Stable non-aqueous liquid compositions comprising a cationic polymer in particulate form

1. A non-aqueous liquid composition comprising:

a) a cationic polymer in particulate form, wherein the cationic polymer is a cationic polysaccharide;

b) a non-aqueous dispersant;

c) less than 20% by weight of water; and

d) spacer particles, wherein the spacer particles are anionically charged, wherein the spacer particles have an area average D90 diameter of less than 5 microns, wherein the spacer particles comprise a polyacrylate polymer or copolymer;

wherein the cationic polymer is stably dispersed in the non-aqueous liquid composition, and wherein the non-aqueous liquid composition is enclosed in a water-soluble or dispersible film.

2. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , wherein the cationic polymer in particulate form is partially hydrated and/or solvated.

3. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , wherein the cationic polymer in particulate form has an area average D90 diameter of less than about 300 microns.

4. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , wherein the cationic polymer in particulate form has an area average D90 diameter of less than about 200 microns.

5. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , wherein the cationic polysaccharide is a cationic cellulose having the structural formula I:

wherein:

a. m is an integer from about 20 to 10,000

b. each R4 is H, and R 1 , R 2 , R 3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of: H; C 1 -C 32 alkyl; C 1 -C 32 substituted alkyl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 aryl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 substituted aryl or C 6 -C 32 alkylaryl, or C 6 -C 32 substituted alkylaryl, and

wherein:

n is an integer selected from 0 to 10 and

Rx is selected from the group consisting of: R 5 ;

wherein at least one Rx in said polysaccharide has a structure selected from the group consisting of:

wherein A − is a suitable anion;

q is an integer selected from 1 to 4;

each R 5 is independently selected from the group consisting of: H; C 1 -C 32 alkyl; C 1 -C 32 substituted alkyl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 aryl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 substituted aryl, C 6 -C 32 alkylaryl, C 6 -C 32 substituted alkylaryl, and OH;

each R 6 is independently selected from the group consisting of: H, C 1 -C 32 alkyl, C 1 -C 32 substituted alkyl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 aryl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 substituted aryl, C 6 -C 32 alkylaryl, and C 6 -C 32 substituted alkylaryl;

each T is independently selected from the group: H,

wherein each v in said polysaccharide is an integer from 1 to 10; the sum of all v indices in each Rx in said polysaccharide is an integer from 1 to 30; and in the last

 group in a chain, T is always an H.

6. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , comprising from about 0.01% to about 20% by weight of the cationic polymer in particulate form.

7. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , comprising from about 0.6% to 10% by weight of the cationic polymer in particulate form.

8. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , comprising from about 0.05% to about 98% by weight of the non-aqueous dispersant.

9. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , wherein the non-aqueous dispersant has a Hansen parameter of from about 23 to about 36.

10. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , wherein the non-aqueous dispersant is an alcohol or polyol selected from the group consisting of: ethanol, glycerol, polyethylene glycol of molecular weight from about 100 to about 400.

11. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises from about 0.1% to about 30% by weight of the spacer particles.

12. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises cations selected from the group consisting of: alkyltrimethylammonium salts, and/or polyvalent anions.

13. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 12 , wherein the composition comprises an alkyltrimethylammonium salt selected from the group consisting of: such as C12 alkyltrimethylammonium chloride, or their hydroxyalkyl substituted analogues.

14. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 12 , wherein the composition comprises polyvalent anions, selected from the group consisting of: Citric Acid; Diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA); 1-hydroxyethane 1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP); Maleic acid; Polyacrylates; Polyacrylic/maleic acid copolymers; succinic acid, and mixtures thereof.

15. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises from about 0.01% to about 10% by weight of an external structuring system.

16. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 15 , wherein the external structuring system comprises a non-polymeric crystalline, hydroxyl functional structurant.

17. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 1 , wherein the water-soluble or dispersible film comprises resins selected from the group consisting of: polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), and mixtures thereof.

18. A non-aqueous liquid composition comprising:

a. a cationic polysaccharide in particulate form;

b. a non-aqueous dispersant;

c. less than 20% by weight of water;

d. spacer particles, wherein the spacer particles are anionically charged, and wherein the spacer particles have an area average D90 diameter of less than 5 microns, and wherein the spacer particles comprise a polyacrylate polymer or copolymer;

wherein the cationic polysaccharide is stably dispersed in the non-aqueous liquid composition and further wherein the cationic polysaccharide is a cationic cellulose having the structural formula I:

wherein:

i. m is an integer from about 20 to 10,000

ii. each R4 is H, and R 1 , R 2 , R 3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of: H; C 1 -C 32 alkyl; C 1 -C 32 substituted alkyl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 aryl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 substituted aryl or C 6 -C 32 alkylaryl, or C 6 -C 32 substituted alkylaryl, and

wherein:

n is an integer selected from 0 to 10 and

Rx is selected from the group consisting of: R 5 ;

wherein at least one Rx in said polysaccharide has a structure selected from the group consisting of:

wherein A − is a suitable anion;

q is an integer selected from 1 to 4;

each R 5 is independently selected from the group consisting of: H; C 1 -C 32 alkyl; C 1 -C 32 substituted alkyl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 aryl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 substituted aryl, C 6 -C 32 alkylaryl, C 6 -C 32 substituted alkylaryl, and OH;

each R 6 is independently selected from the group consisting of: H, C 1 -C 32 alkyl, C 1 -C 32 substituted alkyl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 aryl, C 5 -C 32 or C 6 -C 32 substituted aryl, C 6 -C 32 alkylaryl, and C 6 -C 32 substituted alkylaryl;

each T is independently selected from the group: H,

wherein each v in said polysaccharide is an integer from 1 to 10;

the sum of all v indices in each Rx in said polysaccharide is an integer from 1 to 30; and in the last

group in a chain, T is always an H;

wherein the composition further comprises from about 0.01% to about 10% by weight of an external structuring system,

and wherein the non-aqueous liquid composition is enclosed in a water-soluble or dispersible film.

19. The non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 18 , wherein the external structuring system comprises a non-polymeric crystalline, hydroxyl functional structurant, wherein the non-polymeric crystalline hydroxyl functional structurant comprises a crystallisable glyceride.

20. A process for preparing the non-aqueous liquid composition of claim 1 , characterized in that the process comprises the steps of:

a. providing a cationic polymer dispersion by combining the cationic polymer with the dispersant; and

b. combining the cationic polymer dispersion with a non-aqueous liquid feed.