Lever Brothers Company

Lever Brothers Company, Division of Conopco, Inc.

Ho T Tai

Nicolaas J Verhoef

David A Reed

Leandre Naddeo

Fritz Deutscher

The invention concerns a bleach product for use in the washing machine as an adjunct to a normal detergent powder or liquid. The product consists essentially of a particulate bleach compositon and which is substantially free of other detergent components and which is contained within a non-coated bag of sheet material having a porosity to air of 5,000 to 10,000 liters/m.sup.2 /s. The bleach composition comprises sodium perborate with an activator such as tetraacetyl ethylenediamine or sodium octanoyloxybenzene sulphonate. Preferably at least 25 mole percent of the perborate is in monohydrate form in order to provide reduced malodor development on short storage.

Bleach products

A detergent composition suitable for washing and softening fabrics comprises a detergent active material, a detergency builder such as sodium tripolyphosphate and a fabric softening clay material, such as a smectite clay, which is ground to a particle size of 150 to 2000 microns. The use of ground clay avoids the use of dusty powdered clay and avoids the need for costly agglomeration while providing surprisingly good softening benefits.

Laundry detergents containing fabric-softening clays between 150 and

A stable, free-flowing particulate adjunct suitable for use in particulate detergent compositions consists essentially of a liquid, viscous liquid, oily or waxy adjunct absorbed into a granular zeolite material of a particle size distribution of between 50 to 500 .mu.m and having a bulk density of about 450 to 600 g/l. Suitable adjuncts are nonionic surfactants, silicones, waxes and hydrocarbons, fabric softening compounds and perfumes. Use of said particulate free-flowing adjuncts in particulate detergent compositions is also disclosed.

Stable, free-flowing particulate adjuncts for use in detergent

A free-flowing particulate fabric-softening adjunct for use in laundry detergent compositions is disclosed which comprises sodium perborate monohydrate having absorbed therein from about 5 to about 100% of its weight of a fabric-softening agent selected from the group consisting of organic compounds which contain primary, secondary, tertiary or quaternary nitrogen, or which are phosphonium or sulphonium compounds, having at least one, preferably two, relatively long hydrocarbon group substituents, conferring hydrophobicity and lubricity, and mixtures thereof. A process for preparing such free-flowing particulate adjunct as well as fabric-softening detergent compositions which clean well and at the same time provide fabric-softening through the wash are also disclosed.

Free-flowing particulate fabric-softening adjunct for use in laundry

A concentrated fabric softening composition comprises at least 10% cationic fabric softener, up to 4% ethoxylated nonionic material selected from ethoxylated amides, alcohols, acids and esters with not more than 7EO groups per molecule, 0.02 to 0.5% of an electrolyte and less than 2.5%, if any, of an alkanol with 1-4 carbon atoms.

Fabric softening composition

An improved laundry detergent composition which combines effective cleaning performance with effective textile softening performance on a wide range of textile materials comprises an anionic and/or nonionic surfactant and a synergistic mixture of a water-insoluble long chain C.sub.10 -C.sub.26 tertiary amine and cellulase. The cellulase is preferably an alkali cellulase having an optimum pH of above 7 and is preferably used in an amount corresponding to a cellulase activity of from 0.25 to 150 or higher regular C.sub.x cellulase activity units/gram of the detergent composition.

Detergent compositions

A stable homogeneous aqueous liquid detergent composition contains 22 to 35% by weight of sodium tripolyphosphate and 6 to 15% by weight of an active detergent mixture comprising (a) a water-soluble anionic sulphonate or sulphate detergent; (b) an alkali metal soap of fatty acids having 12 to 18 carbon atoms, and (c) a nonionic detergent, in a weight ratio of (5.5-8.5):(0.5-3):(1.5-3). The composition is a pourable liquid having a viscosity of 0.35-1.0 Pa s measured at 20.degree. C. and at 21 seconds.sup.-1 shear rate and remaining stable after at least two 24-hour cycles of from -4.degree. C. to ambient temperature. Preferably the composition is prepared by mixing the ingredients in the proper sequence.

Built liquid detergent compositions and method of preparation

A stable, low viscosity, bleaching, built liquid detergent composition contains 22 to 32% by weight of sodium triphosphate; 6 to 15% by weight of an active detergent mixture of anionic sulphonate or sulphate, soap and nonionic detergent in a weight ratio of (4.5-8.5):(0-3):(1.5-4); 2-10% by weight of an alkali metal sulphite and 0.2 to 2.0% by weight of a non-detergent short-chain alkyl-substituted benzene sulphonate having 1-4 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. Preferred alkali metal sulphite is sodium sulphite and preferred short-chain alkyl-substituted benzene sulphonate is sodium toluene-, xylene- or cumene-sulphonate. The bleaching liquid detergent composition is a structured liquid having a viscosity measured at 20.degree. C. and at 21 seconds.sup.1 shear rate of desirably not more than 0.7 Pa s.

Built liquid detergent compositions

Aqueous enzymatic liquid cleaning compositions, especially built liquid enzymatic detergent compositions, are disclosed which contain as enzyme stabilizer an alkalimetal pentaborate, optionally with an alkalimetal sulphite and/or a polyol. Preferred alkalimetal pentaborate is sodium pentaborate (Na.sub.2 B.sub.10 O.sub.16.10H.sub.2 O).

Enzymatic liquid cleaning composition

A bleach product comprising a percompound contained within a closed water-insoluble but water-permeable bag of fibrous material, provided with a protective water-impermeable coating which is removable in water at a temperature of 30.degree.-75.degree. C., preferably 35.degree.-65.degree. C. The bleach product can be used in fabric washing machines for bleaching fabrics with or without a detergent product.

A critical mixture of a sulphonate-type hydrotrope and a monoalkane phosphonic acid or salt thereof when included in an aqueous built liquid detergent provides for an improved stability, clarity and homogeneity thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Santes, France

Ho T Tai