Colgate Palmolive Company

Paul A Heckles

Jean-Paul M Grandmaire

Viviane E Tack

Eduardo E Puentes-Bravo

Marcel J Gillis

Pierre M Lambert

Jan R Doms

Anita Hermosilla M

Anita M Hertmosilla

A fabric softening product is a composition or article that is effective for its fabric softening purpose but preferably excludes ecotoxic quaternary ammonia salt, includes, as a fabric softening component, a PEC, which is an ester of pentaerythritol, an ester of an oligomer of pentaerythritol, an ester of a lower alkoxylated pentaerythritol or an ester of a lower alkoxylated pentaerythritol oligomer, with bentonite, which increases its fabric softening effect remarkably. The PEC is preferably a partial higher fatty acid ester of pentaerythritol or a partial higher fatty acid ester of a pentaerythritol oligomer, the bentonite is preferably sodium bentonite or swellable calcium bentonite, the fabric softening composition is a softergent or a non-detersive composition, both of which may be in solid (preferably particulate solid) or liquid state or form (preferably in aqueous suspension or gel), and the fabric softening article is an absorbent material with bentonite and PEC deposited on it or absorbed by it. Also within the invention are processes for softening fibrous materials of laundry contacting them with such compositions and/or articles during washing, rinsing and/or drying operations.

Fabric softening products based on a combination of pentaerythritol

A particulate fabric softening composition and a particulate fabric softening detergent composition are described, both of which include bentonite powder agglomerated into larger particulate bead or granule form with a normally solid co-melt of a pentaerythritol compound (PEC), such as pentaerythritol ditallowate (PEDT), and a nonionic surfactant, such as a condensation product of a mole of a C.sub.12-15 fatty alcohol with seven moles of ethylene oxide. The fabric softening composition described may be added to wash (or rinse water) but preferably is incorporated in a particulate built synthetic organic anionic and/or nonionic detergent composition to produce a fabric softening detergent composition. The invented detergent compositions are especially suitable for washing laundry in 'cold' water, such as water at 40.degree. C. or thereabout, in which the nonionic surfactant increases the dispersibility of the PEC, improves fabric softening activity thereof, in conjunction with the bentonite, and also prevents excessive whitening or chalking of dark colored laundry by the particulate fabric softening composition. These improved results have been attributed to the nonionic surfactant lowering the co-melt's melting point to about 40.degree. C. or lower, at which temperature the softening composition disperses satisfactorily in the wash water. Additional advantages of the invention are a bonus effect of the nonionic surfactant in increasing detergency of the detergent composition and wash water, and in allowing a decrease in PEC content of the softening and detergent compositions without loss of softening effect.

Particulate fabric softening and detergent compositions

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Tilff, Belgium

Paul A Heckles