CA2151475A1 - Shaped solid comprising oxidant bleach with encapsulate source of bleach - Google Patents

Abstract

Aqueous bleach solutions can be made by directing a spray of water onto a bulk or shaped solid (brick, tablet, block, etc.) comprising a continuous solid phase of an encapsulated source of an active halogen bleach or a solid comprising a source of an oxidizing active halogen bleach, and an encapsulated oxidizing halogen bleach source. Such shaped solids can be used to dispense uniform quantities of an aqueous bleach concentrate to bleaching locus such as a washing machine. The tablets can be made from the encapsulated bleach or from a powder mixture of a particulate, granulated or powdered unencapsulated source of active oxidizing bleach and an encapsulated source of active oxidizing bleach by forming the powder mixture into a desired shape. Such a shaped solid bleach can be packaged in a container and can then be contacted with an aqueous spray in a dispenser to create a solution of active bleach for cleaning bleaching processes. The presence of the encapsulate in the solid with the powder reduces the tendency of the solid to absorb water which can be wicked through the solid to pass water through the solid into adjacent solids.
Substantial proportions of absorbed water can cause the tablets to crack, crumble and to periodically dispense uneven, substantially large and undesirable concentrations of active bleach into a wash or bleach cycle. Such large amounts of halogen can cause corrosion of metal machine or dispenser parts, clothing damage, can cause pinholing or other fabric damage, can result in color loss or change, or can result in other undesirable effects in either the dispenser, washing machine or the cleaned item.