# US 4,396,522 A · Polyethylene oxide cake with reduced gelling for flush toilet wastewater sanitation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,396,522 A - Document ID: US4396522A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/263,315 - Filed: 1981-05-13 - Granted: 1983-08-02 - Earliest claimed: 1981-05-13 - Assignees: The Proctor & Gamble Company - Inventors: Robert H. Callicott; Stephen H. Iding - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4396522A ## CPC - C11D 3/3707: {Polyethers, e.g. polyalkyleneoxides} - C11D 17/0056: {Lavatory cleansing blocks} - C11D: DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS DETERGENTS; SOAP OR SOAP-MAKING; RESIN SOAPS; RECOVERY OF GLYCEROL ## Abstract Solid cake compositions comprising three essential components: polyethylene oxide resin, a nonsolvent resin coating liquid, preferably a perfume, and a surfactant. The components are mixed to form an extrudable mass and the mass is extruded into a log. The log is then cut or sliced into individual cakes. The compositions have reduced gelling characteristics, which reduce the tendency of the resin to form a gel when the cake is contacted with water. The cakes are useful in dispensers which are employed in the flush tank of a toilet to automatically dispense chemicals to the flush water. The polyethylene oxide resin dispensed into the wastewater minimizes aerosolization of the wastewater which occurs when the toilet is flushed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A solid cake composition comprising a matrix of the following components: A. from about 5% to about 20% of a polyethylene oxide resin having a molecular weight of from about 500,000 to about 7,000,000; B. from about 1.5% to about 30% of a nonsolvent coating liquid in a weight ratio of from about 0.3:1 to about 1.5:1 of said coating liquid to said resin; C. from about 40% to about 93.5% of a synthetic surfactant which is substantially solid at about 25.degree. C. to about 50%; wherein said coating liquid does not significantly solubilize said resin at a temperature of about 25.degree. C. to about 50.degree. C.; and wherein the resin when mixed with said coating liquid is free-flowing; and wherein said cake is made from a homogeneous mass of said A., B., and C.; and wherein said homogeneous mass is extrudable at said temperature. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1 wherein said resin is present at a level of from about 8% to about 16% and said surfactant is present at a level of from about 55% to about 90%. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The composition of claim 2 wherein the ratio of coating liquid to resin in said composition is from about 0.3:1 to about 1.2:1. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The composition of claim 2 wherein the ratio of coating liquid to resin in said composition is from about 0.3:1 to about 1:1. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The composition of claim 2 wherein the ratio of coating liquid to resin in said composition is from about 0.3:1 to about 0.7:1. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4) The composition of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein the coating liquid is selected from the group consisting of perfume, liquid oils, water-miscible organic liquids and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4) The composition of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein said coating liquid is a perfume. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The composition of claim 7 wherein surfactant is a surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic and nonionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The composition of claim 8 wherein the surfactant is an anionic surfactant. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The composition of claim 9 wherein the surfactant is linear alkylbenzene sulfonate containing an alkyl radical with about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4) The composition of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein said composition contains from about zero to about 10% fumed silica. ### Claim 12 A method of making an improved polyethylene oxide cakes with reduced gelling for flush toilet wastewater sanitation, said method comprising the following steps: 1. Forming a free-flowing mixture of: A. from about 5% to about 20% of a polyethylene oxide resin having a molecular weight of from about 500,000 to about 7,000,000; and B. from about 1.5% to about 30% of a nonsolvent coating liquid in a weight ratio of from about 0.3:1 to about 1.5:1 of said coating liquid to said resin; 2. Forming an extrudable homogeneous mass of said free-flowing resin (1) and from about 40% to about 93.5% of a synthetic surfactant which is substantially solid at about 25.degree. C. to about 50.degree. C.; 3. Extruding the homogeneous mass (2) into bars of desired size; and 4. Cutting said bars (3) into said cakes of desired size; wherein said coating liquid does not significantly solubilize said resin at said temperature and said ratio. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The invention of claim 12 wherein said resin is present at a level of from about 8% to about 16% and said surfactant is present at a level of from about 55% to about 90%. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The invention of claim 13 wherein said ratio in said cake is from about 0.3:1 to about 1.2:1. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The invention of claim 14 wherein the ratio of coating liquid to resin in said cake is from about 0.3:1 to about 1:1. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The invention of claim 15 wherein the ratio of coating liquid to resin in said cake is from about 0.3:1 to about 0.7:1. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12, 13, 14, 15) The invention of claim 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 wherein the coating liquid is selected from the group consisting of perfume, liquid oils, water-miscible organic liquids and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12, 13, 14, 15) The invention of claim 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 wherein said coating liquid is a perfume. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The invention of claim 18 wherein said surfactant is a surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic and nonionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The invention of claim 19 wherein the surfactant is an anionic surfactant. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The invention of claim 20 wherein the surfactant is linear alkylbenzene sulfonate containing an alkyl radical with about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms. ### Claim 22 (depends on 12) The invention of claim 12 wherein the composition contains from about zero to about 10% fumed silica.