Process for making a heavy duty liquid detergent composition

Abstract

A heavy duty detergent composition of a solvent, an anionic detergent component in acid form, a fatty acid, an alkali metal hydroxide, a nonionic detergent, a hydrotrope, a buffering agent, a dye and a builder mixed by adding substantially all of the solvent to the vessel, and adding the remaining components in any order so long as the builder is added to the vessel prior to neutralization of the anionic detergent from acid to salt form by the alkali metal hydroxide. The builder alone prevents degradation of the dye color or a chelating agent and the builder may be employed to prevent color degradation. When added in solution, the chelating agent or the builder increases the volume of the vessel mixture. Heat released in neutralization is absorbed by a larger volume of liquid. Neutralization thus does not raise the temperature of the components in the vessel as high as if chelator or builder solution were added later. Neutralization may be performed more quickly and batch processing times may be reduced.