Dentifrice Compositions Containing Zeolites

1 . A dentifrice composition comprising a crystalline aluminosilicate having an average size below 0.2 μm, in which the aluminosilicate is a zeolite having the formula M 2/n O—Al 2 O 3 -xSiO 2 -yH 2 O wherein M represents a metal moiety having a valency of n, x indicates the molar ratio of silica to alumina and V indicates the ratio of molecules of water to alumina wherein the zeolite is a P zeolite having a weight mean particle size of at most 10.0 μm.

2 .- 3 . (canceled)

4 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which x has a value up to 2.66.

5 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which x has a value in the range 1.8 to 2.66.

6 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which x has a value in the range 1.8 to 2.4.

7 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the aluminosilicate has a moisture content below 20% by weight.

8 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the average crystallite size of the crystalline aluminosilicate is between 0.01 and 0.2 μm.

9 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the average crystallite size of the crystalline aluminosilicate is less than 0.1 μm.

10 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the average crystallite size of the crystalline aluminosilicate is up to 0.08 μm.

11 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the RDA of the crystalline aluminosilicate is not greater than 120.

12 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the aluminosilicate has a PAV of up to 11, preferably up to 9.

13 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the aluminosilicate has a calcium binding capacity of at least 130 mg CaO per gram of anhydrous aluminosilicate.

14 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the aluminosilicate has an oil absorption of at least 40 cm 3 /100 g.

15 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the aluminosilicate has a weight mean particle size of at least 0.5 μm.

16 . (canceled)

17 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the aluminosilicate has a weight mean particle size in range 2.0 to 2.5 μm.

18 . A dental composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the crystalline aluminosilicate is derived from a zeolite P with the formula M 2/n O—Al 2 O 3 -xSiO 2 -yH 2 O where M is an alkali metal and in which at least a proportion of the alkali metal M has been exchanged for one or more other metal moieties.

19 . A dental composition as claimed in claim 1 containing at least one additional abrasive/cleaning agent.

20 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the additional agent comprises a different crystalline aluminosilicate, which acts as a cleaning booster.

21 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the cleaning booster has an RDA in the range 100 to 300.

22 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the cleaning booster has an RDA in the range 100 to 250.

23 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the RDA of the first-mentioned aluminosilicate is less than 100.

24 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the cleaning booster has a PAV of in the range 9 to 25.

25 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the PAV of the first-mentioned aluminosilicate is less than 9.

26 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the oil absorption of the cleaning booster is in the range 30 to 100 cm 3 /100 g.

27 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the weight mean particle size of the cleaning booster is in the range 2.0 to 5.0 μm.

28 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the cleaning booster has an average crystallite size above 0.2 μm.

29 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the cleaning booster has an average crystallite size above 1.0 μm.

30 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the proportions of the first-mentioned aluminosilicate and the cleaning booster present by weight are in the range 40:1 to 1:1

31 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the proportions of the first-mentioned aluminosilicate and the cleaning booster present by weight are in the range 9:1 to 3:2.

32 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the proportions of the first-mentioned aluminosilicate and the cleaning booster present by weight are in the range 4:1 to 7:3.

33 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the amount of crystalline aluminosilicate present (not including any cleaning booster present) is in the range 10 to 50 percent by weight of the dentifrice composition.

34 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the amount of crystalline aluminosilicate present (not including any cleaning booster present) is in the range 25 to 50 percent by weight of the dentifrice composition.

35 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the amount of the first-mentioned aluminosilicate present is in the range 10 to 40 percent by weight of the dentifrice composition.

36 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the amount of the first-mentioned aluminosilicate present is in the range 25 to 35 percent by weight of the dentifrice composition.

37 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the cleaning booster is present in an amount of up to 15 percent by weight of the dentifrice composition.

38 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 19 in which the cleaning booster is present in an amount in the range 1 to 10 percent by weight.

39 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 having an FT 100 Cleaning value of at least 50 percent.

40 . A dentifrice composition as claimed in claim 1 having an FT 100 Cleaning value of at least 70 percent.