Stain removal

Claim 2

A substantially dry composition for use, in water, for the removal of stains from fabrics, said compositions being a mixture of sodium perborate tetrahydrate present in amount sufficient to increase the bleaching effectiveness of the composition, proteolytic enzymes present in amount sufficient to improve the effectiveness of the composition for removal of protein stains, and magnesium sulfate, present in amount sufficient to improve the stability of the composition.

Claim 3

A composition as in claim 1 containing sodium perborate tetrahydrate and a proteolytic enzyme and having a total water content such that the amount of water bound to the MgSO4 is less than 7 mols per mol of MgSO4.

Claim 4

A composition as in claim 2 in which the total moisture content is less than about 70 percent of the weight of MgSO4, said composition containing an activator for the perborate, said activator being a percarboxylic acid precursor and being present in a proportion such that the mol ratio of available oxygen to activator is in the range of about 1:1 to 10:1.

Claim 5

A composition as in claim 3 in which the composition contains pentasodium tripolyphosphate in amount of at least about 30 percent, the total water content of said composition being less than about 5 percent.

Claim 6

A composition as in claim 1 which is a blend of (a) granules made by spray drying an aqueous slurry of sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate and water-soluble synthetic organic anionic, nonionic or amphoteric detergent, (b) finely divided sodium perborate tetrahydrate and (c) proteolytic enzyme.

Claim 7

A composition as in claim 15, said granules containing alkylbenzenesulfonate detergent and said composition including a perborate activator which has a carboxylic acyl group and which, on said use of the composition in water, reacts with said sodium perborate to form the corresponding percarboxylic acid, and which is present in amount sufficient to activate the perborate.

Claim 8

A composition as in claim 6 in which the ratio of sodium tripolyphosphate to detergent is in the range of about 1:1 to 15: 1 the amount of perborate activator being such that the mol ratio of available oxygen to activator is in the range of about 1:1 to 10:1.

Claim 9

A composition as in claim 2 containing the perborate activator, tetra-acetylethylenediamine.

Claim 10

A composition as in claim 2 containing a benzoylimidazole perborate activator.

Claim 11

A composition as in claim 2 containing an m-chlorobenzoyl imide perborate activator.

Claim 12

A composition as in claim 2 containing the perborate activator, m-chlorobenzoyl dimethylhydantoin.

Claim 13

A substantially dry finely divided composition for use, in water, for the removal of stains from fabrics, said composition consisting essentially of sodium perborate tetrahydrate and magnesium sulfate, and having a total water content such that the amount of water bound to the MgSO4 is less than 7 mols per mol of MgSO4, said magnesium sulfate being present in amount sufficient to improve the stability of said composition on aging at elevated temperature in a moistureproof container, said composition being one which in the absence of said magnesium sulfate shows a loss of active oxygen on said aging.

Claim 14

A substantially dry finely divided composition for use, in water, for the removal of stains from fabrics, said composition consisting essentially of sodium perborate tetrahydrate and magnesium sulfate, and having a total water content such that the amount of water bound to the MgSO4 is less than 7 mols per mol of MgSO4, said magnesium sulfate being present in amount sufficient to improve the stability of said composition on aging at elevated temperature in a moistureproof container, said composition being one which in the absence of said magnesium sulfate shows a loss of active oxygen on said aging.

Claim 15

A composition as in claim 12 in which the total moisture content is less than about 70 percent of the weight of MgSO4, said composition containing an activator for the perborate, said activator being one which has a carboxylic acyl group and which, on said use of the composition in water, reacts with said sodium perborate to form the corresponding percarboxylic acid and being present in a proportion such that the mol ratio of available oxygen to activator is in the range of about 1:1 to 10:1.

Claim 16

A composition as in claim 13 in which the composition contains pentasodium tripolyphosphate in amounT of at least about 30 percent, the total water content of said composition being less than about 5 percent.

Claim 17

A composition as in claim 12, packaged in a sealed moistureproof container.

Claim 18

A composition as in claim 13, packaged in a sealed moistureproof container.

Claim 19

A composition as in claim 14, packages in a sealed moistureproof container.