Subject of the Invention

The invention relates to a laundry detergent composition with additional property of softening and a laundry detergent obtained with this composition.

State of the Art

There are different properties sought by the consumers when buying a detergent. A wash performance at the expected level, the nature-friendly feature of a product and the pleasant smell of a product may be mentioned among these properties. When these properties are considered with regard to a baby laundry detergent, the parents attach as much importance to a detergent's being free of dangerous chemicals as the level of stain removal performance expected from the detergent. Some parents additionally desire to have a pleasant smell in the clothes. In addition to all these expectations, considering the sensitivity of the skin of the babies, it is important to ensure that no detergent residue remains on the textile product contacting the skin of the babies and further ensure that the clothes are soft.

The problems may occur during the dissolution of the power detergents or the granule soaps in the water and the residues may remain on the textile product during the washing. In order to eliminate the residues, it is necessary to carry our extra rinsing. In case the detergents intended for the baby clothes are used, the optical brightener residues may remain on the textile, as some detergents comprise the optical brighteners enabling the textile to look brighter. Considering the sensitive and permeable structure of the baby skin, the residues remaining on the textile may lead to irritation and allergy in the skin in the long term. Using the baby laundry detergents alone is not sufficient to achieve the desired softness in the textile. It is necessary to use additional products with the softening property in order to achieve the desired softness.

Due to their necessity to be more natural than the adult laundry detergents, the baby laundry detergents have a different structure. They contain the raw materials that are milder and of natural origin. Some parents prefer the granule soaps that are free of synthetic surfactants, since such products are even more natural. The disadvantages of the granule soaps compared to the detergents are that they are difficult to rinse from the clothes and that they leave residues on the clothes as a result of their granular form. The raw material residues remaining on the clothes worn throughout the day may contact the skin and cause sensitivity, irritation and allergy in the skin.

It is required to use a separate softener in addition to the detergent or soap in order to achieve softness and pleasant smell in the textile. Accordingly, it is a must to use more than one product in order to satisfy all the needs. The softeners may further cause the textiles to turn gray in the course of time. Because the softeners are not of vegetable origin or because they leave residues on the textile, some parents avoid using the softeners and they opt for textiles with smaller extent of softness than the expectations.

Consequently, conferring the textile-softening property to the detergents while at the same time obtaining a product that would not leave residues on the textile is a problem of the state of the art that needs to be solved. In order to provide a solution for the above- mentioned problem, a laundry detergent, which has the softening property and which is possible to be used for washing the baby products also, has been developed within the scope of the invention.

Object of the Invention

An object of the invention is to develop a laundry detergent composition with softening property. Another object of the invention is to develop a laundry detergent with softening property.

Another object of the invention is to develop a laundry detergent, which is suitable for use in washing the baby products also.

Another object of the invention is to develop a laundry detergent, which leaves no residue on the washed textile product.

Another object of the invention is to develop a detergent, which is free of allergens and is possible to be used also by the persons with sensitive skin.

Another object of the invention is to develop a laundry detergent, which is of vegetable origin and is hypoallergenic.

Another object of the invention is to develop a laundry detergent, which does not include dyestuffs and optical whiteners.

Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention relates to a laundry detergent composition with additional property of softening and a laundry detergent obtained with this composition.

A laundry detergent composition and a laundry detergent possible to be used for washing the baby textile products have been developed within the scope of the invention. Owing to the product developed within the scope of the invention, the textiles will be enabled to be softer without leaving any residue on the textiles. The baby laundry detergent is enabled to be suitable also for the sensitive skins, by using the allergen-free essences in said product. Since the product is preferably in liquid form, it is readily soluble in water. It is of vegetable origin and is hypoallergenic. The baby laundry detergent developed with the invention does not include dyestuffs and optical whiteners in its composition. The textile product is conferred the softness and flexibility owing to the active ingredients of vegetable origin and at least one type of protein added to the product according to the invention. In this way, the baby textiles will be enabled to be soft, have a pleasant smell and preserve their shape following the wash performed by the use of a single product. Owing to the developed product, the problem of textiles that gray in the course of time encountered in the state of the art will also be precluded.

The laundry detergent composition according to the invention comprises in its most basic form at least one type of oil and/or fatty acid, at least one type of alkaline agent, at least one type of chelating agent and at least one type of nonionic surfactant of natural origin.

The soaps are the sodium or potassium salts of the oils or fatty acids. In order for the saponification reaction to occur, the temperature should be increased. It was observed that the soap could solidify when the suitable conditions and concentration are not provided. In the present invention, the use of fatty acid is preferred instead of oil in order to obtain the soap in a faster, more efficient and more sustainable manner.

The cleaning action of the soap stems from the ability of the hydrophobic part present in the structure of the soap to surround the particles of oil/dirt. The cleaning action of the soap is enhanced with the fatty alcohol ethoxylates with different carbon chain lengths, fatty alcohol ethoxylate propoxylates with different carbon chain lengths, alkyl polyglycosides and emulsifying nonionic surfactants used within the scope of the invention.

When the use of the fatty alcohol ethoxylates is preferred as the nonionic surfactant in the detergent composition, the nonionic surfactants having a carbon chain distribution in the range of C10-C18 and including 3-12 ethylene oxide groups are used. The combined used of hydrophilic and hydrophobic nonionic surfactants may affect the performance in the liquid laundry detergents. Accordingly, the combined use of the nonionic surfactants with different ethylene oxide values is also possible to encounter. Moreover, the hydrophilic- lipophilic balance (HLB) value of the nonionic surfactants is in the range of 3-25, said value is generally in the range of 6-15 for the raw materials used, and the surfactants having a HLB value preferably in the range of 10-15 are used in the laundry detergents. Moreover, when the alkyl polyglycosides were used as the nonionic surfactant, these raw materials were observed to positively contribute to the low temperature resistance and product stability.

The anionic surfactants and the amphoteric surfactants may be used together. The use of anionic surfactants is preferred mainly for their stain removal property. However, their high foam amounts bring about the requirement to use the foam control agents simultaneously. On the other hand, all the textile surfaces are negatively charged, except for some natural and synthetic fabrics. The solubilizer group of the anionic surfactants used in the detergents is negatively charged and, when present alone in the formulation, they are unable to completely dissolve the stains during the wash. Due to the foaming problem, they cause and their irritant properties, the anionic surfactants were not used within the scope of the invention.

The composition according to the invention comprises at least one nonionic surfactant or a mixture of several nonionic surfactants preferably selected from fatty alcohol ethoxylates having a carbon chain distribution in the range of C10-C18 and including 3-12 ethylene oxide groups, alkyl polyglycosides and oleyl glucamide as the nonionic surfactant.

Polycarboxylates, copolymers, aminocarboxylates, aminopolycarboxylates and citrates may be used as the dispersing agent and chelating agent in the product developed within the scope of the invention. The chelating agents are used to reduce the hardness originating from the utility water and to enable the dispersion of the stain in the wash solution. Forthis purpose, the chelating agents such as HEDP and PBTC are used in the state of the art. However, both raw materials contain phosphorus in their structure. Since the release of phosphorus along with the wash waters into the environment harms the environment, the alternative agents were studied for being added to the composition within the scope of the invention.

According to the state of the art, the softeners are used for the purpose of softening the textiles. The softeners are added to the wash water in the rinsing step of the laundry process and, by remaining on the textile, they enable the textile to soften and to have a pleasant smell. Esterquats having a cationic structure are generally used in the softeners. The softeners that contain a cationic surfactant may lead the textile to gray in the course of time. In the study conducted within the scope of the invention, a surfactant, which is of natural origin and has the softening property, was employed. As a result, there was no need to use additional products, which damage the textile or cause adverse effects on the skin, in order to confer the ability of softening to the product.

The laundry detergent composition according to the invention comprises at least one type of oil and/or fatty acid for use in the saponification reaction. In the developed product, the use of at least one type of oil or a mixture of several oils selected from but not limited to coconut oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, castor oil, laurel oil, olive oil, black cumin oil, palm oil and turpentine oil is preferred. It is observed that the saponification reaction can occur at elevated temperatures in case oil is used. It is further noticed that the soap could solidify in case suitable conditions and concentrations may not be provided. According to the object of the invention, the product is required to be in a liquid and homogeneous form. Consequently, the fatty acids of the mentioned alternatives of oil were also used in the preferred embodiment of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises the coconut fatty acid as the fatty acid and/or olive oil as the oil.

In addition to the oil and/or the fatty acid, at least one type of alkaline agent is used within the scope of the invention. Considering that the soap is a sodium and/or potassium salt, the alkaline agents possible to be used for the realization of the saponification reaction include, but are not limited to, at least one alkaline agent or a mixture of alkaline agents selected from sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide.

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises sodium hydroxide as the alkaline agent.

Another embodiment of the invention comprises potassium hydroxide as the alkaline agent. Another embodiment of the invention comprises a mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide as the alkaline agent.

The composition developed within the scope of the invention preferably comprises at least one type of oil and/or fatty acid at a ratio of 10-20% by weight, at least one type of alkaline agent at a ratio of 3.5-10% by weight, at least one type of nonionic surfactant at a ratio of 10-25% by weight, at least one protein at a ratio of 0.05-4% by weight, and at least one type of chelating agent at a ratio of 0.5-6% by weight.

The protein used in the composition developed within the scope of the invention is preferably keratin.

At least one agent selected from polycarboxylates, copolymers, aminocarboxylates, aminopolycarboxylates and citrates may be used as the dispersing agent and chelating agent in the composition developed within the scope of the invention.

The chelating agent used in the composition developed within the scope of the invention is preferably aminopolycarboxylate and/or sodium citrate.

An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises at least two chelating agents. One of the chelating agents used in this embodiment is sodium citrate at a ratio of 0.5-4% by weight and the other is aminopolycarboxylate at a ratio of 0.5-2% by weight.

An alternative embodiment of the invention additionally comprises at least one type of essence at a ratio of 0.5-1.5% by weight.

An alternative embodiment of the invention additionally comprises at least one type of preservative agent at a ratio of 0.01-0.05% by weight. Different types of preservatives may be used to prevent the microbial contamination from occurring in the products over time. Accordingly, at least one preservative agent selected from benzisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone may be added to the composition developed within the scope of the invention in order to enable the composition to remain microbiologically stable. It is further possible to reduce the quantity of the preservative used, by keeping the pH value of the product high.

The laundry detergent comprising the composition developed within the scope of the invention is also included within the scope of the invention.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a saponification reaction was carried out with coconut fatty acid and sodium hydroxide at 20-35°C in order to obtain the laundry detergent according to the invention. Said embodiment comprises coconut fatty acid at a ratio of 10-20% by weight and sodium hydroxide at a ratio of 3.5-10% by weight as the alkaline agent.

In another alternative embodiment of the invention, a saponification reaction was carried out with coconut fatty acid and potassium hydroxide at 20-35°C in order to obtain the laundry detergent according to the invention. Said embodiment comprises coconut fatty acid at a ratio of 10-20% by weight and potassium hydroxide at a ratio of 3.5-10% by weight as the alkaline agent.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a saponification reaction was carried out with coconut fatty acid and a mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide at 20- 35°C in order to obtain the laundry detergent according to the invention. Said embodiment comprises coconut fatty acid at a ratio of 10-20% by weight and a mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide at a ratio of 3.5-10% by weight. In the mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, the ratio sodium hydroxide/ potassium hydroxide is 1:2.

The laundry detergent composition according to the invention comprises at least one type of nonionic surfactant. In this embodiment, the invention comprises coconut fatty acid at a ratio of 10-20% by weight; at least one type of alkaline agent, preferably a mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide with a sodium hydroxide/potassium hydroxide ratio of 1:2, at a ratio of 3.5-10% by weight; and, as the nonionic surfactant, fatty alcohol ethoxylate having a carbon chain distribution in the range of C10-C18 and including 3-12 ethylene oxide groups at ratio of 5-20% by weight. Said embodiment preferably comprises alcohol C12-18 ethoxylate at a ratio of 8-15% by weight and alkyl polyglycoside at a ratio of 2-5% by weight as the nonionic surfactant. The use of D-glucopyranose oligomeric C10-16- alkyl glycoside is preferred as the alkyl polyglycoside.

An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises coconut fatty acid at a ratio of 10- 20% by weight; alkaline agent, preferably a mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide with a sodium hydroxide/potassium hydroxide ratio of 1:2, at a ratio of 3.5-10% by weight; and, as the nonionic surfactant, alcohols, C13-15, branched and linear, ethoxylated at a ratio of 8-15% by weight and alkyl polyglycoside at a ratio of 2-5% by weight. The use of D-glucopyranose oligomeric C10-16-alkyl glycoside is preferred as the alkyl polyglycoside.

Another alternative embodiment of the invention comprises coconut fatty acid at a ratio of 10-20% by weight; alkaline agent, preferably a mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide with a sodium hydroxide/potassium hydroxide ratio of 1:2, at a ratio of 3.5-10% by weight; and, as the nonionic surfactant, alcohols, C12-15, ethoxylated at a ratio of 8-15% by weight and alkyl polyglycoside at a ratio of 2-5% by weight. The use of D- glucopyranose oligomeric C10-16-alkyl glycoside is preferred as the alkyl polyglycoside.

In the product developed within the scope of the invention, D-glucopyranose oligomeric C10-16-alkyl glycoside or a mixture of D-glucopyranose oligomeric C10-16-alkyl glycoside and decyl octyl glycoside is present as the alkyl polyglycoside.

An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises at least one oil and/or fatty acid, preferably coconut fatty acid at a ratio of 10-20% by weight; alkaline agent, preferably a mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide with a sodium hydroxide/potassium hydroxide ratio of 1:2, at a ratio of 3.5-10% by weight; a mixture of alcohols, C12-15, ethoxylated at a ratio of 8-15% by weight, alkyl polyglycoside, preferably D-glucopyranose oligomeric C10-16-alkyl glycoside, at a ratio of 2-5% by weight, and oleyl glucamide, preferably sunflower oil methyl glucamide, at a ratio of 2-5% by weight as the nonionic surfactant; at least one chelating agent at a ratio of 0.5-2% by weight; and at least one other chelating agent at a ratio of 0.5-4% by weight. Said chelating agent present at a ratio of 0.5-2% by weight is preferably aminopolycarboxylate and said other chelating agent present at a ratio of 0.5-4% by weight is preferably sodium citrate. This embodiment comprises at least one type of protein, preferably keratin, at a ratio of 0.05-4% by weight. The invention additionally comprises solvent at a ratio of 1-5% by weight, at least one type of essence at a ratio of 0.5-1.5% by weight and at least one type of preservative agent at a ratio of 0.01-0.05% by weight. Said preservative agent is at least one preservative agent selected from benzisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone. Said solvent may be at least one solvent selected from isopropyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol and glycerin. Within the scope of the invention, the use of glycerin is preferred as the solvent.

The product according to the invention is in liquid form and is readily soluble in water. The use of the mixture of D-glucopyranose oligomeric C10-16-alkyl glycoside and oleyl glucamide and the use of keratin along with these surfactants in the laundry detergent composition developed within the scope of the invention has conferred the softening action to the product. Oleyl glucamide is a surfactant of natural origin, a nonionic surfactant providing the feature of softness to the textile. Oleyl glucamide, which is of vegetable origin, will both enhance the cleaning performance and provide the softening property. Owing to keratin added to the product, the textile is enabled to preserve its elasticity following the washing. Keratin softens the fibers, enables the shape of the textile to remain smooth and provides softness to the textile.

Owing to the composition developed within the scope of the invention and the laundry detergent obtained from this composition, a laundry detergent with the additional property of softening has been developed for the textile products. Owing to the natural raw materials it contains, the detergent according to the invention is suitable for washing the baby textiles also, said detergent providing extra softness to the textile while enabling the shape of the textile product to be preserved.