Claims
- 1. A method for machine washing and cleaning of soiled textiles utilizing washing and cleaning solutions essentially containing up to 2.5 gm/l of surface-active compounds, from 0.05 to 2 gm/l of water-soluble sequestering agents for calcium, as well as water-insoluble cation-exchange agents which are capable of binding the hardness components of the water and the soil, wherein said cation-exchange agent has a calcium binding capacity of from 100 to 200 mg of CaO/gm and consists of a crystalline compound of the formula (M.sub.2 O).sub.x.Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.(SiO.sub.2).sub.y wherein M is lithium, sodium or potassium, x is a number from 0.7 to 1.1 and y is a number from 1.3 to 3.3, which contains bound water, and wherein said cation-exchange agent has an average particle size of more than 20.mu. and is not brought into contact with said soiled textiles in a washing area but is instead located in an external filter element, separate from said soiled textiles being washed in said washing area, which comprises agitating said soiled textiles in the presence of said washing and cleaning solution wherein the total amount of washing solution containing surfactants is continuously or intermittently cyclically circulated from said washing area through the external filter element charged with the cation-exchange agent, and then back to the washing area at least 5 times during the cleaning process, and where the amount of the cation-exchange agent is 0.2 gm to 10 gm per liter of washing solution.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the amount of said cation exchange agent is sufficient to decrease the hardness of the water by at least 50%.
- 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the filter element is a static bed composed of agglomerated particles of said cation exchange agent.
- 4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said cation exchange agent is in the form of a fluidized bed.
- 5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said cation exchange agent has the formula
- (M.sub.2 O).sub.0.7-1.5.Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.(SiO.sub.2).sub.1.3-3.3.
- 6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said cation exchange agent is in crystalline form.
- 7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the washing solution contains an anionic detergent.
- 8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the washing solution contains 0.05 g./l. to 2 g./l. of a water-soluble sequestering agent for calcium.
- 9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the amount of said cation-exchange agent is so selected that the residual hardness of the washing solution is 5 to 20 mg CaO/liter.
- 10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the washing solution is passed through the cation-exchange agent from about 10 to 50 times during the cleaning process.
- 11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the washing and cleaning solutions are phosphate-poor or phosphate-free.
- 12. A method according to claim 1, wherein M is sodium.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
7969/74 |
Oct 1974 |
ATX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of Ser. No. 618,461, filed Oct. 1, 1975, abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2055423 |
May 1972 |
DEX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
618461 |
Oct 1975 |
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