(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2005/0233935 A1 Gunn Et Al
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US 2005O233935A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2005/0233935 A1 Gunn et al. (43) Pub. Date: Oct. 20, 2005 (54) STRUCTURED SURFACTANT Publication Classification COMPOSITIONS (76) Inventors: Euen Gunn, Trenton, NJ (US); Seren (51) Int. Cl." ..................................................... C11D 17/00 Frantz, Bensalem, PA (US) (52) U.S. Cl. .............................................................. 510/418 Correspondence Address: KEVIN E. MC VEIGH (57) ABSTRACT RHODA INC. 259 PROSPECT PLAINS ROAD CRANBURY, NJ 08512 (US) An optically clear aqueous structured Surfactant composi (21) Appl. No.: 11/107,609 tion that includes from 0 parts by weight to less than 2.5 (22) Filed: Apr. 15, 2005 parts by weight Sugar per 100 parts by weight of the 9 composition, and from greater than 7.7 parts by weight to Related U.S. Application Data about 50 parts by weight of an anionic surfactant per 100 parts by weight of the composition, and wherein at least a (60) Provisional application No. 60/562,891, filed on Apr. portion of the anionic Surfactant is in the form of Spherulites, 15, 2004. is useful as a ingredient in personal care compositions. US 2005/0233935 A1 Oct. 20, 2005 STRUCTURED SURFACTANT COMPOSITIONS mixing, wherein the aqueous structured Surfactant compo Sition comprises from 0 pbw to less than 2.5 pbw Sugar per FIELD OF THE INVENTION 100 pbw of the composition and from greater than 7.7 pbw 0001. This invention relates to structured surfactant com to about 50 pbw of an anionic surfactant per 100 pbw of the positions, more particularly to optically clear Structured composition and wherein at least a portion of the anionic Surfactant compositions. Surfactant is in the form of Spherulites. 0010. In a fourth embodiment, the present invention is BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION directed to a personal care composition, comprising an 0002 Structured surfactant compositions are typically optically clear Structured Surfactant component, Said an pumpable, non-Newtonian compositions which have the optically clear Structured Surfactant component comprising capacity physically to Suspend Solid particles by Virtue of the from 0 pbw to less than 2.5 pbw Sugar per 100 pbw of the presence of a Surfactant phase, which may be interspersed composition and from greater than 7.7 pbw to about 50 pbw with a Solvent phase. Typically, the Surfactant phase is of an anionic Surfactant per 100 pbw of the composition, present as packed spherulites, i.e., lamellar droplets, dis wherein at least a portion of the anionic Surfactant is in the persed in the aqueous phase. form of spherulites. 0.003 Structured surfactant compositions are useful in 0011. In a fifth aspect, the present invention is directed to Such home care applications as liquid detergents, laundry a personal care composition, comprising: detergents, hard Surface cleansers, dish wash liquids, and 0012 an optically clear aqueous structured Surfac personal care formulations Such as Shampoos, body wash, tant composition, Said structured Surfactant compo hand Soap, lotions, creams, conditioners, shaving products, sition comprising from 0 pbw to less than 2.5 pbw facial washes, baby care formulations, skin treatments. Sugar per 100 pbw of the composition and from Other applications may include oil field and agrochemical greater than 7.7 pbw to about 50 pbw of an anionic formulations. surfactant per 100 pbw of the composition, wherein 0004 Structured surfactant compositions typically at least a portion of the anionic Surfactant is in the exhibit a cloudy, turbid appearance, which renders them form of Spherulites, and unattractive for applications in which a clear, transparent 0013 one or more discontinuous phases, each com appearance is desired. International Publication Number prising a functional or decorative material, dispersed WO 00/36079 discloses structured liquid detergent compo in the Structured Surfactant composition. sitions that are said to be substantially clear at 25 C., wherein cloudineSS has been addressed by adjusting the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION refractive index of the solvent phase through the addition of AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Sugars and Subjecting the Structured Surfactant composition to high shear, but states (at page 58, lines 6-8) that shearing 0014 AS used herein, the terminology “optically clear” in in the absence of Sugar addition is not Sufficient to generate reference to a structured Surfactant composition means that transparency. the composition exhibits an optical transmittance of greater than or equal to 5%, preferably greater than or equal to 10%, SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION more preferably greater than or equal to 25%, and still more 0005. In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to preferably greater than or equal to 30%, when measured at an optically clear aqueous structured Surfactant composition, a wavelength of 500-570 nanometers through a 1 centimeter comprising from 0 parts by weight (pbw) to less than 2.5 path length at 250, using water as the 100% transmittance pbw Sugar per 100 pbw of the composition and from greater Standard. than 7.7 pbw to about 50 pbw of an anionic surfactant per 0015 The structured surfactant composition of the 100 pbw of the composition, wherein at least a portion of the present invention typically comprises two or more discrete anionic Surfactant is in the form of Spherulites. phases. In one embodiment, the composition comprises an aqueous phase and a structured Surfactant phase. In one 0006. In a second aspect, the present invention is directed embodiment, the aqueous phase is a continuous phase and to a method for making an optically clear aqueous Structured the Structured Surfactant phase is a discontinuous phase and Surfactant composition, comprising: is dispersed in the aqueous phase. 0007 providing an aqueous structured surfactant 0016 “Lamellar surfactant phases” are phases which composition comprising, from Opbw to leSS than 2.5 comprise a plurality of bilayers of Surfactant arranged in pbw Sugar per 100 pbw of the composition and from parallel and Separated by liquid medium. Lamellar phases greater than 7.7 pbw to about 50 pbw of an anionic include both spherulitic phases and the typical form of the surfactant per 100 pbw of the composition, wherein liquid crystal G-phase, as well as mixtures thereof. at least a portion of the anionic Surfactant is in the “G-phases”, which are sometimes referred to in the literature form of Spherulites, and as “L, phases, are typically pourable, non-Newtonian, 0008 subjecting the aqueous structured surfactant anisotropic products that are cloudy looking and exhibit a composition high Shear mixing. characteristic "Smeary' appearance on flowing. Lamellar phases, can exist in Several different forms, including 0009. In a third aspect, the present invention is directed domains of parallel sheets which constitute the bulk of the to a method for improving the optical clarity of an aqueous typical G-phases described above and Spherulites formed Structured Surfactant composition, comprising Subjecting the from a number of concentric Spherical shells, each of which aqueous Structured Surfactant composition to high Shear is a bilayer of Surfactant. In this specification the term US 2005/0233935 A1 Oct. 20, 2005 “G-phase” will be reserved for compositions which are at about 50 pbw, more typically from about 15 to about 40 pbw, least partly of the former type. The Spherulites are typically and still more typically from about 20 to about 35 pbw, of between 0.1 and 50 microns in diameter and so differ an anionic Surfactant and from about 50 to about 90 pbw, fundamentally from micelles. Unlike micellar Solutions, more typically from about 60 to about 85pbw, and still more Spherulitic compositions are essentially heterogeneous com typically from about 65 to about 80 pbw water. positions comprising at least two phases and are typically 0025 AS used herein, the term “sugars' includes anisotropic and non-Newtonian. When close packed and monosaccharides, Such as glucose and fructose, and disac Stable, Spherulites have good Solid Suspending properties charides, Such as Saccharose, Sucrose, lactose, and maltose, and allow incorporation of insoluble or partially Soluble as well as mixtures thereof. Added SugarS change the refrac Solids, liquids and/or gases as a separate, discontinuous tive index of the aqueous phase, but are not desirable phase Suspended in a "spherulitic Surfactant phase', that, is because Sugars typically have a detrimental effect on skin a continuous matrix of the Spherulitic composition. feel and lubricity and may undesirably decrease foaming. 0.017. The surfactant phase morphology of the structured Surfactant composition is observed, for example, using an 0026. In one embodiment, the composition of the present optical microScope under croSS-polarized light at about 40x invention comprises from 0 to less than 2.5 pbw Sugar per magnification. 100 pbw of the composition, more typically, from 0 to less than 2.0 pbw Sugar per 100 pbw of the composition, even 0.018. The spherulitic portion of the anionic surfactant of more typically, from 0 to less than 1.0 pbw Sugar per 100 the Structured Surfactant composition of the present inven pbw of the composition. tion may, and typically does, comprise Spherulites of differ ent sizes. Typically, the Spherulites of the Spherulitic portion 0027 Anionic surfactants are known. Any anionic Sur of the anionic Surfactant are Substantially uniformly dis factant that is acceptable for use in the intended