Liquid surface active compositions

A dry, powdered detergent composition comprising a liquid surface active composition which comprises:

• a) from about 15 percent by weight to about 50 percent by weight of an alcohol ethoxylate having a formula R--O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n --H, wherein R is an alkyl group having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms or an alkylaryl group having an alkyl moiety having from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms, and n represents the average number of oxyethylene groups per molecule and is a number in the range of from about 1 to about 12, b) from about 15 percent by weight to about 80 percent by weight of a salt of an alcohol ethoxysulfate having a formula R'--O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x --SO.sub.3 M, wherein R' is a substantially straight-chain alkyl group having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms or an alkylaryl group having an alkyl moiety having in the range of from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms, M is a cation selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal ion, an ammonium ion and mixtures thereof, and x represents the average number of oxyethylene groups per molecule and is a number in the range of from about 1 to about 12, and c) from about 0.01 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight water, wherein the percent by weight of component (b) is in excess of the percent by weight of component (a) and wherein components (a) and (b) comprise at least about 85 percent by weight of said liquid surface active composition, and adsorbent powder detergent ingredients.

A dry, powdered detergent composition comprising a liquid surface active composition which comprises:

• a) from about 15 percent by weight to about 50 percent by weight of an alcohol ethoxylate having a formula R--O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n --H, wherein R is an alkyl group having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms or an alkylaryl group having an alkyl moiety having from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms, and n represents the average number of oxyethylene groups per molecule and is a number in the range of from about 1 to about 12, b) from about 15 percent by weight to about 80 percent by weight of a salt of an alcohol ethoxysulfate having a formula R'--O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x --SO.sub.3 M, wherein R' is a substantially straight-chain alkyl group having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms or an alkylaryl group having an alkyl moiety having from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms, M is a cation selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal ion, an ammonium ion and mixtures thereof, and x represents the average number of oxyethylene groups per molecule and is a number in the range of from about 1 to about 12, and c) from about 0.01 percent by weight to about 10 percent by weight water, wherein the percent by weight of component (b) is in excess of the percent by weight of component (a) and wherein components (a) and (b) comprise at least about 90 percent by weight of said liquid surface active component, and adsorbent powder detergent ingredients.

A process for preparing a dry, powdered detergent composition which comprises mixing a liquid surface active composition comprising a) from about 15 percent by weight to about 50 percent by weight of an alcohol ethoxylate, b) from about 15 percent by weight to about 80 percent by weight of an alcohol ethoxysulfate having a formula R'--O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x --SO.sub.3 M, wherein R' is a substantially straight-chain alkyl group having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms or an alkylaryl group having an alkyl moiety having in the range of from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms, M is a salt selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal salt, an ammonium salt and mixtures thereof, and x represents the average number of oxyethylene groups per molecule and is a number in the range of from about 1 to about 12, and c) from about 0.1 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight water, wherein the percent by weight of component (b) in said liquid surface active composition is in excess of the percent by weight of component (a) and wherein components (a) and (b) comprise at least about 85% by weight of said liquid composition, which is prepared by adding a sulfuric acid ester of an alcohol ethoxylate to a mixture of alcohol ethoxylate and a concentrated base selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, triethanolamine, monoethanolamine and mixtures thereof, with adsorbent powder detergent ingredients.

A process for preparing a dry, powdered detergent composition which comprises mixing a liquid surface active composition comprising a) from about 15 percent by weight to about 50 percent by weight of an alcohol ethoxylate, b) from about 15 percent by weight to about 80 percent by weight of an alcohol ethoxysulfate having a formula R'--O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x --SO.sub.3 M, wherein R' is a substantially straight-chain alkyl group having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms or an alkylaryl group having an alkyl moiety having in the range of from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms, M is a salt selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal salt, an ammonium salt and mixtures thereof, and x represents the average number of oxyethylene groups per molecule and is a number in the range of from about 1 to about 12, and c) from about 0.1 percent by weight to about 10 percent by weight water, wherein the percent by weight of component (b) in said liquid surface active composition is in excess of the percent by weight of component (a) and wherein components (a) and (b) comprise at least about 90% by weight of said liquid composition, which is prepared by adding a sulfuric acid ester of an alcohol ethoxylate to a mixture of alcohol ethoxylate and a concentrated base selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, triethanolamine, monoethanolamine and mixtures thereof, with adsorbent powder detergent ingredients.