JP2851149B2 - Granules containing polymer - Google Patents

Abstract

A granulate useful in detergent formulations is disclosed, which comprises at least 10% by weight of polymer useful in such formulations and at least 20% by weight of at least one inorganic component which is also useful in such formulations. The granulate has a bulk density of at least 700 g/l, and possesses low hygroscopicity. A process formaking such a granulate is also disclosed.

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to polymer-containing granules that are effective as ingredients for detergent formulations. In the following, "detergent formulation" is intended to include detergents for both fabrics and hard surfaces.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND For environmental reasons, it has become desirable to reduce or eliminate the phosphate content of detergent formulations. As a result, alternative components must be added which provide similar properties, such as prohibition of salt and soil redeposition on washed fabrics and hard surfaces, and improved whiteness. Polymer additives, especially polycarboxylated polymers, are suitable for this purpose.

The polymer is generally added to the detergent formulation in the form of a dry polymer produced by spray drying a solution, dispersion, slurry or emulsion of the polymer in a liquid ("wet polymer"), or Alternatively, it is added as a wet polymer directly to the detergent formulation in the form of a slurry before drying. In both cases, the end product has a number of undesirable properties.

Dry polymers produced by spray drying only wet polymers are substances that tend to "stick" on storage or in the final formulation itself due to its hygroscopicity. Such dried polymers also have a low bulk density, typically
Has 300-500g /. This means that in typical detergent formulations having a density in the range of 700 g /, the polymer tends to separate; it also reduces the bulk density of the formulation. Furthermore, dry polymer powders usually have a high proportion of fines, which leads to unwanted dust problems in the final formulation and also contributes to separation problems.

One way to add the wet polymer is to add the wet polymer to the other components of the final formulation before drying, and then spray dry the polymer with the other components. An example of a particulate composition produced by such a method is DE-A-3316513.
Wherein granules containing 30-75% zeolite with at least 5% polycarboxylate for use as phosphate substitutes are produced by spray drying a slurry of these components. Have been.
Such a spray-drying process always produces an undesirably low-density granular product; in fact, the highest density achieved by this composition is 610 g /; and the accompanying water introduced with the polymer must be removed. Must.

Another way to add the wet polymer is to add the wet polymer directly to the final formulation, mix it in a rotary drum mixer and dry. However, since wet polymers contain liquid (usually water) and polymer in a ratio of about 1: 1, adding more than a few percent of the polymer also requires the addition of a significant amount of liquid. Also, the solubilization of the other ingredients in the formulation by the liquid tends to result in the formation of a paste in the dryer. This problem cannot be avoided by reducing the liquid content of the polymer before addition. This is because the viscosity of the wet polymer is too high for satisfactory fluidity, even when the polymer is distributed in other components.

The above method for adding a wet polymer may be used if the polymer is used as a flocculant for salts; in such cases, the polymer is added at a concentration of about 0.5%. Since it is only a fraction, the difficulty of excess liquid is insignificant.

The above problems are also unavoidable by adding the polymer to a solution of other salts to be used in the final formulation such as phosphates and carbonates and then evaporating to dryness. It is possible. Since the polymers used are effective crystallization inhibitors for their salts.

Thus, in summary, the conventionally produced forms of the dried polymer proved to be unsatisfactory for detergent formulations.
That is, (i) the polymer dried alone has a particle size,
Have problems with hygroscopicity and density, and (ii)
Polymer dried in the presence of the remaining components of the formulation induces paste formation when it is dried in a spray mixer and is too low when dried in a spray tower Density. There are indications that the polymer and some of the other ingredients for the detergent formulation could be successfully combined into a particulate form having the desired particle size and bulk density for addition to the detergent formulation. Did not and actually (ii)
The experience at has denied that.

High-density polymer-containing granules are known from EP-A-368137; it contains 60-80% zeolite, 2-15% polycarboxylate, and 14-25% water by weight. And a density of 750-1000 g /. However, the presence of such a large proportion of water-insoluble zeolites is disadvantageous. Water-insoluble salts have a tendency to adhere to fabrics, which is an issue to be offset at least in part by the addition of the polymer; containing such a high proportion of water-insoluble salt to polymer In the granules that
The action of the polymer as a dispersant that it has intended to have will be substantially negated by the large amounts of zeolite introduced with the polymer.

Granular detergent additives are known from US-A-4698174. It contains 20-80% polymer, 20-80% nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and optionally up to 20% of other additives such as sodium sulfate. Densities up to 690 g / are disclosed, and the product is claimed to have low hygroscopicity. However, the usefulness of this additive is limited by the need to include a significant proportion of NTA to obtain satisfactory performance; a large proportion of NTA is considered undesirable from an environmental standpoint. Further, the densities disclosed therein are generally less than the average density of a typical detergent.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide a composition in the form of granules, effective as a component of a detergent formulation, wherein each granule comprises at least 10% by weight of a polymer effective in such a formulation.
And at least 20% by weight of at least one water-soluble inorganic component effective in such a formulation, wherein the bulk density of the composition is at least 700 g /. Preferred inorganic components are salts such as sulfates, carbonates and silicates. Perborate (1
Hydrates and tetrahydrates), percarbonates and persulfates are also effective. In formulations where phosphates are still present, they may also be used as carriers. The sodium form is preferred for all of the above salts.

The invention is also applicable when the inorganic component is zeolite or clay (both are water-insoluble). In such a case, a greater proportion of polymer is required to offset the tendency of the water-insoluble component to adhere to the cloth as described above. Accordingly, another aspect of the present invention provides a composition, in the form of granules, effective as an ingredient in a detergent formulation, wherein each granule comprises at least 20% by weight of a polymer effective in such formulation. When. It contains at least 20% by weight of zeolite and the bulk density of the composition is at least 700 g /.

In either case, the granules may contain small amounts of other ingredients suitable for use in the detergent composition.

The density of the granules can be as low as 300 g / or as high as 1400 g /, with densities in the range of 700-1200 g / preferred. Especially 900g /
The above is good. Density depends on the type of inorganic component ("carrier") or type of polymer, and also on the conditions and equipment of the manufacturing process (described below), as well as the polymer (s) and carrier ( One or more). Accordingly, granules containing up to 80% by weight of the polymer can be produced. In this case, the density of such granules will be at the lower end of the desired range. Typically, 10-50% by weight of the polymer is dependent on the granules (but at least 20%, preferably 25% when zeolite is present), and more typically 20%. ~ 40%. The most preferred amount of polymer is 30%.

Suitable polymers are dicarboxylic acids such as maleic acid, itaconic acid, mesaconic acid, fumaric acid, citraconic acid, and anhydrides of cis dicarboxylic acids such as maleic anhydride; monocarboxylic acids such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, vinyl acetic acid , Crotonic acid, and acryloxypropionic acid; and unsaturated non-carboxylic acids, for example, alkyl esters of acrylic or methacrylic acid,
For example, methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate,
Butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, and isobutyl methacrylate; hydroxyalkyl esters of acrylic or methacrylic acid, such as hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, hydroxylethyl methacrylate, and hydroxypropyl methacrylate, including polyethoxylated esters Acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-tert
-Butylacrylamide, N-methylacrylamide,
N, N-dimethylacrylamide; acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, allyl alcohol, allylsulfonic acid, alliphosphonic acid, vinylphosphonic acid, dimethylaminoethyl acrylate, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, phosphoethyl methacrylate, N-vinylpyrrolidone, N-vinylformamide , N-vinylimidazole, ethylene glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate, diallyl phthalate, vinyl acetate, styrene, vinyl sulfonic acid and its salts, and 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) and its salts Includes homopolymers or copolymers. Monomers of 1-olefins such as diisobutylene and 1-octene are also suitable, and the polymer "POC"
(A reaction product of acrylic acid and perisodisulfate).

The polymer may be in the acid state, or Na,
It may be neutralized or partially neutralized with K, NH ₄ , or other counterions. The molecular weight of the polymer may be between 500 and 5,000,000. In general, the higher the molecular weight, the greater the degree of agglomeration obtained during the production of the granules, so the larger the granules. Thus, the choice of molecular weight will depend at least in part on the required product particle size.

Examples of the polymer used in the present invention are weight average molecular weight 4500
Acrylic acid homopolymer and a weight average molecular weight of about 7
It is an acrylic / maleic copolymer of 10,000.

The granules of the present invention can have a wide range of size distributions, from 1 μm to 2 mm in diameter or more. Granules with up to 80% particles on 14 US mesh (mesh size 1.18 mm) or up to 80% particles passing through 100 US mesh (mesh size 0.15 mm) can be produced.
Preferably, the passage through a 100 US mesh is less than 50% by weight. In a preferred option, the size of the granules produced is the average size of the particles in the standard detergent composition (typically
0.2-0.4 mm).

The particulate composition of the present invention provides a polymer suitable for use in a detergent composition in a form that is significantly advantageous over the prior art, wherein the dried particulate may be added directly to the final formulation, All the disadvantages associated with wet polymers are sealed off. The composition can be adjusted to have a particle size and density very similar to the particle size and density of the other components in the final formulation, thereby avoiding separation and dusting problems associated with spray dried polymers. . Also, the particulate compositions of the present invention do not suffer from the problem of hygroscopicity affecting spray dried polymers. A larger particle size means that the surface area per unit weight for absorbing moisture is smaller and the proportion of hygroscopic polymer in each granule is clearly smaller than in "dry polymer powder" I have. For the purposes of the present invention, the granules have less than 20%, preferably less than 10%, of their own weight of water when exposed to moisture. The method used to determine this% water absorption is as follows: A pre-weighed container is placed in an air-conditioned room at a temperature of 20 ° C. and a humidity of 50% and a thin layer of polymer (5-20 mm) is placed in the container.
And weighed immediately, at which point the test started. Then remove the container and polymer for the first hour
At 10 minute intervals, next 1 hour at 30 minute intervals, next 5 hours at 1
Weighed at time intervals and then every 24 hours. The percent weight gain indicates the amount of water absorbed, and the numbers quoted are the values reached when steady state was reached.

Accordingly, the present invention has the problem of obtaining a polymer in an acceptable form for direct addition to a detergent formulation, either with the liquid carrier associated with the polymer or with the result of first removing the liquid carrier. The problem was solved successfully without any problems. Furthermore, the present invention provides a much more flexible solution to the above problems than the known compositions described above. That is, there is a wide variety of inorganic compounds that can be incorporated into polymers, although not essentially required in advance. Also, the density of the compositions of the present invention can be significantly higher than is possible with known compositions.

Furthermore, the invention provides a detergent formulation containing the polymer in the form of a composition as defined above; furthermore, the invention uses the composition as defined above as an ingredient in a detergent formulation. Consisting of The proportion of particulate composition of the invention required in a typical detergent formulation is such that the active polymer content in the formulation is generally from 0.1 to 20% by weight, more usually from 1 to 5% by weight. .

Representative suitable detergents for which the particulate compositions of the invention are suitable are usually based on surfactants and optionally builders, either precipitants or sequestrants. Suitable surfactants include, for example, anionic surfactants such as (C ₈ -C
₁₂₎ alkylbenzenesulfonates, (C ₁₂ -C ₁₆₎ alkane sulfonates, (C ₁₂ -C ₁₆₎ alkyl sulfates, (C ₁₂ -C ₁₆₎ alkyl sulfosuccinates and (C ₁₂ -C ₁₆₎ sulfated ethoxylated It is an alkanol.
Nonionic surfactants (C ₆ ~C ₁₂₎ alkylphenol ethoxylates, may be a block copolymer (C ₁₂ ~C ₂₀₎ alkanol alkoxylates, and ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. Optionally, the end groups of the polyalkylene oxide may be blocked. This means that the free OH groups of the polyalkylene oxide can be etherified, esterified, acetalized, and / or aminated. Another modification consists in reacting the free OH groups of the polyalkylene oxide with isocyanates.

Nonionic surfactants also include (C ₄ -C ₁₈ ) alkyl glucosides as well as the alkoxylation products obtainable by alkoxylating it, especially those obtainable by reaction of alkyl glucosides with ethylene oxide. Detergent effective surfactants can also have amphoteric properties, and they can be soaps. Generally, surfactants are two to
Make up 50% by weight.

The sequestrant builder contained in the detergent was generally phosphate, orthophosphate, pyrophosphate, or especially sodium tripolyphosphate. However, due to the severe environmental pollution caused by the use of phosphates, the phosphate content of detergents and detergents is increasingly reduced, and current detergents have a phosphate content of less than 25% or preferably Contains no phosphate. As discussed above, the compositions of the present invention are of primary value as a means to introduce a partial or complete replacement for phosphate into detergents, as described above. Including polymers. Other builders include zeolite, sodium carbonate, nitrilotriacetic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, salts of said acids, and monomeric or oligomeric or polymeric phosphonates.
Various amounts of each substance are used in the manufacture of detergent formulations.
For example, sodium carbonate may be used in amounts up to 80% by weight, based on the entire detergent formulation, and phosphate
%, Zeolite up to 40%, nitrilotriacetic acid and phosphonate up to 10%, and polycarboxylic acid up to 30%.
It may be used in amounts up to%.

Typical detergent formulations optionally contain a corrosion inhibitor such as a silicate as an additional additive. Suitable silicates are, for example, sodium silicate, sodium disilicate and sodium metasilicate. The corrosion inhibitor is 50 in the detergent formulation
Up to% by weight can be constituted. Other conventional additives for detergent and detergent formulations are bleaches used in amounts up to 30% by weight. Suitable bleaches are, for example, perborates, percarbonates, or chlorine-generating substances, such as chloroisocyanurate. Another group of additives that can be used in detergents are graying inhibitors. Known substances of this type are carboxymethylcellulose, methylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose,
And a graft copolymer of vinyl acetate and polyalkylene oxide having a molecular weight of 1,000 to 15,000. Graying inhibitors are used in detergent formulations in amounts up to 5%. Other conventional detergent additives that can optionally be used are optical brighteners, enzymes and fragrances. The powder detergent formulation can also contain up to 50% by weight of a diluent, for example sodium sulphate. The detergent formulation may be anhydrous or may contain small amounts of water, for example up to 10% by weight.

The composition of the present invention can be manufactured by the method of the present invention. The method comprises mixing a polymer useful in a detergent composition with a liquid suitable for carrying or solubilizing the polymer and at least one solid inorganic component, wherein the ratio of polymer: inorganic component is from 1: 9 to 5%. : 1 and subjecting the mixture to stirring and heating conditions such that granules are formed. Generally, the polymer and liquid are introduced together,
For example, it is introduced as a slurry, solution, emulsion or dispersion of the polymer in a liquid. Preferably, the granules produced are as defined above.

The specific heat and agitation conditions required to produce the desired granules are complex and depend on a number of correlated variables. Subjecting the polymers, liquids, and inorganic components to turbulence to a degree such that rapid and homogeneous mixing and uniform heating is achieved; in addition, especially when the inorganic components are soluble in the liquid. It is very important that a rapid and efficient heat transfer coefficient is required to evaporate the liquid very quickly after forming the mixture.

In a preferred embodiment of the method for achieving the above requirements,
The components are mixed in a horizontal cylindrical chamber having an axial shaft with a series of radial blades extending almost to the wall of the chamber, forcing the mixture into a highly disturbed thin layer around the walls of the chamber. The pressure differential causes the mixture to move along the chamber, where the mixture is further heated by hot air blown into the chamber and / or heating of the chamber walls in contact with the mixture layer. The mixture may be heated as soon as it enters the chamber; alternatively, the mixture may be heated after passing slightly along the chamber, such that the initial mixing occurs before the onset of evaporation. This alternative procedure may be embodied by using two chambers in series, the first chamber only subjecting the mixture to high agitation, and the second chamber combining both agitation and heating. To receive. This method allows for greater control of the degree of turbulence at each stage, but for the reasons outlined above, ensure that the evaporation start not too late in determining the residence time in the initial mixing chamber. Attention will be needed.

The chamber (s) is preferably horizontal, but this is not essential and it may be inclined or vertical.

The unique combination of turbulence and heat transfer rate provided by the method of the present invention results in products that have heretofore been unattainable. The resulting granules are generally aggregates of many particles,
Each particle consists of a core of an inorganic component ("carrier") covered by a layer of a polymer, but under certain conditions a homogeneous mixture may be formed. The method of the present invention is particularly beneficial when the inorganic component is soluble in the liquid carrying the polymer (usually water). A specific example is where the inorganic component is a sulfate, which is soluble in water. In such cases, solubilization of the inorganic carrier occurs only to an insufficient degree to adversely affect the density or particle size of the final granular product, as the evaporation of the liquid in the process is rapid. This would not be possible with the prior art.

As mentioned earlier, the parameters that affect the properties of the final product are numerous and complex. The relative proportions of polymer and carrier are significant; increasing the proportion of polymer reduces the density of the final granules and produces larger granules by causing greater agglomeration. The properties of the components are also significant. As discussed above, the molecular weight of the polymer can affect the particle size of the final product. Advantageously, the inorganic component is an anhydrous salt. Because the anhydrous salt absorbs the water carrying the polymer during mixing, it leaves less to evaporate and speeds up the process. The two main process conditions that need to be affected are the rate of heat transfer to the components when they are mixed and the degree of turbulence of the mixing. In general terms,
Increasing the rate of heat transfer or the degree of turbulence reduces the degree of agglomeration and thus the size of the particles.

The rate of heat transfer may be increased by increasing either the temperature or flow rate of the hot air passing through the chamber, or by increasing the temperature of a heating jacket around the walls of the chamber. As discussed earlier,
The positions of the hot air inlet and the heating jacket may be adjusted to affect the timing and speed of heat transfer. The initial temperature of the liquid carrying the polymer may be varied; increasing this not only improves the evaporation capacity of the equipment, but also reduces the initial viscosity of the liquid / polymer system by reducing the initial viscosity of the liquid / polymer system. It also improves homogeneity. Heat transfer rates are also increased by greater turbulence.

Turbulence of the mixture in the chamber may be increased by increasing the rotational speed of the shaft and blade. It depends on the characteristics of the blade, the number of blades, the shape,
It will be appreciated that the exact effect of the blade is an assessment in each case.

Another factor that is significant is the residence time of the mixture in the chamber, i.e., the length of time exposed to heating and / or turbulent mixing, which must be adjusted to provide an optimal balance. The mixture is pulled through the chamber mainly by the pressure difference. Of course,
Fluctuations in the pressure difference change the residence time. The length of the chamber-or split into a mixing chamber and a mixing / heating chamber-is another influencing factor.

Preferred embodiments according to both the method and the composition of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings: FIG. 1 is a drawing showing an aggregating apparatus suitable for performing the preferred method of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a graph showing the particle size of the composition of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred apparatus for the agglomeration process of the present invention comprises, at one end, respectively, inlets 4,6 for the liquid / polymer system and the dry inorganic carrier, and at the other end, a granular production It consists of a horizontal cylindrical chamber 2 with an outlet 8 for objects. The air compressor 22 pushes the air (and thus the material) along the chamber, and the fan 10 contributes to the pressure drop and also helps to pass the material.

Heating is achieved in part by hot air injected into the chamber through inlet 12 and in part by a coaxial heating jacket 14 around the chamber.
Because the hot air inlet 12 and the jacket 14 are spaced along the chamber from the raw material inlets 4,6, the material in the early part of the chamber is not heated, but is only subjected to mixing. As discussed above, in another embodiment, this initial mixing without phase heating (which is not always essential) may be performed in a separate chamber.

Turbulent mixing may be provided by means of a rapidly rotating shaft 16 carrying a series of blades 18 each extending radially toward the walls of the chamber. In this embodiment, each blade is substantially rectangular and its outer end is separated from the inner wall of the chamber by a few millimeters (this spacing is adjustable). The shaft 16 is driven by a motor 20. In certain embodiments, movement of the material along the chamber may be performed by only rotating the blade without requiring a pressure differential.

The operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1 will now be described with reference to a preferred composition comprising a polymer / water system.

Dry carrier and aqueous solution of polymer enter the chamber through respective inlets 4,6. The polymer solution may be provided at an elevated temperature to reduce its viscosity and improve mixing.
Inside the chamber, the shaft 16 and its blades 18 rotate at high speed, typically at 500-3000 rpm. The speed used will, of course, depend on factors such as the diameter of the drum. However, an important parameter is the tangential velocity imparted to the mixture at the surface of the chamber wall (in this embodiment, the tangential velocity is generally
10~30m s ^- a is).

The mixture of polymer, water and carrier is pulled through the chamber by the combined action of compressor 22 and fan 10, during which centrifugal force generated by the rapidly rotating blades 18 disperses and forces the chamber walls. Into a highly dynamic dispersion in the form of a thin layer around the inside surface. The exact thickness of the layer depends on a number of factors, especially the degree of centrifugal force applied on the layer, but the layer is approximately 1-2 mm. Preferably, the blade is sufficiently close to the chamber such that the outer edge of the blade contacts and breaks the agglomerating mixture, thereby creating more turbulence and suppressing the appearance of excessively large particles. It is arranged to extend.

The residence time of the mixture in the first unheated part of the chamber is very short, on the order of a few seconds. When the carrier is water-soluble, it is particularly important that the carrier does not begin to dissolve before water evaporation begins. Of course, if desired, the device may be arranged to heat the mixture as soon as the mixture enters the mixing chamber.

After this initial mixing layer, the mixture is heated by hot air introduced through inlet 12 and by saturated steam passing around jacket 14. Together, they provide a very efficient combination of both convection and conduction heat transfer, resulting in rapid evaporation of water from the mixture. The continuous rotation of the mixture layer and the individual particles therein provides ideal conditions for turbulence and particle separation, allowing for uniform heating and excellent agglomeration.The mixture is mixed with the water being removed as steam. Reach the outlet 8 during a time period of approximately 10 seconds to several minutes, which is the time for agglomeration into dense dry granules of polymer and carrier.

Specific examples of the granular composition of the present invention produced by the method exemplified above are as follows: Example 1 Granules containing 30% dry polymer were obtained as follows: sodium sulfate 100 kg / h and 95 kg / h of a 45% aqueous solution of an acrylic acid homopolymer having a weight average molecular weight of 4,500 were continuously supplied into a mixer chamber.

The shaft rotation speed was 900 rpm and hot air was fed into the mixing chamber at 225 ° C. and 280 m ³ / h (simultaneously with the flow of the granules). 160 ° C. saturated steam was supplied to the jacket.

The final product (granules) is 143 k
At g / h, 0.5% residual moisture, and 100 ° C., release began continuously. The density of the product is 1000 g / lt and the particle size spectrum compared to the main fabric laundry detergent is shown in FIG.

Example 2 Using the same process conditions as in Example 1, but using 100 kg / h sodium sulfate and 28 kg / h acrylic / maleic copolymer with a weight average molecular weight of 70,000,
A product containing 10% dry polymer was obtained.

The density of the granules is 1200 g / lt and the particle size distribution is third
Shown in the figure.

Example 3 A product containing 30% dry polymer was obtained as follows: 120 kg / h sodium carbonate and polymer 115 of Example 1
kg / h were continuously fed into the mixing mixer, the shaft rotation speed was 1800 rpm, and hot air was co-fed at 200 ° C. 180 ° C saturated steam was fed into the jacket. The final product was obtained at 70 ° C. with 1% residual moisture. The density of the product was 860 g / lt and the particle size spectrum is shown in FIG.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an aggregating apparatus suitable for performing a preferred method of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 to 4 are graphs showing the particle size of the composition of the present invention.

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-62-236899 (JP, A) JP-A-61-258072 (JP, A) JP-A-59-182874 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int) .Cl. ⁶ , DB name) C11D 17/06, 3/60, 3/37

Claims (16)

(57) [Claims] 1. Granules effective as ingredients in detergent formulations, each comprising at least 10 polymers effective in such formulations.
Said granules comprising at least 20% by weight and at least 20% by weight of at least one water-soluble inorganic component also effective for such a formulation, wherein the bulk density of said composition is at least 700 g /. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic component is sulfate, carbonate, phosphate,
2. Granules according to claim 1, which are one or more of silicates, percarbonates or perborates, preferably sulphates or carbonates. 3. Granules effective as ingredients in detergent formulations, each comprising at least 20% by weight effective in such formulations.
And at least 20% by weight of zeolite and alternatively clay, wherein the bulk density of the composition is at least
The granule, wherein the weight is 700 g /. 4. A granule according to claim 1, having a bulk density of at least 900 g / g. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is a polycarboxylated polymer,
Preferably, acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid,
A homopolymer or a copolymer of one or more of acrylamide, itaconic acid, (C ₁ -C ₄ ) alkyl (meth) acrylate or amide, α-chloroacrylic acid, alkyl vinyl ether or vinyl ester The granules according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. The polymer content is 20 to 40%, preferably 30%.
The granule according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is: 7. The granule according to claim 1, wherein the granule size is such that the passage of 100 US mesh (mesh size 0.15 mm) is less than 50% by weight. body. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the water absorption is less than 20% by weight, preferably less than 10% by weight, when exposed to moisture and tested according to the method described hereinafter. Item 7. The granule according to any one of items 7. 9. Use of the granules according to claims 1 to 8 as a component in a detergent formulation. 10. A detergent formulation comprising a polymer in the form of granules according to any one of claims 1 to 8. 11. Mixing a polymer effective for a detergent formulation with a liquid suitable for carrying or dissolving said polymer and at least one solid inorganic component effective itself for the detergent formulation. The ratio of polymer to inorganic component is from 1: 9 to 5: 1 and is effective for detergent formulations, including exposing the mixture to stirring and heat conditions such that granules are formed. A method for producing a polymer-containing component. 12. The mixture is introduced into a cylindrical chamber (2) comprising a rapidly rotating shaft (16) carrying a series of blades (18), wherein heat is applied along at least a portion of the length of said chamber. 12. The granule according to claim 11, which is applied to: 13. The granule according to claim 12, wherein the mixture is first introduced into a first cylindrical chamber which also contains a rapidly rotating shaft shaft carrying a series of blades, in which no heating takes place. body. 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said heating is applied by one or both of hot air injected into said chamber (2) and heating of an inner surface of said chamber.
The method of paragraph 12 or 13. 15. The inorganic component is a zeolite, clay, or as defined in claim 2, and the polymer is as defined in claim 5. The method of any one of claims 11 to 14. 16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said liquid is water.
The method according to any one of paragraphs 11 to 15.