United States Patent 7,589,051

Hercules

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Cationic, oxidized polysaccharides in conditioning applications

Abstract or Summary of the Invention

Degraded cationic, oxidized polysaccharide with low average molecular weight for use as conditioners in various personal care and household care compositions. This patent gives a number of examples on how to degrade the molecular weight of conventional cationic gums and formulation examples related to preparing conditioning shampoo, bath gel. Soap lotions, etc.

This cationic, oxidized polysaccharide is prepared in continuous or batch processes using hydrolytic reagents, oxidizing reagents, or combination of hydrolytic reagents and oxidizing reagents.

Personal care or household care compositions are prepared by adding the cationic, oxidized polysaccharide to personal care or household compositions. The examples show comparative performance between the polymers of this invention vs. conventional cationic polymers or polyquats.

Formulation Examples – CONDITIONING SHAMPOO EXAMPLES

Ingredients	Example 10	Example 11	Example 12	Example 13	Example 14	Example 15
Deionized water	48.5	48.5	48.5	48.5	48.5	48.5
HPMC6OSH4000 (4)	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0	0
N-Fiance ® 3215	0	0	0	0.5	0	0
Cationic guar of Invention	0	0.5	0.5	0	0	0
Cationic Hydroxyethylcellulose of the invention	0	0	0	0	0.2	0
Cationic Guar of Example 8D	0	0	0	0	0	0.5
Amphosol ® CA (1)	12	12	12	12	12	12
Rhodapex ® ES STD (2)	35	35	35	35	35	35
10 wt % Sodium Chloride	4	4	4	4	4	4
Glydant ® (3)	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Citric Acid (5%)	Adjust pH	Adjust pH	Adjust pH	Adjust pH	Adjust pH	Adjust pH
Water	q.s to 100	q.s to 100	q.s to 100	q.s to 100	q.s to 100	q.s to 100
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100
Shampoo
Appearance	Hazy	V. Hazy, some gels	Hazy, some gels	translucent	Clear	Very Hazy, Sediment
PH	5.4	5.5	5.3	5.6	5.41	5.41
Reduction in Wet Comb, Energy (%)	—9	62	51	52	45	51
Reduction in Dry Comb, Energy (%)	7	35	22	28	16	8
Mw		50200	197000	1200000	45600	67200
Cationic DS		0.18	0.18	0.18	0.3	0.18

(1) Amphosol CA, 30% Active (Stepan Chemicals, Chicago, Ill.)

(2) Rhodapex ES STD, 30% active (Rhodia Incorporated, Cranberry, N.J.))

(3) Glydant.TM. 55% active, (Lonza, Fair Lawn, N.J.)

(4) Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose--HPMC60SH4000 (Shin Etsu, Tokyo, Japan).

Formulation Procedure

In Examples 10-14, the conditioning shampoos were prepared using the following ingredients and procedures. Phase 1: Water was heated in a vessel to 80-90^o C. and HPMC was added while mixing. Cationic, oxidized polysaccharide was added to the heated water while mixing at .about.60-65^o C. The mixture was allowed to cool to 25-35^o C. while mixing. Citric acid was added to the cooled mixture to lower the pH to 5.00 to 6.00 The mixture was then stirred until dissolved, about one hour. Phase 2: Rhodapex ES STD product was weighed into a separate tarred beaker. Phase 1 was added to Phase 2 while mixing. The pH was re-adjusted to 5.0 to 5.5 with citric acid. The mixture was stirred for 30-60 minutes until homogeneous. Phase 3: Amphosol CA product was added to the combined Phases 1 and 2 while mixing and stirred additionally for five-minutes after completion of mixing. Mixing was continued until homogeneous. Phase 4: Sodium chloride solution (10 wt %) was added to Phase 3 and stirred for 5 minutes. Glydant product was added mixed 15 minutes. The pH value of the shampoo was checked and, when necessary, the pH was re-adjusted to between 5.0 and 5.5. The shampoo was mixed 15 minutes when adjusted.

Performance Testing: The conditioning agent, cationic guar or cationic hydroxyethylcellulose, was added to improve detangling of both wet hair and dry hair, as demonstrated by reduction in the energy to comb wet and dry hair. The results in Table 7, Examples 11, 12 and 14 demonstrate that cationic, oxidized guars and cationic, oxidized hydroxyethylcellulose materials of the invention improve detangling of both wet and dry hair, when compared with the shampoo containing no polymer in Example 10. In Example 11 and 12, a shampoo prepared with cationic, oxidized guars of low and medium molecular weight, prepared according to the process described as in experiment U in Table 5, gave wet comb energy reduction for bleached medium brown European hair of 62% and 51%, respectively, and dry comb energy reductions of 35% and 22%, respectively. The wet and dry comb energy reductions achieved by the polymers of this invention are equivalent or better than the corresponding performance of the high molecular weight cationic guar in comparative Example 13. The wet and dry comb energy reduction of the polymers of this invention in Examples 11 and 12 are also improved over the performance of the shampoo containing no polymer in Example 10, which was 9% and 7%, respectively. Example 14 demonstrates that the polymer of this invention derived from a cationic hydroxyethylcellulose polymer, prepared according to the procedure described in experiment AF in Example 7, Table 6, also gave better wet and dry combing performance than the no polymer control Example 10.

Example 15 is included as a comparative example for a low molecular weight cationic guar prepared by biochemical degradation, without an oxidative treatment. Note, that this polymer gave improved wet and dry comb performance over the no polymer control example in Example 10; however, the shampoo developed a sediment over time.