Agglomeration of high active pastes to form surfactant granules useful in detergent compositions
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsLucas Goovaerts, Jose L. Vega
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for making a free-flowing granular detergent contemplates mixing an aqueous surfactant paste that has a detergency activity of at least 40% with a dry detergency powder to form a mix, rapidly forming a uniform mixture at a temperature of from about 20.degree. C. to about 80.degree. C., and then granulating the mixture into discrete detergent granules by a high-speed mixing. Surfactant pastes used in the present invention contain at least one anionic surfactant and the mixing and granulating steps of the process occur either simultaneously or immediately sequentially.
Claims13
A process for making a free flowing granular detergent consisting essentially of the steps of:
- A. mixing an effective amount of an aqueous surfactant paste having a detergency activity of at least 40% and an effective amount of a dry detergency builder or powder, said powder comprising a finely divided, insoluble material selected from the group consisting of zeolites, silica, silicates and carbonates, said surfactant pastes active and builder or powder having a ratio of 0.05:1 to 19:1 to form a mix;
- B. rapidly forming a uniform mixture, which is in the form of substantially free flowing particles, from said mix at a temperature of from about 40.degree. C. to about 80.degree. C.;
- C. granulating said mixture into discrete detergent granules using a high speed mixer at a tip speed of about 5-50 m/sec;
- and
- wherein said surfactant paste is comprised of at least one anionic surfactant, and any other surfactants, if present, are selected from a group of anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic, ampholytic and cationic surfactants and mixtures thereof;
- and
- wherein said mixing and granulating are conducted simultaneously, or immediately sequentially.
A process for making a free flowing granular detergent consisting essentially of the steps of:
- A. mixing an effective amount of an aqueous surfactant paste having a detergency activity of at least 40% and an effective amount of a dry detergency builder powder, said builder powder comprising a finely divided, insoluble material selected from the group consisting of zeolites, silica, silicates and carbonates, said surfactant pastes active and builder powder having a ratio of 0.05:1 to 19:1 to form a mix;
- B. rapidly forming a uniform mixture, which is in the form of substantially free flowing particles, from said mix at a temperature of from about 40.degree. C. to about 80.degree. C.;
- C. granulating said mixture into discrete detergent granules using a high speed mixer at a tip speed of about 5-50 m/sec;
- D. spray-drying an aqueous slurry not containing the surfactant and including from about 15 to 55% by weight of the total amount of builder powder to form a spray-dried powder;
- E. combining the spray-dried powder with said detergent granules;
- and
- wherein said surfactant paste is comprised of at least one anionic surfactant, and any other surfactants, if present, are selected from a group of anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic, ampholytic and cationic surfactants and mixtures thereof;
- and
- wherein said mixing and granulating are conducted simultaneously, or immediately sequentially.
A process for making a free flowing granular detergent consisting essentially of the steps of:
- A. mixing an effective amount of an aqueous surfactant paste having a detergency activity of at least 40% and an effective amount of a dry detergency builder powder, said builder powder comprising a finely divided, insoluble material selected from the group consisting of zeolites, silica, silicates and carbonates, said surfactant pastes active and builder powder having a ratio of 0.05:1 to 19:1 to form a mix;
- B. rapidly forming a uniform mixture, which is in the form of substantially free flowing particles, from said mix at a temperature of from about 40.degree. C. to about 80.degree. C.;
- C. granulating said mixture into discrete detergent granules using a high speed mixer at a tip speed of about 5-50 m/sec:
- D. spray-drying an aqueous slurry not containing the surfactant and including from about 15 to 55% by weight of the total amount of builder powder to form a spray-dried powder;
- E. spraying a nonionic surfactant onto the spray-died slurry not containing the surfactant;
- F combining the spray-dried powder with said detergent granules;
- and wherein said surfactant paste is comprised of at least one anionic surfactant, and any other surfactants, if present, are selected from a group of anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic, ampholytic and cationic surfactants and mixtures thereof;
- end
- wherein said mixing and granulating are conducted simultaneously, or immediately sequentially.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.