CA2019358A1 - Cationic surface active fiber conditioning compositions comprising compounds including long chain hydrocarbyl groups - Google Patents

Abstract

CATIONIC SURFACE ACTIVE FIBER CONDITIONING
COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING COMPOUNDS INCLUDING
LONG CHAIN HYDROCARBYL GROUPS

This invention relates to fiber conditioning composi-tions. More particularly, it relates to such compositions which comprise a cationic surface active fiber conditioning agent and an essentially water insoluble compound which is water dispersible and has in its formula an exceptionally long chain hydrocarbyl group, which includes at least 25 carbon atoms and preferably is n-alkyl or alkylene. The combination of such a compound and the cationic surface active fiber conditioning agent improves the deposition onto fibrous substrates from aqueous media of at least one of such materials, thereby leading to improved conditioning of such fibers. Also within the invention are a process for manufacturing such effective fiber conditioning compositions and processes for employing such compositions in the forms of conditioning rinses and shampoos for human hair, wash cycle and rinse cycle fabric softeners for laundry, and softergents, which are useful for washing laundry and simultaneously softening it.

Description

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Cationic surface active agents (cationic surfactants) have been employed in aqueous compositions for treating fibrous materials, such as human hair and laundry items. In hair treating compositions, such as rinses and shampoos, the cationic surfactants adhere to the hair, even from dilute aqueous media, and help to make it easier to comb and less apt to accumulate electrostatic charges. For laundry the cationic surfactants improve fabric softness and decrease annoying electrostatic charges on fahrics, especially synthetics, which result from drying of the washed laundry i~ an automatic laundry dr~er. Hydrocarbons, such as paraffin waxes, petrol~tum, vaseline, and mineral oil, have been employed in hair treating preparations to lubricate the hair, give it body and make it glossy. Both cationic surfactants and hydrocarbons have been applied to fibrous materials from aqueous medi~
and in some cases they have been applied simultaneously with other composition components. However, prior to the present invention the compositions thereof were not made and applied to fibrous materials for applicants' purposes and were not recognized as being of improved conditioning actions due t~ the presence of the cationic surfactant and the water dispersible compound (WDC) in such compositions.
In accordance with the present in~ention a fiber conditioning composition comprises a cationic surface actiye fiber conditioning agent and a water dispersible compound whic~

2~ ~ ~3~

contains in its formula a long chai~ hydrocarbyl group of at least 25 carbon atoms (WDC), in which the proportion of cationic surface active fiber conditioning agent to long chain hydrocarbyl-contain-ing compound is in the range of 1:20 to 2~:1, in which proportion the presence of both such materiaLs in the composition improves the deposition of at least one of them on a fibrous substrate to be conditioned by application to it of an aqueous medium contain-ing such composition. Among such compositions are conditioning rinses and shampoos for human hair, wash cycle and rinse cycle fabric softeners for laundry,and softergents for washing laundry and softening it~ In some applications the ~ater dis-persible compound which contains in its formula a long chain hydrocarbyl group of at least 25 carbon atoms ~WDC), acts to promote deposition of the cationic surfactant onto the fibrous strate, even from relatively dilute aqueous media; in other instances the reverse mechanism is observed, in which the cationic surfactant promotes the deposition and adherence o~
the WDC, and at other times each promotes the deposition and adherence of the other. The final results however are improved conditioning of the fibrous material being tre~ted. Also within the invention are processes for manufacturing the described compositions,and processes in which they are used to condition fibrous substrates.
Searches of the prior art have reve~led several patents which may be considered as of relevance to the present invention. Among these the more relevant are considered to be:

2 ~ 8 U.S. Patents 3,519,562; 3,630,949; 4,184,970; 4,360,437;
4,401,578; 4,426,299; 4,454,049; 4,704,272 and 4,818,523; British patent specification 1,601,360; and Japanese patent 63 08,319.
U.S. patent 3,519,562 dlescribes textile sewing lubricanc compositions containing oxidized Fisher-Tropsch waxes, certain cationic quaternary ammonium salt emulsifiers and water.
The Gxidized Fisher-Tropsch waxes are different from the preferred WIC's of the present invention, are applied differently to the textiles to be treated, and are applied for a different purpose. U.S. patent 3,630,949 is for a static dissipating material which is depositable from an aerosol composition that includes a quaternary ammonium chloride and 12-hydroxystearic acid. The compositions of the patent are not in aqueous media and the hydroxystearic acid does not contain the required longer chain alkyl group of applicants' WIC's. U.S. patent 4,184,970 discloses an agglomerate of prills of quaternary ammonium compound intimately mixed with organic dispersion inhibitors and water, wherein the dispersion inhibitor may be a paraffin wax. Althou~h it is taught that octacosane may be employed as a dispersion inhibitor, the compositions of the patents are in particulate form, as opposed to applicants' liquid compositions, which are primarily aqueous, the function of the dispersion inhibito~ may not be possible in applicants' compositions and certainly it cannot be prilled with the quaternary ammonium compound in applic~nts' liquid compositions.

2~3~8 U.S. patent 4,360,437 relates to textile treatment compositions for use in the rinse cycles of laundering operations, and such compositions include a cationic fabric softener, a long chain hydrocarbon and specific mono-long chain amines or amine derived compounds. Among the suitable hydrocarbons mentioned in the patent are several that are inoperative for applicants' purpose and the paraffins specifically mentioned are all of shorter alkyl chains than applicants'. U~S.
patent 4,401,578 describes concentrated fabric sotening compositions containing a cationic fabric softener and a viscosity control agent. The viscosity control agent may be a paraffinic material but those described are all of shorter chains than required for operativeness in the present in~ention.
U.S. patent 4,426,299 includes the same disclosure as U.S.
4,401,578. U.S. patent 4,454,049 is for rinse cycle textile treatment compositions for fabric softening and static control. Such compositions include cationic fabric softener, water insoluble nonionic extender, which may be a C10 40 hydrocarbon, and an organic solvent, with the requirement that the total of such materials is at least 50% of the product. Although the patent mentions the employment of C10 40 linear or branched hydrocarbons it appears from the rest of the disclosure that no such materials of 25 or more carbon atoms in an alkyl chain are disclosed. In fact, the patent teaches the successful (for the purpose of the patent~
employment of much shorter chain n-paraffins. Also, the patent is for compositions containing substantial proportions of organic solvent, unlike applicants' compositions. U.S.

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patent 4,704,272 describes shampoos that contain synthetic organic surfactant, water insoluble dispersed silicone, quaternary ammonium salt and suspending agent, such as xanthan gum. The present inven tion is different because the WDC's thereof are not silicones, and no silicone needs to be present in the invented compositions. U.S.
patent 4,818,523 discloses haix rinse conditioners which may include hydrocarbons, such as petrolatum (apparently shorter chain length than C25) and mi~eral oil(which is of branched chain struc-ture) but such materials are not operative in the present invention and do not result in applicants' improved fiber conditioning.
British patent specification 1,601,360 is for textile treating compo-sitions comprising certain hydrocarbon materials in combination with specific cationic materials for softening l~undry and improving ease of ironing and anti-wrinkling ef~ects. Hydrocarbons of 12 to 40 carbon atoms are mentioned but ~re not indicated to be preferred and there is no description in the specification o any textile treatment compositions containing applicants' longer chain length WDC's. Japanese patent 63 08,319, according to Chemical Abstracts, 110:121001, is for a hair conditioner containing hydro-phobic oils and cationic surfactants. The hydrophobic oils mention-ed include liquid paraffin, which does not satisfy the alkyl ch~in length requirement of applicants' invention.
From the a~ove summary of the closest prior art known to applicants it is seen that their invention is novel and unobvious because there is no effective teachin~ or 2 ~

suggestion in the prior art of the employment of th2ir longer chain length alkyl-containing WDC's with cationic fiber conditioning surfactant in aqueous media and there is no recognition of the importance of their discovery of the coaction between such components in depositing more fiber conditioning materials than would have been expected, even ~rom relatively dilute aqueous media,onto the fibers to ~e treated.
The process aspect of the present inven~ion is also novel and unobvious and is important to the obtaining of applicants' unexpectedly beneficial fiber conditioning actions. Similarly, the uses of the different types of fiber conditioning compositions described herein are also novel and unobvious, and result in unexpectedly beneficial conditioning effects.
The cationic fiber conditioning surfactant employed may be any suitable such cationic surfactant which has fabric softening, hair conditioning and/or antistatic proper-ties. Primarily, those cationic materials which are most useful are what will be referred to as ~uaternar~ ammonium salts, which are those containing at least one higher molecular weight group and one, two or three lower molecular weight groups, for a total of four, all linked to a common nitrogen atom to produce a catio~ and wherein an electrically balancing anion is present, such as a halide, acetate or lower alko-sulfate ion, e.g., chloride, bromide or methosulfate. The 2~1~`3~8 higher molecular weight substituent(s) on the nitrogen is/arepreferably one or more higher alkyl groups, containing 10 or 12 to 22, or 12 to 18 or 20 carbon atoms, such as lauryl, coco-alkyl, myristyl, cetyl, st~aryl, tallowalkyl, hydrogenated tallowalkyl or substituted higher alkyl, and the lower molecular weight substituents are preferably lower alkyl of l to 3 or 4 carbon atoms, such as methyl or ethyl, or substituted lower alkyl.
One or more of said lower molecular weight substituents may include an aryl moiety or may be replaced by aryl, such as ~enzyl, phenyl or other suitable substituent.
Pre~erred ~uaternary ammonium salts ~or textile treating compositions, such as wash cycle additives, rinse cycle additives and softergents, include di-higher alkyl di-lower alkyl ammonium halides, such as di-tallowalkyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and di-hydrogenated tallowalkyl dimethyl ammonium chloride (distearyl dimethyl ~mmonium chloride, or DSDMAC~ Although these same quaternary ammonium salts may be used for hair treating compositions, including rinses, condi-tioners and shampoos, the preferred quaternary ammonium salts are corresponding mono-higher alkyl, ~ri-lower alkyl ammonium halides, such as cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride and bromide, lauryl trimethyl ammonium chloride and stearyl trièthyl ammonium chloride. However, it is also possible to employ, at least in part, corresponding tri-higher alkyl mono-lower alkyl ammoniu~
halides, such as trilauryl monoethyl ammonium chloride or tricetyl monomethyl ammonium chloride.

2~ 3~8 In addition to the cationic compounds previously mentioned, other suitable cationic surfactants include the imidazolinium salts, such as 2-heptadecyl-1-methyl-1-[(2-stearoylamid~) ethyl]-imidazolinium chloride; the correspond-ing methyl sulfate compound; 2-methyl-1-(2~hydroxyethyl) 1-benzyl imidazolinium chloride; 2-coco-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-benzyl imidazolinium chloride; 2-coco-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-octadecenyl imidazolinium chloride; 2-heptadecenyl-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-l-(4-chlorobutyl) imidazolinium chloride; and 2-heptadecyl-1-(hydroxyethyl~-1-octadecyl imidazolinium ethyl sulfate. Generally, the imidazolinium salts of prefer-ence will be halides (preferably chlorides) and lower alkyl-sulfates (alkosulfates).
Others of the mentioned quaternary ammonium salts and imidazolinium salts having fabric softening, hair condi-tioning and antistatic properties may ~lso be employed in the present invention and various others of such compounds are described in U.S. patent 4,000,077, incorporated herein by reference.
Complexes of cationic surfactants with anionic surfactants and with organic acids, such as citric acid, ma~ ~e substituted, at least in part, for the cationic fiber condi-tioning agents in the present compositions. Such complexes are described in U.S. patent , issued on ~pplication S.N.

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06/916,067, and in U.S. patent application S.N. 07/189,560, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The water dispersible compound (WDC~ of the present compositions, which is so designated for simplicity of identi-fication, is a hydrocarbon, an organic acid, an ester, an amide, an amine, an amine salt, a quaternary ammonium compound or an alcohol, or any mixture thereof, but it is required that each such compound employed in the present compositions, to be effective for the intended purpos~, must include in its formula a hydrocarbyl chain of at least 25 carbon atoms. Preferably, such chain is a normal alkyl (or alkylene). It is applicants' discovery that when such a chain is present and is of a length of at least 25 carbon atoms, preferably being in the range of (or averaging) 25 to 50 carbon atoms, and sometimes more preferably 25 or 27 ~o 39 carbon atoms, the fiber treating (conditioning) composition made from it and the cationic surfactant, even in dilution and in the presence of detergentr will ver~ satisfac-torily condition fibrous materials, such as hair and laundry, making hair easier to comb and manage, under both wet and dry conditions, and making laundry softer and usually also anti-static. Despite the fact that rinse water and washwater aredilute with respect to the cationic su~factant and the WDC, in these compositions and in these applications the mentioned composition components deposit on the fibers being treated in sufficient amount to have noticeable, desirable and Lmproved conditioning efEects. Such results are surprising because the 2~93~3 mentioned components coact, producing better conditioning of fibers, rather than causing inter~Eerence with conditioning, as might have been expected, and such desirable coaction and better deposition of the components on the fibers are obtained in dilute aqueous media. Although some of the WDC and cationic surfactant may remain in the wash water, at least a signi~icant proportion thereof deposits on the fibers (hair or laundry fibers) to condition them, without making them objectionably greasy to the touch. Among the various C25 and C25+ alkyl-type compounds that are useful as WDC's in practicing the present invention are pentacosane, heptacosane, nonacosane, melene, C31 n-alkane, C39 n-alkane, cerotic acid, mellssic acid, psyllic acid, C26 n-alcohol, C28 n-alcohol, C36 n-alcohol, C25 paraffins, C25 petrolatums, C33 petrolatums, myricyl palmitate, lacceryl palmitate, myricyl cerotate, myricyl hypogaete, ceryl-2-hydroxypalmitate, mono- and diamines and am~ salts of the mentioned hydrocarbons, alcohols of the mentioned hydro-carbons and amides of the mentioned acids. As ~ill be seen, the various mentioned WDC's all include at least one normal alkyl or alkylene group of from 25 to 39 carbon atoms, whic~
may be considered as a more preferred range. Howe~er, the mentioned compounds are listed as representative and not exclusive. Also, while saturated compounds are preferred, usually in part, at least, for stability reasons, unsatur~ted materials are also useful.

2 ~

The various WDC's may be employed as pure compounds or in mixtures. They may be synthetic or may be obtained from natural materials. Some have been synthesized and may be employed as the WDC's in the present compositions,or they may be mixed with other such synthesized compounds. Alternative-ly, such compounds may be obtained from natural materials and products of chemical refineries, such as oil refineries.
Such materials and products may ~e procQssed to produce higher concentrations of the more desirable WDC's or they may be employed directly. Among some sources of WDC's which are components of the compositions of the present invention are petrolatums, paraffin waxes, beeswax, various waxes from the group of candellilla, Japan, bayberr~ and montan, and other natural waxes which include the requisite amounts of C25 and C25~ normal alkyl- or normal alkylene-containing compounds. Experimentation has shown that carn~uba wax does not produce the desired results but microcrystalline waxes, which include secondary branched chains and primary alicyclic chains, in addition to normal alkane chains, have been found to be useful, which apparently indicates that some cyclization and branching in an alkyl chain do not seriously interfere with the fiber conditioning actions of the C25 and longer alkyl- and alkylene-containing compounds. Accordingly, branching like that of microcrystalline waxes is within the n-alkane description of the WDC's of this invention. Of couxse, providing that there was a normal C25 chain, branching and 2 ~ 3 ~ ~

the presence of other groups would not cause compounds to be outside the description of the WDC's o the invention.
In addition to the cationic surfactant and W~C
components of the present composition the only other required component of the conditioning rinse for the hair and of the wash cycle and rinse cycle compositions for laundry is an aqueous medium, in which the cationic surfactant and the WDC
are emulsi~ied or otherwise dispersed. When in the form of an emulsion, with hydrotrope, emulsifying agent and/or other sur-factant desirably being present, to be of good stability and tobe most effective in conditioning fibrous materials the compo-sition should be made by a certain procedure, which will be described subsequently. The aqueous medium may be water or an aqueous alcoholic medium and may also contain various normal adju~ants, such as are emplo~ed in compositions of the t~pes described. The water utilized is preferably deionized water but tap waters are also satisfactory. The alcohol employed, if any, will normally be denatured alcohol, such as SD-40, and when it is present in the fiber conditioning compositions it will usually constitute 3 to 15% of the final composition, e.g., about 5%.
The synthetic organic detergent component of the present shampoo and softergent compositions is a synthetic organic anionic detergent or a synthetic organic nonionic detergent, or a mixture thereof (and of course, mixtures of anionic detergents and mixtures of nonionic detergents may also be employecl). Optionally, amphoteric, ampholytic, 3 ~ ~

zwitterionic and even cationic de~ergents and surface active agents (surfactants), in addition to the cationic fiber conditioning surfactants, may be present in the invented compositions. Various suitable detergents that may be employed are listed in McCutcheon's Detergents and Emulsifiers, North American Edition, 1984, which is incorporated by reference herein. Of those compounds the preferred anionic detergents are of the sulfated and/or sulfonated types, which may be designated as "sulf(on)ated". Such detergents are water soluble salts of a lipophile sulfuric or sulfonic acid. The lipophilic moiety of such acid will normally be of 8 to 30 carbon atoms and will desirably include an alkyl group, preferably a chain, of 8 to 22 or 10 to 18 or 20 carbon atoms, more preferably 10 to 14 or 16 carbon atoms, e.g., about 12 carbon atoms. Among such anionic detergents there may be mentioned, as exemplary thereof, the higher alkyl sulfates, the linear higher alkylbenzene sulfonates, the paraffin sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, mono~lyceride sulates and higher fatty alcohol lower alkoxy sulfates. Such higher fatty alcohol or higher alkyl lower alkoxy sulfates are preferably of 10 to 14 or 16 carbon atoms in the higher fatty alcohol or alkyl moiety thereof and of up to 20 moles of lower alkoxy per mole, such as 1 to 20, more preferably 2 to ~ or 2 to 6, e.g.,2~ 3 (with ~he lower alkoxy normally being ethoxy but sometimes also including up to 30% propoxy), and such are preferred d~etergents for shampoos. A p~rticularly 2 ~

preferred higher fatty alcohol sulfate is lauryl sulfate and a particularly preferred higher fatty alcohol poly-lower alkoxy sulfate is that wherein the higher fatty alcohol is lauryl alcohol, which is triethoxylated. For softergents the more preferred anionic deterglents are linear higher alkyl-benzene sulfonates, such as linear dodecylbenzene sulfonate. For the shampoos the anionic detergents are usually ammonium and/or triethanolamine salts or mixtures of one or more thereof and sodium salts, and for the softergents the salts are normally of sodium, such as the sodium salts of the above-named detergents.
Although the invented detergent compositions are preferably anionic, they may also be nonionic or primarily nonionic, in which case the major nonionic detergent component will normally be a lower alkoxylated alcohol or phenol (the phenol may be substituted with an alkyl group, usually a chain of ~ to 10 carbon atoms). The lower alkoxy is normally ethoxy but may also be at least partially propoxy (up to 30%
of the alkoxyj. Preferably the nonionic detergent will be a condensation product of a higher fatty alcohol of 8 to 15 carbon atoms with 5 to 12 moles of lo~er alkylene oxide, more preferably with the higher fatty alcohol being o~ 8 to 12 carbon atoms and condensed with 6 to 10 moles of lower alkylene oxide. Similarly, when the ethylene oxide is condensed with alkyl phenol, the moles of ethylene oxide employed will be in similar ranges per mole of phenol as per 3 ~ 8 mole of alcohol. For both the ethoxylated fatty alcohols and the ethoxylated alkyl phenols it is preferred that they be of the narrow~
range ethoxylate type (NRE's), but B(broad)RE's are also useful.

Although shampoo and softergent compositions can be made which utilize only nonionic detergent as the detersive surfactant it is often preferable to inco~rporate some anionic detergent in such compositions bec:ause nonionic detergents are normally low foaming and it is usually desirable to have the deter~ent compositions capable of producing foam, especially for shampooing. While any of the anionic detergents previously mentioned in this specification may be employed in supplementation of the nonionic detergent, when a nonionic detergent is present, it has been found preferable to utilize one which is of a sulfate or sulfonate type, such as a fatty alkyl sulfate of 8 to 18 or 10 to 16 carbon atoms, e.g., ammonium or triethanolammonium lauryl sulfate (TEALS).
Various adjuvants m~y be utilized together with the required components of the invented compositions for the properties which they impart. In all the li~uid compositions of the invention ethanol and/or other normally polar co-solvent may be included, and~usually colorants and perfumes will-also b~e incorporate~
with foam modifying agents, opacifying agents, thickening agents and pearlescing agents being optional. For hair conditioning compositions, such as rinses, there may also he present higher fatty alcohols, such as cetyl alcohol, which h~s a thickening effect, thickeners, such as hyd~oxyethyl cellulose, ` 2~13~

and neutralizing agents and buffers, such as sodium borate.
For ~abric softening wash cycle additives and rinse additives for treatment of laundry it has been ~ound that small propor-tions of sequestering salts, such as sodium citrate, and lower alkylen~
glycols, such as propylene glyco]s, help to improve the rheology of the liquid product, acting as thi.nners. For conditioning shampoos the adjuvants may include thickeners and opaci~iers, such as cetyl alcohol, stearyl stearate, and ethylene glycol distearate, other thickeners, such as xanthan gum, Natrosol~ (hydroxyethyl cellulose) Methocel~
(methyl cellulose), and sodium chloride, preservatives, antioxidants, sequestrants, and lower alkylene glycol solubilizers and thinners, such as propylene glycol. For the softergents additional useful adjuvants include fluorescent brighteners, such as distilbene brighteners, preserYatives, such as formalin, and neutralizing agents, including triethanol~mine.
In addition to those adjuvants mentioned, others known in the art for employment with liquid compositions of the types of this invention may also be present and when particulate solid compositions are made appropriate components of such compositions may also he utilized, including flow promoting agents, anti-redeposition agents, fabric softening powders, such as bentonite, builders, such as polyacetal carboxylate, zeolite, sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium carbonate, bleaches, such as sodium perborate, bleach activators and/or stabilizers, and soil release promoting agents, such as polyethylene terephthalate - polyoxyethylene terephthalate copolymers (PEI'-POET copolymers~.

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The various proportions of required components in the described compositions are important for obtaining the improved properties for the compositions that have been described herein.
For all the invented compositions the proportion of cationic surface active fiber conditioning agent to WDC should be such that the presences of both such mate~ials in the compositions improve the deposition of at least one of them onto a fibrous substrate to be conditioned by application to it of an aqueous medium containing the invented composition. It has been found that such proportion of the two mentioned components is normally in the range of 1:20 to 20:1, preferably being in the range of 1:3 to 20:1, and often more preferably being in the range of 1:2 to 20:1. Expressed differently, such ranges are 0.05:1 to 20:1, 0.33;1 to 20:1 and 0.5:1 to 20:1, respectively. Percentagewise, the aqueous emulsion compositions of the invention, which are preferably based on quaternary ammonium salt as the cationic surface active fiber conditioning agent, will normally include 0.1 to 20% of such quaternary ammonium salt and 0.1 to 10% of the WDC, which is often preferably an n-alkane.
For conditioning rinses for human hair, usually for employment after shampooing, the percentages of ~uaternary ammonium salt, WDC and aqueous medium will normally be in the ranges of 0.2 to 10%, 0.1 to 5% and 75 to 99~, respectively, preferably being 0.2 to 5%, 0.1 to 2%, and 8S to 98%, more preferably 0.3 to 2%, 0.1 to 1%, and 90 to 97%, and most prefer-ably 0.~ to 1.2%, 0.1 to 0.5% and 95 to 97%. The balances, if any, will be adjuvants, which are also the balances of 3 ~ ~

the other compositions within the invention which are described subsequently herein. In the described compositions the prefer-red aqueous medium is water, the more preferred quaternar~
ammonium halide is higher fatty alkyl tri-lower alkyl ammonium halide wherein the higher alkyl is o~ 12 to 18 carbon atoms and the lower alkyls are of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and the WDC is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, carbo~ylic acids, carboxylic acid esters and alcohols of alkyl chains of at least 25 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof. For the most preferred compositions the quaternary ammonium halides are cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, dicetyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and the WDC is beeswax, normal C27 33 petrolatum, paraffin wax or microcystalline wax or is from an approximately equal mixture of a petrolatum containing an average of 27 ~o 33 carbon atoms in the n-alkanes thereof and beeswax.
For the conditioning shampoos of the invention the proportions of synthetic organic detergent, quaternary ammonium salt, WDC and aqueous medium are normally in the ranges of 5 to 25%, 0.2 to 10~, 0.1 to 5% and 65 to ~4%, respectively, with such ranges preferably being 8 to 20~, 0.2 to 5%, 0.1 to 3% and 70 to 90%, more preferably being 10 to 18%, 0.3 to 2%, 0.1 to 1.5% and 75 to 85% and most preferably being 12 to 18%, 0.4 to 2.0%, 0.1 to 2.0%, and about 80%. For the more preferred conditioning shampoo compositions the anionic synthetic organic detergent i5 a mixture of at least two different sulfated anionic synthetic -`" 2~3~

organic detergents, of which at least one is an ammonium, sodium or triethanolammonium salt, the quaternary ammonium halide is a higher fatty tri-alkyl lower alkyl ammonium chloride or a higher fatty tri-alkyl di-lower alkyl ammonium chloride wherein the higher alkyl is of 12 to 22 carbon atoms and the lower alkyl is of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and the WDC is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters, and alcohols, of alkyl chains of at least 25 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof. The most preferred compositions comprise 5 to 15~ of ammonium and or sodium lauryl sulfate and 1 to 10% of ammonium and/or sodium lauryl diethoxy sulfate, and the WDC is in a paraffin wax of 25 to 30 carbon atoms and/or in a petrolatum containing an average of 27 to 33 carbon atoms in the n~alkanes thereof, and/or in beeswax.
The wash cycle and rinse cycle softeners for laundry will normally be of percentages of quaternary ammonium salt or equivalent, WDC and aqueous medium (or water) in the ranges of 1 to 20%, 0.1 to 5% and 70 to 97.9%, respectively, preferably being 1.5 to 10~, 0.1 to 2%, and 80 to 97.9~, and more prefer-ably being 1.5 to 7% of di-higher fatty alkyl di-lower alkyl ammonium halide, wherein the higher alkyl is of 12 to 22 carbon atoms and the lower alkyls are of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, 0 1 to 2% of WDC, which is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters, and alcohols, of alkyl chains of at least 25 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, and 85 to 95~ of water. Most preferably such compositions will comprise 2 to 8% of distearyl dimethyl 3 ~ ~

ammonium chloride, 0.1 to 1% of the WDC, which is in beeswax, petrolatum and~or paraffin wax, and 90 to 95% of water, plus adjuvants, if any.
The softergents will usually be comprised of a detersive proportion of synthetic organic detergent, which normally will be an anionic detergent, nonionic detergent or mixture thereof, 0 to 75% of builder(s) for the detergent, 2 to 20~ of fabric softening quaternary ammonium salt or equivalent, 0.1 to 2% of WDC, 0 to 75% of water (with lower water percentages for softergents in particulata form), and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s). Preferably the softergent compositions will comprise 10 to 35% of the synthetic organic detergent, 2 to 15% of quaternary ammonium salt or a quaternary ammonium salt complex, or a mixture thereof, 0.1 to 2% of WDC
and 50 to 92~ of water, with any balance of adjuvants. More preferably, such softergent can comprise 10 to 25% of a nonionic detergent which is a condensation product of one mole of higher fatty alcohol of 10 to 16 carbon atoms with 3 to 11 moles of ethylene oxide, 2 to 10% of an anionic detergent which is a linear higher alkylbenzene sulfon~te wherein the higher alkyl is of 10 to 16 carbon atoms, 7 to 13% of di-higher fatty alkyl di-lower alkyl ammonium halide, wherein the higher alkyl is of 12 to 22 carbon atoms and the lower alkyls are of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a citric acid complex thereof, or a mixture thereof, O.l to 1~ of WDC, which is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters, and alcohols, of alkyl chains ~ ~.33~

of at least 25 carbon atoms, and mixture thereof, and 60 to 75% of water, with any balance being aqueous medium, preferably water. The most preferred softergent compositions comprise 12 to 20% of a nonionic detergent which is a condensation product of one mole of a higher fatty alcohol of 12 to 15 carbon atoms with 5 to 9 moles of ethylene oxide, 3 to 7% of an anionic detergent which is sodium linear alkylbenzene sulfonate wherein the alkyl is of 10 to 14 carbon atoms, 1 to 5% of distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, 7 to 11% of a citric acid complex of distearyl methyl amine, 0.1 to 0.5~ of the WDC, which is from a petrolatum containing an average length of 27 to 33 carbon atoms in the n-alkanes thereof, and 65 and 70% of water, with any balance of adjuvant(s) Various procedures for the manufacture of oil-in-water emulsions are well known in the art and such may be employed to make the fiber conditioning compositions of the present invention (when such are in liquid form). However, in order to ensure that the emulsion made ~ill be of improved stability and that the fiber conditioning activity will be maximized and reproducible at such maximum activity it has been found to be desirable to utilize a particular manufactur-ing process, which is a part of the present invention. Such p-ocess comprises forming a melt of the cationic surface active agent component of the fiber conditioning composition and the WDC at an elevated temperature, heating the aqueous medium which is to be the continuous phase of an emulsion, which may contain heat stable hydrophilic components, to a 2~i3~

similar temperature, and mixing together the resulting lipo-philic and hydrophilic liquids at about the same elevated temperature, whereby the fiber conditioning composition is produced in emulsion form, of improved stability and effective-ness. The temperature to which the cationic sur~ace activeagent and the WDC are heated will normally be in the range of 70 to 9S or lOO~C., preferably 70 to 90C. and more preferably about 80C., e.g., 80C. The aqueous medium, preferably containing any stable hydrophilic components of the composition, will be heated to the same temperature, and the lipophilic melt will gradually be admixed into the aqueous medium, so as to form an emulsion, which sometimes will be a microemulsion.
The emulsion is cooled gradually to room temperature, usually over a period of five minutes to one hour, with mixing continu-ing, to avoid any breaking of the emulsion, and any heatsensitive adjuvants are added, with mixing. The room tempera-ture product is a stable liquid in emulsion form. If it separates on lengthy storage at elevated temperature, it may be reformed by shaking. When the fiber conditioning emulsion or other form o~ the composition is dissolved or dispersed in water, as in a wash water or a rinse water, both the cationic surface active agent and the WDC are depositable on fibrous substrates in such water, thereby resulting in unexpectedly beneficial and signi~icantly improved conditioning of the fibers treated.
In use, the compositions-of this invention are 2 ~

dissolved or dispersed in water at a concentration in the range of 0.nl to 50~. In some instances, as with the hair rinses and shampoos, they may be applied full strength but usually such will be applied in water at a concentration of 10 to 50~, preferably 20 to 30%. The laundry preparations on the other hand will be used at greater dilutions, such as0.05 to 2%, e.g., 0.1 to 0.5% and 1~. The normal use temperature is in the range of 10 to 60C., depending on the type of fibrous substrate being treated, and depending on the type of composition being used.
14 Preferably, for most applications the temperature of the water will be in the range of 10 to 40C. and more preferably such range will be 25 to 40C., especially for treatment of human hair on the head. The fibrous material to be conditioned, whether human hair, cotton or synthetic fabrics, such as polyester or cotton-polyester blends, will be kept in contact with th~ aqueous solution or dispersion of the fiber conditioning composition for 1/2 or 1 to 30 minutes, e.g., about 10 minutes, and during that time the cationic surface active agent and the WDC will both deposit on the fibrous substrate and will serve to condition it. Often the WDC promotes deposition of the cationic surfactant but sometimes the reverse is also true. In the case of human hair, to which the mentioned active components are applied in conditioning rinse or shampoo form, the important improved conditioning effect noted by evaluation panels is significantly easier combing, both wet and dry combing, both after application of a conditioning rise of the invention and after shampooing with a conditioning 2 ~ 8 shampoo of the invention. The mechanism of absorption or deposition from the composition containing both cationic surface active fiber conditioning agent and WDC has not been explained but it is clearly more complicated than mere deposi-tions of the composition components, because such componentsare removed by the fibrous materials from a dilute aqueous solution and are retained on the fibrous substrate despite dilution and subsequent rinsing out of the solution or dispersion of the fiber conditioning composition from the fibrous material.
Also, it is an effective conditioning proportion of the active conditioning agents that is left behind on the fibrous material after rinsing. Because sorption of the active conditioning components is better in the in the absence of significant pro portions of builder for the synthetic organic detergent, shampoos, which do not contain such builder, may be of lesser contents of the cationic conditioning agent and the WDC than are desirably incorporated in the softergents of the invention. A very signi-ficant advantage of the present invention, however, is that in laundry detergents and shampoos, as well as in conditioning hair rinses and wash cycle and rinse cycle laundry additives, whether for treating human hair or laundry, the utilization of both cationic surface active fiber conditioning agent and WDC results in a significantly improved conditioning action, which thereby permits use of less of the conditioning agent, thereby saving -3 ~ ~

such costs. q'he products made are of improved stability, too, which is important because the co:nsumer does not favor having to shake liquid products before use to disperse the components thereof,and because stable emulsions ar~ much more attractive at the poin~s of sale than are those which have been separated and have to be re-emulsified.
Various advantages of the invented composition and processes have been mentioned above but a specific advantage bears reemphasizing. That is the significant improvement in conditioning action obtained from the combination of cationic surface active fiber conditioning agent and WDC. It has been observed that when human hair is rinsed with compositions of this invention there are significant increases in conditioning effects, such as ease of combing, compared to effects obtained after using compositions which are identical except for the absence of the WDC. Furthermore, the conditioning obtainable is comparable with that of commercial conditioning compositions based on cationic surface active conditioners but containing more of such compounds. The invented hair conditioning shampoos, although containing more active conditioni~g agents than the rinses, may contain less than commercial hair conditioning shampoos and yet will often be more effective than such 2~3~

commercial products. What is even more surprising, and is considered to be a breakthrough in the art, is that the invented shampoos can be as effective as commercial conditioning rinses. To be able to obtain from a shampoo conditioning like that of a conditioning rinse has heretofore always been considered unattainable. Similar types of improYed conditioning effects are noted for the corresponding wash and rinse cycle conditioners and the softergents of the invention.
The preferred compositions ~f this in~ention are in liquid form and preferably are in stable emulsion or micro-emulsion form. However, the invented compositions, such as the softergents, can be converted to solid or particulate solid form by replacing a substantial proportion or all of the aqueous medium with a solid carrier or solid adjuvants, such as bentonite, sodium sulfate, zeolites, sodium tripoly-phosphate, sodium-carbonate and other builders. Thus, for example the water content of a liquid softergent ma~ be repl~ced by builder or carrier, so that such is up to 75% or more of the composition, and the physical form of the product can be changed accordingly.
The following examples illustrate but do not limit this invention. Unless otherwise indicated all parts are by weight in the examples, in the specification and in the appended claims, and all temperatures are in C.

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Hair conditioning rinses of the above formulas were made by melting together the lipophilic components (cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, petrolatum, beeswax and cetyl alcohol) at 80C. and emulsifying the melt into the balance of the formula in the aqueous medium, which is also at 80C., after which the emulsion formed was cooled to room temperature over about 20 minutes for each formula. Standard tresses of human hair (3 grams per tress) were treated with one gram each of the conditioning rinses for one minute each, after which they were rinsed and subjected to wet combing. A panel of evaluators rated ease of wet combing on a scale oE 1 to 5, from difficult to easy and 12 ratins were made for each tress, with average ratings being calculated for each. Subsequently, in separate tests, after rinsing of the tresses they were dried by blow drying and were combed. Using the same scale, the ease of combing was again evaluated by the panel, and averages were calculated. The following table summarizes such averages.

20 Type of CombingAv~rages (ease of combin~) A B _ C D E_ F G
Wet2.52 4.50 4.25 5.15 4.25 4.20 4.10 Dry2.98 4.75 4.21 4.25 4.52 4.22 4.17 From the results of these experiments it is apparent ~, ~
2 ~

that the presences of the WDC's in the invented compositions substantially increased the ease of combing, which is considered to be closely related to overall manageability and conditioning, of human hair tresses treated with the invented compositions, compared to a control composition tlA) which did not contain such a WDC. In the experiments reported the best results (best conditioning) were obtained from Expériment lB, in which the sole WDC is that obtained from beeswax, but the formula of Experiment lD yields satisfactory results and is economically advantageous, compared to that of lB. In ViYo tests ~actual use tests on "living" hair) verify such results, as do other in vitro tests wherein the tresses are contacted with diluted rinse emulsion tdiluted 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3, composition:water).
In similar tests when a mineral oil was employed in place of the WDC's measurably poorer conditioning resulted and sometimes the tresses were noticeably oily, which is usually objectionable. The tresses of Formulas lA-lG were not oily after treatment. When carnauba wax is employed in place of the WDC's the hair conditioning effect is inferior to the effects of the invented compositions, due to its aromatic compounds' content, but microcrystalline wax is operative.
Although at the present time the costs of such cationic surfactants are prohibitive, by employing heptacosyl trimethyl ammonium chloride or hentriacosyl trimethyl ammonium chloride at 1% or 0.5% concentration in place of cetyl trimethyl ammoniu~

chloride in the present form~las, without any of the named WDC's, those cationic surfactants will also act as WDC's, and the hair conditioning effects will be improved, as in the reported experimental formulas.
In other variations of the formulas of this example the cetyl trimethyl ammonium chlorid,e is replaced by cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide or with lauryl trimethyl ammonium chloride, the cetyl alcohol i replaced by myristyl alcohol and the petrolatum is replaced by a C25 paraffin, and comparable similar improved results are obtained. Also, the proportion of cetyl alcohol to cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride may be varied in the range of 3:1 to 1:1 from the 2:1 of the examples, and the d~sired lubricating effect of the cetyl alcohol will still be obtained.

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O a ~ O ~ a O h O a) ~ ~ h P~ m ~ a ~n o ~n o 2 ~ 8 * contains 60% n-alkanes averaging in the range of 27 to 33 carbon atoms, with distribution curve peak in such range The control emulsion (~) and the invented emulsions (B-G)were all made by the method described in Example 1 and were tested in the same manner. In acldition, the evaluators listed their general impressions as to the conditioning of the hair (included in which were considerations of manageability, appearance and feel), as well as wet and dry combing evaluations. Such ratings are given in Table 2 below.

Evaluation Average A B C D E F G
ConditioningNone*Exc. Exc. Exc. GoodExc. Exc.
Wet Combing Ease 1.0 4.0 3.5 3.3 3.0 3.0 5.0 15 Dry Combing Ease 1.0 4.0 3.5 3-3 3.0 3.0 5.0 * Excellent From the data presented above it is evident that significant improvements in the conditioning of human hair result from the presence in shampoo formulations of small proportions of the WDC's of this invention together with cationic surfactant hair conditioning compound (~u~ternary ammonium halide), and such improved conditioniny is eyident-ly duç to the presence of the WDC because control Formula A, which contains no WDC, but does contain the cationic conditioning ?J ~

agent, is very much inferior in conditioning effect to compo-sitions B-G, all of which are within the present invention.
The results described are verified by in vivo tests, which are ordinary shampooings of hair on the head with the described compositions.
In variations of the formu~as tested there may be substituted for the described detergent systems those wherein the active detergent components are any of triethanolammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium olefin sulfonates, ammonium Cl~ 18 paraffin sul-fonate5, or mixtures thereof, and nonionic and amphoteric deter-gents may also be present in such compositions. The cationic surfactant conditioning agent may also be varied, as in Example 1, the WDC may be obtained from other materials, including montan and candelilla waxes, synthetic beeswax and Japan wax, and micro-crystalline waxes may be incorporated in the compositions, too.Similarly, the WDC's may be pure compounds, such as hydrocarbons, alcohols, carboxylic acids and carboxylic esters, or o~ fractions of sources of WDC's, such as beeswax, and may be alcohols, amines, amine salts and ~uaternary ammonium salts of such hydrocarbons, and amides of such carboxylic acids, and the shampoo compositions resulting will also be of improved hair condi-tioning activities. In a further variation of the shampoo formulas a relatively small percentage of nonionic deter-gent, such as higher fatty alcohol polyethoxylate, like 3 ~ 8 Neodo ~ 25-3, 23-6.5 or 25-7 may be present, in addition to the anionic detergent (to improve removal of oil and previously deposited conditioning agents from hair and scalp). Normally from 1 to 10% of such nonionic detergent may be present, preferably 2 to 5~, e.g., about 3~.

Component Percent (by weight) A B C
Distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride 6.0 6.0 3.0 ** Amine citrate complex - - 3.0 10 Beeswax (yellow) - 0.5 0.5 * Petrolatum - 0.1 0.1 Sodium citrate O.Q5 0.05 Propylene glycol 0.1 0.1 0.1 Deionized water 93.85 93.25 93.3 100.0 100.0 lOQ.0 * contains 60% n-alkanes averaging in the range of 27 to 33 carbon atoms, with its distribution curYe peak in such range ** pre-made complex obtained by mixing distearyl methyl amine and citric acid in a molar ratio of 1:1 The wash cycle and rinse cycle fabric conditioning compositions of this example, which are use~ul for the treatment of laundry, usually in an automatic washing machine, are made by following the procedure described in Example 1, with the lipophilic materials being melted together and being admixed with the hydrophilic components in the aqueous medium, and being cooled to room temperature.
The control (3A) and the invented compositions (3B
and 3C) are each tested in wash cycle and rinse cycle applications, using different commercial detergents at the concentrations in the wash waters that were suggested by the manufacturers thereof. In the wash cycle tests the wash water is of a hardness of about 125 p.p.m., as CaCO3 and is at a temperature of 32~C., the fabric load is large, the wash time is fourteen minutes and the rinse is cold. The commercial detergents to which the wash cycle additive are added are Tideo~ powder (with phosphate builder), FRESH STARl~ liquid Tide and liquid Wis ~, and the concentrations of the wash cycle additive in the wash water are varied so that from about 4 to 9% of conditioning components are present therein, based on the detergent composition employed (or 75 to 150 g. of conditioning composition per 68 liters of wash water, which is 0.1 to 0.2~). The test items, which are mixed in with an ordinary fabric ballast load of five pounds of mixed fabric types, include cotton, nylon tricot, Dacron~
single knit, Dacron double knit, 65/35 Dacron~cotton blends and Banlo ~ swatches(Eor static pick-up evaluations~, plus terrycloth hand towels, for softness evaluations. The washed 3 ~ ~

materials are dried for 60 minutes, using the heavy, high setting of an automatic laundry d:ryer, and the entire washing and drying operations are repeated twice, after which the test fabrics are evaluated for static cling (synthetics~ and softness (terrycloth towels). The evaluation for static cling is conducted immediately after the dryer has been shut off after the third drying. The humidity in the test room is in the range of 4~ to 56% R.H. for both static and softness tests.
The terrycloth towels are hung on a clothes rack after being removed from the dryer and are allowed to remain there for about twelve hours before being evaluated fQr softness.
At all concentrations of the actiVe conditioning components that were tested and in washing the test fabrics with all of the detergent compositions in wash water contai~-ing the 3B and 3C wash cycle additives, less static cling w~5noted than when Composition 3A was employed. The differences in cling are apparent to even a casual oberver. With respect to fabric softness, the results are similarly favorable to the invented compositions, both when evaluations are conducted by an expert of long experience in such techniques, and when observations are made by unskilled observers.
A very important result that was observed is that employment of the invented compositions as wash cycle softeners results in even better fabric softening and less static cling than that which results when a commercial rinse cycle - 3~ -2 ~

softener (Down ~ , in an amount of equal active conditioning ingredient content, is employed as a wash cycle additive.
In rinse cycle applications, utilizing the same procedure, except for utilizing only one washing operation and one drying, the same types of results are obtained.
A theory that has been advanced to explain the superiority of the invented detergent compositions over controls and over the commercial fabric softener in wash cycle appli-cations is that applicants' WDC acts to "protect" the c~tionic surfactant from reaction with the anionic compounds in the wash water, allowing it to exert its full fabric conditioning capabilities. Such theory iS supported by measurements of specific conductances and Zeta potentials of the experimental and control compositions,and turbidity measurements of the invented compositions and controls in wash waters containing commercial anionic detergent compositions, but is not relied on herein.
In variations of the examples given the various components, other than cationic surface active conditioning agent and WDC, may be omitted,and the results reported will be essentially the same. Also, the different cationic components and sources of WDC's previously mentioned in the specification and in the other working examples may be substituted for those of Example 3,and similar significant differences in fabric softening and in antistatic action, in favor 25 of the invented compositions, will be obtained. Thus, for - 38 ~

- 2~3~

examples, mono-higher alkyl tri-lower alkyl ammonium halides and tri-higher alkyl mono-lower alkyl ammonium halides may be employed, as may be others of the WDC's previously mentioned.

5 Component Percent (by weight) A B
Sodium linear dodecylben~ene sulfonate 5.0 5.0 Sodium sulfate (accompanying anionic 1.7 1.7 detergent) *** Neodol 25-7 15.0 15.0 Distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride 6.0 6.0 * Petrolatum ~ 0-5 Citric acid (50% aqueous solution) 9.0 9.0 Triethanolamine 0.3 0.3 15 Formalin 0.2 0.2 Fluorescent brightener (Tinopal~ 5BM,0.2 0.2 Extra Conc.) Colorant (0.5% aqueous solution) 1.0 1.0 Perfume 0.4 0.4 20 Deionized water 61.2 60.7 100.O 100.O

* contains 60~ n-alkanes having in the range of 27 to 33 carbon atoms, with distribution curve peak in such range *** Nonionic detergent, which is a condensation product of ~ mole 2 ~

of fatty alcohol of 12-15 carbon atoms with seven moles of ethylene oxide A control softergent composition (4A) and the invented composition (4B) are both employed to w~sh both cotton and synthetic test fabrics, following the procedure described in Example 3, with only a single washing and drying, and the fabrics are subsequently evaluated for static cling and softness by the methods described in Example 3. The results obtained are also like those reported in Example 3 for wash cycle fabric conditioning compositions, which is as expected because the present softer~ent composition produces substantially the same type of wash water as results from addition of the corresponding wash cycle conditioning composition to a wash water containing detergent composition.
As in Example 3, when multiple washings and dryings of the test fabrics are practiced the impro~ed conditioning effects, which are in favor of the invented compositionst are enh~nced.
In modifications of the composition formula the detergent component may be all anionic or all nonionic, and the anionic and nonionic detergents may be replaced with others previously described in these examples and in the foregoing specification, the distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride may be replaced by other quaternary ammonium salts, such as those previous~y referred, or by other amine and ?~

quaternary ammonium complexes, such as those previously mentioned. Also, the WDC may be replaced by other WDC's of the types that had 4een earlier clescribed. Such a change or such a plurality of changes still results in invented composi-tions which will be of improved fabric conditioning properties,including softening and/or antistatic properties, compared to control compositions which do not contain the required ~DC. Another advantage o~ the invention is that the various WDC's are all safe to employ in the described proportions (many having already been accepted or approved for oral ingestion) and so do not require toxicity testing and go~ern-mental clearances.

EXAMPL~ 5 In the formulas and compositions described in the previous examples variations of the components may be made by replacement of one or more of them with others descrihed in the specification as equivalents or substitutes. The proportions of components may be varied, usually ~10%, ~20 and ~50%, providing that they remain within the ranges recited in the specification. Liquid compositions may be converted to particulate solids by replacement of water with particulate carrier materials, such as builders and fillers.
In some instances it may be desirable separatel~ to add to the wash or rinse waters the fused mixture of cationic surfactant fiber conditioning agent and W~C, preferably in -- 2~3~3~g liquid form, either melted or in an appropriate organic solvent, such as isopropanol, or mixed in with a powdered carrier. The individual cationic surfactant fiber condition-ing agent and WDC may also be added to the wash waters or rinse waters but, as had previously been indicated, the desirable fiber conditioning effects will not be obtained from such a mere mixture to as great an extent as when such components are first fused together. Furthermore, it is highly preferable that they should be in emulsion form when charged to the wash and rinse waters. In an extension of the invention,on which work is now pending,the ~arious WDC's, includ-ing those which are quaternary ammonium salts, are employed to promote deposition on or sorption by substrates, such as hair and laundry fibers, of relatively insoluble materials, such ~s fluorescent brighteners, colorants, perfumes, soil release promoting polymers, fungicides, bactericides, insect repellents, soil repellents and crease-proofing chemicals, which may be incorporated in appropriate rinses, additi~es and detergent compositions.
The invention has been described with respect to working examples, illustrations and embodiments thereof but is not to be considered as limited to these because it is evident that one of skill in the art, with the present specification before him/her, will be able to utili~e substitutes and equivalents without departing from the invention.

Claims (26)

1. A fiber conditioning composition which comprises a cationic surface active fiber conditioning agent and a water dispersible compound which contains in its formula a long chain hydrocarbyl group of at least 25 carbon atoms (WDC), in which the proportion of cationic surface active fiber conditioning agent to long chain hydrocarbyl-containing compound is in the range of 1:20 to 20:1, in which proportion the presence of both such materials in the composition improves the deposition of at least one of them on a fibrous substrate to be conditioned by application to it of an aqueous medium containing such composition.

2. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the cationic surface active fiber conditioning agent is a quaternary ammonium salt and the WDC is a hydrocarbon, an acid, an ester, an amide, an amine, an amine salt, a quaternary ammonium salt, or an alcohol or any mixture of any thereof, the composition is aqueous, the proportion of such quaternary ammonium salt to such WDC is in the range of 0.5:1 to 20:1, and the deposition of at least one of the mentioned compounds on a substrate to be conditioned is on human hair or laundry.

3. A composition according to claim 2 wherein the quaternary ammonium salt and WDC are in an aqueous emulsion in which the proportion of quaternary ammonium salt is in the range of 0.1 to 20% and the proportion of the WDC is in the range of 0.1 to 10%.

4. A composition according to claim 3 which is useful as a conditioning rinse for human hair after shampooing, which comprises 0.2 to 10% of quaternary ammonium salt, 0.1 to

5% of WDC, 75 to 99% of aqueous medium, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

5. A composition according to claim 4 which comprises 0.2 to 5% of quaternary ammonium halide, 0.1 to 2% of WDC, 85 to 98% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

6. A composition according to claim 5 which comprises 0.3 to 2% of higher fatty alkyl tri-lower alkyl ammonium halide, di-higher fatty alkyl di-lower alkyl ammonium halide, or tri-higher fatty alkyl lower alkyl ammonium halide wherein the higher alkyl is of 12 to 22 carbon atoms and the lower alkyls are of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, 0.1 to 1% of WDC which is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters, and alcohols, of alkyl chains of at least 25 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, 90 to 97% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

7. A composition according to claim 6 which comprises 0.4 to 0.2% of cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, dicetyl dimethyl ammonium chloride or distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, and 0.1 to 0.5% of the WDC, which is in an approximately equal mixture of a petrolatum containing an average of 27 to 33 carbon atoms in the n-alkanes thereof, and in beeswax, 95 to 97% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

8. A composition according to claim 3 which is useful as a conditioning shampoo for human hair, which comprises 5 to 25% of synthetic organic detergent, 0.2 to 10% of quaternary ammonium salt, 0.1 to 5% of WDC, 65 to 94% of aqueous medium, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

9. A composition according to claim 8 which comprises 8 to 20% of anionic synthetic organic detergent, 0.2 to 5% of quaternary ammonium halide, 0.1 to 2% of WDC, 70 to 90% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

10. A composition according to claim 9 which comprises 10 to 18% of a mixture of at least two different sulfated anionic synthetic organic detergents, of which at least one is of an ammonium, sodium or triethanolamine salt, 0.3 to 2% of tri-higher fatty alkyl mono-lower alkyl ammonium chloride, wherein the higher alkyl is of 12 to 22 carbon atoms and the lower alkyl is of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, 0.1 to 1.5% of WDC, which is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters, alcohols, amides, amines, amine salts, and quaternary ammonium salts of alkyl chains of at least 25 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, 75 to 85% of water, and the balance, if any of adjuvant(s).

11. A composition according to claim 10 which comprises 5 to 15% of ammonium and/or sodium lauryl sulfate, 1 to 10% of ammonium and/or sodium lauryl diethoxy sulfate, 0.4 to 2.0% of tri-cetyl methylammonium chloride, 0.1 to 2.0%
of the WDC, which is in a petrolatum containing an average of 27 to 33 carbon atoms in the n-alkanes thereof, a paraffin wax containing an average of 25 to 30 carbon atoms and/or in beeswax, about 80% of water, and the balance, if any of adjuvant(s).

12. A composition according to claim 3 which is useful as a wash cycle or rinse cycle fabric softener for laundry, which comprises 1 to 20% of a fabric softening quaternary ammonium salt, cationic amine, quaternary ammonium salt complex with anionic surfactant, or complex of cationic amine, or any mixture thereof, 0.1 to 5% of WDC, 70 to 97.9%
of aqueous medium, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

13. A composition according to claim 12 which comprises 1.5 to 10% of fabric softening quaternary ammonium salt, 0.1 to 2% of WDC, 70 to 97.9% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

14. A composition according to claim 13 which comprises 1.5 to 7% of di-higher fatty alkyl di-lower alkyl ammonium halide, wherein the higher alkyls are of 12 to 22 carbon atoms and the lower alkyls are of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, 0.1 to 2% of WDC, which is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters,amines or amine salts, amides, quaternary ammonium salts, and alcohols, of alkyl chains of at least 25 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, 85 to 95% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

15. A composition according to claim 14 which comprises 2 to 8% of distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, 0.1 to 1% of the WDC, which is in beeswax, petrolatum and/or paraffin wax, 90 to 95% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

16. A composition according to claim 3, which is useful as a softergent to wash laundry and soften it, which comprises a detersive proportion of a synthetic organic detergent, 0 to 75%
of builder(s) for the detergent, 2 to 20% of a fabric softening quaternary ammonium salt, cationic amine, quaternary ammonium salt complex with anionic surfactant, complex of cationic amine, or any mixture thereof, 0.1 to 2% of WDC, 0 to 75% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

17. A softergent composition according to claim 16 which comprises 10 to 35% of a synthetic organic detergent selected from the group consisting of anionic and nonionic detergents and mixtures thereof, 2 to 15% of a quaternary ammonium salt or a quaternary ammonium salt complex, or a mixture thereof, 0.1 to 2% of WDC 50 to 92% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

18. A composition according to claim 17 which comprises 10 to 25% of a nonionic detergent which is a condensa-tion product of one mole of a higher fatty alcohol of 10 to 16 carbon atoms with 3 to 11 moles of ethylene oxide, 2 to 10% of an anionic detergent which is a linear higher alkylbenzene sulfonate, wherein the higher alkyl is of 10 to 16 carbon atoms, 7 to 13% of di-higher fatty alkyl di-lower alkyl ammonium halide, wherein the higher alkyls are of 12 to 18 carbon atoms and the lower alkyls are of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, or a citric acid complex thereof, or a mixture thereof, 0.1 to 1% of WDC which is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters, and alcohols, of alkyl chains of at least 25 carbon atoms, and mixtures thereof, 60 to 75% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

19. A composition according to claim 18 which comprises 12 to 20% of a nonionic detergent which is a conden-sation product of one mole of a higher fatty alcohol of 12 to 15 carbon atoms with 5 to 9 moles of ethylene oxide, 3 to 7%
of an anionic detergent which is sodium linear alkylbenzene sulfonate wherein the alkyl is of 10 to 14 carbon atoms, 1 to 5% of distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, 7 to 11% of a citric acid complex of distearyl methyl amine, 0.1 to 0.5%
of the WDC, which is in a petrolatum containing an average chain length of 27 to 33 carbon atoms in the n-alkanes thereof, 65 to 70% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s).

20. A process for manufacturing a fiber condition-ing composition of claim 1 in stable emulsion form which comprises forming a melt of the cationic surface active agent and the WDC at an elevated temperature in the range of 70 to 90°C., with other heat stable lipophilic components of the fiber conditioning composition, if any, heating an aqueous medium, which may contain heat stable hydrophilic components of the fiber conditioning composition, to a temperature in the range of 70 to 90°C., and mixing together the resulting liquids at about the same temperature to manufacture the fiber conditioning composition in stable emulsion form.

21. A process according to claim 20 wherein the lipophilic liquid and the hydrophilic liquid components of the fiber conditioning liquid composition are mixed together at a temperature of about 80°C. and cooled to room temperature, with stirring, after which any heat sensitive components are admixed therewith.

22. A process for treating a fibrous material to condition it which comprises applying to such fibrous material a fiber conditioning composition of claim 1 in dis-persion in water at a concentration of 0.01 to 50%, for 1 to 30 minutes at a temperature in the range of 10 to 40°C. and rinsing the solution or dispersion of the fiber conditioning composition from the fibrous material, which leaves behind on the fibrous material at least some of either the cationic fiber condition-ing agent or the WDC component of the fiber conditioning compo-sition or both.

23. A process according to claim 22 wherein the fiber conditioning composition is a rinse composition for human hair which comprises 0.2 to 10% of quaternary ammonium salt, 0.1 to 5% of WDC, 75 to 99% of aqueous medium, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s), and the rinse composition is in dispersion in water at a concentration of 10 to 50%.

24. A process according to claim 22 wherein the fiber conditioning composition is a conditioning shampoo for human hair which comprises 5 to 25% of synthetic organic deter-gent, 0.2 to 10% of quaternary ammonium salt, 0.1 to 5% of WDC, 65 to 94% of aqueous medium, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s), and the shampoo is in solution or dispersion in water at a concentration of 10 to 50%.

25. A process according to claim 22 wherein the fiber conditioning composition is a wash cycle or rinse cycle fabric softener for laundry which comprises 2 to 20% of a fabric softening quaternary ammonium salt, cationic amine, quaternary ammonium salt complex with anionic surfactant, or complex of cationic amine, or any mixture thereof, 0.1 to 5% of WDC, 70 to 97.9% of aqueous medium, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s), and the wash cycle or rinse cycle fabric softener is in solution or dispersion in water at a concentration of 0.05 to 2%.

26. A process according to claim 22 wherein the fiber conditioning composition is a softergent which comprises a detersive proportion of a synthetic organic detergent, 0 to 75% of a builder for the detergent, 2 to 20% of a fabric softening quaternary ammonium salt, cationic amine, quaternary ammonium salt complex with anionic surfactant, complex of cationic amine, or any mixture thereof, 0.1 to 0.5% of WDC, 0 to 75% of water, and the balance, if any, of adjuvant(s), and the softergent is in solu-tion or dispersion in wash water at a concentration of 0.1 to 2%.