Colgate Palmolive Company

Clark B Tower

Alexander P Kiczek, Sr

Leo Augustus Salmen

A process for making a high solids content Zeolite A-alkylbenzene sulfonate detergent composition suitable for use in making spray dried detergent compositions includes manufacturing Zeolite A by a hydrogel, clay conversion, natural silica or equivalent process so that the Zeolite A is present in an aqueous medium containing alkali metal hydroxide in solution therein, separating a substantial proportion of the aqueous medium from the Zeolite A so as to produce Zeolite A particles, usually in cake form, containing excess alkali metal hydroxide solution on particle surfaces and occluded by such particles, and at least partially neutralizing said excess alkali metal hydroxide with a high concentration aqueous alkylbenzene sulfonic detergent acid, such as a sulfonic detergent acid resulting from oleum sulfonation or sulfur trioxide sulfonation of a linear higher alkylbenzene. Included within the invention and preferred are processes in which, when the alkali metal hydroxide solution of the particle surfaces is neutralized with the detergent sulfonic acid, a sufficient excess of such hydroxide is present so that the detergent acid is neutralized and enough hydroxide or alkaline neutralization products are left so that the product is of a pH in the range of 7 to 11. The neutralization reaction may be carried out step-wise and such is often preferable. Also, the products of such reactions may be spray dried directly for use as is or for addition to other detergent composition components or they may be crutched with other such components, e.g., inorganic builder and filler salts, and then spray dried. By utilizing the present method washing or 'rinsing' of the zeolite may be avoided, crutcher moisture contents before spray drying may be kept desirably low and a product of excellent physical and washing properties, which does not objectionably deposit on washed materials, may be made and dried by an energy conserving process.

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Oxford, NY, United States of America

Clark B Tower