TEKSTILBLOEDGOERINGSMIDDEL

1514276 Softening composition UNILEVER Ltd 20 Oct 1976 [22 Oct 1975] 43336/75 Heading D1P [Also in Division C5] A detergent-compatible fabric-softening composition comprises a tertiary amine having an isoelectric point of from 8.3 to 9.8 and of the structure RR1R2N where R is an alkyl group having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms and R1 and R2 are primary linear alkyl or alkenyl groups having from 10 to 26 carbon atoms, and a diluent. The diluent is water or a water-soluble non-surface-active salt. Where the diluent is water the composition is liquid and comprises from 2 to 50% of the amine dispersed in from 98 to 50% of water, by weight of the total amount of amine and water, and where the diluent is a water-soluble non-surface-active salt, the composition is solid and comprises from 6.3 to 90% of the amine and from 10 to 93.7% of the salt by weight of the composition. In the preferred amines, R1 and R2 are both the same, e.g hydrogenated tallow, coco, lauryl, myristyl, cetyl, marganyl, decyl, arachidyl, stearyl, docosyl or tetracosyl. R is preferably methyl but may be ethyl, propyl or butyl. The compositions may be prepared by dispersing the amine in water in the presence of an emulsifier, or by admixing the amine with the non-surface active salt. The emulsifier is preferably anionic, e.g. a salt of an organic acid, having a hydrophobic group which is similar in structure to the groups R1 and R2 in the amine. The non-surface active salt may be an organic or inorganic detergency builder salt, e.g. sodium tripolyphosphate or EDTA a non- builder salt e.g. sodium sulphate or a perborate or percarbonate bleach. An anionic detergent e.g. an alkylbenzene sulphonate or a sodium or potassium soap, may also be present. In use an anionic detergent wash liquor containing the amine composition is prepared having a pH above the isoelectric point of the amine, fabric is washed with the liquor, and the pH of the liquor in contact with the fabric is then reduced to below the isoelectric point of the amine to attach the latter to the fabric surface. Preferably the pH reduction is effected by introducing rinse water of lower pH than the wash liquor. Preferably 0.0005 to 0.01 parts of the amine per part by weight of the fabric, is deposited. The aqueous dispersions have storage stability. The solid mixtures incorporating anionic surfacts may be used as detergents. Cotton towelling may be treated.