Process for the production of a spray-dried nonionic washing aid

Claim 1

A process for the production of a spray-dried, pourable washing aid containing nonionic surface-active agents of the ethoxylated alcohol type and having a powder density of from 300 g/l to 550 g/l, comprising the steps of (1) spraying an aqueous suspension of from 50 to 65 parts by weight of constituents of the following composition where all percentages, based on anhydrous constituents, are percent by weight of the spray-dried product: (A) from 15 to 30% by weight of at least one nonionic surface-active agent of the ethoxylated alcohol type; (B) from 8 to 18% by weight of sodium silicate having the composition Na 2 O:SiO 2 of 1:1.5 to 1:3.4; (C) from 25 to 55% by weight of finely crystalline, synthetic zeolite selected from the group consisting of zeolite NaA, zeolite NaX and mixtures thereof; (D) from 8 to 20% by weight of pentasodium tripolyphosphate; and (E) from 0 to 3% by weight of anionic surface-active compounds selected from the group consisting of soaps, sulfonates and sulfates, in from 35 to 50 parts by weight of water at a temperature of 75° to 90° C. through nozzles under a pressure of from 35 to 100 bar into a spray-drying zone in which the drying gas flowing in countercurrent has an entry temperature of from 160° to 240° C. and an exit temperature of from 80° to 95° C.; and (2) recovering a spray-dried product containing from 13 to 21% by weight of water, of which water from 9 to 16% by weight is removable on heating said spray-dried product at 130° C.