Fabric softner composition

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fabric softener composition, characterized by comprising (a) a nonionic surfactant; and (b) one or more selected from the group consisting of a cationic polymer not containing an ester moiety and polydimethylsiloxane, thereby imparting smoothness and softness to fibers and improving storage stability.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a fabric softener composition. Background Technology

[0002] Fabric softeners are widely used in households to prevent static electricity in clothing and to provide flexibility to fabrics, and their usage is gradually increasing.

[0003] Generally, cationic surfactants are used as the main ingredient to provide a softening effect on fabrics in fabric softeners. However, fabric softeners containing cationic surfactants have had problems with poor stability over time, such as increased viscosity or the formation of lumps within the product during long-term storage after manufacturing. In addition, when anionic surfactants are contained in fabric softeners or residual detergents, they form precipitates together with cationic surfactants, causing serious problems such as white residue remaining on the fabric after washing. Consequently, research into alternative main ingredients that provide the softening effect is continuously being conducted.

[0004] Since fabric softeners were commercialized worldwide in the 1950s, cationic surfactants have been used as ingredients to provide softening effects for over 60 years. However, in recent years, the harmful effects of these cationic surfactants on the human body have been revealed, leading to an increasing desire to avoid their use. The problem to be solved

[0005] The present invention was created to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and the objective of the present invention is to provide a fabric softener composition that does not contain a cationic surfactant, more specifically, an ester-containing quaternary ammonium salt (EQ). means of solving the problem

[0006] A fabric softener composition according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized by comprising (a) a nonionic surfactant and (b) one or more selected from the group consisting of a cationic polymer that does not contain an ester moiety and polydimethylsiloxane.

[0007] Specifically, the nonionic surfactant may be an alkyl glucoside or a lauryl alcohol ether.

[0008] Specifically, the nonionic surfactant may be an alkyl glucoside having 8 to 24 carbon atoms.

[0009] Specifically, the cationic polymer that does not contain the above ester moiety may be polyquaternium-10.

[0010] Specifically, the polydimethylsiloxane may be amodimethicone.

[0011] Specifically, one or more selected from the group consisting of the above-mentioned nonionic surfactant, a cationic polymer not containing the above-mentioned ester moiety, and polydimethylsiloxane may be included in a weight ratio of 1:100 to 10:1.

[0012] Specifically, one or more selected from the group consisting of the above-mentioned nonionic surfactant, a cationic polymer not containing the above-mentioned ester moiety, and polydimethylsiloxane may be included in a weight ratio of 1:1.

[0013] Specifically, one or more selected from the group consisting of the above-mentioned nonionic surfactant, a cationic polymer not containing the above-mentioned ester moiety, and polydimethylsiloxane may be included in an amount of 0.1 to 10 weight% with respect to 100 weight% of the fabric softener composition.

[0014] Specifically, the friction coefficient of a fiber treated with the fabric softener composition according to the present invention may be 0.8 or less. Effects of the invention

[0015] The fabric softener composition according to the present invention provides superior smoothness and flexibility of the fibers after use compared to a fabric softener composition containing a cationic surfactant, even though it does not substantially contain a cationic surfactant.

[0016] In addition, the fabric softener composition according to the present invention has excellent storage stability compared to a fabric softener composition containing a cationic surfactant. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0017] The objects, specific advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and preferred embodiments. However, these embodiments are intended to illustrate the invention and the scope of the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, in describing the present invention, detailed descriptions of related prior art are omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the essence of the invention.

[0018] In the following, "smoothness" can be expressed as the coefficient of friction exhibited by the surface of a fabric, such as clothing, after using a fabric softener composition, and can be expressed as a relative value according to the composition of the fabric softener composition.

[0019] In the following, the "softening effect" can be expressed as a bending value when a fiber, such as clothing, is bent after using a fabric softener composition, and can be expressed as a relative value according to the composition of the fabric softener composition.

[0020] In the following, "substantially not included" may mean preferably 0.0001 to 5 weight% included, more preferably 0.001 to 3 weight%, even more preferably 0.01 to 1 weight%, and very preferably 0 weight% included.

[0022] A fabric softener composition according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises (a) a nonionic surfactant and (b) one or more selected from the group consisting of a cationic polymer that does not contain an ester moiety and polydimethylsiloxane.

[0023] In the present invention, (a) a nonionic surfactant is soluble in water but does not ionize, and may include both hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers. For example, the nonionic surfactant may be a polymer formed by block polymerization or graft polymerization of hydrophilic and hydrophobic monomers, but is not limited thereto.

[0024] In the present invention, (a) a nonionic surfactant is included in the fabric softener composition and can lower the surface tension of the fiber surface, such as clothing, thereby improving the adhesion of the component providing the softening effect described below to the said surface.

[0025] In the present invention, (a) the nonionic surfactant may be an alkyl glucoside (AG, Alkyl Glucoside) or a lauryl alcohol ether.

[0026] The alkyl glucoside may be an alkyl polyglucoside having the structure of Chemical Formula 1 below.

[0027]

[0028] In the expression, n and m are natural numbers, m is from 1 to 10, and n is from 1 to 30.

[0029] In the present invention, the alkyl glucoside may have 8 to 24 carbon atoms and may be prepared using starch and fat, but may also be purchased and used from commercially available products in Korea or abroad.

[0030] Lauryl alcohol ether (LAE) may be an ethoxylate reaction product of lauryl alcohol and refers to polyoxyethylene lauryl ether.

[0031] In the present invention, the lauryl alcohol ether may be LAE-5 produced by reacting 1 mole of lauryl alcohol with 5 moles of ethylene oxide, but is not limited thereto, and may be purchased and used from commercially available products in Korea or abroad.

[0033] In the present invention, (b) a cationic polymer or polydimethylsiloxane that does not contain an ester moiety can be included in the fabric softener composition to impart smoothness and softening effects to the surface of fibers such as clothing.

[0034] In the present invention, "moiety" refers to a part or component of a molecule that can be found within a compound molecule. A moiety may refer to a characteristic structure within a single molecule, and a plurality of moietys may be included within a single molecule.

[0035] In the present invention, when (b) a cationic polymer is used as a component providing a softening effect, by using one that does not contain an ester moiety, the problem of reduced storage stability and softening effect of the fabric softener composition due to the hydrolysis of the ester moiety can be improved. The cationic polymer that does not contain (b) an ester moiety may be polyquaternium-10.

[0036] Polyquaternium-10 refers to a product obtained by adding an ammonium salt to hydroxyethylcellulose and has the structure of Chemical Formula 2 below.

[0037]

[0038] In the expression, x and y are natural numbers, x is from 1 to 10, and y is from 1 to 10.

[0039] In the present invention, polyquaternium-10 can be prepared by reacting hydroxyethylcellulose with diglycidyltrimethylammonium chloride or 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride, but it can also be purchased and used from commercially available products in Korea or abroad.

[0040] In the present invention, (b) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a silicone-based organic polymer that is non-toxic to the human body and has rheological properties suitable for use as a conditioning agent.

[0041] In the present invention, (b) polydimethylsiloxane may be amodimethicone having the structure of Chemical Formula 3 below.

[0042]

[0043] In the expression, x and y are natural numbers, x is from 1 to 10, and y is from 1 to 10.

[0044] Amodimethicone with a molecular weight of 1,000 to 200,000 may be used. Preferably, amodimethicone with a molecular weight of 10,000 to 100,000 may be used, and more preferably, one with a molecular weight of 30,000 to 100,000 may be used.

[0046] A fabric softener composition according to one embodiment of the present invention may comprise one or more components selected from the group consisting of (a) a nonionic surfactant and (b) a cationic polymer not containing an ester moiety and polydimethylsiloxane in a weight ratio of 1:100 to 10:1. Preferably, the fabric softener composition may comprise (a) and (b) in a weight ratio of 1:10 to 10:1. More preferably, the fabric softener composition may comprise (a) and (b) in a weight ratio of 1:1.

[0047] A fabric softener composition according to one embodiment of the present invention may comprise one or more components selected from the group consisting of (a) a nonionic surfactant, and (b) a cationic polymer not containing an ester moiety and polydimethylsiloxane, in an amount of 0.1 to 10 weight% with respect to 100 weight% of the fabric softener composition. Preferably, the fabric softener composition may comprise (a) and (b) in an amount of 1 to 10 weight% with respect to 100 weight% of the fabric softener composition.

[0048] A fabric softener composition according to one embodiment of the present invention may substantially not contain cationic surfactants with low long-term storage stability, and in particular may be characterized by substantially not containing esterquats.

[0049] The friction coefficient of a fiber treated with a fabric softener composition according to one embodiment of the present invention may be 0.800 or less, preferably 0.500 to 0.800, and more preferably 0.600 to 0.760. If the friction coefficient of the fiber exceeds 0.800, the smoothness of the fiber may not be felt.

[0051] Additionally, a fabric softener composition according to one embodiment of the present invention may further include a thickener, a pH adjuster, a fragrance, a solubilizer for the fragrance, deionized water, etc.

[0053] The present invention will be described in more detail below through preferred embodiments.

[0054] The raw materials used in the embodiments of the present invention were purchased from raw material suppliers that are generally available on the market, and in particular, the alkylglucoside used was ELOTANT MILOOSIDE with 12 to 14 carbon atoms from LG Household & Health Care Co., Ltd.

[0055] Example. Fabric softener composition comprising a nonionic surfactant and polydimethylsiloxane

[0056] A certain amount of deionized water was prepared, and alkyl glucoside and amodimethicone were each added at 0.5 wt% to 100 wt% of the total composition to prepare a fabric softener composition Example 1-1.

[0057] In the same way, Fabric Softener Composition Examples 1-2 were prepared by adding an equal amount of Polyquaternium-10 instead of Amodimethicone.

[0058] In the fabric softener compositions of the present example and the following comparative examples, fragrances of the same type and content and solubilizers for fragrances were added, and a pH adjuster was further added so that the pH of the final fabric softener composition was 2 to 4.

[0059] For Comparative Example 1, a fabric softener composition was prepared that does not contain ingredients that impart a softening effect to fibers, such as nonionic surfactants. For Comparative Examples 2-1 and 2-2, fabric softener compositions were prepared that contain quaternary ammonium salts (esterquats, cas No. 91995-81-2) containing ester moiety at 1% by weight and 10% by weight, respectively, of 100% by weight of the fabric softener composition. For Comparative Example 3, a fabric softener composition was prepared that contains alkyl glucoside at 1% by weight of 100% by weight of the fabric softener composition. For Comparative Example 4, a fabric softener composition was prepared that contains amodimethicone at 1% by weight of 100% by weight of the fabric softener composition.

[0061] Experimental Example 1. Evaluation of fabric smoothness after use of fabric softener composition

[0062] After treating the fabric softener compositions prepared in the examples and comparative examples on the test fabric, the friction coefficient of the test fabric was measured to evaluate the smoothness of the fabric. The test fabric was made by blending towel yarn and cotton yarn and cutting it to 2 cm × 20 cm.

[0063] The test fabric was immersed in the fabric softener composition according to the examples and comparative examples so that it was completely submerged, and stirred up and down the same number of times. Care was taken to ensure that the test fabric was not wrinkled by external force during the process of immersion and stirring. After leaving the test fabric completely submerged in the composition for 5 minutes, the test fabric was removed and completely dried under conditions of 25°C and a relative humidity of 30 to 40%.

[0064] Using a measuring instrument (Diastron, Model MTT175), the operating speed of the instrument was adjusted to 200 mm / min, and the friction coefficient of each experimental cloth was measured under conditions of 25°C and relative humidity of 45 to 55%. The measured friction coefficients are shown in Table 1 below.

[0065] division coefficient of friction Improvement rate (%) based on Comparative Example 1 Example 1-1 0.701 20.79 Example 1-2 0.751 15.14 Comparative Example 1 0.885 0.00 Comparative Example 2-1 0.847 4.29 Comparative Example 3 0.955 -7.91 Comparative Example 4 0.849 4.07

[0067] As shown in Table 1, when using the fabric softener composition prepared according to the example, the reduction rate of the friction coefficient was found to increase by up to about 4.8 times compared to Comparative Example 2-1, which used a quaternary ammonium salt containing a conventional ester moiety.

[0068] In addition, the friction coefficient reduction rate was found to be significantly superior when compared to Comparative Example 3, which used only alkyl glucoside, and Comparative Example 4, which used only amodimethicone. This means that compared to simply using each component alone, the smoothing effect is maximized by mixing a nonionic surfactant with amodimethicone or polyquaternium, thereby allowing amodimethicone or polyquaternium to be applied to a surface treated with alkyl glucoside.

[0070] Experimental Example 2. Evaluation of fabric softening after use of fabric softener composition

[0071] After treating the fabric softener composition prepared in the examples and comparative examples with the test fabric, the flexibility of the fabric was evaluated by measuring the bending value of the test fabric. The test fabric was made by blending towel yarn and cotton yarn and cutting it to 2 cm × 20 cm.

[0072] The test fabric was immersed in the fabric softener composition according to the examples and comparative examples so that it was completely submerged, and stirred up and down the same number of times. Care was taken to ensure that the test fabric was not wrinkled by external force during the process of immersion and stirring. After leaving the test fabric completely submerged in the composition for 5 minutes, the test fabric was removed and completely dried under conditions of 25°C and a relative humidity of 30 to 40%.

[0073] Bending values ​​were measured according to ASTM D1388, JIS L-1096, L-1906, L-1912, L-1913, ISO 9073-7, ASTM D-5732, and GB / T 18318-2001 standards. Using a measuring instrument (Daeyoung Science, CAN-1MCC), the operating speed of the instrument was adjusted to 5 mm / sec, and the bending values ​​of each test fabric were measured under conditions of 25℃ and relative humidity of 45 to 55%. The measured bending values ​​are shown in Table 2 below.

[0074] division Bending value Improvement rate (%) based on Comparative Example 1 Example 1-1 41.38 13.19 Example 1-2 46.30 2.87 Comparative Example 1 47.67 0.00 Comparative Example 2-1 42.38 11.10 Comparative Example 3 45.06 5.48 Comparative Example 4 41.57 12.80

[0076] As shown in Table 2, when using the fabric softener composition prepared according to Example 1-1, the bending value was found to be about 13% lower compared to Comparative Example 1, which did not contain softening ingredients, confirming that the softening effect is excellent.

[0077] In addition, it was found to have a lower bending value than Comparative Example 2-1, which used a quaternary ammonium salt containing a conventional ester moiety, confirming that the combination of alkyl glucoside and amodimethicone can be used as a superior substitute for conventional softening effect-giving ingredients.

[0079] Experimental Example 3. Evaluation of Storage Stability of Fabric Softener Composition

[0080] The fabric softener compositions prepared in the examples and comparative examples were stored at 40°C for 6 months to evaluate their storage stability under harsh conditions. After storage, the compositions were evaluated based on whether precipitates formed and whether off-odors occurred, with ○: Good, △: Average, and ×: Unusable, as shown in Table 3 below.

[0081] division Examples Comparative Example 2-2 Comparative Example 3 Comparative Example 4 evaluation ○ × ○ ○

[0083] While the fabric softener composition prepared according to the example had long-term stability even when stored under harsh conditions and did not cause any issues with use, the fabric softener composition according to Comparative Example 2-2 formed a precipitate and it was confirmed that the fabric used also had a musty odor.

[0085] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and it is obvious that it may include a combination of the above embodiments or a combination of at least one of the above embodiments and known technology as another embodiment.

[0086] Although the present invention has been described in detail through specific embodiments, this is for the purpose of specifically explaining the invention, and the invention is not limited thereto. It will be apparent that modifications or improvements can be made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope of the invention.

[0087] All simple variations or modifications of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention, and the specific scope of protection of the present invention will be clarified by the appended claims.

Claims

Claim 1 A fabric softener composition, wherein the fabric softener composition does not contain a cationic surfactant and comprises an alkyl glucoside; a polydimethylsiloxane; and a pH adjuster; wherein the alkyl glucoside and the polydimethylsiloxane are included in a weight ratio of 1:100 to 10:1, the number of carbon atoms of the alkyl glucoside is 12 to 14, the fabric softener composition is for household use, and the pH of the fabric softener composition is 2 to 4. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A fabric softener composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the polydimethylsiloxane is amodimethicone. Claim 6 delete Claim 7 A fabric softener composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the alkyl glucoside and the polydimethylsiloxane are included in a weight ratio of 1:

1. Claim 8 A fabric softener composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the alkyl glucoside and the polydimethylsiloxane are included in an amount of 0.1 to 10 weight% based on 100 weight% of the fabric softener composition.

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