Composition

Abstract

The present invention relates to a composition comprising a photo-bleaching component and a fluorescent whitening component having good compatibility. In particular, the present invention relates to a composition suitable for the treatment of textiles, comprising a photo-bleaching component and a fluorescent whitening component, wherein the photo-bleaching component is capable of absorbing light to form an intermediate energetically excited photo-bleaching component, the intermediate energetically excited photo-bleaching component is capable of activating molecular oxygen from its triplet oxygen electronic energy state to its singlet oxygen electronic energy state, characterised in that the intermediate energetically excited photo-bleaching component has a lifetime of greater than 50 microseconds, preferably greater than 100 microseconds, more preferably greater than 200 microseconds, and most preferably greater than 300 microseconds.

1 . A composition suitable for the treatment of textiles, comprising a photo-bleaching component and a fluorescent whitening component, wherein the photo-bleaching component is capable of absorbing light to form an intermediate energetically excited photo-bleaching component, the intermediate energetically excited photo-bleaching component is capable of activating molecular oxygen from its triplet oxygen electronic energy state to its singlet oxygen electronic energy state, characterised in that the intermediate energetically excited photo-bleaching component has a lifetime of greater than 50 microseconds.  
     
     
         2 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate energetically excited photo-bleaching component has a lifetime of greater than 100 microseconds.  
     
     
         3 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate energetically excited photo-bleaching component has a lifetime of greater than 200 microseconds.  
     
     
         4 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate energetically excited photo-bleaching component has a lifetime of greater than 300 microseconds.  
     
     
         5 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the photo-bleaching component is a sulphonated phthalocyanine having an average degree of sulphonation of from greater than 3.0 to less than 4.0 that is complexed with a metal cation, and wherein the sulphonated phthalocyanine is not substituted with a halide group.  
     
     
         6 . A composition according to  claim 5 , wherein the sulphonated phthalocyanine has an average degree of sulphonation of from 3.8 to less than 4.0.  
     
     
         7 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the photo-bleaching agent is a sulphonated zinc phthalocyanine having an average degree of sulphonation of from greater than 3.0 to less than 4.0.  
     
     
         8 . A composition according to  claim 7 , wherein the sulphonated zinc phthalocyanine has an average degree of sulphonation of from 3.8 to less than 4.0.  
     
     
         9 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the photo-bleaching component is a sulphonated tin phthalocyanine, a sulphonated tin naphthalocyanine or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         10 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the photo-bleaching component is a sulphonated zinc naphthalocyanine, a sulphonated aluminium naphthalocyanine, a sulphonated tin naphthalocyanine or any mixture thereof.  
     
     
         11 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the photo-bleaching component is a mixture of a sulphonated zinc phthalocyanine and a sulphonated aluminium phthalocyanine, wherein the molar ratio of the sulphonated zinc phthalocyanine to sulphonated aluminum phthalocyanine is less than 3:1.  
     
     
         12 . A composition according to  claim 11 , wherein the molar ratio of the sulphonated zinc phthalocyanine to sulphonated aluminum phthalocyanine is less than 2:1.  
     
     
         13 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent whitening component is a substituted stilbenesulphonic acid or a salt thereof that is substituted by at least one triazol-2-yl moiety.  
     
     
         14 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent whitening component is a molecule having the general formula:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         15 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the fluorescent whitening component is a molecule having the general formula:  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         16 . A composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the composition is a laundry detergent composition and additionally comprises a detersive surfactant, a builder, optionally bleach and optionally other adjunct detergent components.  
     
     
         17 . A method of treating a fabric comprising the step of contacting a composition according to  claim 1  with water to form an aqueous wash liquor, and contacting the aqueous wash liquor with a fabric.