Lever Brothers Company, Division of Conopco, Inc.

Stephen G Hales

Ezat Khoshdel

Robert Polywka

Abid N Khan-Lodhi

James Patrick Conroy

A fabric softening composition comprising a compound of formula I ##STR1## in which R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are independently selected from C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl groups or C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkenyl groups, a is from 1 to 4, x.sup.- is a compatible anion and R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are independently selected from C.sub.12 -C.sub.22 alkyl or alkenyl groups, the sum of the chain lengths or R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 preferably being at least 30.

Fabric softening composition

Carboxylic polymers useful in detergent compositions contain keto structural units incorporated into the polymer backbone. The units may be introduced by means of the compound 2,2'-diphenyl-4-methylene-1,3-dioxolane. The polymers show better biodegradability than the acrylic and acrylic/maleic polymers commonly used in detergent compositions, while the detergency building (calcium binding) is comparable or better.

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Willaston, United Kingdom

Stephen G Hales