Laundry detergent composition comprising a dye fixing agent and an amine oxide

Abstract

The present invention is entitled "Laundry detergent composition comprising a dye fixing agent and an amine oxide". The present invention provides a laundry detergent composition comprising a dye fixing agent and an amine oxide. The laundry detergent composition characterized by the combination of a dye fixing agent and an amine oxide can improve the color protection of colored fabrics.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a laundry detergent composition comprising a dye fixing agent and an amine oxide. Background Art

[0002] With the development of detergent products, the needs of consumers in terms of cleaning have been well met. However, there are still some other unmet consumer needs in the field of laundry. Specifically, one of the unmet needs is to prevent colored textiles from fading or bleeding during the wash cycle.

[0003] Due to the release of dyes from textiles, especially in the case of dark textiles made of cotton and mixed cotton fabrics, colored textiles can fade in several washing cycles. On the other hand, bleeding may occur, that is, textiles of different colors or white may be dyed by the dyes released from the dyed textiles, so if the dyed textiles are washed simultaneously, the dye concentration in the wash liquor is relatively high. Fading or bleeding will lead to the rapid deterioration of the appearance of the colored textiles. Therefore, there is a continuous need for laundry detergent compositions that can prevent fading and / or bleeding.

[0004] At present, in order to solve the problem of fading or bleeding, so-called dye fixing agents are used in detergent compositions. Such dye fixing agents are usually cationic polymers that can bind negatively charged dyes on the textile or in the washing liquid to prevent the dye from detaching from the colored textile or to prevent the dye from redepositing on the white textile or on the textile with different dyes. However, the color protection achieved by the detergent composition containing such dye fixing agents is not enough to meet the expectations of consumers. In addition, in the preparation containing anionic surfactants, especially linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, the addition of such dye fixing agents does not always deliver any beneficial effect in terms of color protection.

[0005] Therefore, there remains a need to provide laundry detergent compositions comprising dye fixing agents which are more effective in providing color protection. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention surprisingly and unexpectedly discovered that amine oxides, especially C6-C 20 Alkyl dimethyl amine oxides (AO), incorporated into laundry detergent compositions containing dye fixatives, can significantly improve the color protection of the dye fixatives.

[0007] Accordingly, the present invention relates in one aspect to a laundry detergent composition comprising:

[0008] a) 0.01% to 10% by weight of the composition of a dye fixing agent, wherein the dye fixing agent is selected from:

[0009] i) reaction products of polyamines with cyanamide and acids (such as organic and / or inorganic acids),

[0010] ii) reaction products of cyanamide with aldehydes and ammonium salts,

[0011] iii) reaction products of cyanamide with aldehydes and amines, or

[0012] iv) the reaction product of an amine and epichlorohydrin; and

[0013] v) any combination thereof.

[0014] b) 0.01% to 10% by weight of the composition of an amine oxide.

[0015] Preferably, the weight ratio of the dye fixing agent to the amine oxide may be between 0.05 and 10, preferably between 0.1 and 5, more preferably between 0.15 and 2, and most preferably between 0.2 and 1, for example 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and any range therebetween.

[0016] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition is a liquid composition comprising:

[0017] a) 0.15% to 0.9% by weight of the composition of a dye fixing agent, wherein the dye fixing agent is selected from the reaction products of dimethylamine and epichlorohydrin;

[0018] b) 0.15% to 2% by weight of the composition of an amine oxide which is a C6-C20 alkyl dimethyl amine oxide;

[0019] c) 4% to 15% by weight of the composition of a nonionic surfactant system comprising a C10-C16 ethoxylated alcohol having a weight average degree of ethoxylation in the range of 5 to 15, preferably 6 to 12, and more preferably 7 to 10; and

[0020] d) 1% to 10% by weight of the composition of an anionic surfactant system comprising C10-C16 LAS and C10-C16 alkyl ethoxy sulfate, wherein preferably the C10-C16 LAS is present in an amount ranging from 10% to 90% by weight of the anionic surfactant system;

[0021] wherein the weight ratio of the dye fixing agent to the amine oxide is between 0.2 and 2, preferably between 0.2 and 1, and wherein the weight ratio of the nonionic surfactant system to the anionic surfactant system is between 1.5 and 8.

[0022] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the composition is a unit dose composition comprising:

[0023] a) 0.5% to 3% by weight of the composition of the dye fixing agent, wherein the dye fixing agent is selected from the reaction products of dimethylamine and epichlorohydrin;

[0024] b) 0.5% to 8% by weight of the composition of said amine oxide, said amine oxide being C6-C 20 Alkyl dimethyl amine oxide;

[0025] c) 10% to 35% by weight of the composition of the nonionic surfactant system, the nonionic surfactant system comprising C 10 -C 16 ethoxylated alcohols; and

[0026] d) 3% to 25% by weight of the composition of the anionic surfactant system, the anionic surfactant system comprising C 10 -C 16 LAS and C 10 -C 16 Alkyl ethoxy sulfate, wherein the C 10 -C 16 LAS is present in an amount ranging from 40% to 90% by weight of the anionic surfactant system;

[0027] wherein the weight ratio of the dye fixing agent to the amine oxide is between 0.2 and 2, preferably between 0.2 and 1, and wherein the weight ratio of the nonionic surfactant system to the anionic surfactant system is between 1.5 and 8.

[0028] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for protecting the color of colored fabrics, the method comprising contacting the colored fabrics with a laundry detergent composition as described above. Preferably, the color protection is achieved by fixing the dye in the colored fabrics and / or preventing the colored fabrics from fading or bleeding.

[0029] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method of preventing fading or bleeding of colored fabrics, which method comprises contacting the colored fabrics with a laundry detergent composition as described above.

[0030] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method of fixing dyes in colored fabrics, which method comprises contacting said colored fabrics with a laundry detergent composition as hereinbefore described.

[0031] An advantage of the laundry detergent composition is that it delivers effective color protection to colored fabrics, including, for example, protection against fading and / or color bleeding and dye fixation.

[0032] Another advantage of the laundry detergent composition is that it provides a balance of performance between colored fabrics having different colors (eg, red and blue). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] definition

[0034] As used herein, the articles including "a" and "an" when used in a claim should be understood to mean one or more of what is claimed or described.

[0035] As used herein, the terms "comprise / comprises / comprising", "include / includes / including", "contain / contains / containing" are non-limiting, i.e., other steps and other ingredients that do not affect the results may be added. The above terms encompass the terms "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of".

[0036] As used herein, when a composition is "substantially free" of a particular ingredient, it means that the composition contains less than trace amounts, or less than 0.1%, or less than 0.01%, or less than 0.001% of the particular ingredient by weight of the composition.

[0037] As used herein, the term "laundry detergent composition" refers to a composition for cleaning contaminated materials, including fabrics. Such compositions can be used as laundry pre-treaters, laundry post-treaters, or can be added during the rinse cycle or wash cycle of a laundry washing operation. The laundry detergent composition can have a form selected from the following: liquid, powder, unit dose such as single compartment or multi-compartment unit dose, pouch, tablet, gel, paste, rod or sheet. Preferably, the laundry detergent composition is a liquid or unit dose composition. The term "liquid laundry detergent composition" refers to a composition in the following form in this article, and the form is selected from: pourable liquid, gel, cream and their combination. The liquid laundry detergent composition can be aqueous or non-aqueous, and can be anisotropic, isotropic or their combination. The term "unit dose laundry detergent composition" refers to a water-soluble pouch containing a certain volume of liquid in this article, and the liquid is wrapped by a water-soluble film.

[0038] As used herein, the term "primary surfactant" refers to a surfactant present in a composition in an amount greater than any other surfactant contained by such composition. Similarly, the term "primary anionic surfactant" refers to an anionic surfactant present in a composition in an amount greater than any other anionic surfactant contained by such composition.

[0039] As used herein, the term "majority surfactant" refers to surfactants present in such compositions in an amount of at least 50% by weight of the total surfactant content. Similarly, the term "majority anionic surfactant" refers to anionic surfactants present in such compositions in an amount of at least 50% by weight of the total anionic surfactant content.

[0040] As used herein, the term "alkyl" refers to a branched or unbranched, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon moiety. Included within the term "alkyl" is the alkyl portion of an acyl group.

[0041] As used herein, the term "wash solution" refers to a typical amount of aqueous solution used for one laundry washing cycle, preferably 1 L to 50 L, or 1 L to 20 L for hand washing, and 20 L to 50 L for machine washing.

[0042] As used herein, the term "stained fabric" is used non-specifically and may refer to any type of fabric made of natural or man-made fibers, including natural fibers, man-made fibers, and synthetic fibers, such as but not limited to cotton, linen, wool, polyester, nylon, silk, acrylic, etc., as well as various blends and combinations.

[0043] Dye fixative

[0044] Dye fixing agent of the present invention is a cationic polymer. Not subject to any theoretical constraint, it is believed that this type of dye fixing agent with positive charge can be combined with a dye with negative charge by charge interaction, and then prevent the dye from leaving the textile or prevent the dye from being deposited on the textile of different colors. Specifically, the dye fixing agent can be selected from the reaction product of the following materials: i) polyamines and cyanamide and organic acid and / or inorganic acid, ii) cyanamide and aldehyde and ammonium salt, iii) cyanamide and aldehyde and amine, or iv) amine and epichlorohydrin. Preferably, the dye fixing agent can be selected from the reaction product of amine and epichlorohydrin, wherein amine is a primary amine, a secondary amine or a tertiary amine. More preferably, the dye fixing agent can be selected from the reaction product of dimethylamine and epichlorohydrin. Most preferably, the dye fixing agent can be poly-(2-hydroxypropyl dimethyl ammonium chloride), also referred to as poly-(dimethylamine-to-epichlorohydrin), such as the polymer (CAS#:25988-97-0) commercially available from Clariant under the trade name TEXCARE DFC 6.

[0045] The term "amine" includes monoamines and polyamines. The monoamines used herein may be primary, secondary and tertiary amines. They may be aliphatic amines, such as dialkylamines, especially dimethylamine; alicyclic amines, such as cyclohexylamine; and aromatic amines, such as aniline. However, the amines used herein may also have aliphatic, alicyclic and aromatic substituents at the same time. In addition, heterocyclic compounds such as pyridine may also be used. The term "polyamine" herein includes, for example, diamines, triamines, tetramines, etc., and also includes similar N-alkyl polyamines and N,N-dialkyl polyamines. Examples thereof are ethylenediamine, propylenediamine, butanediamine, pentanediamine, hexanediamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine and higher polyamines. Particularly preferred polyamines may be ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine and dimethylaminopropylamine. Ammonium salts are salts of ammonia, especially ammonium chloride or the above-mentioned amines or polyamines with different inorganic or organic acids, or other quaternary ammonium salts.

[0046] The cyanamide may be monocyanamide or dicyandiamide. The aldehyde used herein may include, for example, aliphatic aldehydes such as formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde; dialdehydes such as glyoxal; unsaturated aldehydes such as acrolein, crotonaldehyde and aromatic aldehydes such as benzaldehyde. Particularly preferred aldehydes may be aliphatic aldehydes such as formaldehyde.

[0047] The dye fixing agent used herein may also be a homopolymer and copolymer based on diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC). Copolymers based on DADMAC contain other vinyl monomers as other components, such as vinyl imidazole, vinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl alcohol, vinyl acetate, (meth) acrylic acid / ester, acrylamide, styrene, styrene sulfonic acid, acrylamidomethylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS), etc. Homopolymers based on DADMAC may be obtained under the trade name 3954, Dodigen 4033 and Genamin PDAC (obtained from Clariant).

[0048] Preferably, the dye fixing agent suitable for the present disclosure can be selected from the reaction product of an amine and epichlorohydrin, wherein the amine is a primary amine, a secondary amine or a tertiary amine. More preferably, the dye fixing agent suitable for the present invention can be selected from the reaction product of dimethylamine and epichlorohydrin. Most preferably, the dye fixing agent can be poly (2-hydroxypropyl dimethyl ammonium chloride).

[0049] In one embodiment, the dye fixing agent is poly(2-hydroxypropyldimethylammonium chloride) of formula (I):

[0050]

[0051] wherein n is an integer from 5 to 1000.

[0052] The dye fixing agent in the composition according to the present disclosure may be present in an amount in the range of 0.02% to 5%, preferably 0.05% to 2%, more preferably 0.1% to 1.5%, most preferably 0.15% to 0.9%, for example 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1.0% or any range therebetween by weight of the composition.

[0053] Amine Oxide

[0054] The amine oxides suitable for use in the present invention can be selected from C6-C 20 Alkyl dimethyl amine oxides (AO) and combinations thereof.

[0055] Preferably, the amine oxide is characterized by the following structure:

[0056]

[0057] Where R 1 C 6-20 Alkyl, C 6-20 Hydroxyalkyl, or C 6-20 Alkylphenyl group; each R 2 C 2-5 Alkylene, or C 2-5 A hydroxyalkylene group; x is 0 to about 3; and each R 3 C 1-3 Alkyl, C 1-3 Preferably, the amine oxide may be C 8-18 Alkyl dimethyl amine oxide, preferably C 10-16 Alkyl dimethyl amine oxide.

[0058] Preferably, the amine oxide is selected from dodecyl dimethyl amine oxide, tetradecyl dimethyl amine oxide, and combinations thereof. More preferably, the amine oxide comprises dodecyl dimethyl amine oxide having the following formula (III):

[0059]

[0060] This type of compound is also known as lauryl dimethylamine oxide or dodecyl dimethylamine-N-oxide (DDAO). LO was commercially available from Huntsman.

[0061] The amine oxide in the composition according to the present disclosure may be present in an amount in the range of 0.01% to 10%, preferably 0.02% to 8%, more preferably 0.1% to 3%, most preferably 0.15% to 2%, for example 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 3%, 4%, 5% or any range therebetween, by weight of the composition.

[0062] Anionic surfactants

[0063] The laundry detergent compositions of the present invention may comprise an anionic surfactant system. Specifically, the laundry detergent compositions of the present invention may comprise from 0.1% to 50% by weight of the composition of an anionic surfactant system.

[0064] Preferably, the anionic surfactant system may comprise an anionic surfactant selected from C6-C 20 Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), C6-C 20 Alkyl sulfate (AS), C6-C 20 Alkyl alkoxy sulfate (AAS), C6-C 20 Methyl ester sulfonate (MES), C6-C 20 More preferably, the anionic surfactant system may comprise C6-C 20 LAS and optionally anionic surfactants such as C6-C 20 AS and / or C6-C 20 In one embodiment, LAS is C 10 -C 16 LAS, preferably C 12 -C 14 LAS.

[0065] LAS is normally prepared by sulfonation (using SO2 and SO3) alkylbenzene, and neutralization is subsequently prepared. Suitable alkylbenzene raw material can use any suitable alkylation scheme (comprising the method based on sulfuric acid and HF) to be prepared by olefin, paraffin or their mixture. By changing the exact alkylation catalyst, the position that benzene is covalently connected to the aliphatic hydrocarbon chain may be changed greatly. Therefore, the 2-phenyl isomer and / or the internal isomer content of LAS herein can be widely changed.

[0066] In some embodiments of the laundry detergent composition, C6-C 20 The LAS may be present in an amount in the range of 1% to 100%, preferably 10% to 99%, more preferably 20% to 95%, most preferably 30% to 90%, for example 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% or any range therebetween by weight of the anionic surfactant.

[0067] In some embodiments of laundry detergent compositions, the level of LAS is preferably higher than the level of any other anionic surfactant comprised by such compositions, ie, LAS is the primary anionic surfactant in such compositions.

[0068] Anionic surfactants suitable for use in the present disclosure may also include C6-C 20 Alkyl sulfate (AS), C6-C 20 Alkyl alkoxy sulfate (AAS), C6-C 20 Methyl ester sulfonate (MES), C6-C 20 Alkyl ether carboxylates (AEC), or any combination thereof. For example, the laundry detergent composition may contain C6-C 20 Alkyl alkoxy sulfate (AA x S), wherein x is about 1-30, preferably about 1-15, more preferably about 1-10, and most preferably x is about 1-3. x The alkyl chain in S can be straight or branched, wherein the mid-chain branched AA x S surfactants are particularly preferred. Preferred AA x The S group includes C with x being about 1-3 12 -C 14 Alkyl alkoxy sulfate. AA in the laundry detergent composition of the present invention x The amount of S surfactant may range from about 0.05% to about 100%, preferably from about 0.1% to about 80%, more preferably from about 0.5% to about 50%, most preferably from about 1% to about 30%, for example 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% or any range therebetween, by weight of the composition.

[0069] In some embodiments, LAS and AA x The weight ratio of S is at least 0.6, preferably at least 0.8, more preferably at least 0.9, most preferably at least 1, for example 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 1.2, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10 or any range therebetween.

[0070] The anionic surfactant system in the composition according to the present disclosure may be present in an amount in the range of 0.1% to 45%, preferably 0.5% to 40%, more preferably 1% to 35%, most preferably 2% to 30%, for example 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50% or any range therebetween by weight of the composition.

[0071] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the anionic surfactant in the composition according to the present disclosure may comprise less than 30%, preferably less than 20%, more preferably less than 10%, most preferably less than 5% soap by weight of the anionic surfactant.

[0072] Nonionic surfactant (NI)

[0073] The laundry detergent composition of the present invention may include a nonionic surfactant system. The nonionic surfactant system may include a nonionic surfactant selected from alkyl alkoxylated alcohols, alkyl alkoxylated phenols, alkyl polysaccharides, polyhydroxy fatty acid amides, alkoxylated fatty acid esters, alkyl polyglycosides (APG), methyl ester ethoxylates (MEE), sucrose esters, sorbitan esters and alkoxylated derivatives of sorbitan esters, and any combination thereof. Preferably, the nonionic surfactant system may include C6-C8 polyols having a weight average alkoxylation degree in the following range: 20 Alkoxylated alcohol: 1 to 20, preferably 5 to 15, more preferably 7 to 10. More preferably, the nonionic surfactant system may comprise C8-C 18 Ethoxylated alcohol: 1 to 20, preferably 5 to 15, more preferably 7 to 10.

[0074] Non-limiting examples of nonionic surfactants suitable for use herein include: 12 -C 18 Alkyl ethoxylates, such as C 12 -C 14 Alkyl ethoxylates; available from Shell Nonionic surfactant; C6-C 12Alkylphenol alkoxylates, wherein the alkoxylate units are a mixture of ethyleneoxy and propyleneoxy units; C 12 -C 18 Alcohol and C6-C 12 Condensates of alkylphenols with ethylene oxide / propylene oxide block alkylpolyamine ethoxylates, such as those available from BASF C 14 -C 22 mid-chain branched alkyl alkoxylates, BAEx, wherein x is from about 1 to about 30; alkyl polysaccharides, specifically alkyl polyglycosides; polyhydroxy fatty acid amides; and ether-terminated poly(alkoxylated) alcohol surfactants. Also useful as nonionic surfactants herein are alkoxylated ester surfactants, such as those having the formula R 1 C(O)O(R2O)nR 3 Those, among which R 1 Selected from linear or branched C6-C 22 Alkyl or alkylene moiety; R 2 is selected from the moieties C2H4 and C3H6, and R 3 is selected from the group consisting of H, CH3, C2H5 and C3H7 moieties; and n has a value between about 1 and about 20. Such alkoxylated ester surfactants include aliphatic methyl ester ethoxylates (MEE) and are well known in the art.

[0075] In a specific embodiment, the alkoxylated nonionic surfactant comprised by the laundry detergent composition of the present invention is C6-C 20 Alkoxylated alcohol, preferably C8-C 18 Alkoxylated alcohol, more preferably C 10 -C 16 Alkoxylated alcohols. C6-C 20 The alkoxylated alcohol is preferably an alkyl alkoxylated alcohol having an average degree of alkoxylation of from about 1 to about 50, preferably from about 3 to about 30, more preferably from about 5 to about 20, and even more preferably from about 5 to about 9. The alkoxylation herein may be ethoxylation, propoxylation, or mixtures thereof, but is preferably ethoxylation. In one embodiment, the alkoxylated nonionic surfactant is a C6-C 20 Ethoxylated alcohols, preferably C8-C10 ethoxylated alcohols, with an average of about 5 to about 20 moles of ethylene oxide. 18 alcohols, more preferably C 10 -C 16 The most preferred alkoxylated nonionic surfactants are C 12 -C 15 Alcohols, for example, commercially available from Shell 25-7.

[0076] The nonionic surfactant system in the composition according to the present disclosure may be present in an amount in the range of 1% to 45%, preferably 2% to 40%, more preferably 3% to 35%, most preferably 4% to 30%, for example 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30% or any range therebetween by weight of the composition.

[0077] In some embodiments, the weight ratio of the nonionic surfactant system to the anionic surfactant system is between 1.5 and 20, preferably between 1.7 and 15, more preferably between 1.9 and 10, and most preferably between 2 and 8, for example 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and any range therebetween.

[0078] Other ingredients

[0079] The laundry detergent compositions according to the present disclosure may also comprise from 0.01% to 10%, preferably from 0.1% to 5%, more preferably from 0.2% to 3%, most preferably from 0.3% to 2%, by weight of the composition, of a surfactant boosting polymer, preferably a polyvinyl acetate grafted polyethylene oxide copolymer.

[0080] The laundry detergent composition of the present invention may also contain a cationic surfactant. Non-limiting examples of cationic surfactants include: quaternary ammonium surfactants, which may have up to 26 carbon atoms, including: alkoxylated quaternary ammonium (AQA) surfactants; dimethyl hydroxyethyl quaternary ammonium; dimethyl hydroxyethyl lauryl ammonium chloride; polyamine cationic surfactants; and amino surfactants, specifically amidopropyl dimethylamine (APA).

[0081] The laundry detergent compositions herein may contain auxiliary ingredients. Suitable auxiliary materials include, but are not limited to, builders, chelating agents, rheology modifiers, dye transfer inhibitors, dispersants, enzymes and enzyme stabilizers, catalytic materials, bleach activators, hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen peroxide sources, preformed peracids, polymeric dispersants, clay soil removal / anti-redeposition agents, brighteners, suds suppressors, dyes, photobleaches, spices, spice microcapsules, structural elasticizers, fabric softeners, carriers, hydrotropes, processing aids, solvents, toners, structurants and / or pigments. The exact nature of these auxiliary ingredients and their content in the laundry detergent compositions will depend on the physical form of the composition and the nature of the cleaning operation performed using it.

[0082] In some embodiments, laundry detergent compositions according to the present disclosure may further comprise from 0.01% to 10%, preferably from 0.1% to 5%, more preferably from 0.2% to 3%, most preferably from 0.3% to 2% fatty acid by weight of the composition.

[0083] Composition preparation

[0084] The laundry detergent compositions of the present invention are generally prepared by conventional methods, such as methods for preparing laundry detergent compositions known in the art. Such methods generally involve mixing the essential ingredients and optional ingredients in any desired order to a relatively uniform state, with or without heating, cooling, application of vacuum, etc., to provide a laundry detergent composition containing the ingredients in the necessary concentrations.

[0085] How to use

[0086] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for treating fabrics using a laundry detergent composition. Such a method can deliver color protection benefits. The method comprises the step of applying 5g to 120g of the above laundry detergent composition to a laundry washing basin containing water to form a washing solution. The washing solution in the laundry washing basin herein preferably has a volume of 1L to 50L, or 1L to 20L for hand washing, and a volume of 20L to 50L for machine washing. The temperature of the laundry washing solution is preferably in the range of 5°C to 60°C.

[0087] The dosage in the method herein may vary according to the type of washing. In one embodiment, the method comprises applying from about 5 g to about 60 g of a laundry detergent composition to a wash basin (e.g., about 2-4 L). In an alternative embodiment, the method comprises applying from about 5 g to about 100 g, preferably from about 10 g to about 65 g of a laundry detergent composition to a washing machine (e.g., about 30-45 L).

[0088] Test Method

[0089] Test 1: Dye Bleeding Test

[0090] The dye bleed test was performed using a Tergotometer (Model: RHLQ1V, obtained from Research Institute of Daily Chemical Industry (RIDCI)) as follows:

[0091] 1) Cut out pieces of test fabric (ASIE-130 or ASIE-133) of about 1.0 g each for each tube of the tergotometer;

[0092] 2) Add water hardness level of about 9 gpg (including Ca2+ With Mg 2+ 1L of reverse osmosis (RO) water (weight ratio of about 4:1) was heated to 40°C in a water bath;

[0093] 3) dissolving about 2.0 grams of the sample liquid detergent composition to form a wash liquid having a detergent dosage of about 2000 ppm;

[0094] 4) adjusting the pH of the solution to about 8.5;

[0095] 5) Take out about 30 ml of the solution to measure L* / a* / b* before washing (measured by using a 5 cm×1 cm sample chamber with UltraScan VIS (obtained from HunterLab, Virginia, USA));

[0096] 6) Add a 1.0 g piece of test fabric to each tube and wash for about 20 minutes;

[0097] 7) taking out about 30 ml of the solution under the same conditions as step 5) to measure L* / a* / b; and

[0098] 8) Calculate ΔE based on the measurements before and after washing, with higher ΔE indicating more severe dye bleeding.

[0099] Example

[0100] Example 1: Synergy between dye fixatives and amine oxides in color protection

[0101] Four (4) sample liquid laundry detergent compositions were prepared containing the following ingredients. Sample 1 did not contain any dye fixative or amine oxide. Sample 2 contained an amine oxide, and Sample 3 contained a dye fixative. Sample 4 contained both a dye fixative and an amine oxide.

[0102] Table 1

[0103] Ingredients (weight %) Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 <![CDATA[Dye fixative 1 > - - 2.6％ 0.6％ Dodecyl dimethyl amine oxide - 2.6％ - 2％ <![CDATA[C 12-14 EO7]]> 10％ 10％ 10％ 10％ <![CDATA[C 12-14 AE 1-3 S]]> 2.5％ 2.5％ 2.5％ 2.5％ <![CDATA[C 11-13 THE]]> 2.5％ 2.5％ 2.5％ 2.5％ water margin margin margin margin Remark Comparison Amine oxide only Dye fixative only Amine oxide + dye fixative

[0104] 1 Dye fixative: poly(2-hydroxypropyldimethylammonium chloride), commercially available under the trade name TEXCARE DFC 6 from Clariant

[0105] The ΔE of these samples was measured as a measure of dye bleed according to Test 1 as described above (Dye Bleed Test, using fabrics colored with blue dye (ASIE-133) or direct red dye (ASIE-130), respectively). Higher ΔE indicates more severe dye bleed, while lower ΔE indicates more effective color protection.

[0106] Blue fabric

[0107] The results for blue fabrics are shown in the table below, where the colored fabrics showed bleeding (i.e., ΔE of 1.18) after washing with Sample 1, which did not contain a dye fixative or amine oxide surfactant. Surprisingly, the inventors discovered that the combination of a dye fixative and an amine oxide can deliver effective color protection, i.e., significantly reduced bleeding (ΔE of 0.63) compared to the control (ΔE of 1.18), the dye fixative alone (ΔE of 2.17), or the amine oxide alone (ΔE of 1.09).

[0108] Table 2

[0109] Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 ΔE 1.18 1.09 2.17 0.63 Remark Comparison Amine oxide only Dye fixative only Amine oxide + dye fixative

[0110] Red fabric

[0111] Another test (which used fabrics colored with a red dye (ASIE-130)) was conducted using Test 1 (Dye Bleeding Test) described above to show color protection for a different color (i.e., red). The results are shown in the table below, where a synergistic effect between the dye fixative and the amine oxide was also observed. It also shows that the reduction in bleeding achieved by the combination of the dye fixative and the amine oxide compared to the dye fixative alone or the amine oxide alone (ΔE of 0.74 vs. ΔE of 0.79).

[0112] Table 3

[0113] Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Sample 4 ΔE 0.79 0.81 1.13 0.74 Remark Comparison Amine oxide only Dye fixative only Amine oxide + dye fixative

[0114] Example 2: Exemplary Formulation of a Liquid Laundry Detergent Composition Containing a Dye Fixing Agent and an Amine Oxide

[0115] The following liquid laundry detergent compositions shown in Table 4 were prepared containing the listed ingredients in the listed proportions (wt %).

[0116] Table 4

[0117]

[0118]

[0119] 1 Dye fixative: poly(2-hydroxypropyldimethylammonium chloride), commercially available under the trade name TEXCARE DFC 6 from Clariant

[0120] Table 4 (continued)

[0121]

[0122]

[0123] 1 Dye fixative: poly(2-hydroxypropyldimethylammonium chloride), commercially available under the trade name TEXCARE DFC 6 from Clariant

[0124] Example 3: Exemplary Formulation of a Unit Dose Laundry Detergent Composition Containing a Dye Fixing Agent and an Amine Oxide

[0125] Exemplary formulations for unit dose laundry detergents were prepared as shown in Table 5. These compositions were encapsulated in unit dose compartments by using polyvinyl alcohol based films.

[0126] Table 5

[0127]

[0128] 1 Dye fixative: poly(2-hydroxypropyldimethylammonium chloride), commercially available under the trade name TEXCARE DFC 6 from Clariant

[0129] The dimensions and values ​​disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values ​​cited. Instead, unless otherwise indicated, each such dimension is intended to represent the stated value and a functionally equivalent range around that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40 mm".

[0130] Unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited, each document cited herein, including any cross-referenced or related patent or patent application and any patent application or patent to which this application claims priority or the benefit of, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art to any of the present invention disclosed or claimed herein, or an admission that it, by itself or in combination with any one or more of the references, proposes, suggests, or discloses any such invention. In addition, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this invention conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this invention shall govern.

[0131] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that all such changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention be covered in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A laundry detergent composition comprising: a) from 0.01% to 10% by weight of the composition of a dye fixing agent, wherein the dye fixing agent is selected from the reaction products of dialkylamines and epichlorohydrin; and b) 0.01% to 10% by weight of the composition of an amine oxide.

2. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of the dye fixing agent to the amine oxide is between 0.05 and 10.

3. A laundry detergent composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dye fixing agent is present in an amount ranging from 0.02% to 5% by weight of the composition.

4. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dye fixing agent is poly (2-hydroxypropyldimethylammonium chloride).

5. A laundry detergent composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amine oxide is present in an amount ranging from 0.02% to 8% by weight of the composition.

6. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amine oxide is selected from C6-C 20 Alkyl dimethyl amine oxides and any combination thereof.

7. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amine oxide is selected from C 10 -C 16 Alkyl dimethyl amine oxides and any combination thereof.

8. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amine oxide is dodecyl dimethyl amine oxide and / or tetradecyl dimethyl amine oxide.

9. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the composition further comprises: c) from 0.1% to 50% by weight of the composition of a nonionic surfactant system; and / or d) from 0.1% to 50% by weight of the composition of an anionic surfactant system.

10. A laundry detergent composition according to claim 9 wherein the nonionic surfactant system is present in an amount ranging from 1% to 45%.

11. The laundry detergent composition of claim 9, wherein the nonionic surfactant system comprises a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkyl alkoxylated alcohols, alkyl alkoxylated phenols, alkyl polysaccharides, alkyl polyglycosides, methyl ester ethoxylates, polyhydroxy fatty acid amides, alkoxylated fatty acid esters, sucrose esters, sorbitan esters and alkoxylated derivatives of sorbitan esters, and any combination thereof.

12. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 9, wherein the nonionic surfactant system comprises C6-C 20 Alkoxylated alcohols.

13. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 9, wherein the nonionic surfactant system comprises C8-C16-6H2O2 surfactants having a weight average degree of ethoxylation in the range of 1 to 20. 18 Ethoxylated alcohol.

14. A laundry detergent composition according to claim 9 wherein the anionic surfactant system is present in an amount ranging from 0.1% to 45% by weight of the composition.

15. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 9, wherein the anionic surfactant system comprises an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of C6-C 20 Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), C6-C 20 Alkyl sulfate (AS), C6-C 20 Alkyl alkoxy sulfate (AAS), C6-C 20 Methyl ester sulfonate (MES), C6-C 20 Alkyl ether carboxylates (AEC), and any combination thereof.

16. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 9, wherein the anionic surfactant system comprises C6-C 20 LAS and optionally additional anionic surfactants.

17. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 16, wherein the additional anionic surfactant is C6-C 20 AS and / or C6-C 20 AAS.

18. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 16, wherein the C6-C 20 LAS is present in an amount ranging from 10% to 100% by weight of the anionic surfactant system.

19. A laundry detergent composition according to claim 9, wherein the weight ratio of the nonionic surfactant system to the anionic surfactant system is at least 1.

2.

20. The laundry detergent composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the composition is a liquid composition or a unit dose composition.

21. A laundry detergent composition according to claim 20, wherein the composition is a liquid composition comprising: a) 0.15% to 0.9% by weight of the composition of the dye fixing agent, wherein the dye fixing agent is selected from the reaction products of dimethylamine and epichlorohydrin; b) 0.15% to 2% by weight of the composition of said amine oxide, said amine oxide being C6-C 20 Alkyl dimethyl amine oxide; c) 4% to 15% by weight of the composition of a nonionic surfactant system comprising C 600 having a weight average degree of ethoxylation in the range of 7 to 9. 10 -C 16 ethoxylated alcohols; and d) from 1% to 10% by weight of the composition of an anionic surfactant system comprising C 10 -C 16 LAS and C 10 -C 16 Alkyl ethoxy sulfate, wherein the C 10 -C 16 LAS is present in an amount ranging from 40% to 90% by weight of the anionic surfactant system; wherein the weight ratio of the dye fixing agent to the amine oxide is between 0.2 and 1, and wherein the weight ratio of the nonionic surfactant system to the anionic surfactant system is between 2 and 8.

22. The laundry detergent composition of claim 20, wherein the composition is a unit dose composition comprising: a) 0.5% to 3% by weight of the composition of the dye fixing agent, wherein the dye fixing agent is selected from the reaction products of dimethylamine and epichlorohydrin; b) 0.5% to 8% by weight of the composition of said amine oxide, said amine oxide being C6-C 20 Alkyl dimethyl amine oxide; c) 10% to 35% by weight of the composition of a nonionic surfactant system comprising C 10 -C 16 ethoxylated alcohols; and d) 3% to 25% by weight of the composition of an anionic surfactant system comprising C 10 -C 16 LAS and C 10 -C 16 Alkyl ethoxy sulfate, wherein the C 10 -C 16 LAS is present in an amount ranging from 40% to 90% by weight of the anionic surfactant system; wherein the weight ratio of the dye fixing agent to the amine oxide is between 0.2 and 1, and wherein the weight ratio of the nonionic surfactant system to the anionic surfactant system is between 2 and 8.

23. A laundry detergent composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the composition further comprises: e) from 0.01% to 10% by weight of the composition of fatty acids; and / or f) 0.01% to 10%, by weight of the composition, of a polyvinyl acetate grafted polyethylene oxide copolymer.

24. A method of protecting the colour of a coloured fabric, the method comprising contacting the coloured fabric with a laundry detergent composition according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 23.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the color protection is achieved by fixing the dye in the colored fabric and / or preventing the colored fabric from fading or bleeding.

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