Breakage resistant higher fatty alcohol sulfate detergent laundry bars

Abstract

Detergent laundry bars of improved physical characteristics, including improved resistance to breakage on handling, are described which include 10 to 35% of sodium higher fatty alcohol sulfate detergent, 10 to 60% of builder for the detergent mixture, a bodying proportion, in the range of 10 to 60% of water insoluble powder, 1 to 10% of higher fatty lower alkanolamide, 0.2 to 5% of glycerol, with the ratio of alkanolamide to glycerol being in the range of 1:5 to 25:1, and 5 to 20% of water (including that which is removable from any hydrate components when the bar is subjected to heating at 105.degree. C. for two hours). Preferably the invented bars will comprise 10 to 25% of sodium coco alcohol sulfate or equivalent sodium higher fatty alcohol sulfate, up to 5 or 10% of secondary detergents, 15 to 30% of sodium tripolyphosphate, 5 to 25% of sodium carbonate, 0 to 10% of sodium silicate, 10 to 50% of calcium carbonate powder, 3 to 7% of cocomonoethanolamide; 0.3 to 1% of glycerol, with the ratio of cocomonoethanolamide:glycerol being in the range of 2:1 to 25:1, and 5 to 12% of water. The described bars, which preferably are milled and plodded, exhibit better resistance to breakage on handling than do bars of similar formulas which do not contain the ethanolamide and glycerol, which is very surprising. They are also of acceptable hardness and do not slough or erode excessively on standing in contact with water, and in use. The bars process satisfactorily and foam well, too.