Unilever Home and Personal Care Usa, Division of Conopco, Inc.

Elfriede Maria Langeveld

Frederick Edmund Stocker

Karnik Tarverdi

Peter Stewart Allan

Michael Andrew Browne

Paul Lloyd

Reginald Manley

Jacqueline Marie Thorpe

Jean Lesley Scott

Robert J Owen

Elaine Susanne Bibby

Jacqueline Maria Thorpe

Paul Reissen Rennie

Paul Riessen Rennie

A deodorant or antiperspirant soft solid composition is filled into dispensing containers by injection moulding, i.e. under pressure, preferably in the vicinity of its normal setting temperature. The deodorant or antiperspirant composition is preferably continuously produced in a screw extruder, especially a twin screw extruder, controlled to deliver the composition in a suitably viscous state under low shear and particularly for formulations in which a particulate antiperspirant is suspended in a fluid carrier. The pressure in the injection head at the point of injection is greater than 120 kPa and in many instances from 800 to 2000 kPa. The combined process offers benefits for controlled fill of dispensing containers, particularly for formulations incorporating sensitive ingredients and offers tolerance in composition temperature at the time of fill.

Process for the production of a deodorant or antiperspirant product

In a first aspect, a process for forming deodorant or antiperspirant sticks by continuously forming a mobile composition for dispensing into containers or molds at a rate matched with the rate at which it is dispensed, and in other aspects a process in which a mobile deodorant or antiperspirant composition is dispensed by injection molding, i.e. a process in which the deodorant or antiperspirant composition is dispensed under pressure. The composition at the time of injection moulding is preferably either in the vicinity of its regular set temperature, particularly in the range of about 0-3&deg; C. below the regular set temperature and/or partially structured at the time of its delivery it into a container or mold. The deodorant or antiperspirant composition is preferably continuously produced in a screw extruder, especially a twin screw extruder, which is controlled to deliver the composition in a substantially semi-solid state, at a temperature close to its regular set temperature and is injected into the container or barrel at a pressure at the point of injection that is often greater than 15 psi. and in many instances from 200 to 400 psi in the injection head. Apparatus for forming deodorant or antiperspirant sticks by injection molding is also described. The combined process offers benefits for incorporating sensitive ingredients and ameliorating sedimentation of particulates such as particulate antiperspirant actives.

Process and apparatus for the production of a deodorant or antiperspirant composition

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Wirral, United Kingdom

Elfriede Maria Langeveld