Claims
- 1. A coated solid block detergent article, stabilized to the effects of heat and humidity in the ambient environment, said coated article comprising a detergent block comprising a mass greater than 100 grams comprising at least 10 wt-% of a source of alkalinity selected from an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal silicate or mixtures thereof, the article uniformly coated with an integral, surface coating, barrier layer, said surface coating, barrier layer comprising a fatty acid amide, the coated detergent article adapted to be dispensed by an aqueous spray-on dispenser, wherein said surface coating, barrier layer protects the block from the absorption of greater than about 5 grams of water per 100 grams of detergent per 30 days and said surface coating, barrier layer �coating! also permlits safe handling of the detergent block during use.
- 2. The article of claim 1 wherein the detergent block comprises about 10 to 75 wt-% of a source of alkalinity, about 1 to 40 wt-% of an organic or inorganic sequestrant composition; and about 1 to 30 wt-% of water.
- 3. The article of claim 1 wherein the detergent block comprises about 0.5 to 5 kilograms.
- 4. The article of claim 1 wherein the surface coating barrier layer has a melting point greater than about 30.degree. C.
- 5. The article of claim 1 wherein the fatty acid amide is made from a monoalkanol amine or a dialkanol amine and a C.sub.6-20 fatty acid.
- 6. The article of claim 1 wherein the surface coating barrier layer has distributed therein about 1 to 50 wt-% of an inorganic hydrated salt.
- 7. The detergent article of claim 1 wherein the detergent block comprises a cylinder having a height of 3-6 inches and a diameter of 4-8 inches.
- 8. The detergent article of claim 1 wherein the detergent block comprises a spherical mass having a diameter of 3-7 inches.
- 9. A packaged coated detergent article comprising:
- (a) the detergent article of claim 1 and
- (b) a film envelope enclosing the article.
- 10. The article of claim 9 wherein the film envelope is insoluble in an aqueous medium.
- 11. The article of claim 9 wherein the film envelope comprises a polyolefin, a polyvinyl chloride, a polyvinylidene dichloride, or a polyester.
- 12. The article of claim 9 wherein the film envelope is soluble in an alkaline aqueous medium.
- 13. The article of claim 9 wherein the film envelope comprises a polykethylene-co-acrylic) composition.
- 14. A method of dispensing a detergent article comprising inserting the detergent article of claim 1, packaged in a film envelope soluble in water or in an alkaline aqueous solution, into a spray on dispenser, and spraying onto the film envelope and detergent article an aqueous stream that can dissolve and remove the film, the barrier layer coating and at least some portion of the detergent mass to create an alkaline detergent concentrate for use in a washing locus.
- 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the film comprises a polyvinyl alcohol.
- 16. The method of claim 14 wherein the film comprises a poly(ethylene-coacrylic acid).
- 17. The method of claim 14 wherein the film comprises a poly(ethylene-covinyl alcohol).
- 18. A method of dispensing a coated alkaline solid block detergent article comprising:
- (a) exposing a portion of the surface of a coated alkaline detergent block, having a mass of greater than 100 grams, comprising at least 10 wt-% of a source of alkalinity selected from an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal silicate or mixtures thereof, said detergent block uniformly coated with an integral, surface coating, barrier layer, said surface coating, barrier layer comprising a fatty acid, amide, the coated detergent article adapted to be dispensed by an aqueous spray-on dispenser, wherein said surface coating barrier layer protects the block from the absorption of greater than about 5 grams of water per 100 grams of detergent per 30 days to form a dispensable detergent article; and
- (b) inserting the dispensable solid block detergent article into a dispenser comprising a water spray positioned such that the spray dispenses the exposed detergent block.
- 19. The method of claim 18 wherein prior to exposing a surface of the detergent block, a film is removed from the detergent article.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein the film is a water insoluble polymeric film selected from the group consisting of a polyolefin film, a polyvinylidene dichloride film, a polyvinyl chloride film and a polyester film.
- 21. The method of claim 18 wherein the water used in dispensing the detergent mass has a temperature of about 130.degree.-150.degree. F.
- 22. A coated solid block detergent article, stabilized to the effects of heat and humidity in the ambient environment, said coated article, comprising a block having a mass of at least 100 grams, comprising at least 10 wt-% of an alkali metal hydroxide, a water softening amount of a hardness sequestering agent, and an effective amount of water of hydration to render the detergent block a solid, said block uniformly coated with a substantially organic integral, surface coating, barrier layer, said surface coating, barrier layer comprising a fatty acid amide, said barrier layer and article adapted to be melted and dispensed by an aqueous spray-on dispenser, wherein said barrier layer protects the block from the absorption of greater than about 5 grams of water per 100 grams of detergent per 30 days, said surface coating, barrier layer also permits safe handling of the detergent block during use, said organic integral surface coating barrier layer comprising an organic coating material having a melting point of greater than 30.degree. C.
- 23. The article of claim 22 wherein the detergent block comprises about 10 to 75 wt-% of sodium hydroxide, about 1 to 40 wt-% of sodium tripolyphosphate and about 1 to 30 wt-% of water of hydration.
- 24. The article of claim 22 wherein the fatty acid amide is made from a monoalkanol amine or a dialkanol amine and a C.sub.6-20 fatty acid.
- 25. A method of manufacturing a coated solid block detergent article having a mass of greater than 100 grams, stabilized to the effects of heat and humidity in the ambient environment, said coated article comprising at least 10 wt-% of a source of alkalinity selected from an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal silicate or mixtures thereof, said method comprising extruding a thickened liquid detergent mass from an extruder in the form of an extrudate having a diameter of 2 to 8 inches forming the extrudate into a cylindrical mass having a height of 2 to 8 inches permitting the extrudate to solidify, coating the extrudate with an integral, surface coating, barrier layer, said surface coating, barrier layer comprising a fatty acid amide, said barrier layer and article adapted to be dispensed by a spray-on aqueous dispenser, said barrier layer protects the mass from the absorption of greater than about 5 grams of water per 100 grams of detergent for 30 days, said barrier layer also permitting safe handling of the detergent block during use; and packaging the detergent block in a film envelope.
- 26. The method of claim 25 wherein the detergent block comprises about 10 to 75 wt-% of an alkali metal hydroxide, about 1-40 wt-% of an organic or inorganic sequestrant composition; and about 1-30 wt-% of water of hydration.
- 27. The method of claim 25 wherein the surface coating, barrier layer has a melting point of greater than about 30.degree. C.
- 28. The method of claim 25 wherein the fatty acid amide is made from a monoalkanol amine or a dialkanol amine and a C.sub.6-20 fatty acid.
- 29. The method of claim 25 wherein the film envelope comprises a polyolefin film, a polyvinyl chloride film, a polyvinylidene dichloride film or a polyester film.
- 30. The method of claim 25 wherein the film is soluble in an aqueous medium.
- 31. The method of claims 25 wherein the film is soluble in an alkaline aqueous medium.
- 32. A method of manufacturing a coated solid block detergent article stabilized to the effects of heat and humidity in the ambient environment, said coated article comprising a mass of at least 100 grams comprising at least 10 wt-% of a source of alkalinity selected from an alkali metal hydroxide, an alkali metal carbonate, an alkali metal silicate or mixtures thereof, said method comprising forming a cast solid block by solidifying a thickened liquid detergent mass in the shape of a cylindrical mass having a height of 2 to 8 inches and a diameter of 2 to 8 inches or a sphere having a diameter of 2 to 8 inches, uniformly coating the cast solid block with an integral, surface coating, barrier layer, said surface coating, barrier layer comprising a fatty acid amide, said barrier layer and article adapted to be dispensed by a spray-on aqueous dispenser, said surface coating barrier layer protects the block from the absorption of greater than about 5 grams of water per 100 grams of detergent for 30 days, said surface coating barrier layer also permitting safe handling of the detergent block during use; and packaging the detergent block in a film envelope.
- 33. The method of claim 32 wherein the detergent block comprises about 10 to 75 wt-% of an alkali metal hydroxide, about 1 to 40 wt-% of an inorganic sequestrant composition and about 1 to 30 wt-% of water of hydration.
- 34. The method of claim 32 wherein the surface coating barrier layer has a melting point of greater than about 30.degree. C.
- 35. The method of claim 32 wherein the fatty acid amide is made from a monoalkanol amine or a dialkanol amine and a C.sub.6-20 fatty acid.
- 36. The method of claim 32 wherein the film envelope comprises a polyolefin film, a polyvinylchloride film, a polyvinylidene dichloride film or a polyester film.
- 37. The method of claim 32 wherein the film is soluble in an aqueous medium.
- 38. The method of claim 32 wherein the film is soluble in an alkaline aqueous medium.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/175,627, filed Dec. 30, 1993 now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (15)
Foreign Referenced Citations (7)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 002 293 |
Jun 1979 |
EPX |
0002293 |
Jun 1979 |
EPX |
0 055 100 |
Jun 1982 |
EPX |
989 683 |
Apr 1965 |
GBX |
1031831 |
Jun 1966 |
GBX |
9201037 |
Jan 1992 |
WOX |
9301266 |
Jan 1993 |
WOX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
175627 |
Dec 1993 |
|