DELIVERY PARTICLE
The present application relates to agglomerates/particles comprising encapsulated, benefit agents, compositions comprising such agglomerates/particles, and processes for making and using such agglomerates/particles and compositions comprising such agglomerates/particles. Such agglomerates/particles are processed to a form that minimizes or eliminate certain drawbacks associated with incorporating encapsulated benefit agents in consumer products.
1 . A process of producing a benefit agent delivery composition, said process comprising:
a.) combining an encapsulate, a plasticizer and a binder to form a mixture;
b.) combining said mixture with a dusting agent to form a material; and
c.) removing a sufficient amount of said plasticizer from said material to yield a product comprising, based on total product weight, from about 1% to about 50% plasticizer.
2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said encapsulate comprises a benefit agent selected from the group consisting of perfumes; brighteners; insect repellants; silicones; waxes; flavors; vitamins; fabric softening agents; skin care agents including paraffins; enzymes; anti-bacterial agents; bleaches; and mixtures thereof.
3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said plasticizer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of water; alcohols; glycols; fatty acids; petroleum derivatives; vegetable oils; and mixtures thereof.
4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said binder comprises a material selected from the group consisting of celluloses and derivatives thereof; alginate and derivatives thereof; starches; polyvinyl alcohols; polyethylene oxide; polyvinylpyrolidone; polysaccharides; polyacrylates; waxes; polyethylene glycols having a weight average molecular weight of greater than 4000 Da; alcohol ethoxylates; surfactants and mixtures thereof.
5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said dusting agent comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicas; zeolites; amorphous aluminosilicates; clays; starches; celluloses; water soluble salts; polysaccharides; and mixtures thereof.
6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said encapsulate comprises a perfume microcapsule, a binder and mixtures thereof.
7 . The process of claim 6 , wherein said perfume microcapsule comprises a shell, said shell comprising cross-linked melamine formaldehyde.
8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein said encapsulate comprises a benefit agent consisting of an agglomerate, extrudate or particulate.
9 . The process of claim 8 , wherein said agglomerate, extrudate or particulate having a characteristic dimension of about 100 microns to about 3000 microns wherein for said agglomerates and particulates said characteristic dimension is the median particle size of said agglomerates and particulates and the characteristic dimension of said extrudates is the mean diameter of said extrudates.
10 . A consumer product comprising the product produced by the process of claim 1 and a consumer product adjunct.
11 . The consumer product of claim 10 , wherein said consumer product adjunct is selected from the group consisting of polymers, for example cationic polymers, surfactants, builders, chelating agents, dye transfer inhibiting agents, dispersants, enzymes, and enzyme stabilizers, catalytic materials, bleach activators, polymeric dispersing agents, clay soil removal/anti-redeposition agents, brighteners, suds suppressors, dyes, additional perfume and perfume delivery systems, structure elasticizing agents, fabric softeners, carriers, hydrotropes, processing aids and/or pigments and mixtures thereof.