Dissolvable Fibrous Web Structure Article Comprising Active Agents

Abstract

The personal care compositions of the present invention are in the form of an Article comprising a dissolvable fibrous web structure. The fibers of the dissolvable fibrous web structure comprise a surfactant; a water soluble polymeric structurant; and a plasticizer. Additionally the ratio of the water soluble water soluble polymeric structurant to the active agent in the fiber is 3.5 or less.

1 . An article comprising a dissolvable fibrous web structure wherein the fibers are formed from a composition comprising:
 a. from about 10% to about 75% of an active agent;   b. from about 10% to about 70% water soluble polymeric structurant; and   c. from about 1% to about 25% plasticizer;   
       wherein the ratio of the water soluble water soluble polymeric structurant to the active agent in the fiber is 3.5 or less. 
     
     
         2 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the dissolvable fibrous web structure comprises fibers having an average diameter less than about 10 micrometer. 
     
     
         3 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the article is a personal care article selected from the group consisting of hand cleansing substrates, hair shampoo, hair conditioner, hair color treatment substrates, facial cleansing substrates, body cleansing substrates, shaving preparation substrates, pet care substrates, dental care substrates, personal care substrates containing pharmaceutical or other skin care active, moisturizing substrates, sunscreen substrates, chronic skin benefit agent substrates, vitamin-containing substrates, alpha-hydroxy acid-containing substrates, deodorizing substrates, fragrance-containing substrates, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the article is a household care article selected from the group consisting of fabric care substrates, dish care substrates, hard surface cleaning substrates, and automotive care substrates. 
     
     
         5 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the active agent is selected from a surfactant. 
     
     
         6 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the active agent is selected from an ionic surfactant. 
     
     
         7 . The article of  claim 6 , wherein the ionic surfactant comprises:
 i. one or more surfactants from Group I, wherein Group I comprises anionic surfactants, and   ii. one or more surfactants from Group II, wherein Group II comprises a surfactant selected from the group consisting of amphoteric, zwitterionic and combinations thereof;   
       wherein the ratio of Group Ito Group II surfactants is from about 100:0 to about 30:70. 
     
     
         8 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more active agents are selected from surfactants, skin treatment actives, heat generating agents, color indicators, silicones, organic conditioning oils, perfumes, flavors, sensates, sweeteners, oral care actives, fabric softening actives, dish care and hard surface care actives, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The article of  claim 1  comprising from about 3 wt % to about 20 wt % of a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The article of  claim 1  comprising from about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt % of an extensional rheology modifier and wherein the extensional rheology modifier has a weight average molecular weight of from about 500,000 to about 10,000,000. 
     
     
         11 . The article of  claim 10  wherein the extensional rheology modifier comprises one or more polyethylene oxides. 
     
     
         12 . The article of  claim 1  comprising a surface resident coating comprising from about 1% to about 70%, by weight of the article, of an active agent and wherein the ratio of the dissolvable fibrous web structure to the surface resident coating comprising the at least one active agent is from about 110:1 to about 0.1:1. 
     
     
         13 . The article of  claim 12 , wherein the surface resident coating comprises from about 10% to about 100% of one or more water-releasable matrix complexes comprising active agents. 
     
     
         14 . The article of  claim 13 , wherein the water-releasable matrix materials are selected from the group consisting of cyclodextrins, starches, polyethylenes, polyamides, polystyrenes, polyisoprenes, polycarbonates, polyesters, polyacrylates, vinyl polymers polyurethanes, silicates, carbonates, starch based materials, amorphous silica, amorphous silica gel, precipitated silica, fumed silica, aluminosilicates, zeolites, alumina, silicates, carbonates, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The article of  claim 12 , wherein the surface resident coating comprises from about 10% to about 100% of one or more microcapsules comprising active agents. 
     
     
         16 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the dissolvable fibrous web structure has a density from about 0.03 grams per cubic meter to about 0.50 grams per cubic meter. 
     
     
         17 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the article comprises one or more water soluble polymeric structurants selected from the group consisting of polyalkylene oxides, polyvinyl alcohols, polyacrylates, copolymers of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, polyvinylpyrrolidones, starch and starch derivatives, pullulan, gelatin, hydroxypropylmethylcelluloses, methylcelluloses, carboxymethycelluloses, salts and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the article comprises at least one extensional rheology modifier forming less than 5% by weight of the article. 
     
     
         19 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more water soluble polymeric structurants has a weight-average molecular weight of from about 40,000 to about 500,000. 
     
     
         20 . The article of  claim 1  wherein the dissolvable fibrous web structure is produced by one or more methods selected from the group consisting of fluid film fibrillation, fiber bursting, electrospinning, electroblowing, melt fibrillation, flash spinning process, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The article of  claim 20 , wherein the dissolvable fibrous web structure comprises a mixture of fibers produced by one or more methods, wherein the fibers are mixed homogenously or in layers. 
     
     
         22 . The article of  claim 21  wherein the fibers in the mixture are selected from the group consisting of fibers of substantially different dissolution rates, substantially different fiber diameter distribution, substantially different composition, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The article of  claim 22 , wherein the fibers from the substantially different diameter distribution have average diameters ranging from about 0.1 micrometer to about 150 micrometer. 
     
     
         24 . The article of  claim 1 , wherein the dissolvable article comprises a plurality of dissolvable fibrous web structures, which are bonded together via a bonding means selected from the group consisting of heat, moisture, ultrasonic, pressure and combinations thereof such that the article has a basis weight of from about 30 grams per square meter to about 1,000 grams per square meter and a thickness of from about 0.25 millimeters to about 10 millimeters. 
     
     
         25 . The article of  claim 24 , wherein each layer of the dissolvable fibrous web structure comprise of fibers having significantly different fiber diameter distribution, and wherein the fibers in each layer of the dissolvable fibrous web structure have an average diameter ranging from about 0.1 micrometer to about 150 micrometer. 
     
     
         26 . The article of  claim 25 , wherein each layer of the dissolvable fibrous web structure comprises a different composition. 
     
     
         27 . An article comprising a plurality of dissolvable solid structures comprising one or more dissolvable fibrous web structure comprising a significant number of fibers with average diameter less than about 10 microns wherein the fibers are made from a composition comprising:
 a. from about 20% to about 75% by weight of the composition of active agent;   b. from about 10% to about 70% by weight of the composition water soluble water soluble polymeric structurant; and   c. from about 1% to about 25% by weight of the composition plasticizer.   
     
     
         28 . An article comprising a dissolvable fibrous web structure comprising a significant number of fibers with average diameter less than about 10 microns wherein the fibers are made from a composition comprising:
 a. from about 10% to about 75% by weight of the composition surfactant;   b. less than about 5% by weight of the composition one or more polyethylene oxide polymer having a weight-average molecular weight less than about 10,000,000; and   c. from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight of the composition plasticizer.   
     
     
         29 . A processing mixture suitable for making an article that is in the form of a dissolvable fibrous web structure, wherein the processing mixture has from about 15% to about 60% by weight of the processing mixture solids, has a viscosity of from about 5,000 centipoise to about 150,000 centipoise, and comprises:
 a. from about 8% to about 30% by weight of the processing mixture active agent;   b. from about 3% to about 25% by weight of the processing mixture water soluble polymeric structurant; and   c. from about 0.3% to about 10% by weight of the processing mixture plasticizer.   
     
     
         30 . The processing mixture of  claim 29 , wherein the processing mixture comprises one or more water-soluble polymers selected from the group consisting of polyalkylene oxides, polyvinyl alcohols, polyacrylates, copolymers of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid, polyvinylpyrrolidones, starch and starch derivatives, pullulan, gelatin, hydroxypropylmethylcelluloses, methylcelluloses, carboxymethycelluloses, and salts and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         31 . The processing mixture of  claim 29 , wherein the processing mixture comprises at least one extensional rheology modifier forming less than 5% by weight of the processing mixture. 
     
     
         32 . The processing mixture of  claim 31 , wherein at least one extensional rheology modifier comprises one or more polyethylene oxide forming less than 2% by weight of the processing mixture. 
     
     
         33 . An article in the form of a dissolvable fibrous web structure, wherein the article is formed by a process comprising the steps of:
 a. preparing a processing mixture comprising one or more active agents, one or more water soluble polymeric structurants, and one or more plasticizers, wherein the processing mixture has:
 i. from about 20% to about 60% solids; and 
 ii. a viscosity of from about 5,000 centipoise to about 150,000 centipoise; 
   b. fibrillating the processing mixture into fibers by a fluid film fibrillation process comprising a first pressurized gas stream directed against a liquid film of the processing mixture to form the fibers;   c. at least partially drying the fibers of the processing mixture by a second pressurized gas stream;   d. depositing the partially dry fibers on a surface to form a web of partially dry fibrous web structures;   e. drying the partially dry fibrous web structure to a desired final moisture content; and   f. cutting the fibrous web into one or more shapes to form the article.   
     
     
         34 . The article of  claim 33 , wherein the first and the second pressurized gas streams are heated. 
     
     
         35 . The article of  claim 34 , wherein the second pressurized gas stream is a continuation of the first pressurized gas stream. 
     
     
         36 . The article of  claim 35 , wherein the desired final moisture content is from about 1% to about 15% moisture. 
     
     
         37 . The article of  claim 33 , wherein a significant number of fibers have an average diameter less than about 100 micrometer. 
     
     
         38 . The article of  claim 33 , wherein a significant number of fibers have an average diameter less than about 10 micrometer.