Fabric care composition
View Patent ↗This invention relates to a fabric care composition comprising a polycarboxylic acid or a derivative thereof, a catalyst and a thermoplastic elastomer, a method of treating fabric with such a composition and the use of such a composition to increase the tensile strength (especially the tear strength) of a fabric, to reduce creasing and/or wrinkling of a fabric and/or to improve the elasticity and/or shape retention of a fabric.
1. A fabric care composition comprising a polycarboxylic acid or a derivative thereof, a catalyst and a thermoplastic elastomer in which the thermoplastic elastomer is a block copolymer comprising a core polymer and two or more flanking polymers, each flanking polymer being covalently bound to an end of the core polymer.
2. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the polycarboxylic acid or derivative thereof contains at least 3 carboxyl groups.
3. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the polycarboxylic acid or derivative thereof is 1 ,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid or citric acid.
4. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the catalyst is an alkali metal hypophosphite, an alkali metal phosphite, an alkali metal polyphosphate or an alkali metal dihydrogen phosphate.
5. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the catalyst is sodium hypophosphite.
6. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the core polymer has a Tg of from −150° C. to 50° C.
7. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the flanking polymers have a Tg of from 30° C. to 150° C.
8. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the block copolymer is linear or star-shaped.
9. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the block copolymer is a linear ABA block copolymer.
10. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the core polymer is a polymer of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer.
11. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the core polymer is a polymer of butadiene or a random copolymer of ethene and butene.
12. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the flanking polymers are polymers of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer.
13. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the flanking polymers are polymers of styrene.
14. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the polycarboxylic acid or derivative thereof is present in an amount of from 0.01% to 20% by weight of the total composition.
15. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the catalyst is present in a mole ratio of from 5 : 1 to 1:5 catalyst to polycarboxylic acid.
16. A composition according to claim 1 , in which the thermoplastic elastomer is present in an amount of from 0 . 01 % to 15% by weight of the total composition.
17. A composition as claimed in claim 1 , which is in a form suitable for spraying onto a fabric.
18. A method of treating fabric which comprises treating the fabric with a fabric care composition according to claim 1 and curing the composition.
19. A method according to claim 18 , in which the composition is applied to the fabric prior to drying and/or ironing.
20. A method according to claim 18 , in which the composition is cured by ironing.
21. A method for increasing the tensile strength of a fabric comprising the step of treating a fabric with the composition of claim 1 .
22. A method for reducing the creasing and/or wrinkling of a fabric comprising the step of treating a fabric with the composition of claim 1 .
23. A method for improving the elasticity and/or shape retention of a fabric comprising the step of treating a fabric with the composition of claim 1 .