Low-foaming nonionic surfactant for machine dishwashing detergent

Claim 1

A low-foaming alkaline machine dishwashing detergent composition devoid of alkyl phosphate ester consisting essentially of: A. about 1 to about 10 percent by weight of a nonionic surfactant consisting essentially of (1) a nonionic surfactant characterized as a block or heteric/block polyoxyalkylene having a cloud point in a 1 weight percent aqueous solution of about 10° C. to about 30° C. selected from the group consisting of at least one of the polyoxyalkylenes having the formulas: Y[(EO/A).sub.m (A).sub.n H].sub.x I Y[(A).sub.o (EO).sub.m (A).sub.n H].sub.x II Y[(A).sub.o (EO/A).sub.m (A).sub.n H].sub.x III Y[(EO/A).sub.m (EO/A).sub.n H].sub.x IV wherein EO represents ethylene oxide which is present in the polymer in the proportion of about 5 to about 60 percent by weight; Y represents the nucleus of an active hydrogen-containing organic compound having a functionality of x and (1) about 2 to about 6 carbon atoms and at least two reactive hydrogen atoms or (2) about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms and at least one reactive hydrogen atom; A represents a lower alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of propylene oxide, butylene oxide, tetrahydrofuran or mixtures thereof wherein up to 25 percent by weight of A is reacted directly with said organic compound either alone in formulas II and III or in admixture with ethylene oxide in formulas I and IV and 75 percent by weight or more of A is subsequently reacted to produce said polymer; m, n and o are integers individually selected such that the average total molecular weight of the polymer is about 500 to about 25,000 or (2) a nonionic surfactant characterized as a block polyoxyalkylene having a cloud point of about 10° C. to about 20° C. selected from the group consisting of at least one of the polyoxyalkylenes having the formula: Y[(EO).sub.m (A).sub.n H].sub.x V wherein Y, EO, A, m, n, x, molecular weight and useful proportions are as defined above; B. about 20 to about 80 percent by weight of an alkaline detergent builder salt selected from at least one of the group consisting of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, disodium orthophosphate, trisodium orthosphosphate, sodium metasilicate, sodum sesquisilicate, sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, sodium aluminum silicate, and sodium bisulfate; C. about 20 to about 80 percent by weight of (1) a water-soluble metallic salt or citric acid or an organic sequestering agent selected from the group consisting of at least one of tetrasodium ethylene diamine tetraacetate and nitrilotriacetic acid or (2) alternatively, an alkaline condensed phosphate salt selected from the group consisting of at least one of tetrasodium pyrophosphate and those polyphosphates of the calcium and magnesium ion sequestering type having Na 2 O/P 2 O 5 weight ratios ranging from 1:1 to 1.67:1 or alternatively (3) mixtures of (1) and (2); and D. about 5 to about 50 percent by weight of a compound containing active chlorine or available oxygen.