United States Patent:  6,096,702

Assignee:  Imaginative Research Associates, Inc. (Milford, CT)

Filed:  October 1, 1998

Novel clear solutions or gels containing a volatile hydrocarbon, surfactants and a polyalkylene oxide block copolymer coupling agent do not separate, but rather due to solubilization of the volatile hydrocarbon by the coupling agent, provide acceptable consumer products.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

All the above mentioned post-foaming potential technology make use of ethoxylated or propoxylated coupling agents to solubilize volatile hydrocarbon to prepare post foaming liquids.

For the first time ever, it has been discovered that block polymers containing both ethoxylation and propoxylation in one molecule, e.g., Pluronic-type or Tetronic-type surfactants, can be used to solubilize a volatile hydrocarbon (such as n-pentane, isopentane, n-butane, isobutane and C₁ -C₆ alkylethers such as dimethyl ether, diethyl ether, methyl ether and diisobutane ether) in anionic and amphoteric detergent solutions.

The resulting clear, instant foaming liquid or gel will foam on a surface with or without the aid of water. The clear solution or gel will not self-foam when enclosed in a bottle and exposed to high temperature such as 100-120.degree. F. Accordingly, products made from the present compositions are consumer friendly and can withstand transportation and storage condition en route to market place. The instant foaming clear solutions or gels described herein can be packaged in an unpressurized container such as bottle and pumps or in pressurized aerosol packages when n-butane, isobutane or dimethyl ether propellant is used.

In another aspect, novel compositions containing ammonium cocoyl isethionate in combination with an amphoteric surfactant are disclosed herein. This combination is particularly useful in skin and hair care compositions due to the extremely mild properties of these surfactants.

Claim 1 of 20 Claims

1. A single phase composition comprising:

a surfactant system including a primary surfactant selected from the group consisting of amphoteric surfactants and optionally a secondary surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants;

a volatile hydrocarbon solvent, wherein the volatile hydrocarbon solvent is selected from the group consisting of n-pentane, iso-pentane, C₁ -C₆ alkyl ethers and mixtures thereof;

water; and

an effective volatile hydrocarbon-solubilizing amount of a polyalkylene oxide block copolymer surfactant.

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