Fabric softening composition
A fabric softening composition which comprises as component A a tertiary or quaternary ammonium salt of formulae (I) or (II): R 1 R 2 R 3 N + CH 2 CHR 4 OC(═O)R 5 X − (I) R 1 R 2 R 3 N + (CH 2 ) 3 NHR(═O)R 5 X − (II) in which R 1 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, R 2 and R 3 , independently of one another, are C 1-4 alkyl or C 2-4 hydroxyalkyl, R 4 is hydrogen or methyl, R 5 is a linear C 15-21 alkyl or alkenyl radical and X − is a monovalent anion, and as component B a nonionic softener with only one long-chain hydrocarbon radical bonded to a polar radical having at least one free hydroxy group, where fatty alcohol alkoxylate or fatty acid alkoxylate are excluded as component B, exhibits a good softening effect and forms storage-stable dispersions if the molar ratio of component A to component B is in the range from 2:1 to 1:3, the difference between the average chain length of the long-chain hydrocarbon radicals of components A and B is at most 2 carbon atoms and the hydrocarbon radicals of components A and B have on average in each case at most 0.5 double bonds per hydrocarbon radical. Such a composition can be produced by reacting a fatty acid, a C 2-6 diol or C 3-9 polyol, and a tertiary alkanolamine or a diamine having a tertiary and primary amino group in a suitable molar ratio with the removal of water and subsequent alkylation or protonation.
1. A fabric softening composition, comprising:
a) as component A, at least one tertiary or quaternary ammonium salt, selected from compounds of formulae (I) and (II):
R 1 R 2 R 3 N + CH 2 CHR 4 OC(═O)R 5 X − (I)
R 1 R 2 R 3 N + (CH 2 ) 3 NHC(═O)R 5 X − (II)
wherein:
R 1 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl,
R 2 and R 3 , independently of one another, are a C 1-4 alkyl or C 2-4 hydroxyalkyl,
R 4 is hydrogen or methyl,
R 5 is a linear C 15-21 alkyl or alkenyl radical and
X − is a monovalent anion,
and
b) as component B, at least one nonionic softener selected from the group consisting of fatty acids, monoesters of fatty acids with a C 2-6 diol or C 3-9 polyol, and monoesters of fatty alcohols with a C 2-6 hydroxycarboxylic acid,
and wherein:
i) the molar ratio of the total amount of component A to the total amount of component B is in the range from 2:1 to 1:3,
ii) the difference between the average chain length of the long-chain hydrocarbon radicals of components A and B is at most 2 carbon atoms,
iii) the hydrocarbon radicals of components A and B have on average in each case at most 0.5 double bonds per hydrocarbon radical and
iv) the total amount of tertiary and quaternary ammonium salts carrying two long-chain hydrocarbon radicals of 15 to 21 carbon atoms in the composition is at most 80 mol % of the total amount of components A;
v) wherein the total fraction of component A and component B in the composition is at least 50% by weight.
2. The fabric softening composition of claim 1 , wherein the total amount of tertiary and quaternary ammonium salts carrying two long-chain hydrocarbon radicals of 15 to 21 carbon atoms in the composition is at most 50 mol % of the total amount of components A.
3. The fabric softening composition of claim 1 , wherein the total fraction of component A and component B in the composition is at least 80% by weight.
4. The fabric softening composition of claim 1 , comprising at most 10% by weight of water.
5. The fabric softening composition of claim 1 , wherein component B is selected from the group consisting of fatty acids and fatty acid monoesters of glycerol, diglycerol, triglycerol, sorbitol and sorbitan.
6. The fabric softening composition of claim 1 , wherein, in formulas (I) and (II), R 2 is a C 1-4 alkyl radical.
7. The fabric softening composition of claim 6 , wherein, in formulas (I) and (II), R 2 is a methyl radical.
8. The fabric softening composition of claim 1 , wherein in formulas (I) and (II), R 2 and R 3 , independently of one another, are C 1-4 alkyl radicals.
9. The fabric softening composition of claim 8 , wherein in formulas (I) and (II), R 2 and R 3 are methyl radicals.
10. The fabric softening composition of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is methyl, in formula (I) R 2 and R 3 , independently of one another, are methyl, 2-hydroxyethyl or 2-hydroxypropyl, in formula (II) R 2 and R 3 are methyl, and X − is chloride or methylsulphate.
11. The fabric softening composition of claim 1 , wherein component A and component B comprise the same long-chain hydrocarbon radical.
12. An aqueous rinse cycle fabric softener comprising 70 to 98% by weight of water and 2 to 25% by weight of the fabric softening composition of claim 1 .
13. A method of producing an aqueous rinse cycle fabric softener, comprising adding the composition of claim 1 in liquid form to water or an aqueous solution.
14. A process for producing the fabric softening composition of claim 1 , comprising:
a) reacting a mixture comprising
n mol of a C 16-22 fatty acid with an iodine number of at most 45,
m mol of a C 2-6 diol or C 3-9 polyol and
p mol of an alkanolamine of the formula R 2 R 3 NCH 2 CHR 4 OH, in which R 2 and R 3 , independently of one another, are methyl, 2-hydroxyethyl or 2-hydroxypropyl and R 4 is hydrogen or methyl,
where the ratio of p:m is in the range from 2:1 to 1:3 and
n:(p+m) is in the range from 0.75 to 1.4,
at a temperature in the range from 140 to 210° C. with removal of water and
b) reacting the mixture obtained in step a) with either
i) an alkylating agent at a temperature in the range from 50 to 100° C. until at least 90% of the tertiary amino groups have been quaternized; or
ii) an acid until at least 98% of the tertiary amino groups have been protonated.
15. The process of claim 14 , wherein in step b), the mixture obtained in step a) is reacted with an alkylating agent at a temperature in the range from 50 to 100° C. until at least 90% of the tertiary amino groups have been quaternized and said alkylating agent is either dimethyl sulphate or methyl chloride.
16. The process of claim 14 , wherein in step b), the mixture obtained in step a) is reacted with an acid until at least 98% of the tertiary amino groups have been protonated and said acid is a carboxylic acid having 1 to 3 carbon atoms.
17. A process for producing the fabric softening composition of claim 1 , comprising:
a) reacting a mixture comprising:
n mol of a C 16-22 fatty acid with an iodine number of at most 45,
m mol of a C 2-6 diol or C 3-9 polyol and
p mol of N,N-dimethyl-1,3-propanediamine,
where the ratio of p:m is in the range from 2:1 to 1:3 and
n is in the range from 0.75*m+p to 1.4*m+p,
at a temperature in the range from 140 to 210° C. with removal of water and
b) reacting the mixture obtained in step a) with either:
i) an alkylating agent at a temperature in the range from 50 to 100° C. until at least 90% of the tertiary amino groups have been quaternized; or
ii) an acid until at least 98% of the tertiary amino groups have been protonated.
18. The process of claim 17 , wherein in step b), the mixture obtained in step a) is reacted with an alkylating agent at a temperature in the range from 50 to 100° C. until at least 90% of the tertiary amino groups have been quaternized and said alkylating agent is either dimethyl sulphate or methyl chloride.
19. The process of claim 17 , wherein in step b), the mixture obtained in step a) is reacted with an acid until at least 98% of the tertiary amino groups have been protonated and said acid is a carboxylic acid having 1 to 3 carbon atoms.