JPH05255699A - Production of cartridge detergent for automatic washing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the subject safe detergent having excellent solubility by filling a specific powdery detergent composition in a vessel having an opening and impregnating the detergent powder with an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide to effect the hydrating solidification of the surface layer of the detergent composition. CONSTITUTION:A powdery detergent 12 containing >=40wt.% (preferably >=70wt.%) of a hydrating compound containing an alkali metal hydroxide (preferably the combination of sodium hydroxide and sodium tripolyphosphate) is filled in a vessel having an opening 10 and the composition 12 is impregnated with an aqueous solution 11 of an alkali metal hydroxide having a concentration of 25-48wt.% to effect the hydrating solidification of the surface layer of the composition 12 and obtain the objective detergent.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for producing a cartridge cleaning agent for an automatic washing machine used in an industrial washing machine such as an automatic dishwashing machine or an automatic bottle washing machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Automatic dishwashers are used to wash dishes after use in places where a large amount of meals are served, such as hotels, restaurants and company cafeterias.
In such a dishwasher for business use, a solid cartridge cleaning agent containing a high concentration of caustic is often used.

Cartridge cleaning agents include, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-
As described in Japanese Patent No. 4480, about 30 to 40 parts by weight of a chelating agent is uniformly mixed in about 50 to 75 parts by weight of a 50 to 75% aqueous solution of caustic alkali which is heated and dissolved at about 55 to 65 ° C. It is obtained by a method of pouring and hardening in a rear container. However, this method requires a high temperature for heating and dissolving the caustic, and the resulting detergent also takes a long time to dissolve.
There is a problem that it is difficult to dissolve when used. In addition,
In 63-177829, a container is filled with a powder cleaning agent containing a caustic alkali and a chelating agent, and a hydratable inorganic compound 50% or more and a water-moisture content 50% or less of a slurry sealing agent are charged therein, There is disclosed a cartridge cleaner for a washing machine in which an open surface is sealed and solidified by ironing or pouring. Since this detergent uses a powder detergent, the solubility is improved, but since the components of the powder detergent and the sealant are different, there is concern about the deterioration of the cleaning power at the initial stage of cartridge replacement and the slurry solidified sealant layer There is a problem that the solubility is not good and sufficient cleaning agent is not supplied in a short period at the initial stage of cartridge replacement.

To solve these problems, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
No. 84500 proposes to form a hole penetrating from the sealant layer to the powder cleaning agent layer. It is described that when the water is sprayed on the cartridge cleaning agent, the sealing agent layer is dissolved and the water enters through the holes and the powder cleaning agent inside is also dissolved, so that the above problem is solved. However, these techniques have drawbacks such that it is troublesome to adjust and handle the slurry, and it is difficult to make holes in the actual manufacturing process.

[0005]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of earnest research, the present inventors have put a powder detergent into a container having an open mouth, and impregnating a 25-48% aqueous solution of caustic alkali from the surface of the powder detergent, By a simple method of hydrating and solidifying the surface layer of the powder cleaning agent, the solubility is good and the change in the cleaning agent concentration in the cleaning solution due to the continuous operation of the cleaning machine can be quickly followed, and the composition inside the cartridge cleaning agent is also high. The present invention has been completed by finding that a cartridge cleaning agent with little change can be obtained.

That is, according to the present invention, 40% by weight of a hydratable compound containing an alkali metal hydroxide is placed in a container having an opening.
The powdery or granular detergent composition containing the above is stored, and then the powdery or granular detergent composition is impregnated with a 25 to 48 wt% aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide to form a surface layer of the powdery or granular detergent composition with water. The present invention provides a method for producing a cartridge cleaning agent for an automatic cleaning machine, which is characterized by being solidified.

The powder detergent composition used in the method for producing a cartridge cleaner for an automatic cleaner of the present invention contains a hydratable compound in an amount of 40% by weight or more, preferably 70% by weight or more.
Examples of hydratable compounds include alkali metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide; silicates such as sodium orthosilicate, sodium metasilicate; phosphates such as sodium orthophosphate or potassium orthophosphate, and pyrophosphate. Alkaline condensed phosphates such as sodium, potassium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium hexametaphosphate; carbonates such as sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate; borate salts such as sodium borate; zeolite, mirabilite, polyacrylic acid Sodium, carboxymethyl cellulose and the like are included. A combination of two hydratable compounds, such as sodium hydroxide and sodium tripolyphosphate, is especially useful. The powder detergent composition according to the present invention preferably contains 35% by weight or more of sodium hydroxide. Further, the powder detergent composition according to the present invention includes the above-mentioned phosphates, zeolites, layered silicates, polyacrylic acid salts, polymaleic acid salts, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid salts, nitrilotriacetic acid salts, gluconate salts, citrate salts and the like. 30 chelating agents
It is desirable to blend in an amount of not less than wt%. Furthermore, a surfactant and the like may be added to the powder detergent composition.

[0008] A powdery detergent composition as described above is filled in a container having an opening, and then 25 parts of alkali metal hydroxide is added.
A powdery detergent composition is impregnated with an aqueous solution of 48 wt% to hydrate and solidify the surface layer of the detergent composition. At this time, with an alkali metal hydroxide aqueous solution having a concentration of less than 25% by weight, heat is generated when impregnated, and at a concentration of more than 48% by weight, there are problems such as difficulty in handling and impregnation. Further, in order to impregnate as uniformly as possible to obtain a uniform composition, it is necessary to use not as a slurry but as a completely dissolved aqueous solution.

In the cartridge cleaning agent of the present invention, after the powdery granular cleaning composition 12 is housed in the container 13 of FIG. 1, an aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide is poured so as to cover the entire powder granular cleaning composition, The aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide permeates the powdery granular detergent composition, and the surface layer solidifies as water and the detergent composition components form a hydrate. As a result, a hydrated and solidified layer 11 is formed on the surface layer of the powder detergent composition, and the open surface is sealed. The thus obtained cartridge cleaning agent has a composition similar to that of the powdery or granular cleaning agent formed on the surface, so that there is little change in composition, and the powdery or granular cleaning agent is loosely bonded to make it softer. It seems that it becomes a form that forms a surface solidified layer,
Solubility has no problem in actual use.

The amount of the alkali metal hydroxide aqueous solution used in the present invention varies depending on the area of the opening 10 and the filling amount of the granular cleaning agent composition 12, and the filling amount of the granular cleaning agent composition is 2
If the area of the opening is 50 to 500 cm ^{2 and} the amount of the alkali metal hydroxide aqueous solution is 100 to 500 g, preferably 200 to 500
g is good. If the amount of the alkali metal hydroxide aqueous solution is too small, it may be destroyed by the weight of the filled detergent composition when inverted. Further, if the amount of the alkali metal hydroxide aqueous solution is too large, it takes too much time until the powdery granular detergent composition is hydrated and solidified, which causes a problem in production.

Hereinafter, the cartridge for an automatic washing machine manufactured according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a structural example of a cartridge cleaning agent for an automatic cleaning machine according to the present invention. The powdery granular detergent composition 12 is housed in a container 13 having an opening 10, and the opening 10 is sealed by a surface layer 11 which is hydrated and solidified by reacting the aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution and the powder detergent composition. .. Usually, it is stored and stored in a capped state. At the time of use, the cartridge cleaning agent 14 is turned upside down and is set in the dissolving and supplying apparatus 21 as shown in FIG. Since the surface layer of the detergent composition 12 in the container is hydrated and solidified, the powdery granular detergent composition 12 does not spill even if it is inverted when set. When hot water is sprayed from the water spray nozzle 23,
The hydrated and solidified detergent of the surface layer 11 is dissolved, and then the powdery granular detergent composition 12 is dissolved to form a conduit 24 as a cleaning liquid.
Supplied from The surface layer 11 that is hydrated and solidified by the water temperature and water pressure of this first hot water (water) injection dissolves to form a continuous film of a semi-solid content of the powdery granular detergent composition from the paste on the screen 22, and thereafter, No powder will fall directly into the conduit 24.

[0013]

The method for producing a cartridge cleaning agent of the present invention does not generate heat during production and is excellent in safety, and further simplifies the production process. The cartridge cleaning agent produced by the present invention uses a powdery granular detergent component, and can employ the instantaneous dissolution method, so that the required amount can be dissolved and supplied in a short time at low temperature and low water pressure. If necessary, an organic surfactant can also be added.
Therefore, the cleaning power can be enhanced. The cartridge cleaning agent produced according to the present invention is sanitary without spilling of the powdery granular cleaning agent composition component when mounted on a cleaning machine,
Since uniform dissolution can be achieved, the washing machine conduit is not clogged.

[0014]

【Example】

Example 1 Powdered sodium hydroxide 45% by weight Powdered sodium tripolyphosphate 55% by weight A powdery granular detergent composition having the above composition was used, and the diameter was 15 cm and the height was 15 cm.
In a cylindrical polyethylene container of 3800 g, and 200 g of a caustic soda aqueous solution (48%) was poured into the upper part of the container to impregnate the detergent composition to solidify the powdery granular detergent composition to have a thickness of 2 to 8 cm. A hydrated solidified layer was formed, the open surface was sealed, and a cartridge cleaning agent was prepared. This cartridge cleaning agent was used to actually continuously wash dishes using a commercially available automatic dishwasher for commercial use (Sanyo Toki Co., Ltd. DW-230 (L)). Further, hot water of 60 ° C. was jetted from the hot water jet nozzle. This cartridge cleaning agent quickly supplies the required amount of cleaning agent composition to the cleaning machine by hot water injection by the signal from the cleaning agent concentration sensor, shows good followability, and the injection signal from the sensor is almost constant. It stopped in a short time. Further, the cleaning agent in the container was completely dissolved and eluted.

Example 2 Powdered sodium hydroxide 40% by weight Powdered sodium metasilicate 5% by weight Powdered sodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate 20% by weight Powdered sodium nitrilotriacetate 15% by weight Glauber's salt 20% by weight Powdered and granular detergent composition having the above composition , Diameter 15 cm, height 15 cm
3800 g of a cylindrical polyethylene container is filled with 200 g of caustic soda aqueous solution (48%) and then impregnated into the detergent composition to solidify the granular detergent composition to form a hydrated solidified layer. Then, the release surface was sealed, and a cartridge cleaning agent was prepared in the same manner as in Example 1. With this cartridge cleaning agent, the required amount of cleaning agent is quickly supplied to the washing machine by hot water injection from the signal from the cleaning agent concentration sensor, and it shows good followability, and the injection signal from the sensor is almost constant for a short time. Stopped at. The cleaning agent in the container was completely dissolved and eluted.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a cleaning agent cartridge cleaning agent manufactured according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an example of a usage state of the cleaning agent cartridge cleaner produced according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Container opening 11 ... Hydrated and solidified surface layer 12 ... Granular detergent composition 13 ... Container 14 ... Cartridge detergent 21 ... Instant dissolution supply device 22 ... Screen 23 ... Water spray nozzle 24 ... Conduit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A powdery granular cleaning composition containing 40% by weight or more of a hydratable compound containing an alkali metal hydroxide in a container having an open port, and then the powdery granular cleaning composition, A method for producing a cartridge cleaning agent for an automatic cleaning machine, comprising impregnating a 25-48% by weight aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide to hydrate and solidify a surface layer of the powdery granular cleaning agent composition.