Process for preparing detergent compositions

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING A HEAT DRIED DETERGENT COMPOSITION CONTAINING SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE AND BEING FREE FROM A TENDENCY TO BE STICKY IN NATURE AND CONTAIN SAND-LIKE PARTICLES, THE STEPS OF INCORPORATING A SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY ANHYDROUS SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 10% TO 100% OF FORM 1 SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE AND CONTAININT NOT MORE THAN 0.1% WATER, OTHER THAN WATER OF CONSTITUTION, AND INSUFFICIENT, UPON HYDRATION AND CRYSTALLIZATION OF THE TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE, TO PROMOTER DEVELOPMENT OF A PREPONDERANCE OF SUBMICROSCOPIC HEXAHYDRATE CRYSTALS, IN A FLUID DETERGENT MIXTURE, CONTAINING ESSENTIALLY (A) AN ORGANIC DETERGENT SELECTED FORM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM SALTS OF HIGHER MOLECULAR WEIGHT CARBOXYLIC ACIDS, WATER SOLUBLE SALTS OF ORGANIC SULFURIC REACTION PRODUCTS HAVING IN THEIR MOLECULAR STRUCTURE AN ALKYL RADICAL CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 8 TO ABOUT 22 CARBON ATOMS AND A RADICAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SULFONIC ACID AND SULFURIC ACID ESTER RADICALS, AND WATER SOLUBLE NONIONIC SYNTHETIC DETERGENT CONDENSATION PRODUCTS OF ALKYLENE OXIDE GROUPS WHICH ARE HYDROPHILIC IN NATURE WITH AN ORGANIC HYDROPHOBIC COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALIPHATIC COMPOUNDS AND ALKYL AROMATIC COMPOUNDS, THE RATIO OF SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE TO ORGANIC DETERGENT RANGING FROM ABOUT 1:1 TO 5:1 AND (B) MORE THAN SUFFICIENT WATER TO HYDRATE THE TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE ADDED AND SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN A FLUID DETERGENT MIXTURE, WHEREBY 100% HYDRATION OF THE FORM 1 SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE IS OBTAINED AND THE FLUID DETERGENT MIXTURE REMAINS FLUID.