Fabric-softening detergent, laundry after-treatment or laundry care product

Abstract

The invention relates to starch-based cationic polymers which impart fabric-softening properties to detergent, laundry after-treatment or laundry care products.

Description

[0001] Fabric softening washing, laundry aftertreatment or laundry care product

[0002] The present invention relates to washing, laundry aftertreatment and laundry care compositions, in particular liquid washing compositions containing certain cationic polymers, their use for increasing the softness of textiles, and a method for increasing the softness of textiles which can be carried out in the home.

[0003] Textiles generally lose their softness after repeated washing. For this reason, it's common practice to use fabric softeners or dry laundry in a tumble dryer to ensure that fabrics retain their pleasant feel and softness even after washing. However, some consumers reject the use of fabric softeners and dryers. It's therefore also desirable to provide detergents that ensure pleasant softness in laundry during the wash cycle.

[0004] It has now been surprisingly discovered that the use of certain cationic starch derivatives can have a beneficial effect on the softness of laundry after the wash process. The positive effect of the cationic starch derivative is evident both in its presence during the actual washing step and in its use in the fabric softening step, i.e., the laundry post-treatment.

[0005] A first subject matter of the invention is therefore a washing, laundry aftertreatment or laundry care agent, in particular a liquid washing agent, which contains a starch-based cationic polymer.

[0006] Starch-based cationic polymers that are particularly suitable are those that carry an average of 0.01 to 1, especially 0.1 to 1, cationic groups, particularly those with an ammonium unit, per glucose unit. Among the starch-based cationic polymers, those that contain -(CH2)m(CHOH) groups bound to the starch backbone via ether bonds are preferred. n - (CH2)O- N + R 1 R 2 R 3 in which m stands for a number in the range from 1 to 10, in particular from 1 to 2, n stands for a number from 0 to 1, o stands for a number such that the sum of m + o + n is in the range from 2 to 20, in particular from 2 to 10, and R 1 to R 3independently of one another represent alkyl groups having 1 to 10, in particular 1 to 3, carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyl groups having 2 to 10, in particular 2 to 3, carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof. A starch-based cationic polymer preferably has a number-average molecular weight in the range from 1,000,000 g / mol to 5,000,000 g / mol, in particular from 1,500,000 g / mol to 2,500,000 g / mol. The average molecular weight of the polymers, which are usually present as a mixture of polymers of different chain lengths, can be determined using known chromatographic methods by comparison with polymers of known average molecular weight.Starch-based cationic polymers are obtainable in a known manner by reacting starch with electrophiles containing a cationic moiety, for example, ammonioalkyl halides or ammonioalkylene epoxides, or by reacting the non-quaternized derivatives thereof with starch and subsequently quaternizing the reaction products. Particularly preferred cationic groups include, among others, 2-hydroxy-3-(trialkylammonio)alkyl ether groups with optional oligoalkylene glycol spacers and mixtures thereof, in particular the 2-hydroxy-3-(trimethylammonio)propyl ether group. The starch-based cationic polymers have charge-balancing counteranions, in particular selected from chloride, sulfate, sulfonate, methosulfate, and mixtures thereof.

[0007] In addition to the fabric-softening properties resulting from the use of the starch-based cationic polymer, a particular advantage is that liquid products containing it do not require the conventionally used preservatives to remain microbiologically stable during extended storage. Products according to the invention are therefore particularly suitable for use by consumers with sensitive skin or atopic dermatitis. Furthermore, the starch derivatives essential to the invention in liquid products lead to acceptable viscosities and thus good dosing behavior, and do not impair the translucency of the products, if desired.

[0008] The starch-based cationic polymer is preferably contained in washing, laundry aftertreatment or laundry care agents in amounts of 0.01 wt.% to 5 wt.%, based in each case on the total weight of the agents, in particular from 0.05 wt.% to 1 wt.%.

[0009] The agents according to the invention are preferably liquid and preferably contain 0.01% by weight to 90% by weight, in particular 10% by weight to 65% by weight of water.

[0010] A composition according to the invention can be presented in a ready-to-use, individually dosed form in a film-like casing made of water-soluble material. It is possible for the film-like casing to form several, in particular 2, 3, 4, or 5, separate chambers, each of which is filled with different component compositions, with the totality of the component compositions constituting the fabric-softening washing, laundry aftertreatment, or laundry care composition.

[0011] The invention further relates to the use of a starch-based cationic polymer or a washing, laundry aftertreatment, or laundry care agent containing it for increasing the softness of textiles after washing. The invention further relates to a method for increasing the softness of textiles by contacting them with a washing or laundry care agent containing a starch-based cationic polymer, and subsequently washing the textile in the presence of said washing or laundry care agent and / or subsequently softening the textile in the presence of a laundry aftertreatment agent containing a starch-based cationic polymer.When using a laundry aftertreatment agent according to the invention in the fabric softening step, it is therefore possible to use a detergent in the upstream washing step which does not contain a starch-based cationic polymer, or to use a washing or laundry care agent according to the invention in the upstream washing step.

[0012] The invention further provides a washing process comprising the process steps a) providing an aqueous washing or laundry rinsing solution comprising a washing, laundry aftertreatment or laundry care agent according to the invention, and b) bringing a textile into contact with the washing or rinsing solution according to (a) for a period of time of, in particular, 15 minutes to 180 minutes and at a temperature of, in particular, 10 °C to 95 °C. Time periods in the rather longer range of preferably 30 minutes to 180 minutes are suitable when using agents according to the invention exclusively in the washing step or in both the washing and the rinsing step, whereas time periods in the rather shorter range of preferably 5 minutes to 15 minutes are suitable when using agents according to the invention exclusively in the rinsing step.

[0013] The processes can be carried out, for example, by contacting textiles with an aqueous preparation containing 0.0003 g / l to 0.30 g / l, preferably 0.003 g / l to 0.03 g / l, of the polymer essential to the invention. This can be done within the framework of a conventional washing process, which can be carried out using a household washing machine or by hand. The polymer in the aqueous preparation is preferably used in the washing step, but can also be used in the rinsing step, i.e., after the actual washing step. The polymer can be a component of detergents or laundry aftertreatment agents, such as fabric softeners, commonly used in such washing processes.However, the polymer can also be a component of a laundry care product, which can be present in particular as a liquid spray product, which is applied, in particular sprayed, to a textile after dilution with water or preferably undiluted, without the need for a washing process or without a washing process having to immediately precede application. The washing, laundry aftertreatment, or laundry care products can contain other conventional ingredients of such products that do not interact in an undesirable manner with the polymer essential to the invention.

[0014] Such a composition preferably contains synthetic anionic surfactants of the sulfate or sulfonate type, in amounts of preferably not more than 35 wt.%, in particular from 0.1 wt.% to 25 wt.%, in each case based on the total composition. Synthetic anionic surfactants particularly suitable for use in such compositions are alkyl and / or alkenyl sulfates with 8 to 22 carbon atoms, which carry an alkali, ammonium, or alkyl- or hydroxyalkyl-substituted ammonium ion as the countercation. Preferred are derivatives of fatty alcohols, in particular with 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and their branched-chain analogues, the so-called oxo alcohols. The alkyl and alkenyl sulfates can be prepared in a known manner by reacting the corresponding alcohol component with a conventional sulfating reagent, in particular sulfur trioxide or chlorosulfonic acid, and subsequent neutralization with alkali, ammonium or alkyl or hydroxyalkyl-substituted ammonium bases.Particularly preferred sulfate-type surfactants include the above-mentioned sulfated alkoxylation products of the aforementioned alcohols, so-called ether sulfates. Such ether sulfates preferably contain 2 to 30, in particular 4 to 10, ethylene glycol groups per molecule. Suitable sulfonate-type anionic surfactants include the α-sulfoesters obtainable by reacting fatty acid esters with sulfur trioxide and subsequent neutralization, in particular the sulfonation products derived from fatty acids having 8 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and linear alcohols having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms, as well as the sulfofatty acids obtained from these by formal saponification.The anionic surfactants that can be used also include the salts of sulfosuccinic acid esters, also known as alkyl sulfosuccinates or dialkyl sulfosuccinates, which are monoesters or diesters of sulfosuccinic acid with alcohols, preferably fatty alcohols and especially ethoxylated fatty alcohols. Preferred sulfosuccinates contain Ca to C1a fatty alcohol residues or mixtures thereof. Particularly preferred sulfosuccinates contain an ethoxylated fatty alcohol residue, which in itself represents a nonionic surfactant. Sulfosuccinates whose fatty alcohol residues are derived from ethoxylated fatty alcohols with a narrow homolog distribution are particularly preferred. Alkylbenzenesulfonate is another suitable synthetic anionic surfactant.

[0015] A further embodiment of the compositions comprises the presence of a nonionic surfactant selected from fatty alkyl polyglycosides, fatty alkyl polyalkoxylates, in particular ethoxylates and / or propoxylates, fatty acid polyhydroxyamides and / or ethoxylation and / or propoxylation products of fatty alkylamines, vicinal diols, fatty acid alkyl esters and / or fatty acid amides, and mixtures thereof, in particular in an amount ranging from 2% to 25% by weight. Suitable nonionic surfactants include alkoxylates, in particular ethoxylates and / or propoxylates of saturated or mono- to polyunsaturated linear or branched-chain alcohols having 10 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 18 carbon atoms. The degree of alkoxylation of the alcohols is generally between 1 and 20, preferably between 3 and 10. They can be prepared in a known manner by reacting the corresponding alcohols with the corresponding alkylene oxides.Derivatives of fatty alcohols are particularly suitable, although their branched-chain isomers, especially so-called oxo alcohols, can also be used to produce usable alkoxylates. Accordingly, the alkoxylates, especially the ethoxylates, of primary alcohols with linear, especially dodecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl, or octadecyl, radicals, and mixtures thereof, are suitable. Corresponding alkoxylation products of alkylamines, vicinal diols, and carboxamides, which correspond to the aforementioned alcohols with regard to the alkyl moiety, are also usable. Furthermore, the ethylene oxide and / or propylene oxide insertion products of fatty acid alkyl esters and fatty acid polyhydroxyamides are also suitable. So-called alkyl polyglycosides suitable for incorporation into the compositions according to the invention are compounds of the general formula (G). n -OR 12 , in the R 12an alkyl or alkenyl radical having 8 to 22 C atoms, G is a glycose unit and n is a number between 1 and 10. In the glycoside component (G) n These are oligomers or polymers made from naturally occurring aldose or ketose monomers, which include, in particular, glucose, mannose, fructose, galactose, talose, gulose, altrose, allose, idose, ribose, arabinose, xylose, and lyxose. Oligomers consisting of such glycosidically linked monomers are characterized not only by the type of sugar they contain but also by their number, the so-called degree of oligomerization. The degree of oligomerization n, as an analytically determined quantity, generally takes on fractional numerical values; it lies between 1 and 10, and for the preferably used glycosides, below a value of 1.5, in particular between 1.2 and 1.4. The preferred monomer building block is glucose due to its ready availability. The alkyl or alkenyl moiety R 12The glycosides preferably also originate from readily available derivatives of renewable raw materials, in particular from fatty alcohols, although their branched-chain isomers, in particular so-called oxo alcohols, can also be used to produce usable glycosides. Accordingly, primary alcohols with linear octyl, decyl, dodecyl, tetradecyl, hexadecyl, or octadecyl radicals, as well as mixtures thereof, are particularly useful. Particularly preferred alkyl glycosides contain a coconut fatty alkyl radical, i.e., mixtures with essentially R 12 =Dodecyl and R 12 =Tetradecyl.

[0016] Nonionic surfactant is preferably present in the described agents in amounts of 1 wt.% to 30 wt.%, in particular 1 wt.% to 25 wt.%, with amounts in the upper part of this range being more likely to be found in liquid agents, and particulate agents preferably containing smaller amounts of up to 5 wt.%. Other optional surfactant ingredients include soaps, with saturated fatty acid soaps, such as the salts of lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, or stearic acid, as well as soaps derived from natural fatty acid mixtures, for example coconut, palm kernel, or tallow fatty acids, being suitable. Particularly preferred are soap mixtures which consist of 50 wt.% to 100 wt.% saturated C12-C18 fatty acid soaps and up to 50 wt.% oleic acid soap. Soap is preferably present in amounts of 0.1 wt.% to 5 wt.%.However, particularly in liquid agents containing an active ingredient used according to the invention, higher amounts of soap, generally up to 20% by weight, may also be contained.

[0017] If desired, the agents can contain peroxygen-based bleaching agents, in particular in amounts ranging from 5% to 70% by weight, and optionally bleach activator, in particular in amounts ranging from 0.5% to 10% by weight. The bleaching agents considered are preferably the peroxygen compounds generally used in detergents, such as percarboxylic acids, for example dodecanediperic acid or phthaloylaminoperoxicaproic acid, hydrogen peroxide, alkali perborate, which can be present as tetrahydrate or monohydrate, percarbonate, perpyrophosphate and persilicate, which are generally present as alkali salts, in particular as sodium salts. Such bleaching agents are preferably present in detergents in amounts of up to 25% by weight, in particular up to 15% by weight and particularly preferably from 5% to 15% by weight, in each case based on the total agent, with percarbonate being used in particular.The optionally present component of the bleach activators comprises the commonly used N- or O-acyl compounds, for example multiply acylated alkylenediamines, in particular tetraacetylethylenediamine, acylated glycolurils, in particular tetraacetylglycoluril, N-acylated hydantoins, hydrazides, triazoles, urazoles, diketopiperazines, sulfurylamides and cyanurates, as well as carboxylic acid anhydrides, in particular phthalic anhydride, carboxylic acid esters, in particular sodium isononanoylphenolsulfonate, and acylated sugar derivatives, in particular pentaacetylglucose, as well as cationic nitrile derivatives such as trimethylammonium acetonitrile salts.To prevent interaction with the peroxygen compounds during storage, the bleach activators can be coated with coating substances and / or granulated in a known manner. Tetraacetylethylenediamine granulated with carboxymethylcellulose with average particle sizes of 0.01 mm to 0.8 mm, granulated 1,5-diacetyl-2,4-dioxohexahydro-1,3,5-triazine, and / or trialkylammonium acetonitrile formulated in particle form are particularly preferred. In detergents, such bleach activators are preferably present in amounts of up to 8 wt.%, in particular from 2 wt.% to 6 wt.%, based in each case on the total detergent.

[0018] In a further embodiment, the agent contains water-soluble and / or water-insoluble builder, in particular selected from alkali aluminosilicate, crystalline alkali silicate with a modulus above 1, monomeric polycarboxylate, polymeric polycarboxylate and mixtures thereof, in particular in amounts in the range from 2.5% by weight to 60% by weight.

[0019] Water-soluble organic builder substances include, in particular, those from the class of polycarboxylic acids, especially citric acid and sugar acids, as well as polymeric (poly)carboxylic acids, especially the polycarboxylates accessible by oxidation of polysaccharides, polymeric acrylic acids, methacrylic acids, maleic acids, and copolymers thereof, which may also contain small amounts of polymerizable substances without carboxylic acid functionality. The relative molecular weight of homopolymers of unsaturated carboxylic acids is generally between 5,000 g / mol and 200,000 g / mol, and that of copolymers between 2,000 g / mol and 200,000 g / mol, preferably 50,000 g / mol to 120,000 g / mol, based on the free acid. A particularly preferred acrylic acid-maleic acid copolymer has a relative molecular weight of 50,000 g / mol to 100,000 g / mol.Suitable, albeit less preferred, compounds of this class are copolymers of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid with vinyl ethers, such as vinyl methyl ethers, vinyl esters, ethylene, propylene, and styrene, in which the acid content is at least 50% by weight. Terpolymers containing two carboxylic acids and / or their salts as monomers and vinyl alcohol and / or a vinyl alcohol derivative or a carbohydrate as the third monomer can also be used as water-soluble organic builders. The first acidic monomer or its salt is derived from a monoethylenically unsaturated Cs-Cs carboxylic acid, preferably from a C3-C4 monocarboxylic acid, in particular from (meth)acrylic acid. The second acidic monomer or its salt can be a derivative of a C4-Cs dicarboxylic acid, with maleic acid being particularly preferred. The third monomeric unit in this case is formed from vinyl alcohol and / or, preferably, an esterified vinyl alcohol.Particularly preferred are vinyl alcohol derivatives which are an ester of short-chain carboxylic acids, for example of C 1 -C 4 carboxylic acids, with vinyl alcohol. Preferred terpolymers contain 60% by weight to 95% by weight, in particular 70% by weight to 90% by weight of (meth)acrylic acid and / or (meth)acrylate, particularly preferably acrylic acid and / or acrylate, and maleic acid and / or maleate, as well as 5% by weight to 40% by weight, preferably 10% by weight to 30% by weight of vinyl alcohol and / or vinyl acetate. Very particular preference is given to terpolymers in which the weight ratio of (meth)acrylic acid and / or (meth)acrylate to maleic acid and / or maleate is between 1:1 and 4:1, preferably between 2:1 and 3:1 and in particular 2:1 and 2.5:1. Both the amounts and the weight ratios are based on the acids.The second acidic monomer or its salt can also be a derivative of an allylsulfonic acid substituted in the 2-position by an alkyl radical, preferably a C1-C4 alkyl radical, or an aromatic radical, preferably derived from benzene or benzene derivatives. Preferred terpolymers contain 40% to 60% by weight, in particular 45% to 55% by weight, of (meth)acrylic acid and / or (meth)acrylate, particularly preferably acrylic acid and / or acrylate, 10% to 30% by weight, preferably 15% to 25% by weight, of methallylsulfonic acid and / or methallylsulfonate, and, as a third monomer, 15% to 40% by weight, preferably 20% to 40% by weight, of a carbohydrate. This carbohydrate can be, for example, a mono-, di-, oligo- or polysaccharide, with mono-, di- or oligosaccharides being preferred, and sucrose being particularly preferred.The use of the third monomer presumably creates predetermined breaking points in the polymer, which are responsible for its good biodegradability. These terpolymers generally have a relative molecular mass between 1000 g / mol and 200,000 g / mol, preferably between 2000 g / mol and 50,000 g / mol, and especially between 3000 g / mol and 10,000 g / mol. They can be used, particularly for the production of liquid agents, in the form of aqueous solutions, preferably in the form of 30 to 50 percent by weight aqueous solutions. All of the polycarboxylic acids mentioned are generally used in the form of their water-soluble salts, especially their alkali metal salts.

[0020] Such organic builder substances are preferably present in amounts of up to 40 wt.%, in particular up to 25 wt.%, and particularly preferably from 1 wt.% to 5 wt.%. Amounts close to the stated upper limit are preferably used in paste-like or liquid, especially water-based, compositions.

[0021] As water-insoluble, water-dispersible inorganic builder materials, crystalline or amorphous alkali aluminosilicates are used in particular, in amounts of up to 50 wt.%, preferably not more than 40 wt.%, and in liquid compositions in particular from 1 wt.% to 5 wt.%. Among these, crystalline aluminosilicates of detergent quality, in particular zeolite NaA and optionally NaX, are preferred. Amounts close to the stated upper limit are preferably used in solid, particulate compositions. Suitable aluminosilicates, in particular, have no particles with a grain size larger than 30 μm and preferably consist of at least 80 wt.% particles with a size smaller than 10 μm. Their calcium binding capacity is usually in the range of 100 mg to 200 mg CaO per gram. Suitable substitutes or partial substitutes for the aluminosilicate mentioned are crystalline alkali silicates, which can be present alone or in a mixture with amorphous silicates.The alkali silicates which can be used as builders in the agents preferably have a molar ratio of alkali oxide to SiO2 of less than 0.95, in particular of 1:1.1 to 1:12, and can be amorphous or crystalline. Preferred alkali silicates are sodium silicates, in particular amorphous sodium silicates, with a molar ratio Na2O:SiO2 of 1:2 to 1:2.8. Such amorphous alkali silicates are commercially available, for example, under the name Portil®. Those with a molar ratio Na2O:SiO2 of 1:1.9 to 1:2.8 are preferably added as a solid during production and not in the form of a solution. The crystalline silicates which can be present alone or in a mixture with amorphous silicates are preferably crystalline layered silicates of the general formula Na2Si. xO2x+i yH2O is used, in which x, the so-called modulus, is a number from 1.9 to 4 and y is a number from 0 to 20 and preferred values ​​for x are 2, 3 or 4. Preferred crystalline layered silicates are those in which x in the general formula mentioned takes on the values ​​2 or 3. In particular, both β- and β-sodium disilicates (Na2Si2O5 yH2O) are preferred. Practically anhydrous crystalline alkali silicates produced from amorphous alkali silicates of the above general formula, in which x is a number from 1.9 to 2.1, can also be used in the agents described herein. In a further preferred embodiment of agents according to the invention, a crystalline sodium layered silicate with a modulus of 2 to 3 is used, such as can be produced from sand and soda. Crystalline sodium silicates with a modulus in the range of 1.9 to 3.5 are used in another preferred embodiment of detergents.Their content of alkali silicates is preferably 1 wt.% to 50 wt.% and in particular 5 wt.% to 35 wt.%, based on the anhydrous active substance. If alkali aluminosilicate, in particular zeolite, is also present as an additional builder substance, the content of alkali silicate is preferably 1 wt.% to 15 wt.% and in particular 2 wt.% to 8 wt.%, based on the anhydrous active substance. The weight ratio of aluminosilicate to silicate, in each case based on the anhydrous active substances, is then preferably 4:1 to 10:1. In agents which contain both amorphous and crystalline alkali silicates, the weight ratio of amorphous alkali silicate to crystalline alkali silicate is preferably 1:2 to 2:1 and in particular 1:1 to 2:1.

[0022] In addition to the aforementioned inorganic builder, other water-soluble or water-insoluble inorganic substances may be present in the agents used together with it or employed in the methods according to the invention. Suitable in this context are alkali metal carbonates, alkali metal bicarbonates, and alkali metal sulfates, as well as mixtures thereof. Such additional inorganic material may be present in amounts of up to 70% by weight.

[0023] In addition, the products may contain other ingredients commonly found in washing, laundry aftertreatment, laundry care, or cleaning agents. These optional ingredients include, in particular, enzymes, enzyme stabilizers, heavy metal complexing agents, builders, bleaching agents, electrolytes, non-aqueous solvents, pH adjusters, odor absorbers, deodorizing substances, perfumes, perfume carriers, fluorescent agents, dyes, hydrotropes, foam inhibitors, silicone oils, anti-redeposition agents, graying inhibitors, shrinkage inhibitors, crease inhibitors, dye transfer inhibitors, antimicrobial agents, germicides, fungicides, antioxidants, preservatives, corrosion inhibitors, antistatic agents, bittering agents, ironing aids, anti-staining and waterproofing agents, swelling and slip-resistant agents, softening components, and UV absorbers.

[0024] Solvents that can be used, especially for liquid agents, are preferably non-aqueous solvents that are water-miscible, in addition to water. These include lower alcohols, such as ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, and the isomeric butanols, glycerol, lower glycols, such as ethylene and propylene glycol, and the ethers derived from these compound classes.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the washing or cleaning agent according to the invention further comprises at least one enzyme.

[0026] Any enzymes present are preferably selected from the group comprising protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase, hemicellulase, oxidase, peroxidase, pectinase, and mixtures thereof. Protease obtained from microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi is primarily suitable. It can be obtained from suitable microorganisms in a known manner through fermentation processes. Proteases are commercially available, for example, under the names BLAP®, Savinase®, Esperase®, Maxatase®, Optimase®, Alcalase®, Durazym®, or Maxapem®. The lipase used can be obtained, for example, from Humicola lanuginosa, Bacillus species, Pseudomonas species, Fusarium species, Rhizopus species, or Aspergillus species. Suitable lipases are commercially available under the names Lipolase®, Lipozym®, Lipomax®, Lipex®, Amano® Lipase, Toyo-Jozo® Lipase, Meito® Lipase and Diosynth® Lipase.Suitable amylases are commercially available under the names Maxamyl®, Termamyl®, Duramyl®, and Purafect® OxAm. The cellulase used can be an enzyme obtained from bacteria or fungi, which has an optimum pH, preferably in the slightly acidic to slightly alkaline range of 6 to 9.5. Such cellulases are commercially available under the names Celluzyme®, Carezyme®, and Ecostone®. Suitable pectinases are available, for example, under the names Gamanase®, Pektinex AR®, X-Pect® or Pectaway® from Novozymes, under the names Rohapect UF®, Rohapect TPL®, Rohapect PTE100®, Rohapect MPE®, Rohapect MA plus HC, Rohapect DA12L®, Rohapect 10L®, Rohapect B1 L® from AB Enzymes and under the name Pyrolase® from Diversa Corp., San Diego, CA, USA.

[0027] In preferred embodiments, the agent according to the invention contains as enzyme at least one enzyme selected from protease, amylase, cellulase, mannanase, lipase, pectate lyase.

[0028] In general, the enzymes contained in the agent according to the invention can be adsorbed onto carriers and / or embedded in coating substances to protect them against premature inactivation. The resulting enzymes can be added to agents according to the invention in any form established by the state of the art. These include, in particular, solid preparations obtained by granulation, extrusion, or lyophilization, advantageously as concentrated as possible, with a low water content, and / or containing stabilizers.In an alternative dosage form, the enzymes can also be encapsulated, for example by spray-drying or extrusion of the enzyme solution together with a preferably natural polymer, or in the form of capsules, for example those in which the enzymes are enclosed as if in a solidified gel, or in those of the core-shell type, in which an enzyme-containing core is coated with a water-, air-, and / or chemical-impermeable protective layer. Additional active ingredients, such as stabilizers, emulsifiers, pigments, bleaching agents, or dyes, can be applied in superimposed layers. Such capsules are applied using methods known per se, for example by shaking or rolling granulation or in fluid-bed processes. Such granules, for example by applying polymeric film-forming agents, are advantageously low in dust and, due to the coating, are storage-stable.

[0029] The proteases used are primarily alkaline serine proteases. They act as nonspecific endopeptidases, meaning they hydrolyze any acid amide bonds found within peptides or proteins, thereby breaking down protein-containing soils on the items being cleaned. Their pH optimum is usually in the significantly alkaline range.

[0030] Examples of the subtilisin-type proteases preferably used in detergents and cleaning agents are the subtilisins BPN' and Carlsberg, the protease PB92, the subtilisins 147 and 309, the protease from Bacillus lentus, in particular from Bacillus lentus DSM 5483, subtilisin DY and the enzymes thermitase, proteinase K and the proteases TW3 and TW7, which are classified as subtilases but no longer as subtilisins in the narrower sense, as well as variants of the aforementioned proteases which have an amino acid sequence altered compared to the parent protease. Proteases are modified in a targeted or random manner using methods known from the state of the art and thus optimized, for example, for use in detergents and cleaning agents. These include point mutagenesis, deletion or insertion mutagenesis, or fusion with other proteins or protein fragments. These modified protease variants can also be contained in the agents according to the invention.

[0031] In preferred embodiments, the agent according to the invention can contain an amylase, more preferably an alpha-amylase. Alpha-amylases are among the technically important enzymes. An alpha-amylase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the internal α(1-4) glycoside bonds of amylose, but not the cleavage of terminal or α(1-6) glycoside bonds. Alpha-amylases therefore represent a group of esterases (EC 3.2.1.1). Alpha-amylases catalyze the cleavage of starch, glycogen, and other oligo- and polysaccharides that possess an α(1-4) glycoside bond. In this respect, alpha-amylases act against starch residues in laundry and catalyze their hydrolysis (endohydrolysis).The alpha-amylases used in detergents and cleaning agents known from the state of the art are typically of microbial origin and generally originate from bacteria or fungi, for example, of the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Micrococcus, Humicola, Trichoderma, or Trichosporon, especially Bacillus. Alpha-amylases are usually produced by suitable microorganisms using known biotechnological processes, for example, by transgenic expression hosts of the genera Bacillus or by filamentous fungi.

[0032] The agents preferably additionally contain at least one cellulase. Synonymous terms can be used for cellulases, in particular endoglucanase, endo-1,4-beta-glucanase, carboxymethylcellulase, endo-1,4-beta-D-glucanase, beta-1,4-glucanase, beta-1,4-endoglucan hydrolase, celludextrinase, or avicelase. The decisive factor for whether an enzyme is a cellulase within the meaning of the invention is its ability to hydrolyze 1,4-ß-D-glucosidic bonds in cellulose. Suitable cellulases (endoglucanases, EG) include, for example, the fungal, endoglucanase (EG)-rich cellulase preparation or its further developments, which are offered by the company Novozymes under the trade name Celluzyme®. The products Endolase® and Carezyme®, also available from Novozymes, are based on the 50 kD-EG and the 43 kD-EG from Humicola insolens DSM 1800, respectively.Other commercial products from this company that can be used are Cellusoft®, Renozyme®, and Celluclean®. Other cellulases that can be used include those available from AB Enzymes, Finland, under the trade names Ecostone® and Biotouch®, which are based at least in part on the 20 kD EG from Melanocarpus. Other cellulases from AB Enzymes are Econase® and Ecopulp®. Other suitable cellulases are those from Bacillus sp. CBS 670.93 and CBS 669.93, with the one from Bacillus sp. CBS 670.93 available from Danisco / Genencor under the trade name Puradax®. Other commercial products from Danisco / Genencor that can be used are "Genencor detergent cellulase L" and lndiAge®Neutra. Variants of these enzymes that can be obtained by point mutations can also be used according to the invention.Particularly preferred cellulases are Thielavia terrestris cellulase variants, cellulases from Melanocarpus, in particular Melanocarpus albomyces, EGIII-type cellulases from Trichoderma reesei or variants obtainable therefrom.

[0033] It is preferred according to the invention if the agents according to the invention additionally contain at least one lipase. Lipase enzymes preferred according to the invention are selected from at least one enzyme from the group consisting of triacylglycerol lipase (EC 3.1.1.3), lipoprotein lipase (EC 3.1.1.34), and monoglyceride lipase (EC 3.1.1.23). The preferred field of use for the agents according to the invention is the cleaning of textiles. Because washing and cleaning agents for textiles have predominantly alkaline pH values, lipases that are active in alkaline media are used for this purpose. Furthermore, the lipase preferably contained in a composition according to the invention is naturally present in a microorganism of the species Thermomyces lanuginosus, Rhizopus oryzae, or Mucor javanicus, or is derived from the aforementioned naturally occurring lipases by mutagenesis.Preferred lipases according to the invention are the lipase enzymes available from Amano Pharmaceuticals under the names Lipase M-AP10®, Lipase LE®, and Lipase F® (also Lipase JV®). Lipase F®, for example, is naturally present in Rhizopus oryzae. Lipase M-AP10®, for example, is naturally present in Mucor javanicus. Compositions of a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention contain at least one lipase selected from at least one or more polypeptides having an amino acid sequence which is at least 90% (and increasingly preferably at least 81%, 82%, 83%, 84%, 85%, 86%, 87%, 88%, 89%, 90%, 90.5%, 91%, 91.5%, 92%, 92.5%, 93%, 93.5%, 94%, 94.5%, 95%, 95.5%, 96%, 96.5%, 97%, 97.5%, 98%, 98.5%, 99.0%, 99.1%, 99.2%, 99.3%, 99.4%, 99.5%, 99.6%, 99.7%, 99.8%, 99.9%) is identical to the wild-type lipase from the strain DSM 4109 Thermomyces lanuginosus.It is again preferred if, starting from said wild-type lipase from the strain DSM 4109, at least the amino acid change N233R is present. A highly preferred lipase is commercially available under the trade name Lipex® from Novozymes (Denmark) and can be advantageously used in the cleaning compositions according to the invention. Particular preference is given to the lipase Lipex® 100 L (ex Novozymes A / S, Denmark). Preferred compositions are characterized in that, based on the total weight of the composition, said lipase enzyme from Lipex® 100 L is present in a total amount of 0.01 to 1.0 wt.%, in particular 0.02 to 0.1 wt.%.

[0034] The agents according to the invention can additionally contain at least one mannanase as an enzyme. A mannanase contained in the composition according to the invention (in particular in a preferred washing and cleaning agent for textiles according to the invention) catalyzes, as part of its mannanase activity, the hydrolysis of 1,4-beta-D-mannosidic bonds in mannans, galactomannans, glucomannans, and galactoglucomannans. Said mannanase enzymes according to the invention are classified as EC 3.2.1.78 according to enzyme nomenclature. Suitable compositions according to the invention contain, for example, the mannanase marketed under the name Mannaway® by Novozymes.

[0035] The usual enzyme stabilizers that may be present, particularly in liquid agents, include amino alcohols, for example mono-, di-, triethanol- and -propanolamine and mixtures thereof, lower carboxylic acids, boric acid, alkali borates, boric acid-carboxylic acid combinations, boric acid esters, boronic acid derivatives, calcium salts, for example Ca-formic acid combination, magnesium salts, and / or sulfur-containing reducing agents.

[0036] Suitable foam inhibitors include long-chain soaps, especially behen soap, fatty acid amides, paraffins, waxes, microcrystalline waxes, organopolysiloxanes, and mixtures thereof, which may also contain microfine, optionally sealed or otherwise hydrophobicized silica. For use in particulate agents, such foam inhibitors are preferably bound to granular, water-soluble carrier substances.

[0037] The known polyester-active soil-release polymers include copolyesters of dicarboxylic acids, for example adipic acid, phthalic acid or terephthalic acid, diols, for example ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, and polydiols, for example polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol. The preferred soil-release polyesters include compounds that are formally obtainable by esterification of two monomer moieties, where the first monomer is a dicarboxylic acid HOOC-Ph-COOH and the second monomer is a diol HO-(CHR 11 -) a OH, which is also known as the polymeric diol H-(O-(CHR 11 -) a ) b OH may be present. Wherein Ph denotes an o-, m- or p-phenylene radical which may bear 1 to 4 substituents selected from alkyl radicals having 1 to 22 C atoms, sulfonic acid groups, carboxyl groups and mixtures thereof, R 11Hydrogen, an alkyl radical having 1 to 22 C atoms and mixtures thereof, a is a number from 2 to 6 and b is a number from 1 to 300. The polyesters obtainable from these preferably contain both monomer diol units -O-(CHR 11 -) a O- and polymer diol units -(O-(CHR 11 -) a)bO-. The molar ratio of monomer diol units to polymer diol units is preferably 100:1 to 1:100, in particular 10:1 to 1:10. In the polymer diol units, the degree of polymerization b is preferably in the range from 4 to 200, in particular from 12 to 140. The molecular weight or the average molecular weight or the maximum of the molecular weight distribution of preferred soil-release polyesters is in the range from 250 g / mol to 100,000 g / mol, in particular from 500 g / mol to 50,000 g / mol. The acid underlying the radical Ph is preferably selected from terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, phthalic acid, trimellitic acid, mellitic acid, the isomers of sulfophthalic acid, sulfoisophthalic acid and sulfoterephthalic acid and mixtures thereof. Unless their acid groups are part of the ester bonds in the polymer, they are preferably present in salt form, especially as alkali or ammonium salts. Among these, sodium and potassium salts are particularly preferred.If desired, instead of the monomer HOOC-Ph-COOH, small amounts, in particular not more than 10 mol% based on the proportion of Ph with the meaning given above, of other acids containing at least two carboxyl groups can be present in the soil-release polyester. These include, for example, alkylene and alkenylene dicarboxylic acids such as malonic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, maleic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, pimelic acid, suberic acid, azelaic acid, and sebacic acid. Preferred diols include HO-(CHR). 11 -) a OH includes those in which R 11 hydrogen and a is a number from 2 to 6, and those in which a has the value 2 and R 11 is selected from hydrogen and the alkyl radicals having 1 to 10, in particular 1 to 3, carbon atoms. Among the latter, diols are those of the formula HO-CH2-CHR 11 -OH, in the R 11has the abovementioned meaning, is particularly preferred. Examples of diol components are ethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,3-propylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,8-octanediol, 1,2-decanediol, 1,2-dodecanediol and neopentyl glycol. Particularly preferred among the polymeric diols is polyethylene glycol with an average molecular weight in the range from 1000 g / mol to 6000 g / mol. If desired, the polyesters can also be end-capped, with suitable end groups being alkyl groups having 1 to 22 carbon atoms and esters of monocarboxylic acids. The end groups bound via ester bonds can be based on alkyl, alkenyl and aryl monocarboxylic acids with 5 to 32 C atoms, in particular 5 to 18 C atoms.These include valeric acid, caproic acid, enanthic acid, caprylic acid, pelargonic acid, capric acid, undecanoic acid, undecenoic acid, lauric acid, lauroleic acid, tridecanoic acid, myristic acid, myristoleic acid, pentadecanoic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, petroselinic acid, petroselaidic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolaidic acid, linolenic acid, eleostearic acid, arachidic acid, gadoleic acid, arachidonic acid, behenic acid, erucic acid, brassidic acid, clupanodonic acid, lignoceric acid, cerotic acid, melissic acid, benzoic acid, which can carry 1 to 5 substituents with a total of up to 25 C atoms, in particular 1 to 12 C atoms, for example tert-butylbenzoic acid. The end groups can also be based on hydroxymonocarboxylic acids with 5 to 22 C atoms, which include, for example, hydroxyvaleric acid, hydroxycaproic acid, ricinoleic acid, its hydrogenation product hydroxystearic acid, and o-, m- and p-hydroxybenzoic acid.The hydroxymonocarboxylic acids can, in turn, be linked to one another via their hydroxyl group and their carboxyl group and thus be present multiple times in an end group. The number of hydroxymonocarboxylic acid units per end group, i.e., their degree of oligomerization, is preferably in the range from 1 to 50, in particular from 1 to 10. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, polymers of ethylene terephthalate and polyethylene oxide terephthalate, in which the polyethylene glycol units have molecular weights of 750 g / mol to 5000 g / mol and the molar ratio of ethylene terephthalate to polyethylene oxide terephthalate is 50:50 to 90:10, are used in combination with an active ingredient essential to the invention. The soil-removing polymers are preferably water-soluble, whereby the term “water-soluble” is understood to mean a solubility of at least 0.01 g, preferably at least 0.1 g of the polymer per liter of water at room temperature and pH 8.However, polymers preferably used have a solubility of at least 1 g per liter, in particular at least 10 g per liter, under these conditions.

[0038] In one embodiment of the invention, the laundry care products used as aftertreatment agents can, in particular, contain additional softening components, preferably cationic surfactants. Examples of fabric softening components are quaternary ammonium compounds, cationic polymers, and emulsifiers, such as those used in hair care products and textile conditioning agents.

[0039] Suitable examples are quaternary ammonium compounds of formulas (III) and (IV), where in (II) R and R 1 represents an acyclic alkyl radical having 12 to 24 carbon atoms, R 2 represents a saturated C1-C4 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl radical, R 3 either equal to R, R 1 or R 2or represents an aromatic radical. X" represents either a halide, methosulfate, methophosphate or phosphate ion and mixtures thereof. Examples of cationic compounds of the formula (III) are didecyldimethylammonium chloride, ditallowdimethylammonium chloride or dihexadecylammonium chloride. Compounds of the formula (IV) are so-called esterquats. Esterquats are characterized by their good biodegradability and are preferred in the context of the present invention. Here, R 4 represents an aliphatic alkyl radical having 12 to 22 carbon atoms with 0, 1, 2 or 3 double bonds; R 5 stands for H, OH or O(CO)R 7 , R 6 is independent of R 5 for H, OH or O(CO)R 8 , where R 7 and R 8independently of one another, each represents an aliphatic alkyl radical having 12 to 22 carbon atoms with 0, 1, 2 or 3 double bonds, m, n and p can each independently have the value 1, 2 or 3. X" can be either a halide, methosulfate, methophosphate or phosphate ion or mixtures thereof. Preferred compounds are those which represent R 5 the group O(CO)R 7 and for R 4 and R 7 Alkyl radicals having 16 to 18 carbon atoms. Particularly preferred are compounds in which R 6also stands for OH. Examples of compounds of formula (IV) are methyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N,N-di(tallowacyloxyethyl)ammonium methosulfate, bis-(palmitoyl)-ethyl-hydroxyethyl-methylammonium methosulfate or methyl-N,N-bis(acyloxyethyl)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium methosulfate. Such additional softener components can, if desired, be present in the compositions according to the invention in amounts of up to 35% by weight, in particular from 0.01 to 25% by weight; in preferred embodiments, the compositions contain no textile softeners beyond the cationic starch derivatives essential to the invention.

[0040] In addition to the aforementioned components, the products may contain pearlescent agents. Pearlescent agents give textiles an additional shine and are therefore preferably used in delicate detergents. Examples of suitable pearlescent agents include: alkylene glycol esters; fatty acid alkanolamides; partial glycerides; esters of polybasic, optionally hydroxy-substituted carboxylic acids with fatty alcohols having 6 to 22 carbon atoms; fatty substances such as fatty alcohols, fatty ketones, fatty aldehydes, fatty ethers, and fatty carbonates, which have a total of at least 24 carbon atoms; ring-opening products of olefin epoxides having 12 to 22 carbon atoms with fatty alcohols having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, fatty acids and / or polyols having 2 to 15 carbon atoms and 2 to 10 hydroxyl groups, and mixtures thereof. Liquid products may also contain thickeners.The use of thickeners has proven effective in increasing consumer acceptance, particularly in gel-like liquid detergents. Naturally derived polymers that can be used as thickeners include agar-agar, carrageenan, tragacanth, gum arabic, alginates, pectins, polyoses, guar gum, locust bean gum, starch, dextrins, gelatin, and casein, cellulose derivatives such as carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, and hydroxypropylcellulose, and polymeric polysaccharide thickeners such as xanthan gum. Fully synthetic polymers such as polyacrylic and polymethacrylic compounds, vinyl polymers, polycarboxylic acids, polyethers, polyimines, polyamides, and polyurethanes are also suitable. If desired, the agents according to the invention can contain such thickeners in amounts of up to 10% by weight if the desired viscosity is not already achieved through the presence of the cationic starch derivatives essential to the invention.

[0041] Furthermore, the agents may additionally contain odor absorbers and / or dye transfer inhibitors. In a preferred embodiment, the agents optionally contain 0.1% to 2% by weight, preferably 0.2% to 1% by weight, of dye transfer inhibitor, which in a preferred embodiment of the invention is a polymer of vinylpyrrolidone, vinylimidazole, vinylpyridine N-oxide, or a copolymer thereof. Suitable polymers include, for example, polyvinylpyrrolidones with molecular weights of 15,000 to 50,000 and polyvinylpyrrolidones with molecular weights above 1,000,000, in particular from 1,500,000 to 4,000,000, N-vinylimidazole / N-vinylpyrrolidone copolymers, polyvinyloxazolidones, copolymers based on vinyl monomers and carboxamides, polyesters and polyamides containing pyrrolidone groups, grafted polyamidoamines, polyamine N-oxide polymers, polyvinyl alcohols and copolymers based on acrylamidoalkenylsulfonic acids.However, enzymatic systems comprising a peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide or a substance that releases hydrogen peroxide in water can also be used. The addition of a mediator compound for the peroxidase, for example an acetosyringone, a phenol derivative, or a phenotiazine or phenoxazine, is preferred in this case, although the above-mentioned polymeric dye transfer inhibitor active ingredients can also be used additionally. For use in agents according to the invention, polyvinylpyrrolidone preferably has an average molecular weight in the range of 10,000 g / mol to 60,000 g / mol. Among the copolymers, those of vinylpyrrolidone and vinylimidazole in a molar ratio of 5:1 to 1:1 with an average molecular weight in the range of 5,000 g / mol to 50,000 g / mol are preferred.

[0042] Preferred deodorizing substances are metal salts of an unbranched or branched, unsaturated or saturated, mono- or polyhydroxylated fatty acid having at least 16 carbon atoms and / or a resin acid, with the exception of alkali metal salts, as well as any mixtures thereof. A particularly preferred unbranched or branched, unsaturated or saturated, mono- or polyhydroxylated fatty acid having at least 16 carbon atoms is ricinoleic acid. A particularly preferred resin acid is abietic acid. Preferred metals are the transition metals and the lanthanides, in particular the transition metals of groups VII, Ib, and IIb of the Periodic Table, as well as lanthanum, cerium, and neodymium, particularly preferably cobalt, nickel, copper, and zinc, and most preferably zinc. Although the cobalt, nickel, copper, and zinc salts are similarly effective, zinc salts are preferable for toxicological reasons.Advantageous and therefore particularly preferred deodorizing substances are one or more metal salts of ricinoleic acid and / or abietic acid, preferably zinc ricinoleate and / or zinc abietate, in particular zinc ricinoleate. Other suitable deodorizing substances within the meaning of the invention are also cyclodextrins, as well as mixtures of the aforementioned metal salts with cyclodextrin, preferably in a weight ratio of 1:10 to 10:1, particularly preferably 1:5 to 5:1, and in particular 1:3 to 3:1. The term “cyclodextrin” includes all known cyclodextrins, i.e., both unsubstituted cyclodextrins with 6 to 12 glucose units, in particular alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrins, as well as mixtures thereof and / or derivatives thereof and / or mixtures thereof.

[0043] Liquid or pasty agents in the form of solutions containing common solvents, especially water, are usually prepared by simply mixing the ingredients, which can be added in substance or as a solution into an automatic mixer.

[0044] Embodiments of the present invention encompass all solid, powdered, liquid, gel-like, or pasty dosage forms of the agents described herein, which may optionally also consist of multiple phases and may be present in compressed or uncompressed form. The agent may be in the form of a free-flowing powder, in particular with a bulk density of 300 g / l to 1200 g / l, in particular 500 g / l to 900 g / l or 600 g / l to 850 g / l. Solid dosage forms of the agent also include extrudates, granules, tablets, or pouches. Alternatively, the agent may also be liquid, gel-like, or pasty, for example in the form of a non-aqueous liquid detergent or a non-aqueous paste, or in the form of an aqueous liquid detergent or a water-containing paste. Furthermore, the agent may be in the form of a one-component system. Such agents consist of one phase. Alternatively, an agent may also consist of multiple phases.Such a remedy is therefore divided into several components.

[0045] In another embodiment, the agents, preferably in liquid form, are presented as a portion in a fully or partially water-soluble coating. This portioning facilitates dosing for the consumer.

[0046] The detergents can be packaged in foil pouches, for example. Pouches made of water-soluble foil eliminate the need for consumers to tear open the packaging. This allows for convenient dosing of a single portion, sufficient for one wash cycle, by placing the pouch directly into the washing machine or by dropping it into a specific amount of water, for example, in a bucket, bowl, or hand basin. The foil pouch surrounding the wash portion dissolves without leaving any residue when a certain temperature is reached.

[0047] Numerous processes exist in the prior art for producing water-soluble detergent portions, which are also fundamentally suitable for the present invention. The most well-known processes are the tubular film process with horizontal and vertical seals. The thermoforming process (deep-drawing process) is also suitable for producing film pouches or dimensionally stable detergent portions. However, the water-soluble wrappings do not necessarily have to be made of a film material; they can also be dimensionally stable containers, which can be obtained, for example, by means of an injection molding process.

[0048] Furthermore, processes for producing water-soluble capsules from polyvinyl alcohol or gelatin are known, which in principle offer the possibility of providing capsules with a high fill level. The processes are based on the introduction of the water-soluble polymer into a forming cavity. The filling and sealing of the capsules takes place either synchronously or in sequential steps, with the latter being done through a small opening. The capsules are filled, for example, by a filling wedge arranged above two counter-rotating drums that have spherical half-shells on their surface. The drums guide polymer bands that cover the spherical half-shell cavities. Sealing takes place at the positions where the polymer band of one drum meets the polymer band of the opposite drum.At the same time, the filling material is injected into the developing capsule, with the injection pressure of the filling liquid pressing the polymer bands into the spherical half-shell cavities. A process for producing water-soluble capsules, in which filling occurs first and then sealing, is based on the so-called Bottle-Pack® process. In this process, a tube-like preform is inserted into a two-part cavity. The cavity is closed, sealing the lower tube section. The tube is then inflated to form the capsule shape within the cavity, filled, and finally sealed.

[0049] The shell material used to produce the portion is preferably a water-soluble polymeric thermoplastic, particularly preferably selected from the group consisting of (optionally partially acetalized) polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyethylene oxide, gelatin, cellulose and derivatives thereof, starch and derivatives thereof, blends and composites, inorganic salts, and mixtures of the materials mentioned, preferably hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and / or polyvinyl alcohol blends. Polyvinyl alcohols are commercially available, for example under the trademark Mowiol® (Clariant). Polyvinyl alcohols particularly suitable for the purposes of the present invention include, for example, Mowiol® 3-83, Mowiol® 4-88, Mowiol® 5-88, Mowiol® 8-88, and Clariant L648.The water-soluble thermoplastic used to produce the portion may optionally additionally comprise polymers selected from the group comprising acrylic acid-containing polymers, polyacrylamides, oxazoline polymers, polystyrenesulfonates, polyurethanes, polyesters, polyethers, and / or mixtures of the above polymers. It is preferred if the water-soluble thermoplastic used comprises a polyvinyl alcohol whose degree of hydrolysis is 70 to 100 mol%, preferably 80 to 90 mol%, particularly preferably 81 to 89 mol%, and especially 82 to 88 mol%. It is further preferred that the water-soluble thermoplastic used comprises a polyvinyl alcohol whose molecular weight is in the range from 10,000 to 100,000 g / mol, preferably from 11,000 to 90,000 g / mol, particularly preferably from 12,000 to 80,000 g / mol, and in particular from 13,000 to 70,000 g / mol. It is further preferred if the thermoplastics are used in amounts of at least 50% by weight, preferably at least 70% by weight.-%, particularly preferably at least 80 wt.% and in particular at least 90 wt.%, in each case based on the weight of the water-soluble polymeric thermoplastic.

[0050] The facts, objects and embodiments described for the means according to the invention are also applicable to the subject matter of the invention, the uses and the methods.

[0051] Example

[0052] Cotton textiles were washed five times in a Miele® W 1935 Ecoline® washing machine at 40°C using 50 ml of a fabric softener-free liquid detergent (F1). They were then washed under the same conditions with a liquid detergent (V1) of the same composition, in which the same amount of water was replaced by 0.25 wt.% 2-hydroxy-3-(trimethylammonio)propyl starch (Noverite® GP 332), or under the same conditions with a liquid detergent (V2) of the same composition, in which the same amount of water was replaced by 0.5 wt.% 2-hydroxy-3-(trimethylammonio)propyl starch (Noverite® GP 332). The softness of textiles treated in this way was assessed by a panel of 30 trained individuals. In the comparison of the agents V1 and F1, the textiles washed with V1 were rated as softer than the textiles washed with F1 15 times and both performed equally 7 times.In the comparison of the agents V2 and F1, the textiles washed with V2 were rated as softer than the textiles washed with F1 20 times and both performed equally 6 times.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Fabric softening washing, laundry aftertreatment or laundry care agent, characterized in that it contains a starch-based cationic polymer.

2. Agent according to claim 1, characterized in that it is liquid and contains 0.01 wt.% to 90 wt.%, in particular 10 wt.% to 65 wt.% water.

3. Agent according to claim 1, characterized in that it is present in a ready-to-use dosage form in a film-shaped wrapping made of water-soluble material.

4. Agent according to claim 3, characterized in that the film-shaped wrapping forms several, in particular 2, 3, 4 or 5, separate chambers, each of which is filled with different partial compositions, the totality of the partial compositions constituting the fabric-softening washing, laundry aftertreatment or laundry care agent.

5. Use of a starch-based cationic polymer or a washing, laundry aftertreatment or laundry care agent according to any one of claims 1 to 4 for increasing the softness of textiles after washing.

6. A method for increasing the softness of textiles by bringing them into contact with a washing or laundry care agent according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and subsequently washing the textile in the presence of the washing or laundry care agent and / or subsequently softening the textile in the presence of a laundry aftertreatment agent according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. Washing process comprising the process steps a) providing an aqueous washing or laundry rinsing solution comprising a washing, laundry aftertreatment or laundry care agent according to one of claims 1 to 4, and b) bringing a textile into contact with the washing or laundry rinsing solution according to (a) over a period of time of in particular 15 minutes to 180 minutes and at a temperature of in particular 10 °C to 95 °C.

8. Agent, use or method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the starch-based cationic polymer carries on average 0.01 to 1, in particular 0.1 to 1 cationic groups per glucose unit.

9. Agent, use or method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the starch-based cationic polymer contains groups -(CH2)m(CHOH) bound to the starch backbone via ether bonds n -(CH2)oN + R 1 R 2 R 3in which m stands for a number in the range from 1 to 10, in particular from 1 to 2, n stands for a number from 0 to 1, o stands for a number such that the sum of m + o + n is in the range from 2 to 20, in particular from 2 to 10, and R 1 to R 4 independently of one another represent alkyl groups having 1 to 10, in particular 1 to 3, carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyl groups having 2 to 10, in particular 2 to 3, carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, and which have charge-balancing counteranions, in particular selected from chloride, sulfate, sulfonate, methosulfate and mixtures thereof.

10. Agent, use or method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the starch-based cationic polymer has a number-average molecular weight in the range from 1,000,000 g / mol to 5,000,000 g / mol, in particular from 1,500,000 g / mol to 2,500,000 g / mol.

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