Detergent tablet of amorphous sodium silicate having inherent binding properties,containing a surfactant,and method of making such tablet

Claim 1

The tablet of claim 1 wherein said surfactant is a liquid absorbed in said mass.

Claim 5

The method of making a solid detergent tablet of non-crystalline, amorphous, burr-like, spongy sodium silicate particles having inherent binding properties and a bulk density of about 8 to 35 lbs. per cubic foot and having the property of forming a highly colloidal dispersion in water to provide effective soil suspension, said sodium silicate particles being obtained by heating under a pressure of at least about 500 lbs. per square inch an aqueous sodium silicate liquid dispersion having a sodium silicate content of about 45 to 80 percent by weight, and substantially instantaneously flashing off water therefrom by forcing such heated liquid under pressure into an expansion zone of a lower pressure of at least about 500 lbs. per square inch and at ambient temperature and in the absence of a moving column of air while simultaneously allowing rapid cooling of the particles; said method comprising compressing such particles to a solid mass to bind said particles together by their inherent binding properties, and contacting said solid compressed mass with a liquid detersiveness imparting surfactant to impregnate said mass with said surfactant, the surfactant being in an amount effective to protect the surface of the tablet and enhance solubilization of said tablet into an aqueous use solution, and the amount of said amorphous sodium silicate particles being at least about 20 percent by weight of the tablet effective to form a colloidal solution in said use solution and suspend soil.