Detergent compositions

• US 20040005993A1
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Main, Alison Lesley, Ingram, Barry Thomas, Hartshorn, Richard Timothy, Letzelter, Nathalie Sophie
• Granted Patent: US 6,730,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 510/445
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/001 Softening compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/126 in solid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/226 esterified
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3776 Heterocyclic compounds, e.g. lactam

Abstract

A solid detergent composition comprising a clay system, said clay system comprises a hectorite clay and a dioctahedral smectite clay, wherein the weight ratio of said hectorite clay to said dioctahedral smectite clay is less than 1:1. The two clay types may be present in a solid detergent composition in the form of an agglomerate.

Claims

1. A solid detergent composition comprising a hectorite clay and a dioctahedral smectite clay, wherein, the weight ratio of said hectorite clay to said dioctahedral smectite clay is less than 1:

1.

2. A composition according to claim 1, whereby said hectorite clay has the general formula

[(Mg₃₋

xLi_x)SI<sub>4−

y</sub>Me^III_yO₁₀(OH<sub>2−

z</sub>F_z)]<sup>−

(x+y)</sup>((x+y)/n)Mⁿ⁺

wherein y=0 to 0.4, and whereby if y=>

0 then Me^III is Al, Fe or B;

Mn⁺is a monovalent (n=1) or a divalent (n=2) metal ion;

x is a number from 0.1 to 0.5;

z is a number from 0 to 2, and the value of (x+y) is in the range of from 0.1 to 0.5.

3. A composition according to claim 1, whereby said dioctahedral smectite clay is a montmorillonite clay, said montmorillonite clay having the general formula

Na_xAl₂₋

xMg_xSi₄O₁₀(OH)₂

or

Ca_xAl<sub>2−

x</sub>Mg_xSi₄O₁₀(OH)₂

wherein x is a number from 0.1 to 0.5.

4. A composition according to claim 1, whereby said hectorite clay has an aspect ratio of greater than 3:

1.

5. A composition according to claim 1, whereby said hectorite clay has a volume weight mean particle size of from 5 micrometers to 20 micrometers, and/or said dioctahedral clay has a volume weight mean particle size of more than 20 micrometers.

6. A composition according to claim 1, whereby said, composition comprises (by weight) an amount of clay of no more than 10%.

7. A composition according to claim 1, whereby said composition comprises (by weight) from 0.01% to 50% of a hydrophobically modified cellulosic based polymer, said hydrophobically modified cellulosic based polymer having a mean average molecular weight of from 50,000 daltons to 2,000,000 daltons.

8. A composition according to claim 1, whereby said composition comprises a flocculating agent.

9. A composition according to claim 1, whereby said composition comprises a cyclic amine based polymer.

10. A composition according to claim 1, whereby said hectorite clay and said dioctahedral smectite clay are present in said composition in the form of agglomerate particles.