Detergent builders and process for preparation thereof

Claim 1

A detergent composition comprising (A) 1 to 99% by weight of at least one surface active agent selected from the group consisting of anionic surface active agents, non-ionic surface active agents and amphoteric surface active agents and (B) 1 to 99% by weight of a water-insoluble alkali metal aluminosilicate builder, said alkali metal aluminosilicate builder consisting essentially of an inorganic fine powder composed mainly of an alkali metal aluminosilicate having an X-ray diffraction pattern substantially same as that of zeolite of the type A and having a degree of crystallization in the range of from 55 to 75%, wherein said inorganic fine powder has (I) a maximum primary particle size smaller than 1μ and such a secondary particle size distribution that all particles of said fine powder are smaller than 4μ, said maximum primary particle size being expressed by the maximum length among lengths of edges of cubic particles measured by an electron microscope and said secondary particle size distribution being measured according to Stokes' law by using an apparatus of the light scanning type for prompt measurement of the particle size distribution; (II) a buffer capacity (S) of at least 132 ml/100 g of solids, an initial buffer capacity (R) of at least 35 ml/100 g of solids and an effective alkali content of 2 to 8% by weight based on the inorganic fine powder, said buffer capacity (S), said initial buffer capacity (R) and said effective alkali content (Qc) being respectively expressed by an amount of hydrochloric acid necessary for lowering the pH of a 1% aqueous dispersion of said inorganic fine powder from 9.0 to 6.75, an amount of hydrochloric acid necessary for lowering the pH of said dispersion from 9.0 to 8.0, and a quantity of the alkali, as NaOH, equivalent to an amount of hydrochloric acid necessary for lowering the pH of said dispersion to 6.75 when said dispersion is titrated with 0.4 N hydrochloric acid at a rate of 20 to 50 ml/hr, (III) a calcium ion binding property (C.I.) of 90 to 160 mg/g as expressed as CaO, (IV) a suspension pH of 9.5 to 12 as measured after a 1% aqueous dispersion of said inorganic powder is boiled for 5 minutes, (V) such a suspension stability that when a 0.05% aqueous suspension of said inorganic fine powder is allowed to stand still, the sedimentation speed as expressed as the rate of formation of a supernatant is lower than 4 cm/hr, (VI) a Methylene Blue-adsorbing capacity, (VII) an oil absorption of at least 45 ml/100 g of the powder and (VIII) such an interfacial electric characteristic that when it is dispersed in water after exchange of calcium ion, the surface potential is retained uniformly negative.