Field of the Invention
5 The present invention relates to a laundry composition comprising a plurality of particles.
Background of the Invention
A wide variety of laundry products are available in the market, including detergents, fabric
10 conditioners, stain removers and bleach. Laundry products are used for various reasons,
traditionally detergents are used for cleaning and fabric conditioners are used for softening and
perfuming fabrics. There is a continuing need for laundry products which provide fabric care
benefits to fabrics.
15 Various benefit agents are commonly incorporated in laundry products to provide fabric care
benefits. However, the addition of benefit agents to a laundry product has the drawbacks of
increased complexity in formulations, increased cost and benefit agents which may not meet
the environmental credentials desired by the consumer.
20 Nowadays, laundry products that provide additional benefits to their fabrics in addition to
common laundry detergents and fabric conditioners are popular with consumers. Consumers
enjoy products that enables them to use a custom amount of benefit agents based on their
personal preferences of how much of the benefit agents is needed to provide the desired
benefit. There is an increased demand for laundry products which allow the consumer to tailor
25 their laundry process to suit their needs and preferences.
Products have been developed to provide benefits to fabrics during laundry, independent of
other laundry products, to achieve the desired benefit based on consumers’ personal
preferences. Among such products, those in the form of particles are particularly popular.
30 Conventional carrier materials for the particles are synthetic polymers like polyethylene glycol
(PEG). In a typical production method of the particles, a melt comprising the carrier material and
other constituents is first produced and the melt obtained is mixed directly with the benefit
agents. The finished melt dispersion is then shaped into particles.
P0000068WO1 CPL
2
WO 2011/056938A1 relates to a laundry scent additive having polyethylene glycol and perfume.
The laundry scent additive enables consumers to control the amount of scent imparted to their
laundry.
5 WO 2016099852A1 relates a composition of a plurality of homogeneously structured particles.
The particles include polyethylene glycol, perfume, and starch granules and each has a mass
between about 0.95 mg and about 5 grams.
WO 2021/239374A1 relates to a solid fabric softening composition comprising fabric softening
10 active, co-active and disintegrant system, wherein the disintegrant system comprises salt and
acid.
US 2017/0175059A1 relates to a multicompartment water-soluble unit dose article that includes
at least a first compartment and a second compartment: (a) where the first compartment
15 includes a first composition that is a free-flowing non-compressed particulate composition, and
where the first composition includes a fabric softening ingredient; and (b) where the second
compartment includes a second composition that is a liquid composition, the liquid composition
including less than 5% by weight of the liquid composition of a structuring agent, less than 15%
by weight of the unit dose article of water and between 5% and 35% by weight of the unit dose
20 article of non-aqueous solvent; and where the weight ratio of the first composition to the second
composition is between 2:1 and 1:25.
However, the production of such products has certain limitations: the production method
including heating and cooling is time consuming and complicated which requires special
25 equipment; some benefit agents such as fragrance tend to evaporate quickly at higher
temperatures and therefore the fragrance content of the composition decreases rapidly during
production. Furthermore, the carrier materials like PEG are expensive and not sustainable.
Many consumers prefer compounds with a good environmental profile and there is therefore the
need for alternatives to petroleum based raw materials for the purpose of environmental
30 sustainability.
Another problem which can arise with laundry products in the form of particles is that the
products may have poor stability. For example, the particles may stick together and lose its
flowability during production, transportation and/or storage, which would give rise to processing
35 problems and consumer dosing problems. Such particles may even leave more residues in the
P0000068WO1 CPL
3
washing machine (e.g., on the washing machine door glass or the rubber ring) after washing
due to the stickiness of the particles, resulting in poor user experience for consumers.
Furthermore, the particles may be brittle and tended to break up into small pieces or irreversibly
deform during production, transportation and/or storage, which can imply poor quality of the
5 product and negatively impact consumer acceptance of the product. Therefore, it is desirable
that the particles have sufficient strength to maintain mechanical stability. “Mechanical stability”,
as used herein, means that the particles maintain their shapes under the conditions that are
common in production, transportation and/or storage, that is, they will neither break up into
small pieces nor be irreversibly deformed within the temperature ranges or under the action of
10 forces that are common in production, transportation and/or storage.
It is also desirable that laundry products in the form of particles have good color stability. Color
stability of a product may provide a measure of product quality with time under a variety of
conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, light) and is used to establish product shelf life and
15 storage conditions. Consumers are sensitive to visual cues when using such a laundry product.
A change in color of the product can imply declining quality and negatively impact consumer
acceptance of the product.
Furthermore, the dissolution behavior of laundry products in the form of particles is also
20 important to consumers.
Therefore, there remains a need to improve such laundry products.
Summary of the Invention
25
In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a laundry composition comprising a plurality
of particles, wherein the particle comprises:
a) from 20 to 95% by weight of a water-soluble carrier selected from a carbohydrate, an
30 inorganic alkali metal salt, an organic alkali metal salt, an inorganic alkaline earth
metal salt, an organic alkaline earth metal salt, a urea and mixtures thereof;
b) a filler selected from silica, zeolite, clay, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate,
calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, titanium dioxide, calcium phosphate and
mixtures thereof; and
35 c) perfume;
P0000068WO1 CPL
4
wherein the water-soluble carrier comprises a carbohydrate selected from sugar,
sugar alcohol, and mixtures thereof;
wherein the particles are homogeneously structured; and
wherein the filler a D50 particle size from 0.01 to 100 microns and wherein the particle
5 size is measured using Malvern Mastersizer.
By homogeneously structured, it is meant that there is a continuous phase throughout the
particle. There is not a core and shell type structure. The constituent ingredients of the particles
such as the benefit agent will be distributed or dispersed within the continuous phase. When the
benefit agent is perfume, it may improve the perfume stability against oxidation and evaporative
10 loss during storage. The continuous phase is provided predominately by the carrier material.
In a second aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of forming the laundry
composition of any embodiment of the first aspect comprising the steps of:
15 (i) combining constituent ingredients of the composition to form a mixture;
(ii) feeding the mixture to an extruder and extruding it to form an extrudate;
(iii) cutting the extrudate to form the particles;
(iv) drying the particles; and
(v) optionally dusting the particles with an anti-caking agent.
20
In a third aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of treating laundry comprising the
steps of:
(i) providing fabrics in a washing machine;
25 (ii) dispensing the laundry composition of any embodiment of the first aspect into the
washing machine; and
(iii) contacting the fabrics with the laundry composition during a wash sub-cycle of the
washing machine.
30 In a fourth aspect, the present invention is directed to use of a laundry composition of any
embodiment of the first aspect to provide fabric care benefits to laundered fabrics during the
laundry process, preferably impart fragrance to laundered fabrics.
P0000068WO1 CPL
5
Detailed Description of the Invention
Except in the examples, or where otherwise explicitly indicated, all numbers in this description
indicating amounts of material or conditions of reaction, physical properties of materials and/or
5 use may optionally be understood as modified by the word “about”.
All amounts are by weight of the composition, unless otherwise specified.
It should be noted that in specifying any range of values, any particular upper value can be
10 associated with any particular lower value.
For the avoidance of doubt, the word “comprising” is intended to mean “including” but not
necessarily “consisting of” or “composed of”. In other words, the listed steps or options need
not be exhaustive.
15
The disclosure of the invention as found herein is to be considered to cover all embodiments as
found in the claims as being multiply dependent upon each other irrespective of the fact that
claims may be found without multiple dependency or redundancy.
20 Where a feature is disclosed with respect to a particular aspect of the invention (for example a
composition of the invention), such disclosure is also to be considered to apply to any other
aspect of the invention (for example a method of the invention) mutatis mutandis.
The laundry composition in the context of the present invention is a laundry composition
25 intended for use in addition to a traditional detergent or fabric conditioner. The laundry
composition provides an additional benefit over and above those delivered by a detergent or
fabric conditioner and they provided the consumer with the ability to customize the levels of
benefit agents delivered in the wash.
30 Water-soluble carrier
The term “water-soluble” as used herein, means that a material is soluble or otherwise
dispersible in water at a level of at least 90% by weight at 25oC under ambient condition,
preferably at least 95% by weight and more preferably at least 98% by weight at 25oC under
35 ambient condition. The particles of the present invention comprise no less than 20% by weight
P0000068WO1 CPL
6
of a water-soluble carrier, preferably no less than 30%, more preferably no less than 35% and
most preferably no less than 40% by weight of a water-soluble carrier. The particles of the
present invention comprise no more than 95% by weight of water-soluble carrier, preferably no
more than 85%, more preferably no more than 75% and most preferably no more than 70% by
5 weight of a water-soluble carrier. The particle of the present invention comprises from 20 to
95% by weight of a water-soluble carrier, preferably from 30 to 85%, more preferably from 35 to
75% and most preferably from 40 to 70% by weight of a water-soluble carrier.
The water-soluble carrier is selected from a carbohydrate, an inorganic alkali metal salt, an
10 organic alkali metal salt, an inorganic alkaline earth metal salt, an organic alkaline earth metal
salt, a urea and mixtures thereof.
Suitable alkali metal salt comprises an alkali metal ion selected from lithium, sodium, potassium
and mixtures thereof, and an anion selected from fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide, sulfate,
15 bisulfate, phosphate, carbonate, acetate, citrate, lactate, pyruvate, ascorbate, sorbate and
mixtures thereof. Examples of suitable inorganic alkali metal salts include, but not limited to,
sodium fluoride, sodium chloride, sodium bromide, sodium iodide, sodium sulfate, sodium
bisulfate, sodium phosphate, sodium monohydrogen phosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate,
sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, potassium fluoride, potassium chloride,
20 potassium bromide, potassium iodide, potassium sulfate, potassium bisulfate, potassium
phosphate, potassium monohydrogen phosphate, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, potassium
carbonate, potassium monohydrogen carbonate or mixtures thereof. Examples of suitable
organic alkali metal salts include sodium acetate, sodium citrate, sodium lactate, sodium
tartrate, sodium ascorbate, sodium sorbate, potassium acetate, potassium citrate, potassium
25 lactate, potassium tartrate, potassium ascorbate, potassium sorbate or mixtures thereof.
Suitable alkaline earth metal salt comprises an alkali earth metal ion selected from magnesium,
calcium and mixtures thereof, and an anion selected from fluoride, chloride, bromide, iodide,
sulfate, bisulfate, phosphate, carbonate, acetate, citrate, lactate, pyruvate, ascorbate, sorbate
30 and mixtures thereof. Examples of suitable inorganic alkaline earth metal salts include, but not
limited to, magnesium fluoride, magnesium chloride, magnesium bromide, magnesium iodide,
magnesium sulfate, magnesium phosphate, magnesium monohydrogen phosphate, magnesium
dihydrogen phosphate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium monohydrogen carbonate, calcium
fluoride, calcium chloride, calcium bromide, calcium iodide, calcium sulfate, calcium phosphate,
35 calcium monohydrogen phosphate, calcium dihydrogen phosphate, calcium carbonate, calcium
P0000068WO1 CPL
7
monohydrogen carbonate or mixtures thereof. Examples of suitable organic alkaline earth metal
salts include magnesium acetate, magnesium citrate, magnesium lactate, magnesium tartrate,
magnesium ascorbate, magnesium sorbate, calcium acetate, calcium citrate, calcium lactate,
calcium tartrate, calcium ascorbate, calcium sorbate or mixtures thereof.
5
the water-soluble carrier comprises a carbohydrate selected from sugar, sugar alcohol and
mixtures thereof, which may reduce the corrosion of the internal parts of the washing machine
compared with using salts as the carrier. More preferably the water-soluble carrier comprises
sugar. Suitable sugar may be selected from dextrose, sucrose, fructose, glucose, isoglucose,
10 rhamnose, fucose, deoxyribose, ribose, trehalose, xylose, mannose, arabinose, galactose,
cellobiose, lactose, maltose, isomaltose, melibiose, gentobiose, maltotriose, raffinose, panose,
and mixtures thereof. Preferably the sugar is selected from dextrose, sucrose, fructose,
glucose, isoglucose, galactose, raffinose, and mixtures thereof. More preferably the sugar
comprises or is sucrose.
15
A sugar alcohol is an organic compound having more than two hydroxyl groups. The sugar
alcohol can have from 4 to 12 carbon atoms. Suitable sugar alcohol may be selected from
sorbitol, mannitol, isomalt, maltitol, lactitol, xylitol, erythritol, and mixtures thereof. Preferably the
sugar alcohol is selected from mannitol, sorbitol and mixtures thereof.
20
It may be preferable to include a bittering agent if the water-soluble carrier comprises sugar.
Preferred bettering agent is selected from the group consisting of denatonium benzoate,
denatonium saccharide, quinine or a salt of quinine. The chemical name of denatonium is
phenylmethyl-[2-[(2,6-dimethylphenyl)amino]-2-oxoethyl]-diethylammonium. Denatonium
benzoate is particularly preferred. An example is Bitrex® 25 from Johnson Matthey Fine Chemicals.
Preferably the bittering agent is present in an amount from 0.001 to 0.01% by weight of the
particles.
The particles of the present invention may comprise an additional carrier (in addition to the
30 water-soluble carrier). The additional carrier material may provide various benefits such as
stability benefits. The additional carrier materials may be selected from the group consisting of
polymers (e.g, polyethylene glycol, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymers, polyvinyl
alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, and derivatives thereof), proteins (e.g., gelatin, albumin, casein),
polysaccharides (e.g., starch, xanthan gum, cellulose, or derivatives thereof), vegetable soap
35 (e.g. coconut soap beads or palm soap), ethoxylated non-ionic surfactants (having a formula
P0000068WO1 CPL
8
R1O(R2O)xH, wherein R1 preferably comprises 12 to 20 carbon atoms, R2 is C2H4 or mixture of
C2H4 and C3H6 units and x = 8 to 120) and mixtures thereof.
Preferably the additional carrier comprises polysaccharide. A polysaccharide is a saccharide
5 polymer comprising more than 10 monosaccharides units, preferably 15 to 1000
monosaccharides units and more preferably 25 to 500 monosaccharides units. Suitable
polysaccharides may be selected from starch, glycogen, chitin, gum Arabic, xanthan gum,
cellulose, callose, dextran, tunicin, inulin, alginic acid, gellan, guar, carob flour, carrageenan,
and derivatives of these compounds, and mixtures thereof. Preferably the polysaccharide
10 comprises starch and/or its derivatives. Most preferably the polysaccharide comprises or is
starch. Suitable starch may be selected from wheat starch, rice starch, potato starch, corn
starch, tapioca starch and mixtures thereof.
Preferably the particles of the present invention comprise from 0.1 to 50% by weight of the
15 additional carrier, more preferably from 1 to 35%, even more preferably from 2 to 25%, and
most preferably from 5 to 20% by weight of the additional carrier.
Filler
20 The particles of the present invention preferably comprise from 0.1 to 10% by weight of a filler,
more preferably from 0.3 to 8%, even more preferably from 0.5 to 5% and most preferably from
1 to 4% by weight of a filler. The filler may act as a process aid to improve the processibility of
the composition in production by giving the composition hardness.
25 The filler is selected from silica, zeolite, clay (e.g. kaolin, talc, bentonite), calcium carbonate,
magnesium carbonate, calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, titanium dioxide, calcium
phosphate and mixtures thereof. Preferably the filler is selected from silica, zeolite, clay (e.g.
kaolin, talc, bentonite), calcium carbonate and mixtures thereof. Silica is particularly preferred.
An example is silica commercially available under the trade name GF052 from Jinsanjiang
30 (Zhaoqing) Silicon Material Company Limited.
The filler used in this invention has a D50 particle size from 0.01 to 100 microns, preferably
from 0.1 to 50 microns, more preferably from 1 to 30 microns, even more preferably from 5 to
25 microns, more preferably still from 8 to 20 microns and most preferably from 10 to 18
35 microns. It is preferred that the filler is silica having a D50 particle size from 0.01 to 100
P0000068WO1 CPL
9
microns, preferably from 0.1 to 50 microns, more preferably from 1 to 30 microns, even more
preferably from 5 to 25 microns, more preferably still from 8 to 20 microns and most preferably
from 10 to 18 microns. The D50 particle size of a particulate material is the particle size
diameter at which 50 wt% of the particles are larger in diameter and 50 wt% are smaller in
5 diameter. In the context of the present invention, particle sizes are measured using Malvern
Mastersizer 2000.
The filler may be porous. Preferably the apparent density of filler is from 0.05 to 0.5 g/ml, more
preferably from 0.1 to 0.4 g/ml, even more preferably from 0.15 to 0.35 g/ml and most
10 preferably from 0.2 to 0.3 g/ml. It is preferred that the filler is silica having the apparent density
from 0.05 to 0.5 g/ml, more preferably from 0.1 to 0.4 g/ml, even more preferably from 0.15 to
0.35 g/ml and most preferably from 0.2 to 0.3 g/ml.
It is not preferable to use a high level of fillers in the particles. More fillers may cause the
15 particles to become brittle and tend to break up into undesirable small pieces. Furthermore, the
dissolution time of particles in the laundry process may also increase when a high level of fillers
is present in the particles.
Benefit agent
20
Benefit agent as used herein means an active typically delivered to laundered fabrics to
enhance or improve a characteristic of those fabrics. The benefit agent is dispersed within the
carrier materials. The benefit agent may be free in the carrier material or they may be
encapsulated. The particles of the present invention preferably comprise from 0.1 to 50% by
25 weight of the benefit agent, more preferably from 1 to 40%, even more preferably from 2 to
35%, and most preferably from 5 to 30% by weight of the benefit agent.
Examples of suitable benefit agent includes, but not limited to, perfume; malodor agents (e.g.,
uncomplexed cyclodextrin, odor blockers, reactive aldehydes, flavonoids, zeolites, activated
30 carbon, or mixtures thereof); fabric softener actives; cationic polymers; dye transfer inhibitors;
shading dyes; insect repellents; organic sunscreen actives (e.g., octylmethoxy cinnamate);
antimicrobial agents (e.g., 2-hydroxy-4, 2,4- trichlorodiphenylether); ester solvents (e.g.,
isopropyl myristate); lipids and lipid like substances (e.g. cholesterol); hydrocarbons (e.g.,
paraffins, petrolatum, and mineral oil); fish and vegetable oils; hydrophobic plant extracts;
35 waxes; pigments (e.g., inorganic compounds with hydrophobically- modified surface and/ or
P0000068WO1 CPL
10
dispersed in an oil or a hydrophobic liquid); sugar-esters (e.g., sucrose polyester); silicone oils,
resins and modifications thereof (e.g., linear and cyclic polydimethylsiloxanes, amino-modified,
allcyl, aryl, and alkylaryl silicone oils, which preferably have a viscosity of greater than 50,000
cst); or mixtures thereof.
5
The benefit agent is perfume. The particles preferably comprise from 0.1 to 30% by weight of
perfume materials i.e. free perfume and/or perfume microcapsules. As is known in the art, free
perfumes and perfume microcapsules provide the consumer with perfume hits at different points
during the wash cycle. It is particularly preferred that the particles of the present invention
10 comprise a combination of both free perfume and perfume microcapsules.
Preferably the particles of the present invention comprise 0.5 to 20% perfume materials, more
preferably 1 to 15% perfume materials, most preferably 2 to 10% perfume materials.
15 Useful perfume components may include materials of both natural and synthetic origin. They
include single compounds and mixtures. Specific examples of such components may be found
in the current literature, e.g., in Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, 1975, CRC Press;
Synthetic Food Adjuncts, 1947 by M. B. Jacobs, edited by Van Nostrand; or Perfume and
Flavor Chemicals by S. Arctander 1969, Montclair, N.J. (USA). These substances are well
20 known to the person skilled in the art of perfuming, flavouring, and/or aromatizing consumer
products.
Free perfumes:
25 The particles of the invention preferably comprise 0.1 to 15% free perfume, more preferably 0.5
to 8% of free perfume by weight of the particles.
Particularly preferred perfume components are blooming perfume components and substantive
perfume components. Blooming perfume components are defined by a boiling point less than
30 250°C and a LogP greater than 2.5. Substantive perfume components are defined by a boiling
point greater than 250°C and a LogP greater than 2.5. Boiling point is measured at standard
pressure (760 mm Hg). Preferably, a perfume composition will comprise a mixture of blooming
and substantive perfume components. The perfume composition may comprise other perfume
components.
P0000068WO1 CPL
11
It is commonplace for a plurality of perfume components to be present in a free oil perfume
composition. In the compositions for use in the present invention it is envisaged that there will
be three or more, preferably four or more, more preferably five or more, most preferably six or
more different perfume components. An upper limit of 300 perfume components may be
5 applied.
Perfume microcapsules:
The particles of the present invention preferably comprise 0.1 to 15% of perfume
microcapsules, more preferably 0.5 to 8% of perfume microcapsules by weight of the particles.
10 The weight of microcapsules is of the material as supplied.
When perfume components are encapsulated, suitable encapsulating materials, may comprise,
but are not limited to; aminoplasts, proteins, polyurethanes, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates,
polysaccharides, polyamides, polyolefins, gums, silicones, lipids, modified cellulose,
15 polyphosphate, polystyrene, polyesters or mixtures thereof. Particularly preferred materials are
aminoplast microcapsules, such as melamine formaldehyde or urea formaldehyde
microcapsules.
Perfume microcapsules of the present invention can be friable microcapsules and/or moisture
20 activated microcapsules. By friable, it is meant that the perfume microcapsule will rupture when
a force is exerted. By moisture activated, it is meant that the perfume is released in the
presence of water. The particles of the present invention preferably comprise friable
microcapsules. Moisture activated microcapsules may additionally be present. Examples of a
microcapsules which can be friable include aminoplast microcapsules.
25
Perfume components contained in a microcapsule may comprise odiferous materials and/or
pro-fragrance materials.
Particularly preferred perfume components contained in a microcapsule are blooming perfume
30 components and substantive perfume components. Blooming perfume components are defined
by a boiling point less than 250°C and a LogP greater than 2.5. Substantive perfume
components are defined by a boiling point greater than 250°C and a LogP greater than 2.5.
Boiling point is measured at standard pressure (760 mm Hg). Preferably, a perfume
composition will comprise a mixture of blooming and substantive perfume components. The
35 perfume composition may comprise other perfume components.
P0000068WO1 CPL
12
It is commonplace for a plurality of perfume components to be present in a microcapsule. In the
compositions for use in the present invention it is envisaged that there will be three or more,
preferably four or more, more preferably five or more, most preferably six or more different
perfume components in a microcapsule. An upper limit of 300 perfume components may be
5 applied.

The microcapsules may comprise perfume components and a carrier for the perfume
ingredients, such as zeolites or cyclodextrins.
10 Another preferred benefit agent may be fabric softener active. The fabric softening actives may
be any material known to soften fabrics. These may be polymeric materials or compounds
known to soften materials. Examples of suitable fabric softening actives include quaternary
ammonium compounds, silicone polymers, polysaccharides, clays, amines, fatty esters,
dispersible polyolefins, polymer latexes or mixtures thereof.
15
The fabric softening actives may preferably be cationic or non-ionic materials. Preferably, the
fabric softening actives of the present invention are cationic materials. Suitable cationic fabric
softening actives are described herein.
20 The preferred softening actives for use in the particles of the invention are quaternary
ammonium compounds (QAC).
The QAC preferably comprises at least one chain derived from fatty acids, more preferably at
least two chains derived from a fatty acid. Generally fatty acids are defined as aliphatic
25 monocarboxylic acids having a chain of 4 to 28 carbons. Fatty acids may be derived from
various sources such as tallow or plant sources. Preferably the fatty acid chains are derived
from plants. Preferably the fatty acid chains of the QAC comprise from 10 to 50 wt. % of
saturated C18 chains and from 5 to 40 wt. % of monounsaturated C18 chains by weight of total
fatty acid chains. In a further preferred embodiment, the fatty acid chains of the QAC comprise
30 from 20 to 40 wt. %, preferably from 25 to 35 wt. % of saturated C18 chains and from 10 to 35
wt. %, preferably from 15 to 30 wt. % of monounsaturated C18 chains, by weight of total fatty
acid chains.
P0000068WO1 CPL
13
A preferred class of quaternary ammonium compound are so called “ester quats”. Particularly
preferred materials are the ester-linked triethanolamine (TEA) quaternary ammonium
compounds comprising a mixture of mono-, di- and tri-ester linked components.
5 Typically, TEA-based fabric softening compounds comprise a mixture of mono, di- and tri ester
forms of the compound where the di-ester linked component comprises no more than 70 wt.%
of the fabric softening compound, preferably no more than 60 wt.% e.g. no more than 55%, or
even no more that 45% of the fabric softening compound and at least 10 wt.% of the monoester
linked component.
10
A first group of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) suitable for use in the present
invention is represented by formula (I):
(I)
wherein each R is independently selected from a C5 to C35 alkyl or alkenyl group; R1
15 represents a C1 to C4 alkyl, C2 to C4 alkenyl or a C1 to C4 hydroxyalkyl group; T may be either
O-CO. (i.e. an ester group bound to R via its carbon atom), or may alternatively be CO-O (i.e.
an ester group bound to R via its oxygen atom); n is a number selected from 1 to 4; m is a
number selected from 1, 2, or 3; and Xis an anionic counter-ion, such as a halide or alkyl
sulphate, e.g. chloride or methylsulfate. Di-esters variants of formula I (i.e. m = 2) are preferred
20 and typically have mono- and tri-ester analogues associated with them. Such materials are
particularly suitable for use in the present invention.
Suitable actives include soft quaternary ammonium actives such as Stepantex VT90,
Rewoquat WE18 (ex-Evonik) and Tetranyl L1/90N, Tetranyl L190 SP and Tetranyl L190 S (all
25 ex-Kao).
Also suitable are actives rich in the di-esters of triethanolammonium methylsulfate, otherwise
referred to as "TEA ester quats".
30 Commercial examples include Preapagen™ TQL (ex-Clariant), and Tetranyl™ AHT-1 (ex-Kao),
(both di-[hardened tallow ester] of triethanolammonium methylsulfate), AT-1 (di-[tallow ester] of
P0000068WO1 CPL
14
triethanolammonium methylsulfate), and L5/90 (di-[palm ester] of triethanolammonium
methylsulfate), (both ex-Kao), and Rewoquat™ WE15 (a di-ester of triethanolammonium
methylsulfate having fatty acyl residues deriving from C10-C20 and C16-C18 unsaturated fatty
acids) (ex-Evonik).
5
A second group of QACs suitable for use in the invention is represented by formula (II):
(II)
wherein each R1 10 group is independently selected from C1 to C4 alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or C2 to C4
alkenyl groups; and wherein each R2 group is independently selected from C8 to C28 alkyl or
alkenyl groups; and wherein n, T, and X- are as defined above.
Preferred materials of this second group include 1,2 bis[tallowoyloxy]-3- trimethylammonium
15 propane chloride, 1,2 bis[hardened tallowoyloxy]-3- trimethylammonium propane chloride, 1,2-
bis[oleoyloxy]-3-trimethylammonium propane chloride, and 1,2 bis[stearoyloxy]-3-
trimethylammonium propane chloride. Such materials are described in US 4, 137,180 (Lever
Brothers). Preferably, these materials also comprise an amount of the corresponding monoester.
20
A third group of QACs suitable for use in the invention is represented by formula (III):
(III)
wherein each R1 25 group is independently selected from C1 to C4 alkyl, or C2 to C4 alkenyl
groups; and wherein each R2 group is independently selected from C8 to C28 alkyl or alkenyl
groups; and n, T, and X- are as defined above. Preferred materials of this third group include
bis(2-tallowoyloxyethyl)dimethyl ammonium chloride, partially hardened and hardened versions
thereof.
30
P0000068WO1 CPL
15
A fourth group of QACs suitable for use in the invention are represented by formula (IV)
(IV)
5 R1 and R2 are independently selected from C10 to C22 alkyl or alkenyl groups, preferably C14
to C20 alkyl or alkenyl groups. Xis as defined above.
The iodine value of the quaternary ammonium fabric conditioning material is preferably from 0
to 80, more preferably from 0 to 60, and most preferably from 0 to 45. The iodine value may be
10 chosen as appropriate. Essentially saturated material having an iodine value of from 0 to 5,
preferably from 0 to 1 may be used in the compositions of the invention. Such materials are
known as "hardened" quaternary ammonium compounds.
A further preferred range of iodine values is from 20 to 60, preferably 25 to 50, more preferably
15 from 30 to 45. A material of this type is a "soft" triethanolamine quaternary ammonium
compound, preferably triethanolamine di-alkylester methylsulfate. Such ester-linked
triethanolamine quaternary ammonium compounds comprise unsaturated fatty chains.
If there is a mixture of quaternary ammonium materials present in the composition, the iodine
20 value, referred to above, represents the mean iodine value of the parent fatty acyl compounds
or fatty acids of all the quaternary ammonium materials present. Likewise, if there are any
saturated quaternary ammonium materials present in the composition, the iodine value
represents the mean iodine value of the parent acyl compounds of fatty acids of all of the
quaternary ammonium materials present.
25
Iodine value as used in the context of the present invention refers to, the fatty acid used to
produce the QAC, the measurement of the degree of unsaturation present in a material by a
method of nmr spectroscopy as described in Anal. Chem. , 34, 1136 (1962) Johnson and
Shoolery.
30
P0000068WO1 CPL
16
A further type of softening compound may be a non-ester quaternary ammonium material
represented by formula (V):
(V)
wherein each R1 5 group is independently selected from C1 to C4 alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or C2 to C4
alkenyl groups; each R2 group is independently selected from C8 to C28 alkyl or alkenyl groups,
and Xis as defined above.
The particles of the present invention preferably comprise from 0.1 to 50% by weight of the
10 fabric softening active, more preferably from 1 to 40%, even more preferably from 5 to 35% and
most preferably from 10 to 30% by weight of the fabric softening active.
Anionic surfactant
15 The particles of the present invention may comprise an anionic surfactant selected from alkyl
sulfate, alkyl ether sulfate, soap and mixtures thereof. Preferably the anionic surfactant is
selected from alkyl sulfate, soap and mixtures thereof, more preferably the anionic surfactant is
a combination of alkyl sulfate and soap. In another preferred embodiment, the anionic
surfactant comprises or is alkyl sulfate. The anionic surfactant may serve as binder to bind the
20 carrier material and other constituent ingredients of the composition together thereby helping to
provide for a processable composition in production.
Preferably the particles of the present invention comprise no less than 5% by weight of an
anionic surfactant, more preferably no less than 6% by weight of an anionic surfactant, most
25 preferably no less than 7% by weight of an anionic surfactant. Preferably the particles of the
present invention comprise no more than 15% by weight of an anionic surfactant, more
preferably no more than 12% by weight of an anionic surfactant, most preferably no more than
10% by weight of an anionic surfactant. Preferably the particles of the present invention
comprise from 5 to 15% by weight of an anionic surfactant, more preferably from 6 to 12% by
30 weight of an anionic surfactant, most preferably from 7 to 10% by weight of an anionic
surfactant.
P0000068WO1 CPL
17
The use of 5 to 15% by weight of an anionic surfactant was surprisingly found to provide
improved processability of the composition. The anionic surfactant may also improve the
appearance of the particles and make the surface of the particles look smoother. Consumers
are sensitive to visual cues when using a laundry product. A laundry product containing
5 particles with rough surfaces are often regarded as quality problems and not liked by
consumers.
Alkyl sulfates are anionic surfactants which are water soluble salts containing a hydrocarbon
hydrophobic group and a hydrophilic sulfate group. Preferably, the alkyl sulfate has an alkyl
10 group having 8 to 18 carbon atoms, more preferably from 10 to 18 carbon atoms, even more
preferably from 10 to 16 carbon atoms. It will be appreciated that both branched and linear alkyl
groups are encompassed. The alkyl group is preferably linear, i.e. normal alkyl, however,
branched chain alkyl sulfates can be employed, although they are less preferred from a
biodegradability perspective.
15
Preferably, the alkyl sulfate comprises a salt of an alkyl sulfate. In this way, the alkyl sulfate
comprises a positively charged ion and a negatively alkyl sulfate moiety. The positively charged
ion may be a metal ion such as sodium, potassium or magnesium; or an ammoniacal ion such
as ammonium, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine or triethanolamine. Mixtures of such ions
20 may also be employed. Sodium and potassium are preferred.
It is preferred that the alkyl sulfate comprises sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium,
ammonium or ethanolamine salts of alkyl sulfate having 8 to 18 carbon atoms, more preferably
10 to 18 carbon atoms, even more preferably from 10 to 16 carbon atoms. Illustrative yet non25 limiting examples of alkyl sulfates include sodium lauryl sulfate (also known as sodium dodecyl
sulfate), ammonium lauryl sulfate, diethanolamine (DEA) lauryl sulfate. Suitable examples also
include alkyl sulfates commercially available from natural source with trade names Galaxy 689,
Galaxy 780, Galaxy 789, Galaxy 799 SP, and Ufarol TCL 92N and from synthetic origin with
trade names Safol 23, Dobanol 23A or 23S, Lial 123 S, Alfol 1412S, Empicol LC3, Empicol
30 075SR.
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), also known as sodium dodecyl sulfate, is particularly preferred as
the alkyl sulfate. An example of sodium lauryl sulfate is commercially available from Dongming
Jujin Chemical Co., Ltd.
35
P0000068WO1 CPL
18
Alkyl ether sulfate is an anionic surfactant having a formula RO(CH2CH2O)nSO3M, wherein R is
a linear or branched, alkyl or alkenyl group having 8 to 18 carbon atoms, preferably 10 to 18
carbon atoms, more preferably 12 to 14 carbon atoms; M is a positively charged ion comprising
sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, ammonium, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine,
5 triethanolamine or mixtures thereof, preferably sodium, potassium or mixtures thereof; n is the
degree of ethoxylation of from 0.5 to 3, preferably from 1 to 3. A preferred example is sodium
lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) in which the predominantly C12 lauryl alkyl group has been
ethoxylated with an average of 2EO units per molecule.
10 The term “soap” as used herein, means the alkali metal or alkanol ammonium salts of aliphatic,
alkanes, or alkene monocarboxylic acids. Preferred monocarboxylic acids are fatty acids with 6
to 22 carbon atoms, more preferably from 12 to 18 carbon atoms. Examples of suitable soap
include, but not limited to, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, ammonium,
monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine salts of lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic
15 acid, stearic acid, (hydrogenated) erucic acid, behenic acid, coconut oil fatty acid, palm oil fatty
acid, palm kernel oil fatty acid, olive oil fatty acid, tallow fatty acid or mixtures thereof. The fatty
acids may be saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched. It is particularly preferred that the
soap comprises sodium or potassium salts of coconut fatty acid, palm kernel oil fatty acid or
mixtures thereof.
20
The particles of the present invention may comprise other anionic surfactants in addition to the
anionic surfactants described above. Examples of suitable anionic surfactants include, but not
limited to, alkyl sulfonates, alkaryl sulfonates, alpha-olefin sulfonates, alkyl isethionates,
alkanoyl isethionates, alkyl succinates, alkyl sulphosuccinates, alkyl ether sulphosuccinates, N25 alkyl sarcosinates, alkyl phosphates, alkyl ether phosphates, alkyl ether carboxylic acids and
salts thereof, especially their sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, ammonium and mono-,
di-, and triethanolamine salts. The alkyl radicals preferably contain from 10 to 18 carbon atoms
and may be unsaturated. The alkyl ether sulphosuccinates, alkyl ether phosphates and alkyl
ether carboxylic acids and salts thereof may contain from one to twenty ethylene oxide or
30 propylene oxide units per molecule.
The particles of the present invention may comprise alkylbenezene sulfonates, particularly
linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) with an alkyl chain length of from 10 to 18 carbon atoms.
Commercial LAS is a mixture of closely related isomers and homologues alkyl chain
35 homologues, each containing an aromatic ring sulfonated at the “para” position and attached to
P0000068WO1 CPL
19
a linear alkyl chain at any position except the terminal carbons. The linear alkyl chain typically
has a chain length of from 11 to 15 carbon atoms, with the predominant materials having a
chain length of about C12. Each alkyl chain homologue consists of a mixture of all the possible
sulfophenyl isomers except for the 1-phenyl isomer. LAS is normally formulated into
5 compositions in acid (i.e. HLAS) form and then at least partially neutralized in-situ. Examples of
alkylbenzene sulfonates include sodium salt of linear alkylbenzene sulphonate, alkyl toluene
sulphonate, alkyl xylene sulphonate, alkyl phenol sulphonate, alkyl naphthalene-sulphonate,
ammonium diamylnaphthalene-sulphonate and sodium dinonylnaphthalene-sulphonate and
mixtures with olefin sulphonates. Preferably the particles of the present invention are
10 substantially free of alkylbenezene sulfonates. “Substantially free of”, as used herein, means
less than 1.5%, preferably less than 1.0%, more preferably less than 0.75%, more preferably
still less than 0.5% and even more preferably less than 0.1% and most preferably from 0 to
0.01% by weight, based on total weight of the composition, including all ranges subsumed
therein. It is preferred that the particles of the present invention do not comprise any
15 alkylbenezene sulfonates.
Disintegrant
Preferably, the particles of the present invention comprise a disintegrant. Disintegrant, as used
20 herein, refers to materials which are added to the particles to make them disintegrate and thus
release the benefit agent upon contact with water. The particles of the present invention
preferably comprise from 0.1 to 20% by weight of the disintegrant, more preferably from 0.5 to
15%, even more preferably 1 to 10%, more preferably still from 1 to 5%, and most preferably
from 1.5 to 3% by weight of the disintegrant.
25
Preferably the disintegrant is a non-effervescent disintegrant. Examples of suitable noneffervescent disintegrant include, but not limited to, polyvinylpyrrolidone, crospovidone (crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone), starch derivatives, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, clays (e.g.
bentonite, alginates), gums (e.g., agar, Arabic, xanthan, guar, locust bean, karaya, pectin,
30 tragacanth), non-carbonate salt (e.g. sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium sulfate,
calcium silicate, magnesium aluminum silicate) or mixtures thereof.
It is preferred that the disintegrant is a cellulose or a cellulose derivative. Examples of suitable
cellulose derivatives include, but not limited to, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, propyl
35 cellulose, methyl ethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, ethyl carboxymethyl cellulose,
P0000068WO1 CPL
20
hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl
hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl
ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, calcium carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose,
microcrystalline cellulose, croscarmellose sodium (cross-linked sodium carboxymethyl
5 cellulose) or mixtures thereof. Preferably the disintegrant is selected from calcium
carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose,
croscarmellose sodium and mixtures thereof.
It is also preferred that the disintegrant is a starch derivative, which is also known as modified
10 starch. Examples of suitable starch derivatives include, but not limited to, sodium starch
glycolate, carboxymethyl starch, sodium carboxymethyl starch, hydroxypropyl starch, pregelatinized starch or mixtures thereof.
Preferably, the disintegrant is selected from croscarmellose sodium (cross-linked sodium
15 carboxymethyl cellulose), sodium carboxymethyl starch, sodium starch glycolate and mixtures
thereof. Croscarmellose sodium is particularly preferred. Croscarmellose sodium is particularly
preferred. An example is croscarmellose sodium commercially available under Anhuisunhere
Pharmaceutical Excipients Co., Ltd.
20 It is preferred that the particles of the present invention comprise from 0.1 to 20% by weight of
croscarmellose sodium, more preferably from 0.5 to 15%, even more preferably from 1 to 10%,
more preferably still from 1 to 5% and most preferably from 1.5 to 3% by weight of
croscarmellose sodium.
25 The disintegrant may be an effervescent disintegrant. Suitable effervescent disintegrant
includes a carbonate salt and an acid. Preferably the acid is selected from an organic acid, a
salt of organic acid, a salt of inorganic acid and mixtures thereof. More preferably the acid is
organic acids. The organic acid suitable for use in the composition of the present invention can
be any organic acid. Particularly good results were achieved with organic acids being polyacids
30 (i.e. acids having more than one carboxylic acid group), and more particularly with di- or
tricarboxylic organic acids. The organic acid used in the invention has a weight average
molecular mass of at most 500 Dalton, more preferably of at most 400 Dalton and most
preferably of at most 300 Dalton, the molecular mass being based on the free acid equivalent.
In any case, preferably the organic acid is not a polymer-based acid. The organic acid
P0000068WO1 CPL
21
employed in accordance with the invention preferably comprises 3 to 25 carbon atoms, more
preferably 4 to 15 carbon atoms.
In view of consumer acceptance and reducing environmental impact, the organic acids
5 preferably are those which are also found naturally occurring, such as in plants. Examples of
suitable organic acids include acetic acid, citric acid, aspartic acid, lactic acid, adipic acid,
succinic acid, glutaric acid, gluconic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid,
saccharic acid, their salts or mixtures thereof. Of particular interest are citric acid, aspartic acid,
acetic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, gluconic acid, their salts or mixtures thereof.
10 Most preferably, the organic acid is citric acid, succinic acid, their salts or a mixture thereof.
Preferably the carbonate salt comprises sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium glycine
carbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, potassium glycine carbonate, calcium
carbonate, calcium bicarbonate, magnesium carbonate or mixtures thereof. More preferably the
15 carbonate salt comprises sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate,
potassium bicarbonate or mixtures thereof. Most preferably the carbonate salt comprises
sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate or mixtures thereof.
It is particularly preferred that the effervescent disintegrant is a combination of sodium
20 bicarbonate, citric acid and succinic acid.
It is preferred that the amount of carbonate salt is related to the amount of acid. More
specifically it is desired that the weight ratio of the carbonate salt to the acid is from 1:10 to
10:1, more preferably from 1:5 to 5:1, even more preferably from 1:3 to 3:1.
25
Colourant
The particles of the invention may comprise a colourant. The colourant may be a dye or a
pigment or a mixture thereof. The colourant has the purpose to impart colour to the particles, it
30 is not intended to be a shading dye or to impart colour to the laundered fabrics. A single
colourant or a mixture of colourants may be used.
Preferably, the colourant is a dye, more preferably a polymeric dye. Non-limiting examples of
suitable dyes include the LIQUITINET range of dyes ex Milliken Chemical.
P0000068WO1 CPL
22
Preferably the particles of the present invention comprise 0.001 to 2%, more preferably 0.005 to
1%, most preferably 0.005 to 0.6% of by weight of the colourant.
Water
5
Water may be included to enhance the processibility of the composition in production.
Preferably, the particles comprise from 0.1 to 10% by weight of water, more preferably from 0.5
to 8% by weight of water, even more preferably from 1 to 6% by weight of water, and most
preferably from 2% to 5% by weight of water.
10
Form of particles
The particles of the present invention may be in any solid form, for example: powder, pellet,
tablet, prill, pastille or extrudate. Preferably the particles are in the form of an extruded particle.
15
The particles may be any shape or size suitable for dissolution in the laundry process.
Preferably, each individual particle has a mass of between 0.95 mg to 5 grams, more preferably
0.005 to 1 gram, even more preferably 0.005 to 0.5 gram and most preferably 0.01 to 0.1 gram.
Preferably each individual particle has a maximum linear dimension in any direction of less than
20 10 mm, more preferably 1 to 8 mm and most preferably of 4 to 6 mm.
It is preferred that the particles have a substantially flat base and a height perpendicular to the
base. Preferably each particle has a maximum base dimension of less than 10 mm, more
preferably 1 to 8 mm and most preferably of 4 to 6 mm. Preferably each particle has a height of
25 from 0.05 to 5 mm, more preferably from 0.1 to 3 mm, and most preferably from 0.2 to 2.5 mm.
It is preferred that each individual particle has a maximum base dimension of less than 10 mm
and a height of from 0.05 to 5 mm.
The shape of the particles may be selected from hemispherical, compressed hemispherical,
30 lentil-shaped, oblong, cubical, rectangular, circular, cylindrical, disc, flower-shaped, starshaped, petal-shaped, heart-shaped and mixtures thereof. Preferably the shape of the particles
is selected from disc, flower-shaped, star-shaped, petal-shaped, heart-shaped and mixtures
thereof, which can be more visually attractive to consumers.
P0000068WO1 CPL
23
Preferably, the particles of the present invention are formed using an extrusion apparatus. The
extrusion apparatus may be a single screw extruder or a twin screw extruder, preferably a twin
screw extruder having co-rotating or contra-rotating screws. The present invention also relates
to a method of forming the particles comprising the steps of:
5
(i) combining constituent ingredients of the composition to form a mixture;
(ii) feeding the mixture to an extruder and extruding it to form an extrudate;
(iii) cutting the extrudate to form the particles;
(iv) drying the particles; and
10 (v) optionally dusting the particles with an anti-caking agent.
Preferably, the method is carried out at a temperature from 10 to 50oC, more preferably from 15
to 40oC and even more preferably from 20 to 30oC. It is preferred that the method is carried out
at room temperature (25oC) and one atmospheric pressure.
15
Preferably the mixture of step (i) is homogeneous. By homogeneous, it means that the mixture
prior to extrusion has a uniform texture so that extrudates obtained from the mixture have an
even quality. When the constituent ingredients of the composition include perfume
microcapsules, it is preferred that the perfume microcapsules are added to the mixture as the
20 last ingredient for mixing, which may reduce the breakage of perfume microcapsules during
mixing.
During the extrusion process of steps (ii) and (iii), the mixture of step (i) is extruded from the
extruder through a die having an orifice with a predetermined diameter. The extruder is
25 equipped with a cutter-knife allowing to cut the extrudate at the die exit to form particles. The
desired height of the particles may be achieved by varying the speed that the extrudate is fed
into the cutter and the rate at which the extrudate is cut.
The drying step (iv) may be carried out before, during or after step (iii). Preferably the drying is
carried out at room temperature (25 30 oC), relative humidity (RH) <50% and one atmospheric
pressure, which may reduce the evaporative loss of benefit agent such as perfume.
Following step (iv), the method may comprise a step (v) of dusting the particles with an anticaking agent. The anti-caking agent may be applied to the exterior surface of the particles to
35 reduce the potential for particles to stick together.
P0000068WO1 CPL
24
The method does not require to heat up the mixture above a melting temperature to shape it
into a desired form and cool it down again, which greatly simplifies the production process and
reduces the loss of benefit agent such as perfume in production.
5 The particles of the present invention may also be made using roller compacting. The
constituent ingredients of the composition are introduced between two rollers and rolled under
pressure between the two rollers to form a sheet of compactate. The sheet of compactate is
broken up into small pieces by cutting. The small pieces can be further shaped into particles.
10 The particles of the present invention need to dissolve in a typically wash cycle time, preferably
no more than 20 minutes, more preferably no more than 15 minutes, even more preferably no
more than 10 minutes. If the dissolution rate of the particles is too slow, there may be undissolved residues formed from constituent ingredients of the particles remaining on the
laundered fabrics when the wash is complete which is undesirable for consumers. The particles
15 preferably have a dissolution rate of no less than 1 minutes, more preferably no less than 2
minutes, and even more preferably no less than 3 minutes. If the dissolution rate of the particles
is too fast, most of the benefit agent may be released early and washed away before they can
be delivered to laundered fabrics to provide various benefits. Preferably the particles have a
dissolution rate from 1 minutes to 20 minutes, more preferably from 2 minutes to 15 minutes,
20 even more preferably from 3 minutes to 10 minutes.
Method of use
The particles of the present invention are for use in the laundry process. They may be added in
25 the wash sub-cycle or a rinse sub-cycle of a laundry cycle using a washing machine.
Alternatively, the particles may be used in manual hand washing of fabrics. The particles may
be used in addition to other laundry products or they may be used as a standalone product.
The particles of the present invention are preferably dosed in a quantity of 1g to 50g, more
30 preferably 10 g to 45 g, most preferably 15 g to 40 g. The particles may be dosed by consumers
from a package directly into the washing machine or into a dosing compartment on the washing
machine.
The present invention also relates to a method of treating laundry comprising the steps of:
35
P0000068WO1 CPL
25
(i) providing fabrics in a washing machine;
(ii) dispensing the laundry composition into the washing machine; and
(iii) contacting the fabrics with the laundry composition during a wash sub-cycle of the
washing machine.
5
Use for the particles
Typically, the primary use of the particles of the present invention is to provide fabric care
benefits to laundered fabrics during the laundry process. Preferably the particles are used to
10 impart fragrance to laundered fabrics during the laundry process.
The following examples are provided to facilitate an understanding of the invention. The
examples are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.
15 Examples
Particles were prepared as shown in table 1. All ingredients are expressed by weight percent of
the total formulation.
TABLE 1
20
Ingredients Samples
A B 1
Sugara 63.6 63.6 63.6
Starch 12 12 12
Soap 10 10 10
Silicab 2 -- 2
Silicac
-- 2 --
Free perfume 6 6 6
Perfume microcapsules 6 6 6
Colourant 0.4 0.4 0.4
Structure of the particles Core/shell structure,
and silica is in the
coating layer
Homogeneously
structured, and silica
is dispersed within
the particles
Homogeneously
structured, and silica
is dispersed within
the particles
a. Refined cane sugar from Guangxi Fengtang Biochemical Co., Ltd
P0000068WO1 CPL
26
b. Silica with a D50 particle size of 15.3 µm under the trade name GF052 from Jinsanjiang
(Zhaoqing) Silicon Material Co., Ltd
c. Silica with a D50 particle size of 150 µm under the trade name LH104 from Shandong Longhua
Chengxin Powder Technology Co., Ltd
5
Process of manufacturing particles
Sample A was prepared as follows: the ingredients except silica, free perfume oil and perfume
microcapsules were added into a dough mixer and mixed evenly by a triple-roller miller. After
10 that, the perfume microcapsules were added into the dough mixer and the resulted mixture was
mixed evenly. The mixture was fed into a twin-screw co-rotating extruder fitted with a die having
an orifice with a predetermined diameter and cutter blade. The mixture was extruded to form an
extrudate having a diameter of about 5 mm. The extrudate was cut into particles with a
thickness of about 2 mm. The particles were dried at room temperature (25oC) and one
15 atmospheric pressure.
The particles were added to a rotating coating pan as the core. One-third of the total amount of
silica was added to the coating pan and mixed with the particles. After the two were evenly
mixed, one-third of the total amount of free perfume oil was sprayed into the mixture and the
20 resulted mixture was stirred evenly until the silica was completely absorbed by the core
particles. The coating process was repeated until all the silica was absorbed on the surfaces of
the particles.
Sample 1 and sample B were prepared as follows: the ingredients except perfume
25 microcapsules were added into a dough mixer and mixed evenly by a triple-roller miller. After
that, the perfume microcapsules were added into the dough mixer and the resulted mixture was
mixed evenly. The mixture was fed into a twin-screw co-rotating extruder fitted with a die having
an orifice with a predetermined diameter and cutter blade. The mixture was extruded to form an
extrudate having a diameter of about 5 mm. The extrudate was cut into particles with a
thickness of about 2 mm. The particles were dried at room temperature (25 30 oC) and one
atmospheric pressure.
It has been found that the manufacturing process of sample A is more complex and timeconsuming than samples B and 1, which requires at least 3 hours.
35
P0000068WO1 CPL
27
Method to test stability
The freshly prepared particles were stored in a 100 mL PP bottle at 5oC, 25oC, 37oC, 45oC,
50oC, 37oC and 70% RH (relative humidity) respectively. After one month, the appearances of
5 the particles were observed with the naked eye. The stability test results are shown in table 2.
TABLE 2
Appearance Samples
A 1
5
oC Free-flowing particles Free-flowing particles
25oC Free-flowing particles Free-flowing particles
37oC Free-flowing particles Free-flowing particles
45oC Slightly sticky particles Free-flowing particles
50oC Sticky particles Free-flowing particles
37oC and 70% RH Slight caked particles Free-flowing particles
10 It can be seen in table 2 that sample 1 comprising silica showed improved stability compared to
sample A.
Method to test breakage rate of particles
A 350 mL bottle was conditioned at 23+/- 2 15 oC/50% RH (relative humidity) for 24 hours. The
bottle was filled with around 200g particles after separating the powder from the particles with a
20 mesh sieve. The initial weight of the particles (after separating the powder) was recorded.
The bottle was then tightly sealed with a closure. When the bottle was filled with particles,
adjusted the height so that the bottom of the bottle is 1 metre above the ground and then
20 dropped the bottle six times in the following order: oriented the bottle on face and dropped;
oriented the bottle on back and dropped; oriented the bottle on top and dropped; oriented the
bottle on bottom and dropped; oriented the bottle on one side and dropped; oriented the bottle
on the other side and dropped.
25 After drop, a 20 mesh sieve was used to separate the powder from the particles. The total
weight of powder was recorded. The breakage rate (Rb) of particles was calculated as:
Rb(%)= (The total weight of powder after drop/ The initial weight of the particles) x 100%
P0000068WO1 CPL
28
The drop test was repeated 5 times for each sample, the average breakage rate of the particles
was calculated and reported in table 3.
TABLE 3
Samples
A B 1
Breakage rate (%) 2.3 1.5 0.8
5
The breakage rate is a parameter to evaluate the strength of particles under impact. It is
considered acceptable if the particle breakage rate is less than 1%. It can be seen in table 3
that sample 1 had a breakage rate of 0.8% which was within the acceptable range.
P0000068WO1 CPL
29
CLAIMS
1. A laundry composition comprising a plurality of particles, wherein the particle comprises:
a) from 20 to 95% by weight of a water-soluble carrier selected from a carbohydrate, an
inorganic alkali metal salt, an organic alkali metal salt, an inorganic alkaline earth
metal salt, an organic alkaline earth metal salt, a urea and mixtures thereof;
b) a filler selected from silica, zeolite, clay, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate,
calcium stearate, magnesium stearate, titanium dioxide, calcium phosphate and
mixtures thereof;
c) perfume;
wherein the water-soluble carrier comprises a carbohydrate selected from sugar,
sugar alcohol, and mixtures thereof;
wherein the particles are homogeneously structured; and
wherein the filler has a D50 particle size from 0.01 to 100 microns and wherein the
particle size is measured using Malvern Mastersizer.
2. The laundry composition according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble carrier
comprises sugar selected from dextrose, sucrose, fructose, glucose, isoglucose,
rhamnose, fucose, deoxyribose, ribose, trehalose, xylose, mannose, arabinose,
galactose, cellobiose, lactose, maltose, isomaltose, melibiose, gentobiose, maltotriose,
raffinose, panose, and mixtures thereof, preferably the water-soluble carrier comprises
sugar selected from dextrose, sucrose, fructose, glucose, isoglucose, galactose, raffinose,
and mixtures thereof.
3. The laundry composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the filler is selected from
silica, zeolite, clay, calcium carbonate and mixtures thereof, preferably silica.
4. The laundry composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the filler has a
D50 particle size from 0.1 to 50 microns, preferably from 1 to 30 microns.
5. The laundry composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the particles
comprise from 0.1 to 10% by weight of the filler, preferably from 0.3 to 8%.
P0000068WO1 CPL
30
6. The laundry composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the perfume is
a combination of free perfume and perfume microcapsules.
7. The laundry composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the particles
comprise from 0.1% to 30% by weight of perfume, preferably from 0.5 to 20%.
8. The laundry composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the particles
comprise an anionic surfactant selected from alkyl sulfate, alkyl ether sulfate, soap, and
mixtures thereof.
9. The laundry composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the particles
comprise a disintegrant selected from polyvinylpyrrolidone, crospovidone, starch
derivatives, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, clays, gums, non-carbonate salt and mixtures
thereof.
10. The laundry composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each particle
has a maximum linear dimension in any direction of less than 10 mm, preferably 1 to 8
mm.
11. A method of forming the laundry composition according to claims 1 to 10 comprising the
steps of:
(i) combining constituent ingredients of the composition to form a mixture;
(ii) feeding the mixture to an extruder and extruding it to form an extrudate;
(iii) cutting the extrudate to form the particles;
(iv) drying the particles; and
(v) optionally dusting the particles with an anti-caking agent.
12. A method of treating laundry comprising the steps of:
(i) providing fabrics in a washing machine;
(ii) dispensing the laundry composition according to any of claims 1 to 10 into the
washing machine; and
(iii) contacting the fabrics with the laundry composition during a wash sub-cycle of the
washing machine.
P0000068WO1 CPL
31
13. Use of a laundry composition according to claims 1 to 10 to provide fabric care benefits to
laundered fabrics during the laundry process, preferably impart fragrance to laundered
fabrics.
Dated this 30th day of July 2025 Unilever Global IP Limited

To Suman Kumar Bhattacharya
The Controller of Patents Authorised Signatory
The Patent Office, at Mumbai IN/PA No. 2021
P0000068WO1 CPL
32