A magnification of 200 to 10,000 times is chosen such
that the fibrous
elements are suitably enlarged for measurement. When using the SEM, the
samples are sputtered
with gold or a palladium compound to avoid electric charging and vibrations of
the fibrous element
in the electron beam. A manual procedure for determining the fibrous element
diameters is used
from the image (on monitor screen) taken with the SEM or the optical
microscope. Using a mouse
and a cursor tool, the edge of a randomly selected fibrous element is sought
and then measured
across its width (i.e., perpendicular to fibrous element direction at that
point) to the other edge of
the fibrous element. A scaled and calibrated image analysis tool provides the
scaling to get actual
reading in um. For fibrous elements within a fibrous structure, several
fibrous element are
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randomly selected across the sample of the fibrous structure using the SEM or
the optical
microscope. At least two portions of the fibrous structure are cut and tested
in this manner.
Altogether at least 100 such measurements are made and then all data are
recorded for statistical
analysis. The recorded data are used to calculate average (mean) of the
fibrous element diameters,
standard deviation of the fibrous element diameters, and median of the fibrous
element diameters.
Another useful statistic is the calculation of the amount of the population of
fibrous
elements that is below a certain upper limit. To determine this statistic, the
software is programmed
to count how many results of the fibrous element diameters are below an upper
limit and that count
(divided by total number of data and multiplied by 100%) is reported in
percent as percent below
.. the upper limit, such as percent below 1 micrometer diameter or %-
submicron, for example. We
denote the measured diameter (in um) of an individual circular fibrous element
as di.
In the case that the fibrous elements have non-circular cross-sections, the
measurement of
the fibrous element diameter is determined as and set equal to the hydraulic
diameter which is four
times the cross-sectional area of the fibrous element divided by the perimeter
of the cross-section
.. of the fibrous element (outer perimeter in case of hollow fibrous
elements). The number-average
diameter, alternatively average diameter is calculated as:
dnum =
II
MicroCT Methods for 0B02625
Samples to be tested are imaged using a microCT X-ray scanning instrument
capable of
acquiring a dataset at an isotropic spatial resolution of 7 um. One example of
suitable
instrumentation is the SCANCO system model 50 microCT scanner (Scanco Medical
AG,
Brilttisellen , Switzerland) operated with the following settings: energy
level of 45 kVp at 133
A; 3000 projections; 35 mm field of view; 750 ms integration time; an
averaging of 4; and a
voxel size of 7 um.
Test samples to be analyzed are prepared by cutting a line from one sealed
edge to the other to
form a triangle approx. 20 mm below the tip where the two intact sealed edges
meet and the
resulting cut face is approx. 28 mm in length. The prepared samples are laid
flat between annuli
of a low-attenuating sample preparation mounting foam, in alternating layers
and mounted in a
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35 mm diameter plastic cylindrical tube for scanning. Scans of the samples are
acquired such
that the entire volume of all the mounted cut sample is included in the
dataset.
In order to reliably and repeatedly measure the volume percentage of fibers,
particles and void
space within the sample, a small subvolume of the sample is extracted from the
cross section of
the product that creates a 3D slab of data, where the particles, fibers and
void spaces can be
qualitatively assessed. A mask that encompasses this volume of data is
created. The mask
should not contain void elements exterior to the product which would bias the
void volume
measurement. In addition, the region of the product which is chosen for
analysis is based on
fixed distances from physical landmarks on the product.
In order to separate the interior of the volume into three regions: 1)
Particles 2) Fibers and 3)
Void space, an automated thresholding algorithm is utilized which provides
optimal separation of
these three regions. Since the particles are higher density than the fibers,
an additional step of a
slight dilation of the segmented particles should also be performed. This will
allow for the
expected partial volume averaging at the surface of the particles to be
accounted for. The dilated
segmented particles can then have their total volume calculated. A lower
threshold is then used
to separate the fibers from the air. The fiber volume is the intersection of
those voxels above the
lower threshold and not part of the particle region. Lastly the void volume is
then found by
subtracting the overall mask volume from the union of the fiber and particle
volumes.
One implementation of this is done through the use of two software platforms:
Avizo 9.2.0 and
Matlab R2016b, both running on Windows 64bit workstation. In this case the
data was collected
from a Scanco mCT50 3D x-ray microCT scanner, collecting data at a resolution
of 7 micron
voxels. After the scanning and imaging reconstruction is complete, the scanner
creates a 16bit
data set, referred to as an ISQ file, where grey levels reflect changes in x-
ray attenuation, which
in turn relates to material density. In this case, the ISQ is quite large with
dimensions of
5038x5038x1326.
The ISQ file is read into Avizo 9.2Ø It is converted to 8 bit using a
scaling factor of 0.15. A
sub-volume is chosen that is diagonal to one corner offset by 11 mm. A slab of
thickness 3.5 mm
is chosen for analysis.
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In order to apply a robust automated thresholding scheme, a cross sectional
slice from each of the
three samples is read into Matlab R2016B. A function called `multithreshO' is
then used to
divide the segment into N different regions, where in this example N=2. This
function is based
on a well-known algorithm called `Otsu's Method', which provides optimal
segmentation based
on the distribution of the image histogram. The average values of these
thresholds across the
three samples was then chosen. In this example, the threshold separating
particles from fibers
was 124 and the threshold separating fibers from air was 48. An additional
dilation using a
spherical structuring element of Radius 1 is used on the segmented particle
data to compensate
for partial volume averaging. The histogram function in Avizo then allows for
the calculation of
total volume associated for the fibers and particles and the total mask
volume. The void volume
is then found from the subtraction of fiber and particle volume from the total
mask volume.
These results can then be transferred into Excel for further analysis or
visualization.
Particle Size Density:
The Particle Size Density test is used to measure the density of synthetic
granular detergents.
Preparation of Samples Grams per liter cup density are measured on product
which is at room
temperature. Two or more cartons may be needed to conduct the test for small
size packaging. The
table below denotes the preferred sampling for different sized cartons.
Container size (g) Sampling technique Reporting
>2000g Grab sample from top, Report average
middle, and bottom.
>400g Grab sample from Report result
container
<400g Open sufficient samples Report result
to obtain required to fill
density cup
To run the test, one should tare a liter cup. Then plug the opening in the
bottom of a funnel and
pour room temperature sample into the funnel (approximately 3/4 full).
Sufficient sample should be
used to fill the cup to overflowing. Next, set the cup on the positioning
stand directly under the
center of the funnel. Release the plug and make sure the sample flows freely
into the cup. Scrape
the cup so that it is full and level. Be very careful not to vibrate or tap
the cup prior to scraping.
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Last, weigh the cup and contents. The Density (grams per liter) is equal to
theNet Weight (g) in
the cup.
Wash Residue Test Method
5
The Wash Residue Test qualitatively measures detergent residues on fabrics.
Each test
includes four comparative product samples and each product sample has four
repetitions. The
test uses a Whirlpool Duet washing machine (Model #WFW 9200 SQ02) connected
with a
water temperature control system set to 50 F +/- 1 F.
Black velvet pouches are supplied from Equest U.K. tel. (01207) 529920.
1. Material source: Denholme Velvets, Halifax Road, Denholme, Bradford, West
Yorkshire,
England BD13 4EZ ¨ tel. (01274) 832 646.
2. Material type: 150 cm C.R. Cotton Pile Velvet, quality 8897, black, 72%
Cotton, 28%
Modal.
3. Sewing instructions for Equest: A rectangle of black velvet of 23.5 cm x 47
cm is cut. The
rectangle of black velvet is folded to make a square with the velvet on the
inside. An
overlock stitch is used and the square is sewn along two sides leaving one
open edge. A
blank identification label (flat cotton of 3x3 cm) is sewn into one side.
Test preparation:
1. The pouch is turned inside out so that the velvet is on the outside with
one open edge.
2. The product code and internal/external replicates are written in permanent
marker on the
identification label.
3. The recommended dosage for the water-soluble unit dose product for
normal/median soil and
normal/median water hardness is placed in the right back corner of the black
velvet pouch.
4. The open end of the black pouch is folded with a seam of 2 cm and closed up
with stitches in
the middle of the 2cm width seam along the whole length of the opening.
5. These steps are repeated to have 4 replicates per test product in total.
6. The black pouch is placed in the washing machine and washed as follows.
Washing of black pouches:
The 4 black velvet pouches are arranged overlapping each other in such a way
that the
water-soluble unit dose products are all next to each other, as shown in
Figure 6, in alternating
order. The arranged pouches are placed at the back of the drum.
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The washing machine is turned on and set to at delicate wash program, using
mixed water
at 50 F +/-1 F (via the water temperature control system) and 6gpg hardness,
no additional ballast
load is added. The washing machine runs through the entire wash cycle. At end
of the washing
cycle, the pouches are removed from the washing machine and opened along three
sides ¨ all
except the folded side - to ensure not spilling any residues.
The pouches are graded immediately after opening. The grades from two
independent
graders are recorded. The data is analyzed as a Latin Square design and the
analysis incorporates
washing machine and product position into the statistical model. Least square
means and 95%
upper confidence intervals are constructed. A water-soluble unit dose product
is considered to
have passed the test if a 95% one-sided upper confidence interval about the
mean scale unit is less
than 1.
Grading is made by visual observation of the residue remaining in/on the bag
after the
wash. The black pouches are graded according to the following qualitative
scale:
0 = no residues
0.5 = very small spot of maximum 1 cm diameter
1 = maximum 3 small, spread spots of maximum 2cm diameter each, spots are flat
(i.e., film-
like) and translucent
2 = more than 3 small spots of 2 cm diameter each up to the entire black pouch
is covered with
flat translucent residue
2.5 = small opaque residue (i.e., gel-like) less than 1 cm diameter.
3 = opaque residue (e.g., gel-like) with a diameter between 1 cm and 2 cm
4 = opaque residue (e.g., gel-like) with diameter between 3 cm and 4 cm
diameter
5 = thick, gel-like residue with diameter between 4-6 cm diameter
6 = thick, gel-like residue with diameter > 6 cm diameter
7 = product is substantially not dissolved; residue is soft and gel-like
8 = product is substantially not dissolved; residue is hard and elastic (feels
like silicone); Grade
8 is special as it indicates that the product may have been contaminated.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
As illustrated in FIG. 3, a first layer of fibrous elements is spun using a
first spinning beam
and collected on a forming belt. The forming belt having the first layer of
fibers then passes under
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a second spinning beam that is modified with a particle addition system. The
particle addition
system is capable of substantially injecting particles toward a landing zone
on the forming belt that
is directly under the fibrous elements from the second spinning beam. Suitable
particle addition
systems may be assembled from a particle feeder, such as a vibratory, belt or
screw feeder, and an
injection system, such as an air knife or other fluidized conveying system. In
order to aid in a
consistent distribution of particles in the cross direction, the particles are
preferably fed across
about the same width as the spinning die to ensure particles are delivered
across the full width of
the composite structure. Preferably, the particle feeder is completely
enclosed with the exception
of the exit to minimize disruption of the particle feed. The co-impingement of
particles and fibrous
.. elements on the forming belt under the second spinning beam creates a
composite structure where
the particle packing is dilated and fibers substantially inter-penetrate the
inter-particle porosity.
Table 3 below sets forth non-limiting examples of dried fiber compositions of
the present
invention, which is used to make the fibrous elements. To make the fibrous
elements, an aqueous
solution, preferably having about 45% to 60% solids content, is processed
through one or more
spinning beams as shown in FIG. 3. A suitable spinning beam comprises a
capillary die with
attenuation airflow, along with drying airflow suitable to substantially dry
the attenuated fibers
before their impingement on the forming belt.
Table 3. Fiber (F) Compositions, mass%:
Component Fl F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7
LAS 48.5 43.1 59.2
21.0 47.2 51.8 42.8
AS 0.0 21.6 0.0
42.0 23.6 12.9 21.4
AES 16.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
PEG-PVAc 0.00 0.0 5.9 3.2 0.0 0.0 0.0
PVOH 32.3 29.3 28.5
27.5 23.7 29.3 29.2
PEO 0.0 3.0 3.2 3.2 2.5 3.0 3.0
Hue Dye 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6
Moist + 3.0
3.0 3.0 3.2 3.1 3.0 3.0
misc.
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Table 4 below sets forth non-limiting examples of a particle compositions of
the present
invention. Particles may be made by a variety of suitable processes including
milling, spray-
drying, agglomeration, extrusion, prilling, encapsulation, pastillization and
any combination
thereof. One or more particles may be mixed together before adding.
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Table 4. Particle (P) Compositions, mass%:
Component P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7
LAS 0.0 0.0 7.6 9.5 8.1 10.8
4.4
AS 19.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0
AES 4.8 45.0 26.4 21.6
24.6 21.6 26.3
Sodium Carb. 18.0 35.0 19.2 15.3 15.1 10.0
14.2
Zeolite-A 54.2 0.0 24.4 32.0 49.1 51.8
49.9
Chelant 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0
PE20 0.0 0.0 10.4 3.7 0.0 3.5
0.0
Trilon 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0
AcuSol 0.0 0.0 0Ø 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0
Pluronic F38 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1.8
Disp.
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Polymer
PEG4k 0.8 0.0 0.0 8.22 0.0 0.0
0.0
Silica 0.0 15.0 8.2 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0
Citrate 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0
PV0H+PEO 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0
Moist + misc. 3.0 5.0 3.8 9.81 3.1 2.3
3.3
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100
100
LAS:AES
0:4.8 0:45 7.6:26.4 9.5:21.6 8.1:24.6 10.8:21.6 4.4:26.3
Table 4: Particle (P) Compositions, mass % continued:
Component P8 P9 P10 P11 P12 P13
LAS 17.2 13.7 19.2 20.8 25.7
23.3
AS 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.1 0.0 0
AES 34.3 27.4 25.7 26.6 25.2
21.9
Sodium Carb. 21.6 21.7 20.6 22.2 22
20.2
Zeolite-A 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0
Chelant 0.0 0.0 3.5 0.0 2.0
3.5
PE20 3.5 1.6 3.4 3.4 3.5
3.5
Pluronic F38 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0
Disp. Polymer 0.0 16.5 8.1 8.4 7.3
6.7
PEG4k 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.0
Silica 20.2 14.5 16.4 12.3 8.1
8.9
Citrate 0.0 0.0 0Ø 0.0 1.8
1.7
Nonionic 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
6.4
PV0H+PEO 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.7 0.0 0
Moist + misc. 3.2 4.6 3.1 3.5 4.4
3.9
Total 100 100 100 100 100
100
LAS: AES 17.2:34.3 13.7:27.4 19.2:25.7
20.8:26.6 25.7:25.2 23.3:21.9
Resulting products are exemplified in Table 5, providing structural detail for
product
chasses by fiber and particle components (from Tables 3 and 4, respectively),
with the net chassis
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composition for the product. Note that other product adjunct materials such as
perfume, enzymes,
suds suppressor, bleaching agents, etc. may be added to a chassis.
Wash Residue Test Grades are shown for each chassis. Chasses exemplify a range
of
detergent products having a significant proportion of ethoxylated anionic
surfactant (AES).
Table 5. Product Chasses (C)
Chassis Cl C2 C3 C4 C5 C6
Fiber type Fl F2 F2 F2 F2 F2
Fiber wt% 25% 25% 25% 28% 17% 25.59%
Particle type P1 P1 P2 P3 P3 P4
Particle wt% 75% 75% 75% 72% 83% 67.1%
Basis wt, gsm 3103 3104 2125 2477 4070 2900
Formula, g/dose:
LAS 2.5 2.2 1.5 3.0 3.6 1.8
AS 2.5 3.6 0.8 1.0 1.0 0.57
AES 2.0 1.2 4.7 3.0 5.9 1.5
Sodium Carb. 2.8 2.8 3.7 2.1 4.3 1.06
Zeolite-A 8.4 8.4 0.0 2.8 5.5 2.2
Silica 0.0 0.0 1.6 1.0 2.0 0.0
PEG4k 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.57
PE20 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 2.3 0.25
Pluronic F38 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Disp polymer 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
PV0H+PEO 1.7 1.7 1.1 1.5 1.4 0.86
moist & misc 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.8 0.76
Total chassis 20.5 20.5 14.0 16.4 26.8 10.3
Residue Test Fail Pass Fail Pass Pass Fail
Mean grade 6.5 0.7 5.2 0.3 0.0 4
Stdev 2.8 0.8 1.7 0.6 0.0 0.5
LAS:AES 2.5:2.0 2.2:1.2 1.5:4.7 3.0:3.0 3.6:5.9 1.8:1.5
Table 5. Product Chasses (C) continued:
Chassis C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13
Fiber type F2 F2 F6 F2 F2 F2 F7
Fiber wt% 26% 21% 22% 27% 24% 28% 26%
Particle type P5 P6 P7 P8 P12 P12 P13
Particle wt% 74% 79% 78% 73% 76% 72% 74%
Basis wt, gsm 2580 2706 3047 2900 3599 2801 3123
Formula, g/dose:
LAS 2.9 3.1 3.0 4.2 8.3 2.0 5.1
AS 1.0 0.8 1.0 1.1 0 0.3 0.8
AES 3.1 3.1 3.7 3.8 5.9 1.4 3.2
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Nonionic 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0
Sodium Carb. 1.9 1.4 1.4 3.0 2.6 1.2 3
Zeolite-A 6.2 7.5 7.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Silica 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.3 0.2 0.4 0.0
PEG4k 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
PE20 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.2 0.5
Pluronic F38 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Disp polymer 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.3 0.0 0.4 1.3
PV0H+PEO 1.4 1.2 1.5 1.7 0.9 0.5 1.2
moist & misc 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.6 3.8 0.7
Total chassis 17.0 17.8 19.0 19.1 15.4 7.4 18.7
Residue Test Pass Pass Pass Fail Pass Pass Pass
Mean grade 0.0 0.0 0.8 1.6 0.0 0.0 0.0
Stdev 0.0 0.0 1.5 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
LAS: AES 2.9:3. 3.1:3.1 3.0:3.7 4.2:3.8 8.3:5.9
2.0:1.4 5.1:3.2
Table 6:
Particle P4 P12 P13
Density 604 370 320 g/L
D10 280 325 425 um
D50 610 600 600 um
D90 1000 1090 920 um
As shown in Table 5 and Table 6 and discussed above, C11 and C12 comprises
both F2 and
5 P12 while C13 comprises F7 and P13. P12 and P13 have surprising
advantages over the other
particles by having_a density of between 250 g/L to 400 g/L and a particle
size distribution such
that the D10 is greater than about 300 micrometers and the D90 is less than
about 1100
micrometers. Additionally, as shown in Table 4 both P12 and P13 achieve an
LAS:AES ratio of
greater than 1Ø
10 Without being bound by theory, it has been found that particles having
an LAS:AES ratio
greater than 1 created by introducing LAS to a separate slurry or
agglomeration are capable of
producing better fibrous detergent unit doses versus fibrous detergent unit
doses having similar
amounts or greater amounts of LAS that introduce the LAS through the fibrous
web. It is believed
that the LAS particles introduced through the agglomeration create lower
density particles that
15 allow the active surfactant to be more readily available for cleaning.
As shown in Table 5, the use
of a particle exhibiting low density and an LAS:AES ratio of greater than 1
results in PASS rates
for the Residue test with mean grades and standard deviations of 0Ø This is
especially beneficial
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in that the composition does not require a significant amount of inorganic
dissolution aid such in
contrast to Chassis C8. In comparison, other Chassis with LAS:AES ratios of
greater than 1 that
introduce the LAS through the web system and do not utilize particles having a
LAS:AES ratio of
greater than 1 (Cl using Fl and P1, C2 using F2 and P1, C4 using F2 and P3, C6
using F2 and P4,
C8 using F2 and P6, C10 using F2 and p8) either FAIL or PASS with much higher
standard
deviations and results that are not as clean. As previously stated, C8
requires an inorganic
dissolution aid (zeolite). Additionally, as shown by C10 which has a total
LAS:AES ratio of 1.1,
a chassis that brings in the majority of LAS through the web can FAIL.
As shown in Table 4, the particle may comprise less than 5% by weight of an
inorganic
dissolution aid, preferably between 0% and 5% by weight of an inorganic
dissolution aid, more
preferably between 0.01% and 3% by weight of an inorganic dissolution aid,
even more
preferably between 0.001% and 1% by weight of an inorganic dissolution aid.
As shown in Table 5, the water-soluble unit dose article may comprise less
than 5% by weight of
an inorganic dissolution aid, preferably between 0% and 5% by weight of an
inorganic dissolution
aid, more preferably between 0.01% and 3% by weight of an inorganic
dissolution aid, even more
preferably between 0.001% and 1% by weight of an inorganic dissolution aid.
This effect of using a low density particle with a ratio of LAS: AES greater
than 1 is further
exemplified by C6 which utilizes a higher density particle, P4 (shown in Table
6) and as shown in
Table 5, P4 combined with F2 comprises a total product LAS:AES ratio of
greater than 1 and does
not pass the residue test. As previously stated and without being bound by
theory, it is believed
that the lower density particles allow for increased dissolution rates
therefore making the surfactant
more readily available and reducing the possibility for residue while
increasing surfactant
availability.
Raw Materials for Example 1
LAS is linear alkylbenzenesulfonate having an average aliphatic carbon chain
length Cii-C12
supplied by Stepan, Northfield, Illinois, USA or Huntsman Corp. HLAS is acid
form.
AES is C12-14 alkylethoxy (3) sulfate, C14-15 alkylethoxy (2.5) sulfate, or
C12-15 alkylethoxy
(1.8) sulfate, supplied by Stepan, Northfield, Illinois, USA or Shell
Chemicals, Houston, TX,
USA.
AS is a C12_14 sulfate, supplied by Stepan, Northfield, Illinois, USA, and/or
a mid-branched
alkyl sulfate.
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Dispersant Polymer (Disp. Polymer) is molecular weight 70,000 and
acrylate:maleate ratio
70:30, supplied by BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
PEG-PVAc polymer is a polyvinyl acetate grafted polyethylene oxide copolymer
having a
polyethylene oxide backbone and multiple polyvinyl acetate side chains. The
molecular
weight of the polyethylene oxide backbone is about 6000 and the weight ratio
of the
polyethylene oxide to polyvinyl acetate is about 40 to 60 and no more than 1
grafting point
per 50 ethylene oxide units. Available from BASF (Ludwigshafen, Germany).
Ethoxylated Polyethylenimine (PE20) is a 600 g/mol molecular weight
polyethylenimine core
with 20 ethoxylate groups per -NH. Available from BASF (Ludwigshafen,
Germany).
FIGS. 4-10 show an embodiment of a SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT UNIT
embodying a new design.
FIGS. 11-18 show an embodiment of a SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT
UNIT embodying a new design.
FIGS. 18-24 show an embodiment of a SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT
UNIT embodying a new design.
FIGS. 25-31 show an embodiment of a SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT
UNIT embodying a new design.
FIGS. 32-38 show an embodiment of a SINGLE-DOSE LAUNDRY DETERGENT
UNIT embodying a new design.
FIGS. 39-45 show an embodiment of a CONTAINER without a lid embodying a new
design.
FIGS. 46-52 show an embodiment of a CONTAINER with a lid embodying a new
design.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being
strictly
limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise
specified, each such
dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally
equivalent range
surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is
intended to mean "about
40 mm."
For clarity purposes, the total "% wt" values do not exceed 100% wt.
Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent
or
application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless
expressly excluded or
otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is
prior art with respect
to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any
combination with any other
reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention.
Further, to the extent
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that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any
meaning or definition
of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or
definition assigned to
that term in this document shall govern.
While particular examples and/or embodiments of the present invention have
been
illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art
that various other changes
and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of
the invention. It is
therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and
modifications that are
within the scope of this invention.
