Process for increasing liquid surfactant loading in free flowing powder detergents

A method for producing a powdered detergent composition comprising:

• providing a first portion of a flowable powder detergent builder selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate, sodium aluminum silicate, pentasodium triphosphate, trisodium nitrilotriacetate, citrates, sulfates and mixtures thereof;
• blending said first portion of said flowable powder detergent builder with a liquid surfactant;
• blending an effective amount of finely divided, water insoluble, silica barrier particles, with said blend of said first portion of detergent builder and said liquid surfactant to form a first component;
• and
• further blending said first component with a second portion of a flowable powder detergent builder selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate, sodium aluminum silicate, pentasodium triphosphate, trisodium nitrilotriacetate, citrates, sulfates and mixtures thereof, wherein said first portion of said detergent builder comprises between about 10% to about 75% of the combined total of said first portion of said detergent builder and said second portion of said detergent builder, wherein the total of said first portion and said second portion of flowable powder detergent builder constitutes from about 40% to about 95% of the total of said first portion and said second portion of said flowable powder detergent builder, said finely divided barrier particles, and said liquid surfactant, and wherein said finely divided barrier particles constitute from about 0.5% to about 5% of the total of said first portion and said second portion of said flowable powder detergent builder, said finely divided barrier particles, and said liquid surfactant.