Claims
- 2. An enzyme containing granule comprising:
a) an enzyme containing core and b) a protective substantially continuous layer or coating encapsulating the core comprising at least 60% of a water soluble compound, having a molecular weight below 500 grams per mole, a pH below 11 and a constant humidity at 20° C. of more than 81%.
- 3. The granule according to claim 1, wherein said water soluble compound has a molecular weight between 30-500 g/mole.
- 4. The granule according to claim 2, wherein said water soluble compound has a molecular weight between 75-400 g/mole.
- 5. The granule according to any preceding claim, wherein said is water soluble compound has a solubility of at least 0.1 gram per 100 gram water.
- 6. The granule according to any preceding claim, wherein said water soluble compound has a solubility of at least 10 gram per 100 gram water.
- 7. The granule according to any preceding claim, wherein said water soluble compound has constant humidity at 20° C. of more than 90%.
- 8. The granule according to any preceding claim, wherein said core is a non absorbing core.
- 9. The granule according to claim 1, wherein said salt is selected from the group consisting of alkali or earth alkali metal ion salt of sulfate, sulfite, phosphate, phosphonate, nitrate, chloride, carbonate and simple organic acids.
- 10. The granule according to claim 1, wherein said salt is selected from the group consisting of Na2HPO4, Na3PO4, (NH4)H2PO4, KH2PO4, Na2SO4, K2SO4, KHSO4, ZnSO4 and sodium citrate.
- 11. The granule according to any preceding claim, wherein said coating further comprises one or more protective agents capable of inactivating components hostile to the enzyme entering the granule from a surrounding matrix.
- 12. The granule according to claim 10, wherein said hostile component is a detergent bleach component.
- 13. The granule according to claim 11, wherein said protective agent is selected from the group consisting of reducing agents, antioxidants and salts of transition metals.
- 14. The granule according to claim 12, wherein said reducing agent is a salt of thiosulfate.
- 15. The granule according to any preceding claim, wherein said coating constitutes 1-75% w/w of the coated granule.
- 16. The granule according any preceding claim, wherein said enzyme containing core comprises a particulate carrier and an enzyme containing layer.
- 17. The granule according to claim 15, wherein additional enzyme is adsorbed into the carrier.
- 18. The granule according to claim 16, wherein said absorbed enzyme and/or enzyme containing layer comprises a protective reducing agent.
- 19. The granule according to any preceding claim, wherein said enzyme is selected from the group consisting of oxidoreductases (EC 1.-.-.- ), transferases (EC 2-.-.-), hydrolases (EC 3.-.-.-), lyases (EC 4.-.-.-), isomerases (EC 5.-.-.-) and ligases (EC 6.-.-.-).
- 20. The granule according to any preceding claim further comprising an additional coating.
- 21. The granule according to claim 19, wherein said additional coating is a lubricant.
- 22. A method for producing the granule of claims 1-20 comprising:
a) mixing an enzyme containing core material with a liquid medium comprising said water soluble compound and, b) removing volatile components of the liquid medium from the mixture, so as to deposit the nonvolatile components of the liquid medium as solid coating layer on the core material.
- 23. The method according to claim 21 wherein the granule is obtained by a fluid bed process comprising:
a) fluidising an enzyme containing core material in a fluid bed apparatus, b) introducing a liquid medium comprising the water soluble compound of the invention by atomization into the fluid bed, so as to deposit the nonvolatile components of the liquid medium as solid coating layer on the core material and, c) removing volatile components of the liquid medium from the coated core material.
- 24. A detergent composition comprising the enzyme containing granular composition of any of the claims 1-20.
- 25. A cleaning method comprising contacting an object with an aqueous solution comprising the particulate composition of any of the claims 1-20.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
PA 1998 00876 |
Jun 1999 |
DK |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S. application No. 09/872,922 filed on Jun. 1, 2001, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/344,877, filed Jun. 25, 1999, and claims, under 35 U.S.C. 119, priority of Danish application No. PA 1998 00876, filed Jun. 30, 1999, and benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/092,003, filed Jul. 8, 1998. Priority from U.S. application Ser. No. 09/344,877, filed on Jun. 25, 1999, is claimed under 35 U.S.C. 120, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60092003 |
Jul 1998 |
US |
Continuations (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09872922 |
Jun 2001 |
US |
Child |
10035884 |
Nov 2001 |
US |
Parent |
09344877 |
Jun 1999 |
US |
Child |
09872922 |
Jun 2001 |
US |