Fabric conditioning compositions

Abstract

A liquid fabric softening composition comprising: i) an aqueous continuous phase; ii) a disperse phase comprising a cationic softening agent; iii) a nonionic surfactant; and iv) an associative thickener, wherein the disperse phase has a phase volume of 0.75 or less and the cationic softening agent comprises 5% or greater by weight of the total composition.

1 . A liquid fabric softening composition comprising: 
 i) an aqueous continuous phase;    ii) a disperse phase comprising a cationic softening agent;    iii) a nonionic surfactant; and    iv) an associative thickener,    wherein the disperse phase has a phase volume of 0.75 or less and the cationic softening agent comprises 5% or greater by weight of the total composition.    
     
     
         2 . A fabric softening composition according to  claim 1 , having a viscosity at 20/s of from 200 to 450 mPa.s.  
     
     
         3 . A fabric softening composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the disperse phase comprises fragments of lamellar phase cationic softening agent stabilised by nonionic surfactant and linked by associative thickener.  
     
     
         4 . A fabric softening composition according to  claim 1 , having a phase volume of 0.70 or less.  
     
     
         5 . A fabric softening composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the cationic softening agent has an iodine value of from 0 to 20, more preferably 0 to 2.  
     
     
         6 . A fabric softening composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic surfactant has an HLB of from 7 to 20, more preferably 15 to 20.  
     
     
         7 . A fabric softening composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic surfactant is present at a level of 0.05% or greater, more preferably 0.35% or greater based on the total weight of the composition.  
     
     
         8 . A fabric softening composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the associative thickener is a hydrophobically modified cellulose ether.  
     
     
         9 . A fabric softening composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the associative thickener has a molecular weight of from 50,000 to 500,000.  
     
     
         10 . A fabric softening composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the associative thickener is present at a level of from 0.001 to 0.5% by weight of the total composition.  
     
     
         11 . A fabric softening composition according to  claim 1 , comprising a quaternary ammonium compound having a single C 12-28  group connected to the nitrogen head group.  
     
     
         12 . A fabric softening composition according to  claim 11 , wherein the mole ratio of the fatty complexing agent to the quaternary ammonium compound having a single C 12-28  group connected to the nitrogen head group is from 1:3 to 3:1.  
     
     
         13 . A method for the treatment of fabrics comprising contacting fabrics with a liquid fabric softening composition according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         14 . A method for the manufacture of a liquid fabric softening composition comprising the steps of dispersing a cationic softening agent and a nonionic surfactant in an aqueous continuous phase, reducing the phase volume of the disperse phase, and using an associative thickener to thicken the composition, wherein the disperse phase is reduced to a phase volume of 0.75 or less and the cationic softening agent comprises 5% or greater of the total composition.  
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the phase volume is reduced by the addition of an electrolyte and/or milling the formulation.