Powder—Heavy Duty

These resulting nonionics can be used in heavy-duty powders, heavy-duty liquids, and hard-surface cleaners. 

Table 8.3 Powder heavy-duty detergent formulations around the world...

Trisodium phosphate is strongly alkaline many of its appHcations depend on this property. For example, many heavy-duty cleaning compositions contain trisodium phosphate as a primary alkalinity source. The crystalline dodecahydrate itself is marketed as a cleaning compound and paint remover. Traditionally, trisodium phosphate has been used in water softening to remove polyvalent metal ions by precipitation as insoluble phosphates. Because the hypochlorite complex of trisodium phosphate provides solutions that are strongly alkaline and contain active chlorine, it is used in disinfectant cleaners, scouring powders, and automatic dishwashing formulations. 

Manufacture is either by reaction of molten sodium with methyl alcohol or by the reaction of methyl alcohol with sodium amalgam obtained from the electrolysis of brine in a Castner mercury cell (78). Both these methods produce a solution of sodium methylate in methanol and the product is offered in two forms a 30% solution in methanol, and a soHd, which is a dry, free-flowing white powder obtained by evaporating the methanol. The direct production of dry sodium methylate has been carried out by the introduction of methanol vapors to molten sodium in a heavy duty agitating reactor. The sohd is supphed in polyethylene bags contained in airtight dmms filled in a nitrogen atmosphere. 

Metal or metal oxides may be added to perform specific functions. Brass chips and copper powder are frequently used in heavy-duty organics where these metaUics act as scavengers to break up undesirable surface films. Zinc chips used in Class A organics contribute significantly to recovery of normal performance following fade. Aluminum is also used. Most of these inorganic materials tend to detract from antinoise properties and mating surface compatibihty. 

Phospha.tes, Pentasodium triphosphate [7758-29-4] sodium tripolyphosphate, STPP, Na P O Q, is the most widely used and most effective builder in heavy-duty fabric washing compositions (see also Phosphoric acid and phosphates). It is a strong sequestrant for calcium and magnesium, with a p c of ca 6, and provides exceUent suspending action for soils. Because of its high sequestration power, it also finds extensive appHcation in automatic-dishwashing detergents. Sodium tripolyphosphate forms stable hydrates and thus aids in the manufacture of crisp spray-dried laundry powders. 

Tetrasodium pyrophosphate [7722-88-5] Na4P20y, is another important primary builder and detergent. In sequestration, it is not quite as effective as sodium tripolyphosphate and its usage in heavy-duty laundry powders has declined in recent years. Functionally, tetrasodium pyrophosphate is both a builder for surfactants (ie, water softener) and alkaH. 

Lauric acid is the main fatty acid used for producing ethanolamides. Monoethanolamides are used primarily in heavy-duty powder detergents as foam stabilizers and rinse improvers. 

The combination of LAS/AE/soap provides good detergency with controlled foam [44]. The AE provides improved hardness tolerance and detergency along with foam control. Soap is used as an economically effective foam control agent, especially with LAS [45]. Some European heavy-duty powder (HDP)... 

AOS is mainly applied in light-duty liquids (LDLs) and in heavy-duty powders (HDPs) [1-3,5-7]. By sulfonating C12 to C16 a-olefins, AOS with excel-... 

The following patents have claimed the use of IOS surfactants in heavy-duty powders and liquids ... 

Okumura [49] in his report A Super Concentrated Heavy Duty Powder Detergent Containing Palm-MES, Production and Performance cites the annual production of MES to be approximately 70,000 tons. New formulations of MES have been successfully introduced in the heavy-duty detergent market, showing excellent detergency performance under normal Japanese washing condi-... 

Intensive investigations have shown that specific silica-silicone mixtures or paraffin oil systems are considerably more universal in their applicability and that their effectiveness is independent of both water hardness and the nature of the surfactant-builder system employed [31-33]. Therefore, most heavy-duty detergents in Europe have silicone oil and/or paraffins as foam depressors. Soap has almost lost its importance as a foam regulator. Silica-silicone systems, frequently called silicone antifoams, are usually commercially available as concentrated powders. The key silicone oils used for antifoams are dimethylpolysiloxanes. 

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