Researchers Submit Patent Application, “Structuring Using an External Structurant and a Cosmotrope”, for Approval

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Life Science Weekly — From Washington, D.C., NewsRx journalists report that a patent application by the inventors FERNANDEZ PRIETO, Susana (Bericarlo, BE); SMETS, Johan (Lubbeek, BE); NEBOT CARDA, Vincent Josep (Castellon, ES); ESCUDER GIL, Beatriu (Sant Mateu, ES); MIRAVET CELADES, Juan Felipe (Catellon, ES), filed on December 16, 2013, was made available online on July 3, 2014 (see also The Procter & Gamble Company).
The patent’s assignee is The Procter & Gamble Company.
News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “External structurants, useful for providing rheological benefits to fluid compositions, include those derived from polymers (both natural and synthetic), castor oil, fatty acids, fatty esters, or fatty soap water-insoluble waxes. However, the required performance ingredients often complicate the addition of external structurants known in the art and may even be incompatible with them. For instance, many external structurants are degraded by performance ingredients, such as enzymes. They are also often incompatible with low pH and peroxide bleaches. In addition, external structurants generally require the use of structurant premixes incorporating large amounts of water. Such structurant premixes are less suitable for compact detergents and for unit-dose applications.
“Amido-gellants and hydrophobically modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR) polymeric structurants provide structuring for fluid compositions, while also being compatible with a broad range of potential ingredients, such as bleaches and/or enzymes. They also provide an aesthetically pleasing pour profile without negatively impacting the composition clarity. Moreover, they can be formulated into structurant premixes that are low water, or even entirely water-free.
“It is desirable to reduce the amount of such external structurants, while still providing the desired viscosity and level of structuring. Also, amido gellants and HEUR polymers can be difficult to mix into a fluid composition, particularly when high viscosities are desired.
“Therefore, a need remains for a means of achieving the desired viscosity, and level of structuring, while using less of the external structurant, and also simplifying the process of mixing the external structurant into the fluid composition.
“EP2365050 and EP2365052 disclose amido-gellants which are suitable for use in fluid compositions. EP2365051 and EP2365053 disclose fluid detergent compositions comprising amido gellants. WO 97/40133 discloses compositions comprising HEUR polymers.”
As a supplement to the background information on this patent application, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent application: “The present invention relates to fluid compositions comprising: an external structurant selected from the group consisting of: an amido gellant, a hydrophobically modified ethoxylated urethane polymeric structurant, and mixtures thereof; and a cosmotrope selected from the group consisting of: calcium fluoride, calcium sulphate, calcium citrate, calcium formate, calcium hydrogenphosphate, calcium dihydrogenphosphate, tricalcium diphosphate, calcium acetate, sodium fluoride, sodium acetate, sodium phosphate, sodium hydrogenphosphate, sodium dihydrogenphosphate, potassium formate, tripotassium citrate, potassium chloride, potassium fluoride, potassium bromide, potassium acetate, potassium sulphate, monopotassium phosphate, dipotassium phosphate, tripotassium phosphate, ammonium chloride, ammonium fluoride, ammonium sulphate, ammonium phosphate, ammonium acetate (ammonium ethanoate), ammonium citrate, ammonium formate, tetramethylammonium chloride, tetramethylammonium acetate, tetramethylammonium bromide, tetramethylammonium fluoride, tetramethylammonium formate, tetramethylammonium sulphate, tetramethylammonium bisulphate, tetramethylammonium hydrogensulphate, tetramethylammonium citrate, tetramethylammonium phosphate, lithium fluoride, lithium chloride, trilithium citrate, lithium acetate, lithium phosphate, lithium formate, lithium sulphate, caesium fluoride, Caesium chloride, Caesium acetate, caesium phosphate, caesium citrate, caesium sulphate, rubidium acetate, rubidium chloride, rubidium fluoride, rubidium formate, rubidium sulphate, rubidium bromide, and mixtures thereof.
“The present invention also relates to a process of forming such compositions, and the use of a cosmotrope for increasing the viscosity of a composition comprising an external structurant selected from the group consisting of: an amido gellant, a hydrophobically modified ethoxylated urethane polymeric structurant, and mixtures thereof.
“It has been discovered that the fluid compositions of the present invention provide increased viscosity and structuring, even at lower levels of the external structurant. In addition, since the cosmotrope can be readily mixed into fluid compositions having a high viscosity, the compositions of the present invention can be more easily made, by first combining the external structurant with the fluid composition, and only increasing the viscosity after adding the cosmotrope.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
“FIG. 1 details G’ and G” within the linear viscoelastic region and the oscillation stress at the point where G’ and G” cross over as a measure for gel strength.”
For additional information on this patent application, see: FERNANDEZ PRIETO, Susana; SMETS, Johan; NEBOT CARDA, Vincent Josep; ESCUDER GIL, Beatriu; MIRAVET CELADES, Juan Felipe. Structuring Using an External Structurant and a Cosmotrope. Filed December 16, 2013 and posted July 3, 2014. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=\%2Fnetahtml\%2FPTO\%2Fsearch-adv.html&r=2447&p=49&f=G&l=50&d=PG01&S1=20140626.PD.&OS=PD/20140626&RS=PD/20140626
Keywords for this news article include: Anions, Chlorides, Fluorides, Phosphates, Phosphoric Acids, Hydrochloric Acid, Hydrofluoric Acid, The Procter & Gamble Company.
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