Abstract
Fabric conditioners are household products used to impart softness and fragrance to textiles. They are colloidal dispersions of cationic double chain surfactants that self-assemble in vesicles. These surfactants are primarily derived from palm oil chemical modification. Reducing the content of these surfactants allows to obtain products with lower environmental impact. Such a reduction, without adverse effects on the characteristics of the softener and its performance, can be achieved by adding hydrophilic biopolymers. Here, we review the role of guar biopolymers modified with cationic or hydroxyl-propyl groups, on the physicochemical properties of the formulation. Electronic and optical microscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray scattering and rheology of vesicles dispersion in the absence and presence of guar biopolymers are analyzed. Finally, the deposition of the new formulation on cotton fabrics is examined through scanning electron microscopy and a new protocol based on fluorescent microscopy. With this methodology, it is possible to quantify the deposition of surfactants on cotton fibers. The results show that the approach followed here can facilitate the design of sustainable home-care products.
Highlights
Université de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Matière et Systèmes Complexes, Citation: Oikonomou, E.K.; Abstract: Fabric conditioners are household products used to impart softness and fragrance to textiles
Before analyzing the self-assembly of TEQ surfactants in vesicles, we describe here the most common types of vesicles based on their lamellarity, a term that defines the number of closed bilayers that compose them
Larger vesicles are excluded during the preparation and they are not detected by this technique, unless they are deformed and flattened, making them appear non-spherical
Summary
Université de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Matière et Systèmes Complexes, Citation: Oikonomou, E.K.; Abstract: Fabric conditioners are household products used to impart softness and fragrance to textiles. These surfactants are primarily derived from palm oil chemical modification. Laundry detergents have been based on polycarboxylates such as polyacrylic acid homopolymer or copolymers in combination with maleic acid [3] as an environmental alternative to phosphates [1] When it comes to fabric care products, in addition to ecological concerns, they must be safe for humans. The vesicles have a dual role: they provide long-term stability and transport active ingredients such as oils [14] and fragrance capsules [15,16]
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