Method for manufacturing a molded detergent composition

1. A method for manufacturing a molded detergent composition, the method comprising:

(a) mixing a hydrated component and a hydratable component without heating to provide a mixture:

(i) the hydratable component comprising water, if present at all, at a level of less than about 2 wt. % based on the weight of the hydratable component;

(ii) the hydratable component being a component which successfully competes with the hydrated component for at least a portion of water of hydration;

(b) molding the mixture to provide a molded detergent composition; and

(c) solidifying the molded detergent composition as a result of movement of the water of hydration from the hydrated component to the hydratable component to provide the molded detergent composition as a solid under conditions of room temperature and atmospheric pressure, wherein the step of solidifying takes between about 1 minute and about 15 minutes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrated component comprises a hydrated salt.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the hydrated salt comprises a hydrate of at least one of sodium silicate, lithium silicate, potassium silicate, sodium metasilicate, sodium phosphate, calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, sodium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium sulfate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium bisulfate, sodium thiosulfate, sodium percarbonate, or mixtures thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydratable component comprises at least one of a nonionic surfactant, anionic surfactant, and mixture thereof

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein mixing the hydrated component and the hydratable component further comprises mixing butoxy ethanol with the hydrated component and the hydratable component.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of the hydrated component to the hydratable component is between about 5:1 and about 20:1 based on an anhydrous weight of each component.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of molding comprises extruding the mixture.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein molding the mixture comprises mixing an effective cleaning amount of an enzyme in the mixture.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein molding the mixture comprises mixing a material sensitive to heat in the mixture.

10. A method for manufacturing a molded detergent composition, the method comprising:

(a) mixing a hydrated component and a hydratable component to provide a mixture, the hydratable component comprising water, if present at all, at a level of less than about 2 wt. % based on the weight of the hydratable component;

(b) molding the mixture to provide a molded detergent composition having a melting point greater than about 30° C.; and

(c) solidifying the mixture as a result of movement of the water of hydration from the hydrated component to the hydratable component to provide the molded detergent composition as a solid under conditions of room temperature and atmospheric pressure, wherein the step of solidifying takes between about 1 minute and about 15 minutes;

(d) wherein mixing the hydrated component and the hydratable component comprises mixing the hydrated component and the hydratable component without the application of heat.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the hydrated component comprises a hydrated salt.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the hydratable component comprises at least one of a nonionic surfactant, anionic surfactant, and mixture thereof.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein a weight ratio of the hydrated component to the hydratable component is between about 5:1 and about 20:1 based on an anhydrous weight of each component.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of molding comprises a extruding the mixture.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein molding the mixture comprises mixing an effective cleaning amount of an enzyme in the mixture.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein molding the mixture comprises at least one of a material sensitive to heat.