Fabric softener active composition
A fabric softener active composition, comprising as component A at least 50% by weight of a bis-(2-hydroxypropyl)-dimethylammonium methylsulphate fatty acid ester having a molar ratio of fatty acid moieties to amine moieties of from 1.5 to 1.99, an average chain length of the fatty acid moieties of from 16 to 18 carbon atoms and an iodine value of the fatty acid moieties, calculated for the free fatty acid, of from 0.5 to 50, and as component B a (2-hydroxypropyl)-(1-methyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-dimethylammonium methylsulphate fatty acid ester having the same fatty acid moieties as component A, and wherein the molar ratio of component B to component A is from 0.05 to 0.20.
1. A fabric softener active composition, comprising:
a) as component A, at least 50% by weight of a bis-(2-hydroxypropyl)-dimethylammonium methylsulphate fatty acid ester having a molar ratio of fatty acid moieties to amine moieties of from 1.5 to 1.99, an average chain length of the fatty acid moieties of from 16 to 18 carbon atoms and an iodine value of the fatty acid moieties, calculated for the free fatty acid, of from 0.5 to 50; and
b) as component B, a (2-hydroxypropyl)-(1-methyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-dimethylammonium methylsulphate fatty acid ester having the same fatty acid moieties as component A;
wherein the molar ratio of component B to component A is from 0.05 to 0.20.
2. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of fatty acid moieties to amine moieties is from 1.85 to 1.99.
3. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , wherein the iodine value of the fatty acid moieties, calculated for the free fatty acid, is from 5 to 40.
4. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , wherein the iodine value of the fatty acid moieties, calculated for the free fatty acid, is from 15 to 35.
5. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , wherein the combined amount of components A and B is from 85 to 99% by weight.
6. The fabric softener active composition of claim 5 , wherein the cis-trans-ratio of double bonds of unsaturated fatty acid moieties of component A is higher than 55:45.
7. The fabric softener active composition of claim 6 , comprising less than 2% by weight of water.
8. The fabric softener active composition of claim 7 , further comprising from 2 to 8% by weight of a fatty acid triglyceride having an average chain length of the fatty acid moieties of from 10 to 14 carbon atoms and an iodine value, calculated for the free fatty acid, of from 0 to 15.
9. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , wherein component A comprises less than 6% by weight of multiply unsaturated fatty acid moieties.
10. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , wherein the cis-trans-ratio of double bonds of unsaturated fatty acid moieties of component A is higher than 55:45.
11. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , comprising less than 2% by weight of water.
12. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , comprising less than 0.5% by weight of water.
13. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , comprising less than 10% by weight of solvents having a flash point of less than 20° C.
14. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , comprising less than 1% by weight of solvents having a flash point of less than 20° C.
15. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , further comprising up to 9.9% by weight of at least one solvent selected from glycerol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol and C1-C4 alkyl monoethers of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol.
16. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , further comprising from 2 to 8% by weight of a fatty acid triglyceride having an average chain length of the fatty acid moieties of from 10 to 14 carbon atoms and an iodine value, calculated for the free fatty acid, of from 0 to 15.
17. The fabric softener active composition of claim 1 , further comprising from 1.5 to 10% by weight of a bis-(2-hydroxypropyl)-methylamine fatty acid ester containing the same fatty acid moieties as component A.
18. A method for making the fabric softening composition of claim 1 , comprising the steps:
a) reacting a mixture, containing (2-hydroxypropyl)-(1-methyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-methylamine and bis-(2-hydroxypropyl)-methylamine at a molar ratio of from 0.05 to 0.20, with a fatty acid having an average chain length of from 16 to 18 carbon atoms and an iodine value of from 0.5 to 50, in a molar ratio of fatty acid to amine of from 1.51 to 2.0, with removal of water at a temperature of from 160 to 220° C. until the acid value of the reaction mixture is in the range from 1 to 10 mg KOH/g; and
b) reacting the product of step a) with dimethyl sulphate at a molar ratio of dimethyl sulphate to amine of from 0.90 to 0.97 until the total amine value of the reaction mixture is in the range from 1 to 8 mg KOH/g.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein, in step b), said the molar ratio of dimethyl sulphate to amine is from of from 0.92 to 0.95.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the molar ratio of fatty acid to amine is from 1.86 to 2.0.