Transparent softening agents
View Patent ↗The invention relates to transparent softening agents containing: (a) ester quaternaries, which are obtained by reacting alkanolamines with a mixture consisting of fatty acids and of dicarboxylic acids, whereby the resulting esters are optionally alkoxylated and subsequently quaternized in a known manner, and containing; (b) auxiliary agents selected from the group formed by: (b1) fatty acid amidoamines and/or quaternization products thereof; (b2) betaines; (b3) nonionic surfactants; (b4) polyols and/or derivatives thereof; (b5) alcohols and/or; (b6) hydrotropes.
1. A process for making a transparent softening agent comprising the steps of:
(a) providing an esterquat made by:
(i) reacting an alkanolamine and a mixture containing a fatty acid and a dicarboxylic acid, to form an ester;
(ii) optionally, alkoxylating the ester to form an alkoxylated ester; and
(iii) quaternizing the ester to form the esterquat;
(b) providing a quaternized fatty acid amidoamine; and
(c) mixing (a) and (b) together with water, whereby, a transparent softening agent is formed; and
wherein the transparent softening agent is clear after storage for four weeks at 23° C.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein the fatty acid and dicarboxylic acid are employed in a molar ratio of from about 1:1 to 4:1.
3. The process of claim 1 wherein said alkanolamine and said mixture of fatty acid and dicarboxylic acid are employed in a molar ratio of from about 1:1.2 to 1:2.4.
4. The process of claim 1 wherein said alkanolamine comprises a trialkanolamine.
5. The process of claim 1 wherein the transparent softening agent contains from about 5 to 90% by weight of the esterquat.
6. The process of claim 5 wherein the transparent softening agent contains from about 30 to 40% by weight of the esterquat.
7. The process of claim 1 wherein the transparent softening agent contains from about 0.1 to 50% by weight of the quaternized fatty acid amidoamine.
8. The process of claim 7 wherein the transparent softening agent contains from about 2 to 10% by weight of the quaternized fatty acid amidoamine.
9. The product of the process of claim 1 .
10. A softening agent comprising:
(a) an esterquat containing residues of:
(i) an alkanolamine;
(ii) a mixture containing a fatty acid and a dicarboxylic acid;
(iii) optionally, an alkylene oxide; and
(iv) a quaternizing agent; and
(b) a quaternized fatty acid amidoamine, and
(c) water,
wherein the softening agent is transparent and is clear after storage for four weeks at 23° C.
11. The agent of claim 10 wherein the fatty acid residues and dicarboxylic acid residues are present in a molar ratio of from about 1:1 to 4:1.
12. The agent of claim 10 wherein said alkanolamine and said mixture of fatty acid and dicarboxylic acid are present in a molar ratio of from about 1:1.2 to 1:2.4.
13. The agent of claim 10 wherein said alkanolamine comprises a trialkanolamine.
14. The agent of claim 10 wherein the transparent softening agent contains from about 5 to 90% by weight of the esterquat.
15. The agent of claim 14 wherein the transparent softening agent contains from about 30 to 40% by weight of the esterquat.
16. The agent of claim 10 wherein the transparent softening agent contains from about 0.1 to 50% by weight of the quaternized fatty acid amidoamine.
17. The agent of claim 16 wherein the transparent softening agent contains from about 2 to 10% by weight of the quaternized fatty acid amidoamine.
18. A cleaning composition containing the transparent softening agent of claim 10 .
19. A softening agent consisting of:
(a) an esterquat containing residues of:
(i) an alkanolamine;
(ii) a mixture containing a fatty acid and a dicarboxylic acid;
(iii) optionally, an alkylene oxide; and
(iv) a quaternizing agent; and
(b) a quaternized fatty acid amidoamine, and
(c) water,
wherein the softening agent is transparent and is clear after storage for four weeks at 23° C.