Bleach catalyst compositions and use thereof in laundry bleaching and detergent compositions

A laundry detergent composition comprising from about 0% to about 40% of surfactant selected from anionic, nonionic, ampholytic and zwitterionic surfactants and mixtures thereof, from about 5% to about 90% of inorganic or organic detergency builder, from about 5% to about 35% of particulate peroxygen bleaching agent, and from about 0.05% to about 2% of a catalyst system soluble in water at pH 10 and comprising a dry mixture of:

• (a) a first particulate component comprising a catalytic heavy metal cation having a catalytic activity for decomposition of the peroxygen bleaching agent of at least 10%, selected from the group consisting of cations of vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, osmium, platinum, palladium, silver, mercury, and lead,
• (b) a second particulate component comprising an auxiliary metal cation having a catalytic activity for decomposition of the peroxygen bleaching agent of less than 10%, selected from the group consisting of cations of zinc, aluminum and nickel, and
• (c) a water soluble sequestrant selected from the group consisting of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetra-(methylenephosphinic acid), diethylenetriaminepenta-(methylene phosphonic acid), and alkali-metal and alkaline-earth metal salts thereof,
• wherein the molar ratio of the sum total of (auxiliary metal cation+catalytic heavy metal cation) to sequestrant is in the range from 1:1 to 20:1 and the molar ratio of sequestrant to catalytic heavy metal cation is in the range from 1:1 to 40:1.