Granted Patent B2

US 12,473,514 · App. 17/520,230 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Inventors: Wei Sun (Trumbull, CT); Melanie A. Nitz (Norwalk, CT); Regina Stehr (Neuss, DE)

Assignee: HENKEL AG & CO. KGAA

C11D3/0015C11D1/46C11D1/62C11D3/48C11D17/0008C11D2111/12

Abstract

Claims (45)

1 . A liquid fabric softener composition consisting essentially of:

a) from 1-10% by weight water-insoluble quaternary ester or diester ammonium salt;

b) from 1-10% by weight of one or more water-soluble cationic antibacterial agents selected from the group consisting of alkyl dimethyl benzylammonium chloride, octyl decyl dimethylammonium chloride, dioctyl dimethylammonium chloride, and didecyl dimethylammonium chloride;

c) from 0.05% to 5% by weight cationic acrylics polymer; and

d) water: wherein the cationic acrylics polymer is a compound of formula (IX) or mixtures thereof

wherein

R 4 is H or CH 3 ;

Y is O or NH;

Z is a linear alkyl chain of methylene units (CH 2 )x, where x is an integer from 2 to 18; a substituted alkyl chain from 2 to 18 carbons in length having at least one hydroxyl group anywhere along the chain length; a benzene ring wherein the Y and the N substituents attach to the intervening benzene ring in a para relationship; or a branched alkyl chain having a total number of carbons atoms from 2 to 18 carbon atoms;

R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are, independently, —CH 3 , —CH 2 —C 6 H 5 , —C 2 H 5 , -n-C 6 H 13 , -n-C 10 H 21 , -naphthalenyl, -benzofuranyl, or —CH 2 —C 6 H 4 —CH 2 —O—C 6 H 4 —CHO;

X is an anion selected from the group consisting of halides, sulfates, methosulfate, trifluoromethane sulfonate, tetrafluoroborate, carbonates, bicarbonates, and mixtures thereof;

n is between 200 to about 100 million; and

wherein the mixture is a liquid of homogeneous dispersion with a stability formula index of at least 2.5, defined by the formula (a+3c)/b.

2 . The liquid fabric softener composition of claim 1 , wherein the liquid fabric softener does not contain a nonionic polymer or an anionic polymer.

3 . The liquid fabric softener composition of claim 1 , wherein the water-insoluble quaternary ester or diester ammonium salt is selected from a compound having formula (III), formula (IV), and mixtures thereof

[(CH 3 ) 2 N + (CH 2 CH 2 OC(O)—R) 2 ]X −   (III)

[(HOCH 2 CH 2 )(CH 3 )N + (CH 2 CH 2 OC(O)—R) 2 ]X −   (IV)

wherein

R=linear saturated or unsaturated alkyl radical of 8 to 19 carbon atoms, and

X − is a halide, methyl sulfate, ethyl sulfate, methyl phosphate, nitrate, acetate, or phosphate ion.

4 . The liquid fabric softener composition of claim 1 , wherein the water-insoluble quaternary ester or diester ammonium salt is selected from a compound of formula (II) and mixtures thereof

wherein

R 4 is an aliphatic alkyl radical of 12 to 22 carbon atoms which has 0, 1, 2 or 3 double bonds;

R 5 is H, OH or O—(CO)R 7 ,

R 6 is H, OH or O—(CO)R 8 independently of R 5 ,

R 7 and R 8 each being independently an aliphatic alkyl radical of 12 to 22 carbon atoms which has 0, 1, 2 or 3 double bonds,

m, n, and p are each independently 1, 2 or 3, and

X − is a halide, methyl sulfate, ethyl sulfate, methyl phosphate, nitrate, acetate, or phosphate ion.

5 . The liquid fabric softener composition of claim 4 , wherein

R5 is O—(CO)R 7 ,

R 4 and R 7 are alkyl radicals having 16 to 18 carbon atoms, and

R 6 is OH.

6 . The liquid fabric softener composition of claim 1 , wherein the compound of formula (IX) is N,N,N-Trimethyl-2-((2-methyl-1-oxo-2-propenyl)oxy)ethanaminium chloride homopolymer.

7 . The liquid fabric softener composition of claim 6 , comprising about 0.1% to about 2% by weight N,N,N-Trimethyl-2-((2-methyl-1-oxo-2-propenyl)oxy) ethanaminium chloride homopolymer.

8 . The liquid fabric softener composition of claim 1 , wherein the water comprises greater than 50% by weight of the composition.

9 . The liquid fabric softener composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is substantially free of an anionic polymer and a nonionic polymer.

10 . A method for imparting antimicrobial properties to a fabric, comprising adding to the final rinse cycle of textile laundry a composition according to claim 1 .

11 . An antibacterial fabric softener composition comprising:

a) from 1% to 40% by weight ditallowethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride or di tallowethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate;

b) from 1 to 10% by weight of one or more water-soluble cationic antibacterial agents selected from the group consisting of alkyl dimethyl benzylammonium chloride, octyl decyl dimethylammonium chloride, dioctyl dimethylammonium chloride, and didecyl dimethylammonium chloride;

c) from 0.05 to 5.0% by weight N,N,N-Trimethyl-2-((2-methyl-1-oxo-2-propenyl)oxy)ethanaminium chloride homopolymer; and

d) water; wherein the fabric softener composition is a liquid of homogenous dispersion with a stability formula index of at least 2.5, defined by the formula (a+3c)/b.

12 . The fabric softener composition of claim 11 , comprising about 0.2% to about 1% by weight N,N,N-Trimethyl-2-((2-methyl-1-oxo-2-propenyl)oxy) ethanaminium chloride homopolymer.

13 . The fabric softener composition of claim 11 , comprising about 2% to about 8% by weight ditallowethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride.

14 . The fabric softener composition of claim 11 , comprising about 2% to about 3% by weight one or more water-soluble cationic antibacterial agents.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (28)