-
Clothe conditioner
Kindly need to know how to prepare fabric softener , the procedure and the percentages of ingredients as wax and perfume etcc
-
18 Replies
-
Not a cosmetic product, we can’t help here.
-
@Bobzchemist - there are a few of us here that have experience in these areas but when newbies demand formulas and procedures with no evidence of having even attempted their own research we won’t be offering help.
@Bassam - Please research yourself and refer to the thread on requesting help (https://chemistscorner.com/cosmeticsciencetalk/discussion/1070/rules-for-requesting-formulating-advice-help#latest). Google is very helpful, as are raw material suppliers and websites such as UL Prospector.
-
The manufacturersof fabric conditioners have the market pretty much tied up for themselves and it is almost impossible for a newbie to produce an economically viable product.
Facric softeners usually comprise a 3 - 5% dispersion of a di(long-chain)alkyl dimethyl ammonium chloride in water. The “long chain alkyl” is C16 - C18 and frequently hydrogenated tallow. The most common raw material is Arquad 2HT 75 (Akzo-Nobel).
-
I concur with @ozgirl, i do such products extensively but just asking for formula directly is a tad too much. There are lots of suggested formulas available online, little efforts go long way.
-
Ask Univar for formula UHh-050.
-
@ozgirl, at the beginning of my career, I worked for two years developing fabric softeners for Unilever. I could help, I just don’t think that this is the place for such a request, even if it had been made politely.
-
@Belassi I am with Univar but again what has been done where we can help, nada. If an effort has been made then we can participate, handing out formulas is not sustainable by any means.
-
@Chemist77, I agree completely.
-
Thank you all for your comments,i am really new in making detergents and household products
Thanks anyway -
As you are so inexperienced in your venture, it would be best for you to at least learn the basics of what you are trying to do.
A book that helped me in my early days in the soap and detergent industry is
It may be old but most of the information is still current.
It is out of print but is still available from online secondhand booksellers.
-
I tried to come up with a trial formula for a fabric softener. Im using Stepanquat GA 90 (Dipalmitoylethyl Hydroxyethylmonium Methosulfate ) as it’s the only ingredient I have on hand.
EDTA: 5%
IPA: 5%
Stepanquat GA 90: 8%
preservative: qs
dye: qs
water: qsTargeted PH around 3
Will my formula be efficient in fabric softening or should I add/change other ingredients to boost it’s performance ?
In some formulas, chemists may use emulsifier like Tween 20 but Im not sure in this formula, it would help. My main concern is the efficiency of the active ingredient (Stepanquat GA 90).
Any critics and suggestions would be much appreciated
Thanks for sharing
-
Stepan have plenty of starting formulas for fabric softeners on their website including some using your active (https://www.stepan.com/Products/Stepan-Prototype-Formulations.aspx).The Stepanquat GA90 will already contain isopropanol (IPA) so there is no need to add any extra to your formula. You will already need lots of fragrance to cover this strong odour.I am not sure why you would add high levels of EDTA to a fabric softener.Tween 20 would probably only be used to help solubilise the fragrance.
-
Thanks for sharing your opinion. It would definitly help ! Wouldn’t EDTA help increase the efficiency of Stepanquat GA90 ? Also is it a good idea to add in cocamide DEA as it will help softening the fabrics ? You are right, IPA is not a good idea as I have to increase the fragrance quantity. Thumbs up 🙂
-
Shelly, delete the EDTA from your formula! That is used as an anti-deposition aid in laundry detergents, and you want the opposite effect in your fabric softener. Same for the IPA. If you are going to add colorant make it blue since that will brighten whites. ozgirl is right about Stepan too; my fave is Stepantex VT90 ester-quat. Best bang for the buck.
-
@chemicalmatt
Thanks so much for your advice. I appreciate. -
I will research the availability of Stepantex VT90. However, what do you think of cocamide DEA ? Is it worth adding it too ? That would be my last question
-
Link is dead
-
@shellyco I would leave some EDTA (0.05-0.1%), it actually reduces oxidation of the fatty part of your quat and fragrance. The amount of IPA is a bit high, unless your final product with 8% of Stepanquat GA 90 is too thick, although it might impair micelle formation at that level, so you can also reduce it.
You can also improve your softening performance by adding a silicone (preferable emulsified, so it doesn’t mess up with your viscosity). I’d also add a fatty alcohol ethoxylate (like laureth-9 or 7), to prevent formation of insoluble complexes between anionic (from detergent) and cationic (from softener) surfactants.
Check if the thermal stability of your product is ok…usually, products with over 8% of quats tend to destabilize a bit, so a rheology modifiers could be useful.
Log in to reply.