Chlorine-free machine dishwashing

Claim 1

A machine dishwashing detergent composition consisting of: (a) from about 0.5 to 10 percent by weight of a copolymer containing as polymerized units from 20 to 75% by weight of the copolymer of maleic acid, maleic anhydride, or salts thereof and from 25 to 80% by weight of the copolymer of a hydrophobe, wherein the hydrophobe is at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of isobutylene, diisobutylene, styrene, decene and eicosene; (b) from 0 to about 90 percent by weight of an alkaline builder selected from the group consisting of alkali metal polyphosphates, alkali metal carbonates, alkali metal borates, alkali metal hydroxides, alkali metal bicarbonates, alkali metal citrates, alkali metal carboxylates and alkali metal polycarboxylates; (c) from 0 to about 50 percent of an alkali metal silicate; (d) from 0 to about 40 percent of a zeolite; (e) from 0 to about 5 percent by weight of a stabilizer; (f) from 0 to about 10 percent by weight of surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic, and amphoteric surfactants and combinations thereof as the only surfactants present; and (g) from 0 to about 5 percent by weight of other conventional adjuvants selected from the group consisting of perfumes, colorants, bacterial agents, and viscosity modifiers; wherein the sum of the percentages of a, b, c, d, e, f, and g is equal to 100 percent, and wherein said composition is substantially free of chlorine.