MXPA00000141A - Non-aqueous, particulate-containing detergent compositions containing bleach - Google Patents

Abstract

A non-aqueous liquid detergent composition comprising a bleaching agent and/or bleach precursor characterized in that said non-aqueous liquid detergent comprises less than 1%of free water.

Description

DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS CONTAINING PARTICLES, NOT AQUEOUS. WHICH CONTAINS WHITENER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to non-aqueous laundry detergent products which are in the form of a liquid and which are in the form of stable dispersions of particulate material, such as bleaching agents and bleach precursor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Detergent products in liquid form are commonly considered more convenient to use than detergent products in dry or particulate powder. Therefore, said detergents have found a substantial acceptance of the consumers. Such detergent products can be easily measured, they dissolve quickly in the wash water, they are capable of being easily applied in concentrated solutions or dispersions to soiled areas on garments that will be washed and do not form dust. They also normally occupy less storage space than granulated products. In addition, said detergents may have incorporated in their formulations materials that could not support drying operations without deterioration, operations that are commonly used in the manufacture of detergent products in particles or granulates. Although said detergents have several advantages over granular detergent products, they also inherently possess several disadvantages. In particular, the components of the detergent composition which may be compatible with one another in granulated products may tend to interact or react with one another. In this way, components such as enzymes, surfactants, perfumes, brighteners, solvents and especially bleach and bleach activators can be especially difficult to incorporate in liquid detergent products that then have a degree of acceptable chemical stability. One approach to improving the chemical compatibility of detergent composition components in detergent products has been to formulate non-aqueous (or anhydrous) detergent compositions. In said In the case of non-aqueous products, at least some of the normally solid detergent composition components tend to remain insoluble in the liquid product and are therefore less reactive with each other than if they had been dissolved in the liquid matrix. Non-aqueous liquid detergent compositions, including those containing reactive materials such as peroxygen bleaching agents have been described, for example, in Hepworth et al., U.S. Pat. 4,615,820, issued October 17, 1986; Schultz et al., Patent of E.U.A. 4,929,380, issued May 29, 1990; Schultz and others, patent of &&£ £ t E.U.A. do not. 5,008,031, issued April 16, 1991; Eider et al., EP-A-030,096, published June 10, 1981; Hall et al., WO 92/09678, published June 11, 1992 and Sanderson et al., EP-A-565,017, published October 13, 1993. A particular problem that has been observed with the incorporation of bleaching agents and / or bleach precursors in non-aqueous detergents, includes the chemical stability of the bleach precursor. Bleaching agents and bleaching precursors must remain chemically stable in the concentrate, while reacting rapidly with each other in the dilution of the wash liquor. EP 339 995 discloses a non-aqueous liquid detergent composition comprising a persal bleach and a bleach precursor, the composition containing a blocked alkoxylated nonionic surfactant. The document 540 090 proposes to use a bleach precursor that is relatively insoluble in the non-aqueous liquid phase of the liquid detergent composition. Given the above, there is clearly a continuing need to identify and provide detergent compositions containing bleach precursor, non-aqueous, in the form of liquid products that have a high degree of chemical stability in concentrate along with an efficient bleaching performance in the wash solution. In consecuenseIt is an object of the present invention to provide a non-aqueous detergent composition wherein the bleach precursors have improved chemical stability in the concentrate, while at the same time still effective as bleach species in the wash liquor. In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a liquid non-aqueous detergent composition which is in liquid form, which contains a bleaching agent and / or a bleach precursor characterized in that the free water content of said liquid non-aqueous detergent composition is less than 1%, more preferably less than 0.7%.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a strong, non-aqueous, liquid working detergent composition, said composition comprising a bleaching agent and a bleach precursor characterized in that the free water content of said liquid non-aqueous detergent composition is less than 1%.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The liquid detergent compositions containing particles of this invention are substantially non-aqueous (or anhydrous) in character. In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that improved chemical stability is obtained in the bleach activator in case the free water content of non-aqueous liquid detergent is below 1% by weight in the liquid part of the composition. Free water as used herein means the water remaining in the liquid phase after separation of the solids by means of centrifugation or filtration techniques. The amount of free water can be measured, for example, by Kan-Fischer titration of the clear liquid after centrifugation of the solid material Total water content as used herein means the total amount of free water and bound water The total amount of water can also be measured by Karl Fischer titration, if necessary after the extraction of anhydrous methanol, without wishing to be limited by theory, it is believed that free water is available to dissolve compounds such as activators of bleaching or to release hydrogen peroxide from the bleaching source, thereby chemically destabilizing the bleach precursor and / or the bleaching agent.

Bleach source An essential component of the invention is a bleach precursor and / or a bleaching agent. Suitable bleach precursors for inclusion in the composition according to the invention typically contain one or more N- or O-acyl groups, precursors that can be selected from a wide range of classes. Suitable classes include anhydrides, esters, imides, nitriles and acylated derivatives of imidazoles and oximes, and examples of useful materials within these classes are described in GB-A-1586789. Suitable esters are described in GB-A-836988, 864798, 147871, 2143231 and EP-A-0170386. The acylation products of sorbitol, glucose and all saccharides with benzoylating agents and acetylating agents are also suitable. Specific O-acylated precursor compounds include 3,5,5-tri-methylhexanoyloxybenzenesulfonates, benzoyloxybenzenesulfonates, cationic derivatives of the benzoyloxybenzenesulfonates, nonanoyl-6-aminocaproyloxybenzene sulfonates, monobenzoyltetraacetylglucose and pentaacetylglucose. Phthalic anhydride is a suitable anhydride-type precursor. Suitable and useful N-acyl compounds are described in GB-A-855735, 907356 and GB-A-1246338. Preferred imide-type precursor compounds include N-benzoylsuccinimide, tetrabenzoylethylenediamine, N-benzoyl-substituted ureas and the N, N-N'N'-tetraacetylated alkylenediamines in which the alkylene group contains 1 to 6 carbon atoms, particularly the compounds in which the alkylene group contains 1, 2 and 6 carbon atoms. A most preferred precursor compound is N, N-N ', N'-tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED). The N-acylated precursor compounds of the lactam class are generally described in GB-A-955735. Although the broader aspect of the invention contemplates the use of any lactam useful as a peroxyacid precursor, the preferred materials comprise the caprolactams and valerolactams. Suitable caprolactam bleach precursors have the formula: wherein R1 is H or an alkyl, aryl, alkoxyaryl or alkaryl group containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, preferably from 6 to 12 carbon atoms. Suitable valerolactams have the formula: wherein R1 is H or an alkyl, aryl, alkoxyaryl or alkaryl group containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, preferably from 6 to 12 carbon atoms.

**, »In highly preferred embodiments, R1 is selected from phenyl, heptyl, octyl, nonyl, 2,4,4-trimethylpentyl, decenyl and mixtures thereof. Other suitable materials are those which are normally solid at < 30 ° C, particularly the phenyl derivatives, ie, benzoylvalerolactam, benzoylcaprolactam and its substituted benzoyl analogs such as chloro, amino, nitro, alkyl, alkyl, aryl and alkyloxy derivatives. The caprolactam and valerolactam precursor materials in which the R1 portion contains at least 6, preferably from 6 to around 12 carbon atoms, provide peroxyacids in hydrophobic perhydrolysis which produce a nucleophilic cleansing and dirtiness of the body. The precursor compounds in which R1 comprises 1 to 6 carbon atoms provide hydrophilic bleaching species which are particularly efficient for bleaching beverage soils. Mixtures of "hydrophobic" and "hydrophilic" caprolactams and valerolactams, typically at weight ratios of 1.5 to 5: 1, preferably 1: 1, can be used herein for the mixed stain removal benefits. Another class of bleach precursor materials that is preferred includes cationic bleach activators, derivatives of the valerolactam and acylcaprolactam compounds of the formula: ^ Hg ^ «Hgm ^ j 2_ £ ___ gjÉ feag wherein x is 0 or 1, the substituents R, R 'and R "are each C1-C10 alkyl or C2-C4 hydroxyalkyl groups, or [(CyH2y) 0] nR"', wherein y = 2- 4, n = 1-20 and R '"is a C1-C4 alkyl group or hydrogen, and X is an anion.The suitable imidazoles include N-benzoyl-imidazole and N-benzoylbenzimidazole, and other peroxyacid precursors containing group Useful N-acyl include N-benzoylpyrrolidone, dibenzoyltaurine and benzoylpyrglutamic acid Another preferred class of bleach activator compounds are the amide substituted compounds of the following general formulas: R1N (R5) C (0) R2C (0) L or R1C (0) N (R5) R2C (0) L wherein R1 is an alkyl, alkylene, aryl or alkaryl group with from about 1 to about 14 carbon atoms, R2 is an alkylene, arylene and alkarylene group containing from about 1 to 14 carbon atoms and R5 is H or an alkyl, aryl or alkaryl group containing 1 to 10 carbon atoms and L may be essentially any leaving group. R1 preferably contains about 6 to about 12 carbon atoms. R2 preferably contains from about 4 to about 8 carbon atoms. R 1 may be straight or branched chain alkyl, substituted aryl or alkylaryl containing branching, substitution or both, and may be obtained either from synthetic sources or from natural sources, including for example, tallow grease. Analogous structural variations for R2 are permissible. The substitution may include alkyl, aryl, halogen, nitrogen, sulfur and other substituent groups or typical organic compounds. R5 is preferably H or methyl. R1 and R5 preferably should not contain more than 18 carbon atoms in total. Examples of bleach precursors of the above formulas that are preferred include the amide substituted peroxyacid precursor compounds selected from (6-octanamido-caproyl) oxybenzenesulfonate, (6-nonanamidocaproyl) oxybenzenesulfonate, (6-decanamido-caproyl) oxybenzenesulfonate, and mixtures thereof as described in EP-A-0170386. Also suitable are benzoxazine-type precursor compounds, such as those described for example in EP-A-332,294 and EP-A-482,807, particularly those having the formula: including the substituted benzoxazines type stó? "ití? íS? ¿_ wherein Ri is H, alkyl, alkaryl, aryl, arylalkyl, secondary or tertiary amines, and wherein R 2, R 3, R 4 and R 5 can be the same or different substituents selected from H, halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, hydroxyl, alkoxy, amino, alkyl, amino, COORT (wherein R is H or an alkyl group) 0 and carbonyl functions. A benzoxazine-like precursor which is especially preferred is: These bleach precursors can be partially replaced by preformed peracids such as acid N, N- ftaloilaminoperoxídico (PAP), nonylamide of peroxyadipic acid (NAPAA) acid, 1, 2-diperoxydodecanoic (DPDA) and trimethyl ammonium propenilimidoperoximelítico acid 0 (TAPIMA). Among the bleach precursors described above that are most preferred are the amide substituted bleach precursor compounds. Most preferably, bleach precursors They are precursor compounds selected amide substituted bleach (6-octanamido-caproyl) oxybenzene sulphonate, (6-nonamidocaproyl) oxybenzene sulphonate, (6-decanamidocaproyl) oxybenzene sulphonate and mixtures thereof. The bleach precursor can be found in any particulate form suitable for incorporation into a detergent composition, such as an agglomerate, granule, extrudate or spheronized extrudate. Preferably, the bleaching precursor is in the form of a spheronized extrudate. The preferred bleaching agents are the solid sources of hydrogen peroxide. Preferred sources of hydrogen peroxide include prehydrated bleaches. The perhydrate is typically a perhydrated inorganic bleach, usually in the form of the sodium salt, as the source of alkaline hydrogen peroxide in the wash liquor. This perhydrate is usually incorporated at a level of from 0.1% to 60%, preferably from 3% to 40% by weight, most preferably from 5% to 35% by weight and more preferably from 8% to 30% by weight of the composition. The perhydrate may be any inorganic alkali metal salt such as monohydrated perborate or tetrahydrate, percabonate, perfosphate and persilicate salts, but is conventionally an alkali metal perborate or percarbonate. e ^ e as ^ ása &s The sodium percarbonate is an addition compound having a formula corresponding to 2Na2CO3.3H202, and is commercially available as a crystalline solid. The commercially available material includes a low level of heavy metal sequestrant such as EDTA, 1-hydroxyethylidene I-acid 1, 1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) or an amino-phosphonate, that is incorporated during the manufacturing process. For the purposes of the detergent composition aspect of the present invention, the percarbonate may be incorporated into the detergent compositions without additional protection, but preferred embodiments of said compositions utilize a coated form of the material. Can use a variety of coatings, including borate, boric acid and citrate or sodium silicate with a Si02 ratio: Na20 about 1.6: 1 to 3.4: 1, preferably 2.8: 1, applied as an aqueous solution to give a level from 2% to 10%, (usually from 3% to 5%) of silicate solids by weight of the percarbonate. However, the most preferred coating is a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium sulfate or chloride. The particle size scale of crystalline percarbonate is from 350 microns to 1500 microns, with an average of around 500-1000 microns. Surprisingly it has been found that bleach precursors have improved chemical stability in the concentrate (the non-aqueous liquid detergent), while at the same time are effective as bleaching species in the wash solution when present in liquid detergent compositions not aqueous products that have a water content of less than 1%. The non-aqueous detergent compositions of this invention may further comprise a surfactant and a liquid phase containing solvent of low polarity and having dispersed therein the bleach precursor composition. The components of the liquid and solid phases of the detergent compositions herein, as well as the form, preparation and use of the composition are described in greater detail as follows: All concentrations and ratios are on a weight basis, a unless otherwise indicated.

Surfactant The amount of the surfactant mixture component of the non-aqueous liquid detergent compositions herein may vary depending on the nature and amount of the other components of the composition and depending on the desired rheological properties of the finally formed composition. In general, this surfactant mixture will be used in an amount comprising from about 10% to 90% by weight of the composition. Most preferably, the surfactant mixture will comprise about 15% to 50% by weight of the composition.

A typical list of anionic, nonionic, ampholytic and zwitterionic surfactants, and species of these surfactants, is given in the U.S. patent. 3,664,961 issued to Norris on May 23, 1972. The highly preferred anionic surfactants are linear alkylbenzenesulfonate (LAS) materials. Said surfactants and their preparation are described, for example, in U.S. Patents. 2,220,099 and 2,477,383 incorporated herein by reference. Linear straight sodium and potassium alkylbenzene sulfonates in which the average number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group is from 11 to about 14 are particularly preferred. C11-C14 sodium LAS, for example, LAS, are preferred. C12 Preferred anionic surfactants include the alkyl sulfate surfactants which are salts or water-soluble acids of the formula ROSO 3M, wherein R is preferably a C 1 or C 2 hydrocarbyl, preferably an alkyl or hydroxyalkyl having one component C.sub.1 -C.sub.18 alkyl, most preferably an alkyl or hydroxyalkyl of C.sub.2 -C.sub. 5 5 > and M is H or a cation, for example, an alkali metal cation (sodium, potassium, lithium) or ammonium or substituted ammonium cations (quaternary ammonium cations such as tetramethylammonium cations and dimethylpiperidinium). Highly preferred anionic surfactants include the ethoxylated alkyl sulfate surfactants which are salts or water soluble acids of the formula RO (A) mS03M wherein R is an unsubstituted C10-C24 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl group having an alkyl component of C10-C24, preferably an alkyl or hydroxyalkyl of C-12-C18, most preferably C12-C15 alkyl or hydroxyalkyl, A is an ethoxy or propoxy unit, m is greater than zero, typically between about 0.5 and about 6, most preferably between about 0.5 and about 3, and M is H or a cation which may be, for example, a metal cation (eg, sodium, potassium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, etc.), ammonium cation or substituted ammonium. Ethoxylated alkyl sulfates as well as propoxylated alkyl sulphates are contemplated herein. Specific examples of substituted ammonium cations include quaternary ammonium cations such as tetramethylammonium cations and dimethylpiperidinium. Exemplary surfactants are polyethoxylated alkyl sulfate (1.0) of C12-C-? 5 (C? 2-d5E (1.0) M) polyethoxylated alkyl sulfate (2.25) of C? 2-Ci5 (d2-C? 5E (2.25) M) , polyethoxylated alkyl sulfate (3.0) of C12-C15 (Ci2-C15E (3.0) M) and polyethoxylated alkyl sulfate (4.0) of C12-C15 (Ci2-C15E (4.0) M), wherein M is conveniently selected from sodium and potassium. Other suitable anionic surfactants to be used are alkyl ether sulphonate surfactants which include linear esters of C8-C20 carboxylic acids (ie, fatty acids) which are sulfonated with gaseous SO3 according to "The Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society ", 52 (1975), pp. 323-329. Suitable starting materials may include natural fatty substances such as those derived from tallow, palm oil, etc. _-A_A_-tt ^. The alkyl ether sulfonate surfactant which is preferred, especially for washing applications, comprises the alkyl ether sulphonate surfactants of the structural formula: R3- CH-C-OR4 S03M wherein R is a C8-C20 hydrocarbyl, preferably an alkyl, or combination thereof, R4 is a d-C6 hydrocarbyl, preferably an alkyl or combination thereof, and M is a cation forming a water-soluble salt with the alkyl ether sulfonate. Suitable salt-forming cations include metals such as sodium, potassium and lithium and ammonium and substituted ammonium cations. Preferably, R3 is C10-C16 alkyl and R4 is methyl, ethyl or isopropyl. Methyl ester sulfonates in which R3 is C10-C16 alkyl are especially preferred. Other anionic surfactants useful for detersive purposes may also be included in the laundry detergent compositions of the present invention. These may include salts (including, for example, sodium, potassium, ammonium, and substituted ammonium salts such as mono-, di- and triethanolamine salts) of soap, C9-C20 linear alkylbenzene sulphonates. C8-C22 primary or secondary alkanesulfonates, C8-C24 olefinsulfonates, sulfonated polycarboxylic acids prepared by the sublimation of the pyrolyzed product of alkaline earth metal citrates, for example, as described in the specification of British Patent No. 1, 082,179 , C8-C24 alkyl polyglycol ether sulphates (containing up to 10 moles of ethylene oxide); alkyl glycerol sulfonates, fatty acyl glycerol sulfonates, fatty oleyl glycerol sulfates, alkyl phenol atylene oxide ether sulfates, paraffin sulphonates, alkyl phosphates, isethionates such as acyl isethionates, N-acyltaurates, alkylsuccinamates and sulfosuccinates, monoesters of sulfosuccinates (especially saturated and unsaturated C-12-C18 monoesters) ) and diesters of sulfosuccinates (especially saturated and unsaturated C6-C? 2 diesters), alkylpolysaccharide sulfates such as alkyl polyglycoside sulfates (the non-sulphonated nonionic compounds being described below) and alkylpolyethoxycarboxylates such as those of the formula RO (CH2CH2? ) k-CH2COO-M +, wherein R is a C8-C22 alkyl, k is an integer from 1 to 10 and M is a soluble salt-forming cation. The rosin acids and hydrogenated rosin acids are also suitable, such as rosin, hydrogenated rosin and rosin acids and hydrogenated rosin acids present in or derived from tallow oil. Additional examples are described in "Surface Active Agents and Detergents" (Vol. I and II by Schwartz, Perry and Berch). A variety of such surfactants are also generally described in the US patent. 3,929,678, issued December 30, 1975 to Laughlin et al., Column 23, line 58 to column 29, line 23 (incorporated herein by reference).

When included therein, the detergent compositions of the present invention typically comprise from about 1% to about 40%, preferably from about 5% to about 25% by weight of said anionic surfactants. One class of nonionic surfactants useful in the present invention are condensates of ethylene oxide with a hydrophobic portion to provide a surfactant having an average hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) in the range of 8 to 17, preferably 9.5. to 14, most preferably 12 to 14. The hydrophobic (lipophilic) portion can be aliphatic or aromatic in nature, and the length of the polyoxyethylene group that condenses with any particular hydrophobic group can be easily adjusted to produce a water-soluble compound that have the desired degree of balance between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic elements. Especially preferred nonionic surfactants of this type are ethoxylates of Cg-C15 primary alcohol containing 3-12 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, particularly the primary alcohols of C-12-C15 containing 5-8 moles. moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol. Another class of nonionic surfactants comprises the alkylpolyglucoside compounds of the general formula RO (CnH2nO), Zx. wherein Z is a portion derived from glucose; R is a saturated hydrophobic alkyl containing from 12 to 18 carbon atoms; t is from 0 to 10 and n is 2 or 3; X is from 1.3 to 4, the compounds include less than 10% of the unreacted fatty alcohol and less than 50% of short chain alkyl polyglycosides. Compounds of this type and their use in detergents are described in EP-B 0 070 077, 0 075 996 and 0 094 118. Also suitable as nonionic surfactants are the polyhydroxy fatty acid amine surfactants of the formula: wherein R1 is H, or R1 is C-, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-hydroxypropyl hydrocarbyl or a mixture thereof, R2 is C5-31 hydrocarbyl, and Z is a polyhydroxyhydrocarbyl having a linear hydrocarbyl chain with minus 3 hydroxyls directly connected to the chain, or an alkoxylated derivative thereof. Preferably, R1 is methyl, R2 is a straight Cn-15 alkyl or alkenyl chain such as coconut alkyl or mixtures thereof, and Z is derived from a reducing sugar such as glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose in a reaction of reductive amination.

NON-AQUEOUS LIQUID DILUENT To form the liquid phase of the detergent compositions, the surfactant (mixture) described hereinabove may It is combined with a non-aqueous liquid diluent such as a liquid alcohol alkoxylated material or a non-aqueous organic solvent of low polarity.

Alkoxylated Alcohol A component of the liquid diluent suitable for forming the compositions herein comprises an alkoxylated alcohol material. Said materials are in turn also nonionic surfactants. These materials correspond to the general formula: R1 (CmH2mO) nOH wherein R1 is an alkyl group of Cs-dβ, m is from 2 to 4, and n varies from about 2 to 12. Preferably, R1 is an alkyl group, which may be primary or secondary, containing about 9. to 15 carbon atoms, most preferably about 10 to 14 carbon atoms. Preferably, also the alkoxylated fatty alcohols will be ethoxylated materials containing about 2 to 12 portions of ethylene oxide per molecule, most preferably about 3 to 10 portions of ethylene oxide per molecule. The alkoxylated fatty alcohol component of the liquid diluent will often have a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) ranging from about 3 to 17. Most preferably, the HLB of this material will vary from about 6 to 15, more preferably about 8 to fifteen.

Examples of alkoxylated fatty alcohols useful as one of the essential components of non-aqueous liquid diluent in the compositions herein will include those which are made from alcohols of 12 to 15 carbon atoms containing about 7 moles of ethylene oxide. 5 These materials have been marketed under the tradenames Neodol 25-7 and Neodol 23-6.5 by Shell Chemical Company. Other useful Neodoles include Neodol 1-5, an ethoxylated fatty alcohol having an average of 11 carbon atoms in its alkyl chain with about 5 moles of ethylene oxide; Neodol 23-9, a primary ethoxylated Ci2-C? 3 alcohol that has about 9 moles of ethylene oxide and Neodol 91-10, an ethoxylated C9-Cn primary alcohol having about 10 moles of ethylene oxide. Ethoxylated alcohols of this type have also been marketed by Shell Chemical Company under the tradename Dobanol. Dobanol 91-5 is a fatty alcohol of Cg-C-n ethoxylated with a average of 5 moles of ethylene oxide and Dobanol 25-7 is an ethoxylated C 12 -C 15 fatty alcohol with an average of 7 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of fatty alcohol. Other examples of suitable ethoxylated alcohols include Tergitol 15-S-7 and Tergitol 15-S-9 both of which are alcohols ethoxylated linear secondary products that have been marketed by Union Carbide Corporation. The first is a mixed ethoxylation product of linear Cn-C-15 secondary alkanol with 7 moles of ethylene oxide and the latter is a similar product but with 9 moles of ethylene oxide being reacted. moreover ... __ ". & -i ^ S &? SSMSSI:., Other types of ethoxylated alcohols useful in the present compositions are the higher molecular weight nonionic alcohols, such as Neodol 45-11, which are similar condensation products of ethylene oxide of higher fatty alcohols, with alcohol being higher density of 14-15 carbon atoms and the number of ethylene oxide groups per mole being around 11. Said products have also been marketed by Shell Chemical Company. The alkoxylated alcohol component when used as part of the liquid diluent in the non-aqueous compositions herein will generally be present to the extent of from about 1% to 60% by weight of the composition. Preferably, the alkoxylated alcohol component will comprise about 5% to 40% by weight of the compositions herein. More preferably, the alkoxylated alcohol component will comprise from about 10% to 25% the weight of the detergent compositions herein. Low-polarity non-aqueous organic solvent Another component of the liquid diluent that can be part of the detergent compositions herein comprises non-aqueous, low polarity organic solvents. The term "solvent" is used herein to denote the non-surfactant vehicle or diluent portion of the liquid phase of the composition. Although one of the essential and / or optional components of the compositions herein can actually be dissolved in the "solvent" containing phase, other components will be present as dispersed particulate material in the "solvent" containing phase. In this way, the term "solvent" is not designed to require that the solvent material be capable of actually dissolving all of the detergent composition components added thereto. The non-aqueous organic materials that are used as solvents herein are those that are low polarity liquids. For the purposes of this invention, "low polarity" liquids are those that have very little, if any, tendency to dissolve one of the preferred types of particulate material used in the compositions herein, i.e., the agents Peroxygenated bleach, sodium perborate or sodium percabonate. In this way, relatively polar solvents such as ethanol should not be used. Suitable types of low polarity solvents useful in the non-aqueous liquid detergent compositions herein include lower alkylene glycol monoalkyl ethers, lower molecular weight polyethylene glycols, lower molecular weight methyl esters and amides, and the like. One type of non-aqueous solvent of low polarity which is preferred for use herein comprises the C2-C6 monoalkyl ethers of C2-C3 mono-, di-, tri- or tetraalkylene. Specific examples of such compounds include diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, tetraethylene glycol monobutyl ether, dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether and dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether. Diethylene glycol monobutyl ether is especially preferred fü £? * L and dipropylene glycol monobutyl ether. Compounds of this type have been marketed under the trade names Dowanol, Carbitol and Cellosolve. Another preferred type of non-aqueous low polarity organic solvent useful herein comprises the lower molecular weight polyethylene glycols (PEGs). Said materials are those having molecular weights of at least about 150. PEGs of molecular weight varying from about 200 to 600 are more preferred. Another type of non-aqueous and non-polar solvent that is also preferred comprises the methyl esters of lower molecular weight. Said materials are those having the general formula: R1-C (0) -OCH3, wherein R1 ranges from 1 to about 18. Examples of suitable lower molecular weight methyl esters include methyl acetate, methyl propionate, methyl octanoate and methyl dodecanoate. The non-aqueous low polarity organic solvents employed must, of course, be compatible and non-reactive with other components of the composition, for example, bleach and / or activators, used in the liquid detergent compositions herein. Said solvent component will generally be used in an amount of from about 1% to 60% by weight of the composition. Most preferably, the non-aqueous, low polarity organic solvent will comprise about 5% to 40% by weight of the composition, more preferably about 10% to 25% by weight of the composition.

Concentration of the liquid diluent As with the concentration of the surfactant mixture, the amount of the total liquid diluent in the compositions herein will be determined by the type and amounts of the other components of the composition, and by the desired properties of the composition. . Generally, the liquid diluent will comprise about 20% to 95% by weight of the compositions herein. Most preferably, the liquid diluent will comprise about 50% to 70% by weight of the composition.

SOLID PHASE The non-aqueous detergent compositions herein may further comprise a solid phase of particulate material which is dispersed and suspended in the liquid phase. In general, said particulate material will vary in size from about 0.1 to 1500 microns. Most preferably, said material will vary in size from about 5 to 500 microns. The particulate material used herein may comprise one or more types of detergent composition components that are substantially insoluin the non-aqueous liquid phase of the composition. The types of particulate materials that can be used are described in detail as follows: Surfactants Another type of particulate material that can be suspended in the non-aqueous liquid detergent compositions herein includes anionic surfactants which are completely or partially insoluin the non-aqueous liquid phase. The most common type of anionic surfactant with said solubility properties comprises primary or secondary alkyl sulfate anionic surfactants. Said surfactants are those produced by sulfation of higher Cβ-C2o fatty alcohols. The conventional primary alkyl sulfate surfactants have the general formula: ROS03-M + wherein R is typically a linear C8-C20 hydrocarbyl group, which may be straight or branched chain, and M is a water-solucation. Preferably, R is a C10-C14 alkyl, and M is alkali metal. Most preferably, R is approximately C 2 and M is sodium. The conventional secondary alkyl sulfates can also be used as the essential anionic surfactant component of the solid phase of the compositions herein. Conventional secondary alkyl sulfate surfactants are those materials that have the sulfate portion distributed randomly along the hydrocarbyl "base structure" of the molecule. These materials can be illustrated by the structure: CH3 (CH2) n (CHOSO3 M +) (CH2) mCH3 wherein m and n are integers of 2 or more and the sum of m + n is typically from about 9 to 15, and M is a cation solubilizing in water. If used as all or part of the necessary particulate material, auxiliary anionic surfactants such as alkyl sulphates will generally comprise about 1% to 10% by weight of the composition, most preferably about 1% to 5% by weight of the composition . The alkyl sulfate used as all or part of the particulate material is prepared and added to the compositions herein separately from the non-alkoxylated alkylsulphate material which can be part of the alkyl ether sulfate surfactant component used essentially as part of the liquid phase of the present.

Organic detergent metering material Another possitype of particulate material that can be suspended in the non-aqueous liquid detergent compositions herein comprises an organic builder that counteracts the effects of calcium, or other ion, and the hardness of the water found during the washing / ching use of the compositions herein. Examples of such materials include the alkali metals, citrates, succinates, malonates, fatty acids, carboxymethyl succinates, carboxylates, polycarboxylates and polyacetyl carboxylates. Specific examples include sodium salts, potassium and lithium oxydisuccinic acid, melific acid, benzenepolycarboxylic acids and citric acid. Other examples of organic phosphonate sequestering agents are those that have been sold by Monsanto under the trade name Deqiiest and alkanehydroxyphosphonates. Citrate salts are much preferred. Other suitable organic builders include the higher molecular weight polymers and copolymers known to have builder properties. For example, such materials include polyacrylic acid, polymaleic acid and suitable polyacrylic / polymaleic acid copolymers and their salts, such as those sold by BASF under the trademark Sokalan. Another suitable type of organic builder comprises the water soluble salts of higher fatty acids, ie, "soaps". These include alkali metal soaps such as the sodium, potassium, ammonium and alkylolammonium salts of higher fatty acids containing from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms, and preferably about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms. Soaps can be made by direct saponification of fats and oils, or by neutralization of free fatty acids. Particularly useful are the sodium and potassium salts of the fatty acid mixtures derived from coconut oil and tallow, that is, sodium or potassium tallow and coconut soap.

If they are used as all or part of the necessary particulate material, the insoluble organic builders may generally comprise about 1% to 20% by weight of the compositions herein. Most preferably, said builder material may comprise about 4% to 10% by weight of the composition.

Inorganic Sources of Alkalinity Another possible type of particulate material that can be suspended in the non-aqueous liquid detergent compositions herein may comprise a material that serves to make the aqueous wash solutions formed from said compositions generally of an alkaline nature. Said materials may or may not also act as builders, that is, as materials that counteract the adverse effect of water hardness on the detergency performance. Examples of suitable alkalinity sources include the water soluble alkali metal carbonates, bicarbonates, borates, silicates and metasilicates. Although not preferred for ecological reasons, water-soluble phosphate salts can also be used as sources of alkalinity. These include the alkali metal pyrophosphates, orthophosphates, polyphosphates and phosphonates. Of all these alkalinity sources, alkali metal carbonates such as sodium carbonate are preferred.

The source of alkalinity, if it is in the form of a hydratable salt, can also serve as a desiccant in the non-aqueous liquid detergent compositions herein. The presence of an alkalinity source that is also a desiccant can provide benefits in terms of chemically stabilizing components of the composition such as the peroxygen bleaching agent that may be susceptible to water deactivation. If used as all or part of the particulate component, the source of alkalinity will comprise about 1% to 15% by weight of the compositions herein. Most preferably, the source of alkalinity may comprise about 2% to 10% by weight of the composition. Said materials, although water-soluble, will generally be insoluble in the non-aqueous detergent compositions herein. In this way, said materials will generally be dispersed in the non-aqueous liquid phase into discrete particles.

Optional Components of the Composition In addition to the components of the liquid and solid phase of the composition as described hereinabove, the detergent compositions herein may, and preferably, contain several optional components. Such optional components may be in liquid or solid form. The optional components can be dissolved in the liquid phase or they can be dispersed within the liquid phase in .. * * particles or fine drops. Some of the materials that may optionally be used in the compositions herein are described in greater detail as follows: Optional organic additives The detergent compositions may contain an organic additive. An organic additive that is preferred is hydrogenated castor oil and its derivatives. Hydrogenated castor oil is a commercially available product sold, for example, in various grades under the CASTO RWAX brand. RTM. by NL Industries, Inc., Highstown, New Jersey. Other suitable hydrogenated castor oil derivatives are Thixcin R, Thixcin E, Thixatrol ST, Perchem R and Perchem ST. The hydrogenated castor oil that is especially preferred is Thixatrol ST. Castor oil can be added as a mixture with, for example, stearamide. The organic additive will partially dissolve in the non-aqueous liquid diluent. To form the structured liquid phase that is required for adequate phase stability and acceptable rheology, the organic additive is generally present to the extent of from about 0.05% to 20% by weight of the liquid phase. Most preferably, the organic additive comprises about 0.1% to 10% by weight of the non-aqueous liquid phase of the compositions herein. The organic additive is present in the total composition of about 0.05% to 2.5% by weight of the total detergent composition.

Optional inorganic detergency builders The compositions herein may also optionally contain one or more types of inorganic builders other than those listed here above, which also function as alkalinity sources. Such optional inorganic builders may include, for example, aluminosilicates such as zeolites. The aluminosilicate zeolites and their use as detergency builders are described in more detail in Corkill et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,509; issued on August 12, 1986, the description of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Also suitable for use in the detergent compositions herein are the layered crystalline silicates such as those described in this' 509 patent of E.U.A. If used, optional inorganic builders may comprise about 2% to 15% by weight of the compositions herein.

Optional Enzymes The detergent compositions herein may also optionally contain one or more types of detergent enzymes. Said enzymes may include proteases, amylases, cellulases and lipases. Such materials are known in the art and are also commercially available. Non-aqueous liquid detergents herein can be incorporated in the form of suspensions, "disks" or "pellets". Another suitable type of enzyme comprises those in the form of enzyme suspensions in nonionic surfactants. Enzymes in this form have been marketed, for example, by Novo Nordisk under the trade name "LDP". It is especially preferred herein to use enzymes that are added to the compositions herein in the form of conventional enzyme pellets. Said pellets will generally vary in size from about 100 to 1,000 microns, most preferably around 200 to 800 microns and will be suspended throughout the non-aqueous liquid phase of the composition. It has been found that pellets in the compositions of the present invention, in comparison with other forms of enzyme, exhibit an enzyme stability especially desirable in terms of retention of enzymatic activity with the passage of time. Thus, compositions using enzyme pellets do not need to contain a conventional enzyme stabilization such as is most often used when the enzymes are incorporated in aqueous liquid detergents. If employed, the enzymes will normally be incorporated into the non-aqueous liquid compositions herein at levels sufficient to provide up to about 10 mg by weight, very typically about 0.01 mg to about 5 mg, of active enzyme per gram of the composition. In other words, the non-aqueous liquid detergent compositions herein will typically comprise about 0.001% to 5%, preferably about 0.01% to 1% by weight, of a commercial enzyme preparation. Protease enzymes, for example, are normally present in such commercial preparations at levels sufficient to provide 0.005 to 0.1 Anson units (AU) of activity per gram of the composition.

Optional Chelating Agents The detergent compositions herein may also optionally contain a chelating agent that serves to chelate metal ions, eg, iron and / or manganese, in the non-aqueous detergent compositions herein. Such chelating agents then serve to form complexes with metal impurities in the composition that would otherwise tend to deactivate components of the composition such as the peroxygen bleaching agent. Useful chelating agents can include aminocarboxylates, phosphonates, aminophosphonates, polyfunctionally substituted aromatic chelating agents and mixtures thereof. The aminocarboxylates useful as optional chelating agents include ethylenediaminetetraacetates, N-hydroxyethyl-ethylene-diaminotriacetates, nitrotriacetates, ethylenediaminetetrapropionates, triethylenetetraminohexacetates, diethylenetriaminepentaacetates, ethylenediamine disuccinates and ethanoldiglicines. The alkali metal salts of these materials are preferred. Also suitable are aminophosphonates for use as chelating agents in the compositions of this invention, when at least low levels of total phosphorus are allowed in detergent compositions, and include ethylene diamine tetrakis (methylene phosphonates) as DEQUEST. Preferably, these aminophosphonates do not contain alkyl or alkenyl groups with more than about 6 carbon atoms. Preferred chelating agents include hydroxyethyl diphosphonic acid (HEDP), diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) and dipicolinic acid (DPA) and salts thereof. The chelating agent can, of course, also act as a builder during the use of the compositions herein for washing / bleaching fabrics. The chelating agent, if employed, may comprise about 0.1% to 4% by weight of the compositions herein. Most preferably, the chelating agent will comprise from about 0.2% to 2% by weight of the detergent compositions herein. Optional thickening, viscosity control and / or dispersing agents The detergent compositions herein may also optionally contain a polymeric material that serves to improve the ability of the composition to maintain its components in solid particles in suspension. Said materials can then act as thickeners, viscosity control agents and / or dispersing agents. Such materials are often polymeric polycarboxylates, but may include other polymeric materials such as polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polymeric amine derivatives such as ethoxylated and quaternized hexamethylenediamines. The polymeric polycarboxylate materials can be prepared by polymerizing or copolymerizing suitable unsaturated monomers, preferably in their acid form. The unsaturated monomeric acids which can be polymerized to form suitable polymeric polycarboxylates include acrylic acid, maleic acid (or maleic anhydride), fumaric acid, itaconic acid, aconitic acid, mesaconic acid, citraconic acid and methylenemalonic acid. The presence of monomeric segments is suitable in the polymeric polycarboxylates herein that do not contain carboxylate radicals such as vinyl methyl ether, styrene, ethylene, etc., as long as said segments do not constitute more than about 40% by weight of the polymer. Particularly suitable polymeric polycarboxylates can be derived from acrylic acid. Said acrylic acid-based polymers which are useful herein are the water-soluble salts of polymerized acrylic acid. The average molecular weight of such polymers in acid form preferably ranges from about 2,000 to 10,000, most preferably about 4,000 to 7,000, and more preferably about 4,000 to 5,000. The water-soluble salts of said acrylic acid polymers may include, for example, the alkali metal salts. Soluble polymers of this type are known materials. The use of polyacrylates of this type in detergent compositions has been described, for example, in Diehl, U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,067 issued March 7, 1967. Such materials also perform a detergency builder function. If used, the optional thickening, viscosity control and / or dispersing agents should be present in the compositions herein to the degree of about 0.1% to 4 by weight. Most preferably, said materials may comprise about 0.5% a 2% by weight of the detergent compositions herein.

Polishes, foam suppressants and / or optional perfumes The detergent compositions herein may also optionally contain brighteners, suds suppressors, silicone oils, bleach catalysts and / or conventional perfume materials. Such brighteners, suds suppressors, silicone oils, bleach catalysts and perfumes must, of course, be compatible and non-reactive with the other components of the composition in a non-aqueous environment. If present, the brighteners, foam suppressors and / or perfumes will typically comprise about 0.01% to 4% by weight of the compositions herein.

Optional bleach catalysts include the manganese-based complexes described in US Pat. No. 5,246; E.U.A 5,244,594; E.U.A 5,114,606 and E.U.A 5,114,611. Especially preferred catalysts are the metallo-catalysts as described in the patent applications of E.U.A. Copending Serial No. 60 / 040,629, Serial No. 60 / 039,915, Serial No. 60 / 040,222, Serial No. 60 / 040,156, Serial No. 60 / 040,115, Serial No. 60 / 038,714 and No Series 60/039, 920, filed on March 7, 1997.

FORM OF COMPOSITION The liquid detergent compositions containing particles of this invention have a substantially non-aqueous (or anhydrous) character. Although very small amounts of water may be incorporated into said compositions as an impurity in the essential or optional components, the amount of water should not by any means exceed about 5% by weight of the compositions herein. Most preferably, the water content of the non-aqueous detergent compositions herein will comprise less than about 1% by weight. The non-aqueous detergent compositions containing particles herein will be in the form of a liquid.

PREPARATION AND USE OF THE COMPOSITION The non-aqueous liquid detergent compositions herein may be prepared by mixing a non-aqueous liquid phase and subsequently adding to this phase additional particulate components in any convenient order and mixing, for example, by stirring, the combination of components resulting to form the stable phase compositions of the present. In a typical procedure for preparing said compositions, certain essential and preferred optional components will be combined in a particular order and under certain conditions. In a first step of a preferred preparation process, the liquid phase containing anionic surfactant is prepared. This preparation step includes the formation of an aqueous suspension containing about 30 to 60% of one or more alkali metal salts of linear C 10 -C 16 alkylbenzenesulfonic acid and about 2-15% of one or more non-surfactant diluent salts. In a subsequent step, this suspension is dried to the extent necessary to form a solid material containing less than about 4% by weight of waste water. After the preparation of this solid material containing anionic surfactant, this material can be combined with one or more of the non-aqueous organic diluents to form the liquid phase containing the surfactant of the detergent compositions herein. This is done by reducing the anionic surfactant-containing material formed in the pre-preparation step described above in powder form and combining said powder material with a stirred liquid medium comprising one or more of the non-aqueous organic diluents, either surfactant or non-surfactant, or both, as described hereinabove. This combination is carried out under stirring conditions which are sufficient to form a completely mixed dispersion of particles of the insoluble fraction of the LAS / co-dried salt material along a non-aqueous organic liquid diluent. In a subsequent processing step, the particulate material to be used in the detergent compositions herein can be added. Such components, which can be added under high shear agitation, include any optional surfactant particles, particles of substantially all of an organic builder, for example, citrate and / or fatty acid and / or source of alkalinity, for example, Sodium carbonate can be added by continuing to maintain this mixture of composition components under agitation by shear stress. Agitation of the mixture is continued, and if necessary, it can be increased at this point to form a uniform dispersion of insoluble solid phase particulate materials in the liquid phase. The non-aqueous liquid dispersion prepared in this way can be subjected to pulverization or shear agitation. Spraying conditions will generally include maintaining a temperature between about 10 and 90 ° C, preferably between 20 ° C and 60 ° C. The equipment suitable for this purpose includes agitated ball mills, two-ball mills (Fryma), colloidal mills, high-pressure homogenizers, high shear mixers and the like. The colloid mill and high shear mixers are preferred for their high output speed and low maintenance costs. The small particles produced in said equipment will generally vary in size from 0.4-150 microns. Agitation is then continued, and if necessary, it can be increased at this point to form a uniform dispersion of insoluble solid phase particles in the liquid phase. In a second processing step, the particles of the bleach precursor are mixed with the suspension of the first mixing step in a second mixing step. This mixture is then subjected to wet pulverization in such a way that the average particle size of the bleach precursor is less than 600 microns, preferably between 50 and 500 microns, most preferably between 100 and 400 microns. After some or all of the above solid materials have been added to this stirred mixture, the highly preferred peroxygen bleach particles can be added to the composition, again while the mixture is maintained under shear agitation. In a third processing step, the activation of the organic additive is obtained. The organic additives are subjected to wetting and dispersing forces to reach a dispersed state. It is within the ability of an expert in the art to activate the organic additive. The activation can be done according to the one described by Rheox, in the Rheology Handbook, A practical guide to rheological additives. There are basically three different stages. The first step is to add the agglomerated powder to the solvent. This combination is carried out under conditions of agitation (shear, heat, stage 2) which are sufficient to lead to complete de-agglomeration. With continuous agitation and heat development over a period of time, the solvent-swollen particles of the organic additive are reduced to their active state in step 3. By adding solid components to the non-aqueous liquids according to the above procedure, it is advantageous to keep the moisture content unbound and free of these solid materials below certain limits. The moisture in said solid materials is frequently present at levels of 0.8% or more (see the method described below). By reducing the free moisture content, for example, by fluidized-bed drying, of solid particulate materials at a free moisture level of 0.5% or less prior to their incorporation into the detergent composition matrix, stability advantages can be obtained. significant for the resulting composition.

Determinations of free and total water For the purposes of this patent application, and without wishing to be bound by theory, reference is made to "free water" as the amount of water that can be detected after the removal of the solid components and not dissolved in the product, while "total water" refers to the amount of water that is present in the product as a whole, whether it is bound to solids (for example, water of hydration), dissolved in the liquid phase or in any other shape. One method of determining water that is preferred is the so-called "Karl Fischer titration" method. Other Karl Fischer titration methods, for example, NMR, microwave or IR spectrometry may also be suitable for the determination of water in the liquid part of the product and in the complete product as described below. The "free water" of a formulation is determined in the following manner. At least one day after the preparation of the formula (to allow equilibration), a sample is subjected to centrifugation until a transparent layer is obtained visually and free of solid components. This transparent layer is separated from the solids, and a heavy sample is introduced directly into a vessel for coulometric Karl Fischer titration. The water level determined in this way (mg of water / kg of transparent layer) is known as "free water" (in ppm). The "total water" is determined by first extracting a heavy amount of the finished product with a polar and anhydrous extraction liquid. The extraction liquid is selected in such a way that interferences of undissolved solids are minimized. In many cases, dry methanol is a preferred extraction liquid. Normally, the extraction procedure reaches an equilibrium within a few hours - the previous requires validation for different formulations - and can be accelerated by sonification (ultrasonic bath). After that time, a sample of the extract is centrifuged or filtered to remove the solids, and a known aliquot is then introduced into the Karl Fischer titration cell (coulometric or volumetric). The value found in this way (mg of water / kg of product) is referred to as the "total water" of the formulation.

Viscosity and performance measurements The non-aqueous liquid detergent compositions containing particles of the present will be relatively viscous and phase stable under conditions of commercialization and use of said compositions. Frequently, the viscosity of the compositions herein will vary from about 300 to 10,000 cps, most preferably around 500 to 3000 cps. The physical stability of these formulations can also be determined by relaxation measurements. Frequently, the relaxation of the compositions herein will vary from about 1 to 20 Pa, most preferably around 1.5 to 10 Pa. For the purpose of this invention, the viscosity and relaxation are measured with a Carri-Med CSL2100 rheometer according to the method described later. The rheological properties were determined by a constant voltage rheometer (Carri-Med CSL2100) at 25 ° C. A parallel plate configuration with a disc radius of 40 mm and a layer thickness of 2 mm was used. The shear stress varied between 0.1 Pa and 125 A.aAA »i =?., L Pa. The viscosity reported was the value measured at a shear rate of about 20 s" 1. The effort to relax was defined as the previous effort whose disk movement was detected. This implies that the shear rate was below 3 x 10"4 s" 1.

Gas Release Velocity Measurements Gas release rates (GERs) can be measured by placing a product sample (usually 1000-1200 g) in an Erlenmeyer that can be gas-tight by an adapter and a valve. The product is then stored at a constant temperature (usually 35 ° C), and it is connected to a gas burette. After a certain time (usually 1-10 days), the valve opens and the volume difference is measured. To minimize the effects of environmental pressure changes, the values are referenced against a sample that does not contain bleach. In general, the GER of the liquid detergent compositions contains Y% of a bleaching agent, said bleaching agent has a product GER of Z ml / day / kg at 35 ° C, must be less than 0.008 of the product Y x Z ml / day / kg at 35 ° C. The compositions of this invention, prepared as described hereinabove, can be used to form aqueous wash solutions for use in washing and bleaching fabrics. In general, an effective amount of said compositions is added to water, preferably in a conventional automatic laundry washing machine, to form said aqueous washing / bleaching solutions. The aqueous wash / bleach solution formed in this manner is then contacted, preferably under agitation, with the fabrics which will be washed and bleached therewith. An effective amount of the liquid detergent compositions herein added to water to form the aqueous wash / bleach solutions may comprise sufficient amounts to form about 500 to 8,000 ppm of the composition in aqueous solution. Most preferably, about 800 to 5,000 ppm of the detergent compositions herein will be provided in the aqueous wash / bleach solution. The following examples illustrate the preparation and performance advantages of the non-aqueous liquid detergent compositions of the present invention. However, said examples do not necessarily attempt to limit or otherwise define the scope of the present invention.

EXAMPLE I Preparation of a non-aqueous liquid detergent composition 1) Part of the butoxy-propoxy-propanol (BPP) and a non-ionic ethoxylated alcohol surfactant CnEO (5) (Genapol 24/50) are mixed for a short time (1-5 minutes) using a paddle impeller in a mixing tank in a single phase. 2) LAS is added to the BPP / NI mixture after heating the BPP / NI mixture to 45 ° C. 3) If required, the liquid base (LAS / BPP / NI) is pumped into drums. Molecular sieves (type 3A, 4-8 meshes) are added to each drum at 10% of the net weight of the liquid base. The molecular sieves are mixed in the liquid base using individual paddle turbine mixers and drum spinning techniques. The mixing is carried out under a cover of nitrogen to prevent the collection of moisture from the air. The total mixing time is 2 hours, after which 0.1-0.4% of the moisture in the liquid base is removed. The molecular sieves are removed by passing the liquid base through a 20-30 mesh screen. The liquid base is returned to the mixing tank. 4) The additional solid ingredients are prepared for addition to the composition. Such solid ingredients include the following: Sodium carbonate (particle size 100 microns) Sodium citrate dihydrate Maleic acrylic copolymer (BASF Sokalan) Brightener (Tinopal PLC) Tetrasodic hydroethylidene diphosphonic acid salt (HEDP) Sodium diethylenetriaminepentamethylenephosphonate Ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS) These solid materials, which are all sprayable, are added to the mixing tank and mixed with the liquid base until uniform. This takes about 1 hour after the addition of the last powder. The tank is covered with nitrogen after the addition of the powders. A particular order of addition for these powders is not critical. 5) The batch is pumped once through a Fryma colloid mill, which has a simple rotor-stator configuration in which a high-speed rotor rotates within a stator that creates a zone of high shear stress. This reduces the particle size of all solids. This leads to an increase in the performance value (ie, structure). The batch is then reloaded into the mixing tank after cooling. 6) The bleach precursor particles are mixed with the spray suspension of the first mixing step in a second mixing step. This mixture is then subjected to wet pulverization in such a way that the average particle size of the bleach precursor is less than 600 microns, preferably between 50 to 500 microns, most preferably between 100 and 400 microns. 7) Other solid materials may be added after the first processing step. These include the following: Sodium percarbonate (400-600 microns) Protease enzyme, cellulase and amylase pellets (400-800 microns, specific density less than 1.7 g / mL) Titanium dioxide particles (5 microns) Catalyst These materials Non-sprayable solids are then added to the mixing tank followed by the liquid ingredients (perfume and suds suppressor based on silicone, fatty acid / silicone). The batch is then mixed for one hour (under a nitrogen blanket). 8) As a final step of the formulation, the hydrogenated castor oil was added to part of the BPP to a colloid mixture at high speed, the dispersion was heated to 55 ° C. The cutting time was around one hour. The resulting composition has the formula described in block 1. The catalyst was prepared by adding starch modified with octenylsuccinate, to water in the approximate ratio of 1: 2. The catalyst is then added to the solution and mixed until dissolved. The composition of the solution is: catalyst 5% starch 32% (starch includes 4-6% bound water) water 63% The solution is then spray-dried using a Niro Atomizer laboratory spray dryer. The inlet of the spray dryer is set at 200 ° C, and the atomization air is around 4 bar. The drop in air pressure in the procedure is 30-35 mm of water. The feed rate of the solution is set to obtain an exit temperature of 100 ° C. The powder material is collected at the base of the spray dryer.

The composition is: Catalyst 15% starch (and bound water) 85% The particle size is 15 to 100 μm leaving the dryer.

TABLE 1 Non-aqueous liquid detergent composition with bleach Component% by weight of% by weight of active active salt Sodium salt of LAS 16 15 Ethoxylated alcohol C11 EO = 5 21 20 BPP 19 19 Sodium citrate 4 5 Sodium salt of [4- [N -nonanoyl-6- 6 7 aminohexanoyloxybenzenesulfonate] 15 Hexamethylenediamine chloride salt 1,2 1 polyethoxylated quaternized with methyl Ethylenediamine disuccinic acid 1 1 Sodium carbonate 7 7 Maleic acrylic copolymer 3 3 Protease pellets 0.40 0.4 Amylase pellets 0.8 0.8 Cellulase pellets 0.50 0.5 Sodium percarbonate 16 - Sodium Perborate - 15 20 Foam suppressor 1.5 1.5 Perfume 0.5 0.5 Titanium dioxide 0.5 0.5 Brightener 0.14 0.2 Thixatrol ST 0.1 0.1 Catalyst 0.03 0.03 Speck 0.4 0.4 Miscellaneous ingredients up to 100% V-v-íl The resulting composition in Table 1 is a heavy-duty, anhydrous, stable laundry liquid detergent that provides excellent stain and dirt removal performance when used in normal fabric washing operations. The chemical decomposition of the bleach precursor was negligible even after 6 weeks of storage at room temperature.

Claims (5)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A non-aqueous liquid detergent composition comprising a bleaching agent and / or bleach precursor, characterized in that said non-aqueous liquid detergent comprises less than 1% free water.

2. A non-aqueous liquid detergent composition according to claim 1, further characterized in that the free water content is less than 0.7%.

3. A non-aqueous liquid detergent composition according to claims 1-2, further characterized in that the gas evolution rate of the non-aqueous liquid detergent composition containing Y of the bleaching agent, said bleaching agent having a ZERO GER / day / kg of product at 35 ° C, is less than 0.008 Y x Z ml / day / kg of product at 35 ° C.

4. A non-aqueous liquid detergent composition according to claims 1-3, further characterized in that the bleaching agent is selected from precarbonate and / or perborate or mixture thereof.

5. A non-aqueous liquid detergent composition according to claims 1-4, further characterized in that said bleach precursor is selected from (6-octanamido-caproyl) oxybenzenesulfonate, (6-nonamidocaproyl) oxybenzenesulfonate, (6-decanamido-caproyl) ) oxybenzenesulfonate, and mixtures thereof.