Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
226 words
A laundry detergent composition comprising from about 0% to about 40% of surfactant selected from anionic, nonionic, ampholytic and zwitterionic surfactants and mixtures thereof, from about 5% to about 90% of inorganic or organic detergency builder, from about 5% to about 35% of particulate peroxygen bleaching agent, and from about 0.05% to about 2% of a catalyst system soluble in water at pH 10 and comprising a dry mixture of: (a) a first particulate component comprising a catalytic heavy metal cation having a catalytic activity for decomposition of the peroxygen bleaching agent of at least 10%, selected from the group consisting of cations of vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, osmium, platinum, palladium, silver, mercury, and lead, (b) a second particulate component comprising an auxiliary metal cation having a catalytic activity for decomposition of the peroxygen bleaching agent of less than 10%, selected from the group consisting of cations of zinc, aluminum and nickel, and (c) a water soluble sequestrant selected from the group consisting of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetra-(methylenephosphinic acid), diethylenetriaminepenta-(methylene phosphonic acid), and alkali-metal and alkaline-earth metal salts thereof, wherein the molar ratio of the sum total of (auxiliary metal cation+catalytic heavy metal cation) to sequestrant is in the range from 1:1 to 20:1 and the molar ratio of sequestrant to catalytic heavy metal cation is in the range from 1:1 to 40:1.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
226 words
A laundry detergent composition comprising from about 0% to about 40% of surfactant selected from anionic, nonionic, ampholytic and zwitterionic surfactants and mixtures thereof, from about 5% to about 90% of inorganic or organic detergency builder, from about 5% to about 35% of particulate peroxygen bleaching agent, and from about 0.05% to about 2% of a catalyst system soluble in water at pH 10 and comprising a dry mixture of: (a) a first particulate component comprising a catalytic heavy metal cation having a catalytic activity for decomposition of the peroxygen bleaching agent of at least 10%, selected from the group consisting of cations of vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, osmium, platinum, palladium, silver, mercury, and lead, (b) a second particulate component comprising an auxiliary metal cation having a catalytic activity for decomposition of the peroxygen bleaching agent of less than 10%, selected from the group consisting of cations of zinc, aluminum and nickel, and (c) a water soluble sequestrant selected from the group consisting of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetra-(methylenephosphinic acid), diethylenetriaminepenta-(methylene phosphonic acid), and alkali-metal and alkaline-earth metal salts thereof, wherein the molar ratio of the sum total of (auxiliary metal cation+catalytic heavy metal cation) to sequestrant is in the range from 1:1 to 20:1 and the molar ratio of sequestrant to catalytic heavy metal cation is in the range from 1:1 to 40:1.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
88 words
A composition according to claim 1 wherein the catalytic heavy metal cation is Cu(II), the auxiliary metal cation is selected from Zn(II) and Al(III), the sequestrant is selected from ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetra(methylene-phosphonic acid), mixtures thereof and alkali-metal or alkaline earth metal salts thereof, and wherein the molar ratio of the sum total of (auxiliary metal cation+catalytic heavy metal cation) to sequestrant is in the range from 1.1:1 to 10:1 and the molar ratio of sequestrant to catalytic heavy metal cation is in the range from 1.1:1 to 10:1.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
73 words
A composition according to claim 1 wherein the second particulate component is an agglomerate comprising from about 0.01 to about 2, preferably from about 0.05 to about 1.5 mMoles% of catalytic metal cation and from about 0.01 to about 3, preferably from about 0.05 to about 3 mMoles% of sequestrant incorporated in a water-soluble or water-dispersible organic carrier having a melting point greater than about 30° C., preferably greater than about 40° C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
43 words
A composition according to claim 3 wherein the organic carrier is selected from C 16 -C 24 fatty alcohols ethoxylated with from 10 to 100 ethylene oxide units, polyethyleneglycols having a molecular weight of from about 400 to about 40,000 and mixtures thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
170 words
A composition according to claim 1 comprising a dry mixture of: (a) from about 40% to about 93.9% of spray dried base powder comprising from 0% to about 40% surfactant, from about 5% to about 90% inorganic or organic detergency builder, and from about 0.5 to about 3 mMoles% of auxiliary metal cation, (b) from about 0.1% to about 10% of an agglomerate comprising from about 0.01 to about 2, preferably about 0.05 to about 1.5 mMoles% of catalytic metal cation and from about 0.01 to about 3, preferably from about 0.05 to about 3 mMoles% of the sequestrant incorporated in a water-soluble or water-dispersible organic carrier having a melting point of at least about 30° C. and/or in a matrix of water-soluble salt, said agglomerate being substantially free of unbound water, and (c) from about 5% to about 35% of peroxygen bleaching agent; the composition additionally containing from 1% to 15% of ethoxylated nonionic surfactant sprayed onto the dry mixture of spray-dried base powder, agglomerate and peroxygen bleaching agent.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A process for making the composition of claim 1 comprising the step of precomplexing the catalytic heavy metal cation and sequestrant prior to admixture with the peroxygen bleaching agent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
73 words
A process according to claim 6 comprising the steps of agglomerating the complex of catalytic heavy metal cation and sequestrant with a water-soluble or water-dispersible organic carrier having a melting point of at least about 30° C. and/or with a water-soluble salt whereby the agglomerate so formed is substantially free of unbound water, and dry-mixing the agglomerate with a separate particulate component comprising the auxiliary metal cation and with particulate peroxygen bleaching agent.