BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.
A. FIELD OF THE INVENTION.
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This invention refers to a multifunctional single product for detergent
formulations, and more particularly, to a product in the form of a powder or a
glass, which is water soluble and acts as builder, conditioner, filler and carrier,
among others, in the detergent and in the process for its manufacture.
B DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART.
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The most common oxides that are required for the production of
detergents are: phosphorus oxide (P2O5), sodium oxide (Na2O), silica (SiO2), as
well as other additional ingredients such as boron oxide (B2O3) and others.
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These oxides are normally provided through a plurality of raw materials
or chemical compounds, such as the sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), sodium
tripolyphosphate (Na5P3O10), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), sodium silicate
(xNa2O·ySiO2) and sodium borate (Na2B4O7).
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It is known that each detergent producer has its own formulations, but
each producer normally buys and uses the above-mentioned typical chemical
compounds as raw materials.
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Researching on the roles or functions performed by each of these
compounds, applicants found that each of such compounds performs a task,
acting as a builder, as a conditioner, as a filler, as a carrier, as a neutralizing
agent, etc. in the detergent and /or in the process for its manufacture.
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Considering that the high number of raw materials which has to be used
for each formulation (imparting their respective roles), increases the cost of
production of the detergents, (actually, most of the detergent producers have to
buy from at least 5 to 8 or more raw materials or reagents to define their
formulas), applicants conceived as a goal, the development of a single new
multifunctional product for the production of detergents, that would include
most of the typical oxides normally included in the detergent formulations,
complying with at least some of the main functions, which could perform as the
original chemical reagents, which could be soluble in water, and which could
reduce the cost of the raw materials.
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To that purpose, applicants observed that the sodium tripolyphosphate,
a raw material normally used in the detergent formulation as a source of
phosphorus oxide (P2O5), is made by reacting phosphoric acid with sodium
carbonate; that in turn, the phosphoric acid is obtained from the reaction of the
grounded phosphoric rock with sulfuric acid, which is filtered for impurity
elimination which is not but silica which is also present in the detergent
formulation; and that the sodium carbonate is normally obtained by a process
for the benefitiation of the trona ore by impurity elimination which is not but
silica which is also present in the detergent formulations.
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Therefore, applicants concluded that, if the impurity compounds are also
materials present in the detergent formulations, and that the process for their
elimination add a cost to the raw materials and consequently to the final
detergent, then the mineral treatment to obtain such raw materials becomes
unnecessary and the phosphoric rock or at least the phosphoric acid can be
used, through just a partial treatment (such as acid or alkaline attack, as well
as grounding, sieving and screening), to produce a product which would be
used as a source of P2O5 and as a partial source of SiO2 in the detergent
formulations.
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The Na2O is provided through the sodium carbonate obtained from the
treatment of trona mineral by a process including grounding, diluting, filtering to
eliminate compounds considered as impurities (which are compounds also
used in the detergent formulations) and crystallizing, to obtain the sodium
carbonate. Again, applicants concluded that it would be unnecessary to treat
the mineral to eliminate something that will be also needed in the detergent
formulations, and the trona mineral could be used directly, through a simple
grounding step, at more reduced costs, to prepare a single product which
would be adjusted to the detergent formulation needs.
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The SiO2 is provided through the sodium silicate which is obtained from
reacting silica sand and sodium carbonate in a furnace. The multifunctional
product developed by applicants will provide the silica that the detergent
formulation needs.
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In other words, through a single mixture of balanced and treated primary
raw materials or minerals which include the sources of oxides for the detergent
formulations and a reaction of them in a furnace, it is possible to provide a
single multifunctional product for whatever detergent formulation needs.
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With such a product, the detergent producer will have not the need to
buy 5 or 8 different raw materials for its formulation, but a single product which
is less expensive because it will not include the costs of the purifying
processes incorporated in each raw material and because such a product
involves just one process, instead of each process to produce each of the
actual raw materials.
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This product will provide the oxide needs for the detergent formulation
and for its manufacturing process and will perform the essential roles or
functions such as builder, conditioner, filler, carrier, neutralizing agent, etc. in
detergent formulations and in its manufacturing process.
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Therefore, Applicants found that, by mixing natural or partially treated
(grounded or comminuted) primary raw materials or minerals comprising
phosphoric rock, trona, silica sand, sodium sulfate and/or other intermediate
products such as phosphoric acid and sodium bicarbonate, in proportions
according to the needs of a specific detergent formulation, and introducing
them into a furnace for reacting them, results a single product in the form of: a
powder, if the furnace is operated at a lower reacting temperature without
melting; as a glass, if the furnace is operated at a reacting and melting
temperature; or as a liquid, if the product is solved after it has been obtained as
a powder or glass.
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This product can also be used in the processes for producing
detergents, instead of all the raw materials used in the conventional processes,
to achieve each of the roles or functions as builder, carrier, filler, among others.
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Thus, the obtained product is soluble in water and it will perform the
essential roles or functions such as builder, conditioner, filler, carrier, etc. in
detergent formulations and in its manufacturing process and results less
expensive than the raw materials normally used.
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Furthermore, as it is also known, the detergent producers changed their
process technology to produce detergents in the tower process and in the
agglomerate process. In both cases they needed almost the same type of raw
materials, however they needed solid and liquid raw materials such as sodium
tripolyphosphate and sodium silicate. Applicants found that another advantage
that the detergent producers can obtain from the product of the present
invention, is that this product allows to control the relation of all the oxides,
such as P2O5/ Na2O/SiO2, in a most wide range than by using only the
respective raw materials, and will provide just a solid or liquid product.
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And last, but not least, with the product of the present invention, the
detergent producer does not have to pay for multiple raw material handling and
transportation, nor to pay for transporting some unneeded volatile or gaseous
components such as the CO2, that are present in the raw materials used such
as in the sodium carbonate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION.
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It is therefore a main object of the present invention, to provide a
multifunctional single product for detergent formulations including most of the
typical oxides normally included in the detergent formulations.
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It is also a main object of the present invention, to provide a
multifunctional single product for detergent formulations, as a single product
performing al least some of the main functions in the detergent formulations
such as builder, conditioner, filler, carrier and neutralizing agent, among
others, which is soluble in water, and which is less expensive than the raw
materials to be substituted.
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It is another main object of the present invention, to provide a
multifunctional single product for detergent formulations, of the above disclosed
nature, which allows to control the relation of all the oxides, such as
P2O5/Na2O/SiO2, in a most wide range than by using only the respective raw
materials.
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It is yet another main object of the present invention, to provide a
multifunctional single product for detergent formulations, of the above disclosed
nature, as a single reacted product, with which the detergent producer will have
not to pay for multiple raw materials, handling and transportation thereof nor to
pay for transporting unneeded volatile or gaseous components that are an
integral part of the raw materials presently used.
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It is a further object of the present invention, to provide a process for
producing a multifunctional single product for detergent formulations, by mixing
and reacting a balanced mixture of primary raw materials or natural or partially
treated minerals such as phosphoric rock, sodium sulfate ore, trona and silica
sand, or intermediate products therefrom, into a furnace, to provide a powder or
a glass, containing essential oxides for the detergent formulations.
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It is still a further object of the present invention, to provide a process for
producing a multifunctional single product for detergent formulations, including
an annealing step for the product, in order to provide a desired chemical
structure for the product.
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These and other objects and advantages of the product and the process
of the present invention will be apparent from the description of the invention,
taken in connection with the following detailed description and specific
examples thereof
DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION.
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The invention will now be described firstly regarding the process for the
production of the multifunctional single product for detergent formulations
and
then regarding the preferred products of this invention.
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The process for the production of a multifunctional single product for
detergent formulations, of the present invention, comprising:
- mixing a balanced mixture of grounded or comminuted primary raw
materials or natural or partially treated minerals, comprising phosphoric rock,
sodium sulfate ore, trona and silica sand, or intermediate products therefrom;
and
- reacting the mixture into a furnace to provide a powder or a glass,
containing essential oxides for the detergent formulations.
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The reacting step is carried out either, at a temperature under the
melting point of the mixture, to produce a powder, or at a reacting and melting
temperature of the mixture, to provide a glass.
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If the product is needed as a liquid, depending on the process for the
fabrication of the detergent, the process comprising to dissolve the powder or
the glass product in a solvent, to produce a liquid product including most of the
typical oxides normally included in the detergent formulations.
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Furthermore, if an specific structure for the product is needed for specific
purposes of the detergent producer, a final annealing step for the product can
be introduced in the process.
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The single reacted product, in accordance with the present invention
include the essential oxides, such as phosphorus oxide (P2O5), sodium oxide
(Na2O), silica (SiO2), balanced in accordance with the specific detergent
formulations, which is water soluble and performs as builder, conditioner, filter,
carrier and neutralizing agent, in the product and in the process for the
manufacturing of the detergent.
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As in the case of the use of sodium sulfate for the manufacturing of
glassware articles, wherein only a limited maximum amount of sodium sulfate
had been established above which an undesirable separation of phases occurs
resulting in two non-miscible liquids, because nobody envisioned nor
suggeste to use a phase diagram to establish a balanced optimum amount
thereof, in the single product in accordance with the present invention, nobody
envisioned nor remotely suggested to react natural or partially treated minerals
to provide a single product containing both the essential oxides needed for the
detergent formulations, as well as other components also present in the
detergent formulations.
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The final oxide content of the product of the present invention will
depend on the type and oxide content of the detergent formulation, which
detergent producers normally keep secret.
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Therefore, to enable the persons having ordinary skill in the art to carry
out the above described invention, the following examples, taken in relation
with the corresponding enclosed drawings, are provided only by way of
information about the viability of this invention, but without considering that the
final product could be used for an specific detergent formulation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
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- Figure 1 is a flow sheet of the process for the production of the
multifunctional product for detergent formulations, in accordance with a first
embodiment of the invention, involving a processing of minerals as primary raw
materials for producing a glass for detergent formulations;
- Figure 2 is a flow sheet of the process similar to that of Figure 1,
involving a processing of partially treated and intermediate primary raw
materials, in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention;
- Figure 3 is a flow sheet of a simplified process similar to that of Figure 2,
for producing a glass for detergent formulations;
- Figure 4, is a flow sheet of the process similar to that of Figures 1 and 2,
additionally including sodium sulfate, for producing a glass for detergent
formulations;
- Figure 5 is flow sheet of the process of the present invention, including a
step for treating the product of examples 1 to 4, involving an additional amount
of sodium sulfate;
- Figure 6 is a flow sheet of the process similar to that of Figure 1, to
produce a powder product; and
- Figure 7 is a flow sheet of a process similar to Figure 5, involving a
solving step for the glass or powder product.
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Now the process for the production of the multifunctional product for
detergent formulations, in accordance with the present invention will be
described by the following performance examples, referring to these drawings,
wherein the same numbers refer to the same steps of the figures.
EXAMPLE 1.
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As illustrated in Figure 1, grounded trona ore from a feeder 1 and silica
sand from a feeder 2, were fed to a mixer M to homogenize the primary raw
materials; the mixture 3 was then introduced into an agglomerator A, to which
treated (acid attacked) phosphoric rock from a feeder 4 was added to
agglomerate these raw materials to produce a batch 5 having the following
weight ratio: 1P2O5 : 4Na2O : 4 SiO2.
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This batch 5 was reacted in a rotary kiln K at a temperature of about
800°C and then the reacted batch 6 was fed to a furnace F to melt the reacted
batch 6 at a temperature of about 1200°C, to produce one ton of a glass
product 7.
EXAMPLE 2.
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In Figure 2, sodium carbonate from a feeder 1a and a silica sand from a
feeder 2 were feed to a mixer M to homogenize the primary raw materials; the
mixture 3 was then introduced into an agglomerator A to which phosphoric acid
was added from a feeder 4a to agglomerate these raw materials and to produce
a batch 5 in the following ratio 1P2O5 : 4Na2O : 4 SiO2.
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This batch 5 was reacted in a rotary kiln K at a temperature of about
800°C and then the reacted batch 6 was fed to a furnace F to melt the batch 6
at a temperature of about 1200°C, to produce one ton of a glass product 7.
EXAMPLE 3.
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As illustrated in Figure 3, the sodium carbonate from the feeder 1a and
the silica sand from the feeder 2 were feed to a mixer M to homogenize the
primary raw materials; the mixture 3 was then introduced into an agglomerator
A to which the phosphoric acid 4a was added to agglomerate these raw
materials to produce a batch 5 in the following ratio 1P2O5 : 4Na2O : 4 SiO2.
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This batch 5 was directly reacted in the furnace F to melt the batch 5 at
a temperature of about 1200°C, to produce one ton of a glass product 7.
EXAMPLE 4
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In accordance with Figure 4, sodium sulfate from a feeder 8 was directly
added, in an amount of 10% by weight, to the mixer M containing the natural or
partially treated raw materials of the Examples 1 to 3, reacted in the kiln K and
melted in the furnace F in accordance with Examples 1 and 2, or directly
reacted and melted in the furnace F in accordance with the Example 3, at the
same temperature than the above examples, to produce a glass product 7a.
EAXAMPLE 5
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The glass product 7 from Examples 1 to 3 or 7a from the Example 4, was
fed to mill ML, milled therein and the milled mixture 9 was fed to a mixer M2 in
which an additional amount of sodium sulfate from a feeder 8a was added to
milled mixture 9, in a double amount of the weight of the product 7 or 7a, to
obtain the product 7b.
EXAMPLE 6.
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Grounded trona ore from feeder 1 and silica sand from feeder 2 were
feed to the mixer M to homogenize the primary raw materials; the mixture 3 was
then introduced into the agglomerator A in which treated (acid attacked)
phosphoric rock from feeder 4 was added to agglomerate these raw materials
to produce a batch 5 in the following ratio 1P2O5 : 4Na2O : 4 SiO2.
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This batch 5 was directly reacted in the rotary kiln K at a temperature of
about 700°C to produce a powder product 7c.
EXAMPLE 7.
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As shown in Figure 7, the product 7 or 7a of Examples 1 to 4, or 7c of
the
Example 6 was dissolved in water, at a temperature of 90°C in a dissolver D, to
produce a liquid product 7d having a concentration of 33% of the total product.
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In all of the above Examples, the analysis of the resulting product had
the same ratio that in the feeding of materials introduced.
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It is finally to be understood that it is possible to add the sodium sulfate
directly to the glass, powder and liquid products rather than to the mixer M.
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Furthermore, it is possible to introduce the final product into an
annealing equipment at temperatures from room temperature to about 600°C,
to produce a desired chemical structure for the product.
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Therefore, it is to be understood that the above products and processes
are provided only as specific embodiments of the invention and that the
persons having ordinary skill in the art will be able, with the teachings of herein
disclosed, to carry out different performing examples with different ratios and
steps, which will be within the true scope of the invention as defined in the
following claims.
