Kao Corporation

Kouji Toyoda

Hiroyuki Yamashita

Hideichi Nitta

Kenji Tanaka

Kouichi Hatano

Hiroyuki Kondo

Katsunori Nakano

Takashi Senzaki

A mixing method and apparatus in which, a gas for conditioning the physical properties o the material being mixed is ejected forwardly of the direction of rotation of a stirring member from within the material being mixed, when stirring the material to be mixed with the stirring member which rotates around an axis inside a vessel.

Mixing device

A mixing apparatus comprising a stirring member (,) and a flow direction-changing member (,), which are provided so as to rotate together with a rotating shaft (,) disposed to be drivable in a rotating manner around an axis inside a vessel (,) for containing a material to be mixed, and a pulverizing member (,) provided on the inner circumference (,&prime;) of the vessel (,) facing the outer circumference of the rotating shaft (,) to be drivable in a rotating manner. The stirring member (,) is arranged by leaving a space relative to the outer circumference of the rotating shaft (,) in the radial direction of rotation, and has a stirring surface, which causes the material being mixed to flow toward the outer circumference of the rotating shaft (,). The flow direction-changing member (,) is provided by leaving a space relative to the inner circumference (,&prime;) of the vessel (,) in the radial direction of rotation between the stirring surface and the outer circumference of the rotating shaft (,), and has a changing surface (,&prime;), which changes the direction of flow of the material being mixed from a direction toward the outer circumference of the rotating shaft (,) to a direction toward the inner circumference (,&prime;) of the vessel (,).

Mixer

A process for producing nonionic detergent granules having a bulk density of from 0.6 to 1.2 g/ml is disclosed, which comprises the following steps (1) to (3): (1) mixing a detergent material comprising a nonionic surfactant; (2) granulating a mixture obtained in said step (1) by agitating in an agitating mixer provided at the center position thereof with a rotation shaft having an agitation impeller with a clearance between the agitation impeller and an inner wall of the mixer, wherein the agitation impeller agitates the mixture to form an adhesion layer of said mixture on said inner wall of said mixer so as to increase a bulk density of granules of the mixture; and (3) mixing the granules obtained in said step (2) with fine particles to thereby coat the surface of the granules with the fine particles. The nonionic detergent granules containing a nonionic surfactant in a high content and having high bulk density and excellent powder fluidity and non-caking property can be produced in the process of the present invention with less suffering from restriction in the composition.

Process for producing nonionic detergent granules

Growing community of inventors

Wakayama, Japan

Kouji Toyoda