Process for making a detergent composition by non-tower process
AssigneeThe Procter & Gamble Company
InventorsAngela Gloria Del Greco, Wayne Edward Beimesch, Manivannan Kandasamy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-tower process for continuously preparing granular detergent composition having a density of at least about 600 g/l is provided. The process comprises the steps of (a) dispersing a surfactant, and coating the surfactant with fine powder in a mixer, wherein first agglomerates are formed, (b) thoroughly mixing the first agglomerates in a mixer, wherein second agglomerates are formed, and (c) granulating the second agglomerates in one or more fluidizing apparatus. The process can also comprise further step (b'), i.e., spraying finely atomized liquid onto the second agglomerates in a mixer, between step (b) and step (c).
Claims9
A non-tower process for preparing a granular detergent composition having a density of at least about 600 g/l, consisting of the steps of:
- (a) dispersing a surfactant, and coating the surfactant with fine powder having a diameter from 0.1 to 500 microns, in a mixer wherein conditions of the mixer include (i) from about 2 to about 50 seconds of mean residence time, (ii) from about 4 to about 25 m/s of tip speed, and (iii) from about 0.15 to about 7 kj/kg of energy condition, wherein the first agglomerates are formed;
- (b) thoroughly mixing the first agglomerates in a second mixer, said mixer being provided with choppers to break up undesirable oversized agglomerates, wherein conditions of the mixer include (i) from about 0.5 to about 15 minutes of mean residence time and (ii) from about 0.15 to about 7 kj/kg of energy condition, wherein second agglomerates are formed;
- (c) granulating the second agglomerates in one or more fluidizing apparatus wherein conditions of each of the fluidizing apparatus include (i) from about 1 to about 10 minutes of mean residence time, (ii) from about 100 to about 300 mm of depth of unfluidized bed, (iii) not more than about 50 micron of droplet spray size, (iv) from about 175 to about 250 mm of spray height, (v) from about 0.2 to about 1.4 m/s of fluidizing velocity and (vi) from about 12.degree. to about 100.degree. C. of bed temperature;
- (d) optionally dispersing an aqueous or non-aqueous polymer solution with said surfactant in step (a);
- and
- (e) optically adding an internal recycle system of powder from the fluidizing apparatus to step (a).
A non-tower process for preparing a granular detergent composition having a density of at least about 600 g/l, consisting of the steps of:
- (a) dispersing a surfactant, and coating the surfactant with fine powder having a diameter from 0.1 to 500 microns, in a mixer wherein conditions of the mixer include (i) from about 2 to about 50 seconds of mean residence time, (ii) from about 4 to about 25 m/s of tip speed, and (iii) from about 0.15 to about 7 kj/kg of energy condition, wherein first agglomerates are formed;
- (b) thoroughly mixing the first agglomerates in a second mixer said mixer being provided with choppers to break up undesirable oversized agglomerates, wherein conditions of the mixer include (i) from about 0.5 to about 15 minutes of mean residence time and (ii) from about 0.15 to about 7 kj/kg of energy condition, wherein second agglomerates are formed;
- (b') spraying finely atomized liquid onto the second agglomerates in a mixer wherein conditions of the mixer include (i) from about 0.2 to about 5 seconds of mean residence time, (ii) from about 10 to about 30 m/s of tip speed, and (iii) from about 0.15 to about 5 kj/kg of energy condition, wherein third agglomerates are formed;
- (c) granulating the third agglomerates in one or more fluidizing apparatus wherein conditions of each of the fluidizing apparatus include (i) from about 1 to about 10 minutes of mean residence time, (ii) from about 100 to about 300 mm of depth of unfluidized bed, (iii) not more than about 50 micron of droplet spray size, (iv) from about 175 to about 250 mm of spray height, (v) from about 0.2 to about 1.4 m/s of fluidizing velocity and (vi) from about 12 to about 100.degree. C. of bed temperature;
- and (d) optically adding to step (b') excessive fine powder formed in step (a) and/or step (b).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.