EP0352135B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Detergent compositions and process for preparing them
Assignee: Unilever PLC
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Filing: 1989-07-21
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Granted: 1994-09-28
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Expires: 2009-07-21
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Vijay Venkat Bhujle
- 👤 Shashank Vaman Dhalewadikar
- 👤 Vinodkumar Ramniranjan Dhanuka
- 👤 Robert Donaldson
- 👤 David George Evans
- 👤 Andrew Timothy Hight
- 👤 Michael William Hollingsworth
- 👤 Stephen Thomas Keningley
- 👤 Gordon George Mcleod
- 👤 Donald Peter
- 👤 Timothy John Price
- 👤 Chandulal Kantioal Ranpuria
- 👤 Peter John Russell
- 👤 Thomas Taylor
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 06:48
CPC Classifications
C; C11; C11D; C11D3/00; C11D3/02; C11D3/04; C11D3/10; C11D11/00; C11D11/04; C11D17/00; C11D17/06; C11D17/065
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A process for the preparation of a granular detergent composition or component having a bulk density of at least 650 g/litre, which process includes the step of neutralising a liquid acid precursor of an anionic surfactant with a solid water-soluble alkaline inorganic material, the process being characterised by the steps of: (i) fluidising a particulate solid water-soluble alkaline inorganic material in an amount in excess of that required for neutralisation, optionally in admixture with one or more other particulate solids, in a high-speed mixer/granulator having both a stirring action and a cutting action; (ii) gradually adding the acid precursor to the high-speed mixer/granulator while maintaining a temperature not higher than 55 ° C, whereby neutralisation of the acid precursor by the water-soluble alkaline inorganic material occurs while the mixture remains in particulate form; (iii) granulating the mixture in the high-speed mixer/granulator, in the presence of a liquid binder, whereby a granular detergent composition or component having a bulk density of at least 650 g/litre is formed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
166 words
A process for the preparation of a granular detergent composition or component having a bulk density of at least 650 g/litre, which process includes the step of neutralising a liquid acid precursor of an anionic surfactant with a solid water-soluble alkaline inorganic material, the process being characterised by the steps of: (i) fluidising a particulate solid water-soluble alkaline inorganic material in an amount in excess of that required for neutralisation, optionally in admixture with one or more other particulate solids, in a high-speed mixer/granulator having both a stirring action and a cutting action; (ii) gradually adding the acid precursor to the high-speed mixer/granulator while maintaining a temperature not higher than 55 ° C, whereby neutralisation of the acid precursor by the water-soluble alkaline inorganic material occurs while the mixture remains in particulate form; (iii) granulating the mixture in the high-speed mixer/granulator, in the presence of a liquid binder, whereby a granular detergent composition or component having a bulk density of at least 650 g/litre is formed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the particulate water-soluble alkaline inorganic material comprises sodium carbonate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the particulate water-soluble alkaline inorganic material comprises sodium carbonate in admixture with sodium bicarbonate and/or sodium silicate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the acid precursor is a linear alkylbenzene sulphonic acid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the liquids to solids ratio at the end of step (ii) is not greater than 0.60.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that in step (ii) the acid precursor is added over a period of from 2 to 12 minutes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that water is introduced prior to or together with the acid precursor in step (ii), in an amount of from 0.5 to 2.0 wt% based on the total solids present in steps (i) and (ii).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
42 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the solids present in step (i) comprise sodium carbonate in admixture with one or more detergency builders selected from crystalline and amorphous alkali metal aluminosilicates, alkali metal phosphates, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the solids present in step (i) further include a surfactant in powder form.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the solids present in step (i) include a spray-dried detergent base powder.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the particulate solids present during step (i) include a finely divided particulate flow aid.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
47 words
A process as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the flow aid is zeolite, amorphous alkali metal aluminosilicate, thermally treated perlite, calcite, diatomaceous earth or any combination of these, and is added in an amount of from 2 to 8 wt%, based on the final composition.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the total solids present in step (i) amount to at least 60 wt% of the total composition present in step (ii).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the total amount of free water present in steps (i), (ii) and (iii) does not exceed 8 wt%, based on the total composition.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the temperature in the high-speed mixer/granulator is maintained below 47 ° C throughout step (ii).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that the high-speed mixer/granulator is bowl-shaped and has a substantially vertical stirrer axis.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
47 words
A process as claimed in any preceding claim, characterised in that it further comprises the step of admixing a finely divided particulate flow aid, in an amount of from 0.2 to 12.0 wt%, to the granular detergent composition or component after the granulation step (iii) is complete.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
46 words
A process as claimed in claim 17, characterised in that the flow aid is finely divided amorphous sodium aluminosilicate, thermally treated perlite, calcite, diatomaceous earth or a combination thereof, and is added in an amount of from 0.2 to 5.0 wt%, based on the total composition.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
A process as claimed in claim 17, characterised in that the flow aid is finely divided crystalline sodium aluminosilicate and is added in an amount of from 3.0 to 12.0 wt%, based on the total composition.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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