WO2014062867A4

WO2014062867A4 - Non-spherical droplet

Info

Publication number: WO2014062867A4
Application number: PCT/US2013/065346
Authority: WO
Inventors: Patrick Thomas Spicer; Marco Caggioni; Jessica LENIS-ABRILI; Alexandra Victoria BAYLES
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 2012-10-17
Filing date: 2013-10-17
Publication date: 2014-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 2015-04-17
Also published as: EP2909298A2; EP2909298B1; WO2014062867A3; WO2014062867A2; CN104736689A

Abstract

Non-spherical liquid droplets comprising a liquid, an internal solid material defining the shape of the droplet, a benefit agent, and methods of making non-spherical liquid droplets.

Claims

1 AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 28 July 2014 (28.07.14) CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A non-spherical liquid droplet, preferably wherein said liquid droplet has a volume of 1 ml or less, comprising:

(a) a liquid;

(b) an internal solid material, the internal solid material defining the shape of the droplet; preferably wherein the internal solid material comprises at least 5% but no more than 90% by volume of the liquid droplet;

(c) a benefit agent;

wherein the three-phase contact angle of the liquid on the internal solid material is less than 1°; and the liquid droplet has a yield stress of between 100 Pascal and 1,000,000 Pascal, preferably between 1000 Pascal and 100,000 Pascal, when measured at 25°C.

2. The liquid droplet according to claim 1 , wherein the droplet has a circularity of at least one orientation of less than 0.9.

3. The liquid droplet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid droplet has an aspect ratio of at least one orientation of greater than 1.0, preferably greater than or equal to 2.0, and more preferably greater than or equal to 10.

4. The liquid droplet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid is an aqueous liquid or an oil, preferably an oil, and more preferably wherein the oil is selected from the group consisting of alkanes, tri- and di- and monoglycerides, silicone oils, mineral oils, and mixtures thereof.

5. The liquid droplet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the internal solid material is selected from waxes, preferably microcrystalline waxes, paraffins, beeswax, ozokerite, and alkylated silicone waxes; polymeric materials, preferably cellulose,

polydimethylsiloxane, and biopolymers; gums, preferably gums such as gellan, xanthan, and carrageenan; inorganic materials, preferably zinc oxide and zinc pyrithione; and mixtures thereof. 2

6. The liquid droplet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the benefit agent is selected from compounds useful in cleaning compositions, preferably fabric or household cleaning compositions, body wash and body care compositions, and mixtures thereof.

7. The liquid droplet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the benefit agent is solid, and has a three-phase contact angle of the droplet liquid on the solid benefit agent of less than 1°.

8. The liquid droplet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the benefit agent is liquid; and

(a) if present in the droplet liquid, the droplet liquid/benefit agent mixture has a three-phase contact angle on the internal solid material of less than 1°; or

(b) if present in the internal solid material, then there is a three-phase contact angle of the droplet liquid on the internal solid material/liquid benefit agent mixture of less than 1°; or

(c) a combination thereof.

9. A composition comprising an external liquid and the liquid droplet according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid droplet is immiscible with the external liquid.

10. The composition according to claim 9, wherein the external liquid is an aqueous liquid, and the liquid droplet comprises a liquid which is an oil, or wherein the external liquid is an oil and the liquid droplet comprises a liquid which is an aqueous liquid.

11. A method of depositing a benefit agent on a substrate comprising the steps of;

i) preparing a liquor comprising:

an external liquid; and

a non-spherical liquid droplet according to any of the preceding claims;

ii) wherein the three-phase contact angle of the liquid on the internal solid material is less than 1°; and wherein the liquid droplet has a yield stress of between 100 Pascals and 1,000,000 Pascals when measured at 25oC; and wherein the liquid droplet is immiscible with the external liquid; and

iii) contacting the liquor with the substrate.

12. A method for making a non-spherical droplet according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: 3

mixing a first liquid composition comprising a molten ingredient having a yield stress of between 100 and 100,000 Pascals, the yield stress being measured at a temperature of 25° C and a second liquid and a liquid benefit agent, wherein the first and second liquids and liquid benefit agent are mixed at a temperature above 50°C to make a liquid droplet premix;

preparing a channel, wherein the channel optionally comprises a third liquid, the third liquid being immiscible with the second liquid, and wherein the third liquid is flowing through the channel;

drawing individual droplets of the liquid droplet premix into the channel, wherein the channel comprises a constriction to shape the droplet;

passing the premix droplets into the constriction at a temperature of 50°C or below so that the first liquid solidifies to produce liquid non-spherical droplets; and depositing the non-spherical liquid droplets into a composition comprising the third liquid, the third liquid being immiscible with the second liquid.