Fabric Softening Composition
Aqueous fabric softening composition having good high temperature stability comprising a cationic fabric softener and water-soluble polysaccharide polymers comprising hydrophobic groups selected from aryl, alkyl, alkenyl, aralkyl, each having at least 14 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, wherein the polymers comprise from 1 to 2.5% by weight of said hydrobic groups and have a molecular weight in the range from 100,000 to 700,000.
1 . An aqueous fabric softening composition comprising a cationic fabric softener and water-soluble polysaccharide polymers comprising hydrophobic groups selected from aryl, alkyl, alkenyl, aralkyl each having at least 14 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof, wherein the polymers comprise from 1 to 2.5% by weight of said hydrobic groups and have a molecular weight in the range from 100,000 to 700,000.
2 . An aqueous fabric softening composition in which the water-soluble polysaccharide is derived from a cellulose ether.
3 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 2 in which the cellulose ether is hydroxyethylcellulose.
4 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the hydrophobic groups comprise hydrocarbon chains having from 16 to 24 carbon atoms.
5 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 4 in which the hydrophobic groups comprise alkyl groups of 16 carbon atoms.
6 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the hydrophobic group comprise from 1.2 to 2% by weight of the polymer.
7 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the polymer has a molecular weight of from 200,000 to 550,000 Da.
8 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the polymer is present in an amount of from 0.008 to 1% by weight of the composition.
9 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 8 in which the polymer is present in an amount of from 0.02 to 0.3% by weight of the composition.
10 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the fabric softening compound is a quaternary ammonium compound.
11 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed claim 10 in which the fabric softening compound comprises a quaternary ammonium compound with ester linkages.
12 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 11 in which the fabric softening compound comprises a tallow based triethanolamine ammonium compound.
13 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the fabric softening compound is present in an amount of from 0.5 to 8% by weight of the composition.
14 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 1 which additionally comprises a fatty alcohol or fatty acid containing from 8 to 22 carbon atoms.
15 . An aqueous fabric softening composition as claimed in claim 14 which comprises from 0.3 to 2% by weight of a C 16 -C 18 fatty alcohol.