IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,122,511
Granted Patent B2
US 7,122,511 · App. 10/201,459 · Granted Oct 17, 2006

Process for the preparation of bleach activator granules

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,122,511
App. No.
10/201,459
Granted
Oct 17, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

Process for the preparation of bleach activator granules, which comprises extruding a mixture comprising bleach activator, anionic or nonionic surfactant and polyalkylene glycol at temperatures of from 40 to 120° C. and a pressure of from 5 to 30 bar, and granulating the resultant extrudates at a temperature of from 40 to 120° C. on a spheronizer.

Claims (17)

1. A process for the preparation of bleach activator granules, which comprises extruding a mixture comprising bleach activator, anionic or nonionic surfactant and polyalkylene glycol at an extrusion temperatures of from 40 to 120° C. and a pressure of from 5 to 30 bar, and granulating the resultant extrudates in a spheronizing step at a spheronizer temperature of from 40 to 120° C. on a spheronizer to form spherical granules.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mixture further comprises linear or branched fatty acids or ethoxylated fatty acids having 2 to 100 EO.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the anionic surfactant comprises an alkylarylsulfonate.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the polyalkylene glycol comprises polyethylene glycol.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bleach activator comprises Na nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the spherical granules are comprise 70 to 90% by weight of Na nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate, 2 to 10% by weight of alkylbenzenesulfonate, 0.1 to 6% by weight of nonanoic acid and 1 to 15% by weight of polyethylene glycol 4000.

7. The process as claimed an claim 1 , wherein the extrudates are placed directly on the spheronizer or are coarsely precomminuted prior to the spheronizing step.

8. The process as claimed an claim 1 , wherein the spheronizer temperature in the spheronizer is controlled by introducing a stream of air or gas into the spheronizer.

9. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the spheronizer operates at a peripheral speed of from 10 to 30 m/sec.

10. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the residence time in the spheronizer is from 10 to 120 sec.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the spheronizing step is carried out batchwise or continuously in a cascade operation.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising powdering the extrudates with an anticaking agent.

13. The process as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising cooling the extrudates to temperatures of <40° C. after the spheronizing step.

14. The process as claimed in claim 13 , wherein cooling is carried out by contacting the extrudates with cooling gas or cooled surfaces.

15. The process as claimed in claim 13 , wherein cooling is carried out in a separate downstream apparatus or, in the case of spheronizers operating in a batchwise manner, directly in the spheronizer.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the spherical granules comprise a bulk density of from 300 g/l to 2,000 g/l.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the extrusion temperature and the spheronizer temperature range from 60 to 80° C.