Detergents, production agglomeration processing

Fig. 6.3-5 Block diagram of a non-tower agglomeration process For the production of laundry detergents [B.102]...

Many other patents on the production of detergents by agglomeration, granulation or two step processes have issued. Several advantages are often claimed for such processes such as control of particle size, better properties for the finished material, economy, etc. In most of these processes, the silicates play an important role due to their ability to act as a structure former-binder as well as for their effect on detergency. 

Sodium Sulfate. Although considered a weak builder by some manufacturers, sodium sulfate (Na2S04) contributes little to detergent performance. It is commercially available from natural sources and as a byproduct from rayon processing. In dry mix and agglomerated type products, sodium sulfate is used to improve finished product flow characteristics. In spray-dried products, sodium sulfate acts as an inert filler and aids in density control. 

Flow induced phase inversion (FIPI) has been observed by the author and applied to intensive materials structuring such as agglomeration, microencapsulation, detergent processing, emulsification, and latex production from polymer melt emulsifica-A diagrammatic illustration of FIPI is shown in Fig. 4. When material A is mixed with material B, in the absence of any significant deformation, the type of dispersion obtained [(A-in-B) or (B-in-A)] is dictated by the thermodynamic state variables (TSVs) (concentration, viscosity of components, surface activity, temperature, and pressure). If the... 

Agglomeration and encapsulation of fine particles are encountered in several industrial sectors such as pharmaceuticals, detergents, fertilizers, and animal feedstocks. The volume throughput in these processes can vary enormously. Batch processing is suitable for pharmaceutical applications where the volume of production is quite low and product values are very high, while a continuous process is essential in other sectors where the volume throughput is very high. 

Detergent powder processing, as mentioned earlier, is composed of a number of basic operations such as spray drying, agglomeration, and finished product making and handling. Each operation is considered in the following in text. 

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