Powdered Laundry Detergent

Sodium Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (Medium Viscosity) 0.5 

SOURCE Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Co., Nonionic Surfactant X-114 Formula Inc. Tri ton 

Triton XL-80N Surfactant 15.0 Sodium Carbonate/Soda Ash 50.0 Sodi urn Si 1i cate 12.0 Sodium Sulfate 21.7 Carboxymethy1 cellulose, CMC 1.0 Fluorescent Whitening Agent 0.3 

SOURCE Sandoz Chemicals Sandopan Carboxylated Surfactants Formula 

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Sodium sulfate in moderation is used as a diuretic and cathartic for humans and animals (14) (see Gastrointestinal agents). It is also used in consumer products such as laxatives, antacids, and as a natural filler it is used extensively in powdered laundry detergents (see Detergency). 

Synthetic zeolites and other molecular sieves are important products to a number of companies in the catalysis and adsorption areas and numerous applications, both emerging and well-established, are encouraging the industrial synthesis of the materials. There are currently no more than a few dozen crystalline microporous structures that are widely manufactured for commercial use, in comparison to the hundreds of structures that have been made in the laboratory. See Chapter 2 for details on zeolite structures. The highest volume zeolites manufactured are two of the earliest-discovered materials zeolite A (used extensively as ion exchangers in powdered laundry detergents) and zeolite Y (used in catalytic cracking of gas oil). 

The composition of a typical powdered laundry detergent is given below ... 

Chelants in bleach-activated powder laundry detergents have a number of key roles to play - bleach stabilization, dye and fabric protection, stain removal, and scale inhibition. 

Again, the optimum nonionic of choice for this application will depend upon the type of soil to be removed in the laundry process. For example, Figure 3 shows the optimum nonionic for removing typical sebum soil (body oil) in a nonbuilt heavy duty liquid. This figure shows that the optimum lies in the circle between and C., alcohol at an ethylene oxide level of 60 to oO percent. The peak of this optimum would be in the vicinity of a alcohol with 70 percent EO. This is considerably higher in EO content than the ethylene oxide optimum found for powdered laundry detergents. 

Sodium carbonate is commonly used in powdered laundry detergent, automatic dishwashing compounds, and hand surface cleaners. 

Zeolites, also known as molecular sieves, are important alternative builders for powdered laundry detergents and replaced phosphate salts that were banned for legislative reasons. Zeolites exist in the form of calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, and barium salts. 

Many powder laundry detergents contain boron compounds that help make clothes cleaner. 

Natural C12-C16 fatty alcohols or C10-C15 synthetic fatty alcohols with >4 moles ofEO. Alcohol ethoxylates with 5-11 moles of EO are used in liquid and powdered laundry detergents as coactives with LAS and fatty alcohol ethers sulfate (FAES) in hard surface-cleaning formulations and in a host of industrial applications. Alcohol ethoxylates with 12-50 moles of EO and their respective sulfated and phosphated derivatives find use in emulsion polymerization and other select applications. 

Applications. Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate is a very cost-effective surfactant which is extensively used in a broad variety of detergents for household, fabric care, institutional, and industrial products. lii laundry products (powders and liquids), LAS is generally the workhorse surfactant of choice, usually used in combination with other anionic or nonionic surfactants. LAS is also an appropriate anionic surfactant for light-duty and delicate powder laundry detergents. 

For the above reasons, they are widely used in all-temperature powder laundry detergents, generally in combination with LAS as the major surfactant. They are also constitutive ingredients of general-purpose liquid cleaners, and also in combination with other anionics such as alkyl sulfates, sulfonates, or sulfosuccinates. 

Enzymes. Proteolytic and amyolytic enzymes have been designed for use as adjuvants in detergent systems to remove stains. These complete proteinaceous molecules act as catalysts and tend to break down particular soils and stains to a form more readily removed from fabrics. These ingredients are used in presoak detergent systems and some liquid and powdered laundry detergents. 

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