CA1192355A - Fabric softening heavy duty liquid detergent and process for manufacturing thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A fabric softening heavy duty liquid detergent, useful for both cleaning and softening laundry, includes certain proportions of sodium linear higher alkylbenzene sulfonate, sodium alkyl polyethoxy sulfate, builder salt (highly preferably a mixture of sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium carbonate), finely divided swelling bentonite and water.
Such product is a stable pourable liquid, convenient for use in washing machines, for hand washing of laundry and for pre-treatment of badly soiled portions of items to be laundered. Also within the invention is a process for manufacturing such liquid detergent wherein the swelling bentonite is admixed with a mixture of the other detergent composition components except for part of the water, which is added last to the mixture of such components and the bentonite.

Description

This invention rela-tes -to a fabric softenlng heavy duty liquid de-tergent composi-tion and a methocl ror manuractl~ring it. More par-tlcularly, i-t rela-tes to such a liquid de-tergent which comprises described syn-thetic organic de-tergen-t ar-ld builder components together with a swelling ben-tonite in an aqueous medium. The product of the invention is readily pour-able and is a good detergent and fabric sof-tener, which is capable of satisfac-torily cleaning and softening laundry washed with it. Also within the invention is a process for manufacture of such liquid detergents.
Heavy duty liquid de-tergents, useful for machine washing of laundry, have been marke-ted and have been described in various pa-tents and in -the literature. Bentonite has been included in particulate detergent compositions as a fabric softener and has been utilized in aqueous compositions as a thickener, which can help to maintain insoluble particulate ma-terials, such as abrasives, suspended in a liquid medium.
However, prior- to the presen-t invention it is not considered -that bentoni-te was successfully employed in the manufac-ture

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of an acceptable fabric softening heavy duty liquid ~non-abrasive) detergent in which the bentonite was the fabric softening component. Also, prior to the present invention bentonite was not utilized in an anionic liquid detergent like that described in this application, comprising a particular mixture of anionic synthetic organic detergents and builders and a relatively high proportion of bentonite, considered to be necessary to obtain the desired fabric softening activity.
In accordance with the present invention a fabric softening heavy duty liquid detergent comprises 5 to 15% of sodium linear higher alkylbenzene sulfonate wherein the higher alkyl is of 12 to 13 carbon atoms, 2 to 5% of sodium alkyl polyethoxy sulfate wherein the alkyl is of lO to 18 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy is of 3 to ll ethylene oxide groups, 6 to 26% of builder salt selected from the group consisting of sodium tripolyphosphate, sodium carbonate, sodium nitrilo-triacetate, and sodium citrate, and mi.xtures thereof, lO to 20%
of a swelling bentonite, and ~0 to 75% of water. The described liquid detergent is a commercially acceptable heavy duty laundry detergent, capable of satisfactorily cleaning laundry items containing both oily and particulate soils and simultane-ously depositing on such laundered items sufficient bentonite to appreciably soften them without making them objectionably chalky in appearance.

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Additionally, the described compositions may be employed for the pre-treatment oE badly soiled areas, such as collars and cuffs,of items to be laundered, in which treatment the presence of the bentonite in the li~uid, which may be applied directly to the soiled areas, is considered to be useful in mechanically assisting in loosening and/or removing the soil.
The synthetic anionic organic detergent mixture pre-sent in the liquid detergents of this invention is a mixture of linear or branched higher alkylbenzene sulfonate and alkyl polyethoxy sulate. While other water soluble linear higher alkylbenzene sulfonates may also be present in the instant formulas, such as potassium salts and in some instances the ammonium alkar.olammonium salts, where appropriate, it has been ound that the sodium salt is highly preferred, which is also in the case with respect to the al~yl polyethoxy sulfate deter-gent component. The alkylbenzene sulfonate is one wherein the higher alkyl is of 12 to 13 carbon atoms, preferably 13 carbon atoms. The al~yl polyethoxy sulfate, which also may be referred to as a sulfated polyethoxylated higher linear alcohol ~0 or the sulfated condensation product of a higher atty alcohol and ethylene oxide or polyethylene glycol~ is one wherein the alkyl is of 10 to 1~ carbon atoms, preferably 12 to 15 carbon atoms, e.g., about 13 carbon atoms, and which includes 3 to 11 ethylene oxide groups, preEerably 3 to 7, more preerably 3 to 5 and most preferably 3 or about 3 ethylene oxide groups. In suitable ~I~Z3~i circumstances other anionic detergents, such as fatty alcohol sulfates, paraffin sulfonates, olefin sulfonates, monoglyceride sulfates, sarcosinates, sulfosuccinates and similarly functioning detergents, preferably as the alkali metal, e.g., sodium, salts~can be present, sometimes in partial replacement of the previously mentioned synthetic organic detergents but usually, if present, in addition to such detergents. Normally, the possibly supplementing detergents will be sulfated or sulfonated products (usually as the sodium salts) and will contain long chain (8 to 2Q carbon atoms) linear or fatty alkyl groups. In addition to any supplementing anionic synthetic organic detergents, there also may be present nonionic and ampho~eric materials, like the Neodols, sold by Shell Chemical Company, which are condensation products of ethylene oxide and hiyher fatty alcohols, e.g., Neodol 23-6.5, which is a condensation product of a higher fatty alcohol of about 12 to 13 carbon atoms with about 6.5 mols of ethylene oxide. Illustrationsof the various detergents and classes of detergents mentioned may be found in the text Surface Active Agents, Vol. II, by Schwartz, Perry and Berch (Interscience Publisherst 1958)j the descriptions of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The builder sait combination of this in~ention, which has been found to satisfactorily improve d~tergency of 2S the mixture of synthetic anionic organic detergents, produce the desired pH in the liquid detergent and in the wash l~Z3S5 water, and coact with the detergent and the bentonite in the washing and sof-tening process, is a mixture of sodium -tripoly~
phosphate and sodium carbonate. For best processing, easier mixing and good end-use properties it is preferred khat the sodium tripolyphosphate be low in content of Phase I type tripolyphosphate. Thus, normally the content of Phase I type tripolyphosphate will be less -than 10~ of the tripolyphosphate employed. Although in some instances incompletely neutralized tripol.yphosphate may be used, normally the phosphate employed may be considered as being pentasodium tripolyphosphate, Na5P3O10. Of course, in some instances, as when potassium salts of other materials are present, ion interchange in an aqueous medium may result in other salts than the sodium tripolyphosphate being present but for the purpose of this specification it will be considered that sodium tripolyphosphate, as the pentasodium salt, the material which is normally charged to the mixer to make the present liquid detergent, is the tripolyphosphate employed.
Other preferred builder salts which may be used in place of sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium carbonate or in addition thereto include sodium citrate and potassium citrate, and sodium nitrilotriacetate (NTA~ and the corre-sponding potassium salts may be used in partial replacement.
Of cGurse, various mixtures of the mentioned water soluble builder salts can be utili~ed. Yet, the tripolyphosphate-carbonate mixture described has been found to be most preferred, 23~i although the other builders and mixtures thereof are also operative, although usually to lesser extents. Other builders may be employed as supplements, in addition to the proportions of ~he above mentioned builders, subsequently to be described herein. Thus, other phosphates, such as tetrasodium pyrophosphate or tetrapotassium pyrophosphate~ sodium bicarbonate, sodium sesquicarbonate, sodium gluconate, borax, sodium silicate, and sodium sesquisilicate, may be employed. Among the water insoluble builders that may be used are the zeolites, such as Zeolite A, usually in the form of its crystalline hydrate, although amorphous zeolites may also be useful. However, it is a feature of this invention that sodium silicate is not needed to make an effective heavy duty detergent-softener composition and therefore such silicate will usually be omitted from the present formulas, and its undesirable properties will therefore also be avQided. For example, any tendency ~or silicate to react with other components of the liquid detergent, such as a æeolite, sGdium carbonate, or other builder, to produce insoluble material which may tend to adhere to the laundry and thereby adversely affect the desirable bright colors o~ such laundry, will be avoided~
Due to the absence of silicate, æeolite may be present in the described liquid detexgent wlthout producing undesirable insoluble deposits on the laundry. The absence of silicate in the de~ergent medium also preverlts formation of insoluble ~ 7 ~

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siliceous decomposition products of the silicate, which could tend to adversely affect the appearance oE the liquid deter-gent and the laundry if such became apparent in the liquid detergen-t or deposited on the laundry.
The bentoni-te employed is a colloidal clay (aluminum silicate) containing montmorillonite. The type of bentonite which is most useful in making the invented base beads is that which is known as sodium bentonite (or Wyoming or Western bentonite), which is normally of a ]ight to cream color or may be a tannish impalpable powder which, in water, can form a colloidal suspension having strongly thixotropic properties.
In many instances a potassium bentonite or a mixed sodium-potassium bentonite may be used instead. In water the swelling capacity of such clay will usually be in the range oE 3 to 15 or 20 ml./gram, preferably 7 to 15 ml./g., and its viscosity, at 6~ concentration in water/ will usually be in the range of

3 to 30 centipoises, preferably 8 to 30 centipoises. Preferred swelling bentonites oE this type are sold under the trade name Mineral Colloid, as industrial bentonites, by ~enton Clay Company, an affiliate of Georgia Kaolin Co~ These materials, which are the same as those formerly sold uncler the trade mark THIXO-JEL, are selectively mined and beneficiated bentoni-tes, and those consiclered to be most useful are available as Mineral Colloid No's. 1O1J e-tc., corresponding to THIXO-JELIs No's. 1, 2, 3 ~P~

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and 4. Such materials have pH's (6% concentration i~ water) in the range of 8 to 9.4, maximum free moisture contents (before addition to the liquid detergent medium) of about 8 and specific gravities of about 2.6~ For khe pulverized grade of such materials at leas~ ~bout 85~ will pass through a 200 mesh U.S. Sieve Series sieve. Preferably all the bentonite will pass through a 200 mesh sieve and most prefer-ably all of it will pass through a No. 325 sieve, so that the equivalent diameter of the bentonite may be considered as being less than 7~ microns and more preferably less than 44 microns. Although beneficiated Wyoming bentonite is preferred as a component of the present liquid detergent compcsitions, o~her bentonites, including the synthetic bentonites (thos~ made from bentonites having exchangeable calcium and/or magnesium, by sodium carbonate treatment) are also useful and are intended to be included in compositions of this invention. Typical chemical analyses of the bentonites that are useful for making the present liquid detergents show that they contain from 64.8 to 73.0~ of SiO2, 14 to 18 of A12O3, 1~6 to ~.7% of MgO, 1.3 to 3.1~ of CaO, 2.3 to 3.4% of Fe2O3, 0.~ to 2.8~ of Na2O and Q.4 to 7-0~ f ~2 Employment of bentonite as the softening agent in the present liquid deterg~nt compositions has the advantage that the bentonite does not have to be dried~ as in a spray dryer, and therefore the risk of losin~ the softening power o~ the ben~oni~e, due ~o immobilization oE the plates thereoE

_ 9 by overdrying, is avoided. Also, it is unnecessary to have the detergent composition o~ such formula as to promote quick disintegration of the detergent bead in the wash water to release the bentonite particles because in the liquid detergent such parkicles are not agglomerated into hard masses which could require additional time for disintegration.
The only other required component oE the present liquid detergents i5 water. Normally the hardness content of such wa~er will be less than about 300 p.p.m., as CaCO3, and prefexably it will be less than 150 p.p.m. Often it may be desirable to utilize deionized water although often city water with less than 50 or 100 p.p.mO hardness content will be about as satisfactory. While harder waters may be success-fully employed in making the present liquid detergents it is considered that sot waters have les5 likelihood of producing scmeobjectionable matexials which could adversely affect the appearance of the liquid detergent or which could deposit objectionably on laundry during washing.
Various adjuvants may be present in the liquid detergents, such as ~luorescent brighteners, per~umes and colorants. The fluorescent brighteners include the w~ll known stilbene derivatives, including the cotton and nylon brighteners, such as those sold undex the trademark Tinopal (5BM Conc.3. The perfumes that are employed usually include essential oils, estexs~ aldehydes and~or alcohols, all of which are known in the perfumery art. ~he colorants may include ~L~g235S

dyes and water dispersible pigmen-ts oE various types, includiny ultramarine blue. Because of the lightening effect due to the presence of the bentonite in the liquid detergent, colors of the product may often be attractive pastels. Ti-taniurn dioxide may be utilized to lighten the color of the product further or to whiten it. Inorganic filler salts, such as sodium sulfate and sodium chloride, may be present, as may be antiredeposition agents, such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose; dispersing agents, such as sodium polyacrylate; enzymes; bleaches; bacteri-1.0 cides; fungicides; anti-foam agents, such as silicones; anti-soiling agents, such as copolyesters; preservatives, such as formalin; foam stabilizers, such as lauric myristic diethanol-amide; and auxiliary solvents, such as ethanol. Normally the individual proportions of such adjuvants will be less than 3%, often less than 1% and sometimes even less than 0.5%, except for any fillers and solvents, and additional detergents and builders, for which the proportions may some-times be as high as 10%. The total proportion of adjuvants, including non-designated synthetic detergents and builders, will normally be no more than 20% of the product and desirably will be less than 10% thereof, more desirably less than 5% thereof. ~f course, the adjuvants employed will be non-interfering with the washing and softening actions of the liquid detergen-t and will not promote instability of the ~23~5 product on standing. Also, they will not cau~e the produc-tion of objectionable deposits on the laundryO
The proportions of the various components in the pre~ent liqu:id detergent will be within the ra~ge of 5 to 15~, preferably 7 to 11% and more preferably about 9~ of the sodium linear higher alkylbenzene sulfonate; 2 to 5~ prefer-ably 2 to 3% and more prPferably about 2% of the sodium alkylpolyethoxy sulfate; 6 to 26%, preferably 12 to 23% and more preferably about 17 to 21% of builder salt; 10 to 20%, preferably 12 to 15% and more preferably about 12% of swelling bentonite; and 40 to 75%, preferably 50 to 70% and more preferably 55 to 65% of water. Of the builder salts, when they are sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium carbonate, the proportions thereof will usuall~ be 5 to 20~, preferably 10 to 17~ and more preferably about 11 or 12~ of the tripoly-phosphate; and 1 to 10%, preferably 2 to 6% of sodium carbonate;
with the ratio of tripolyphosphate ~o carbonate being within the range of 2:1 to 6ul.
The liquid detergents may be made by appropriately mixing the various components thereof/ prefe.rably with the bentonite being added near the end of the processO Thus/
for example, the anionic detergent may be admixed with the water~ after which ~he polyphospha~e and carbonate, in f.inely divided form, normally sufficiently fine to pass a 25 ` No. 160 screen, may be added, follQwed by any adjuvants and ~ ~2 -~g;~3~

the bentonite. However, when the liquid detergent is made by this procedure or by other procedures in which the ben-tonite is added earlier the mix tends to become excessively thickened.
On standing the mix will thin somewhat but this requires additional processing time. It has been found that if a portion of the water is held out and is post-added to the rest of the liquid detergent it will quickly effect a thinning of the detergen-t to -the desired apparent viscosity. The detergent made, largely due to the presence of the ben-tonite therein, is thixotropic. The liquid detergent is pourable, non-separating and uniform. Such is somewhat surprising and is attributable to the particular compositions described, the components of which appear to interact to produce the desirably stable~
yet freely pourable detergent. Also, the pH of the liquid detergent suspension, usually in -the range of 8 to 11.5, preferably 9 to 10.8, appears to help to maintain the product stability and pourability. Aqueous bentonite suspensions in water at the concentrations u-tilized in the present liquid detergent can sometimes produce thick gels which are not pourable and it appears that the mixture of linear alkyl-benzene sulfonate, ethoxylated alcohol sulfate and the -; ~. ~ -I
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described builders helps to keep the bentonite in the aqueous medium from gelling excessively.
Experience has shown that the desirable proportion of,wa~er to hold back and admix last in the manufacturing process is normally 5 to 20% of the final liquid detergent, preferably 8 to 12%, e.g., about 10% thereof. During tlle mixing of the various components with the aqueous medium, and especially when the bentonite is added and the remaining water is admixed, it is important to maintain the mixture in motion, as by continuing to mix or stir it. Preferably, the mixer is never turned off and the process is continuous, normally ~aking about 3 to 30 minutes, preferably 5 to 10 minutes per batch. While the water may be warmed to promote dissolving of the various product component~ therein and to promote dispersing of the bentonite, such i~ not necessary and room temperature wa~er, e.g., water a~ a temperature in the range of 15 to 30C., such as 20 to 25C., may be used.
The following examples illustrate but do not limit the invention. Unless otherwise indicated all parts are by weight and all temperatures are in C.

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Components Percent Sodium linear tridecylben2ene sulfonate 9.O

Sodium alkyl polyethoxy sulfate 2.2 (alkyl - fatty alkyl of 12 to 15 carbon atoms;
polyethoxy = 3 ethoxy groups) Pentasodium tripolyphosphate (10% or less of 11.0 Phase 1) Sodium Carbonate (anhydrous) 4.0 Bentonite (Mineral Colloid 101) 12.0 Fluorescent brightener (Tinopal 5BM Conc.) 0.3 Perfume 0 3 Colorant (ultramarine blue or FD&C dye solution) 0.2 Water (city w~ter o.E about 50 p.p.mO of hardness 61.0 as calclum carbonate) 100. 0 51 Parts of water are added to a suitabl~ mixer, such as a vertical cylindrical tank equipped with heating and cooling means and connected to a discharge pump, the synthetic organic detergents are added, with stirri~g (by a Ligh~nin type mixer), and the polyphosphate and carbonate builder salts (of particle sizes that pass a No. 160 sieve) are admixed, with the phosphate being added first, after which the fluorescent brighten~r and colorant are admixed. Mixing of the batch, which weighs about 500 ki1ograms, takes about four minutes. Then, the swelling bentonite is admixed with the m.ixture, which results in the ~ix viscosity being raised 3~i~

higher than desired. The balance of the water is added and the perfume is then admixed and the product is ready to be pumped out of the mixer and into end use containers. Duriny the mixing operation, all of which takes about nine minutes, the materials added and the final product are at a temperature of about 20C. In some cases, to promote faster dissolving and quicker dispersing of the components, the temperature of the water charged may be raised to 40 to 50C. so that the final product temperature may be about 30 to 40C., in which case the mixing time may be reduced to about 5 or 6 minutes.
The liquid detergent resulting (at room temperature) pours satisfactorily from a plastic detergent bottle with a discharge opening of about 2.5 cm. It has a pH of about 10.6.
The liquid detergent is employed to wash a mixed load of soiled laundry, some of which includes cotton swatches and polyester/
cotton swatches soiled with particula-te soil and with sebum soil. The liquid detergent is added to the tub of a standard washing machine with about one-half cup of the liquid detergent being employed per wash (to make the concentration of liquid detergent in wash water about 0.09%). The temperature of the wash water is 21C. (to test the "cold" water washing capabil-ities of the product) and the water is of a mixed calcium and magnesium hardness of about 150 p.p.m., as Ca~O3. After ' ,'`.,' washing of the laundered items and the test swatches the~
are either "line dried" or machine dried (in a conventional laundry dryer)~
The same operations as described above are repeated for a control detergent formulation wherein the bentonite is omitted, being replaced by waterO
Softness ratings of the various laundered items and swatches, assigned by a panel of observers, establish that the liquid detergent incorporating bentonitP made the laundry and swatches significantly softer than the control detergent and yet the presence o the bentonite particles did not substantially adversely affect the cleaning power of the product, although the cleaning of polyester/cotton swatches stained with clay soil was somewhat poorer for the experimental Eormula.
The experimental liquid detergent is of an attrac-tive light blue uniform appearance and on storage does not ~etkle into different layers of materials. After storage it is still readily pourable but if for any reason it should ~0 become too thick it can be made pourable by shaking, or flexing of the plastic (polyethylPne or polypropylene~
container. Stil.L, shaking is not necessary to make sure that the composition is uniorm.
In addition to beiny useful as a detergent for machine washing the product of the present invention may be employed in hand washing o laundry and as a liquid for 3~i~

pre-treatment of excessively soiled areas of laundry. In hand washing of laundry, to promote maximum deposition of bentonite on the laundry and thereby to improve the softening effects thereof the washing solution is allowed to drain out of the washtub through a bottom drain so that it passes through the laundry, after which the laundry may be rinsed in normal mannerO When employed as a pre-trea~ment for soiled area~ of laundry the liquid detergent is applied full strength (although dilutions may also be used) to the soiled areas and is rubbed into them. During such application and rubbing the bentonite assists the detergent in loosening and removing the soil, whether it be oily or particulate soil, and at the same time some of the bentonite adheres to the fibers of the material of the laundry, thus helping to soften laundry material at such location. Such softening may contribute to lesser soiling o~ the area in the future, especially when the soiled areas are shirt cuffs or collars.

EXAMPLE_2 A liquid detergent like that of Example 1 is formulated using a linear dodecylbenzene sulfonate in place of the linear tridecylbenzene sulfonate, sodium alkyl poly-ethoxy sulfate wherein the alkyl is of 12 to 13 carbon atoms and the polye-thoxy i5 of an average of 6.5 ethoxy groups, instead of that pre~iously employed, 11% of the S~PP, 6~ of sodium carbonate, 15~ of bentonite, the adjuvants previously mentioned and 56% of water9 The additional sodium carbonate ~923~

improves the miscibility o~ the various components during ~he manufacturing procedure and the replacement oE the detergents c~oes not signiflcantly adversely afEect the properties of the product. The product is made in essential-ly the same manner as previously described.
The liquid detergent is a stable pourable liquid having the desirable cleaning and so~tening properties described for the liquid detergent of Example 1, whether used for machine washing or hand washing of laundry, or for pre-treatments thereof.
Similarly, acceptable liquid detergents are made when 3% of sodium lauryl alcohol sulfate, 2% of Neodol 23-6.5 and 0.5% of silicone anti-foam oil are incorporated in the product by addition to the components of Example 1 (replacing water). Also when sodium citrate or potassium citrate i~ employed to replace the sodium carbonate ~or when only partial replacements of such materials, e.g., 30~ replace~
ments, are effected with such citrates or trisodiu~ nitrilotri-acetate) useful liquid detergents result, having pxoperties like those of the composi~ions previously described.

A liquid detergent like that of Example 1 is made but only 2% of sodium carbonate i~ employed in the formulation, with the water content being increa6ed correspondingly.
~lthough ~he sodium carbonate cont~nt i5 decreased the mix ~923~

is still processable to a final product of desirable properties, which is useflll as a heavy duty laund~ydetergent for washing cotton and synthetic matexials and softening them, and is also useful as a pre-trea~ment for such laundry~ When 0.5%
s of sodi~n carboxymethylcellulose is added to the formula in place of part of the water thereof improved whitening of the laundry is ob~ained without ~ubstantial loss o~ softening power due to the anti~redeposition activity of the CMCo Xn other variations of the invent.ion, when the proportions of the various components of the liquid detergent of Example 1 are changed ~10% or ~20~, without going outside the ranges given in this specification, stable, pourable liquid detergents of useful cleaning and softening effects result~ In some such products it may be desirable to include a~ much as 10~ of Zeolite A or up to S~ of sodium ~ilicate o~ Na20:SiO2 ratio of about 1:2.4, although the silicate will often be avoided,and if the zeolite is present, to avoid deposit.ing of zeolite-silicate aggregates or reaction products the silicate will normally be omitted. If thinning of the liquid i~ desired up to 10~ o, ethanol ~r isopropanol.
may be employed.
As is seen from the pr~ceding description and the working examples, the fabric softening hea~y duty liquid detergents of this invention are stable t uniform~ attractive 25 and functional. ~espite the presence of a substantial proportion of gelling agent (bentonitel in a liquid medi~n, - 20 w ~23~iS

they do no-t form objectionab]e gels. Also, despite leny-thy storage, during which the suspended bentonite is subjected to intimate contact with surface active agents and inorganic sal-t builders in an aqueous mediurn the bentonite does not object:ion-ably agglomera-te and its softening action on laundry is not destroyed. By using the mentioned detergents and builders in an aqueous medium there is produced a liquid detergent which, despite the content of a substantial proportion of bentonite of the swelling type, retains its physical and chemical characteristics which allow it to be deposited on the laundry and act as a lubricant for the fibers thereof, thereby promoting softening of such laundry. Also, as was previously mentioned, by employment of the liquid medium the possibility that -the bentonite would be deactivated by overheating, as in a spray drying tower, is obviated.
The present liquid detergents, in addition to being useful as products for machine and hand washing of laundry, are also good for pre-treatments of stained portions of laundry, in which treatrnents it is considered -that the bentonlte content assists in removing the stains and in softening the stained area (and the product is also subsequently employed for washing purposes). Thus, from the foregoing recitation of the properties and advantages of the present invention it is seen that it represents a significant advance ~' J

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in the detergent composition art because it allows convenient employment of a liquid detergent to both clean and soften laundr~ (and to pre-treat it) while utilizing excellent ani.onic syrlthetlc organic deteryents and not having to incorporate with them adversely chemically reactive cationic materials, such as quaternary ammonium salts. Furthermore, the bentonites employed are not ecologically harmful, as the quaternary ammonium salts might be, and do not cause buildups of objectionable fatty deposits on laundry, which often can cause it look discolored, as the quaternaries sometimes do.
While the sodium salts and sodium compounds of the various components of the present liquid deter~ents have been described hecause they are especially satisfactory and are commercially available, the corresponding potassium compounds may be substit.uted for them, at least in part, and are also within this invention. Thus, potassium deterg~nts, potassium builder salts, potassium bento.nites and potassium adjuvant salts can be used and such are intended to be included with sodium compounds as "alkali me~al" compounds.
~o The invention has been described with respect to various embodiments and working examples but is not to be limited to these because it is ~vident tha~ one of skill in the art, with the present specification before him, will be able to utilize substitutes and equivalents without departing from the invention.

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Claims (9)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A fabric softening heavy duty liquid detergent com-prising 5 to 15 % of alkali metal linear or branched higher alkylbenzene sulfonate wherein the higher alkyl is of 12 to 13 carbon atoms, 2 to 5 % of alkali metal alkyl polyethoxy sulfate wherein the alkyl is of 10 to 18 carbon atoms and the poly-ethoxy is of 3 to 11 ethylene oxide groups, 6 to 26 % of builder salt selected from the group consisting of alkali metal tripolyphosphater alkali metal carbonate, alkali metal nitrilo-triacetate, and alkali metal citrate, and mixtures thereof, 10 to 20 % of a swelling bentonite, and 40 to 75 % of water.

2. A liquid detergent according to claim 1 wherein the alkali metal is sodium.

3. A liquid detergent according to claim 2 wherein the sodium linear higher alkyl benzene sulfonate is sodium linear or branched tridecylbenzene sulfonate, the sodium alkyl poly-ethoxy sulfate is one wherein the alkyl is of 12 to 15 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy is of 3 to 7 ethylene oxide groups, the builder salt is a mixture of sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium carbonate in a proportion within the range of 2:1 to 6:1 and the swelling bentonite is a sodium bentonite.

4. A liquid detergent according to claim 3 comprising 7 to 11% of sodium linear tridecylbenzene sulfonate, 2 to 3% of sodium alkyl polyethoxy sulfate wherein the alkyl is of 12 to 15 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy is of about 3 ethylene oxide groups, 5 to 20% of sodium tripolyphosphate containing less than 10% thereof of Phase I type tripoly-phosphate, 1 to 10% of sodium carbonate, 12 to 15% of sodium bentonite of particle sizes less than 44 microns, and 50 to 70% of water.

5. A liquid detergent according to claim 4 comprising about 9% of sodium linear tridecylbenzene sulfonate, about 2% of sodium alkyl polyethoxy sulfate wherein the alkyl is of 12 to 15 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy is of 3 ethylene oxide groups, 10 to 17% of sodium tripolyphosphate, 2 to 6% of sodium carbonate, about 12% of Wyoming bentonite and 55 to 65% of water.

6. A liquid detergent according to claim 5 comprising from 0.1 to 2% of fluorescent brightener, 0.05 to 1% of perfume and 0.01 to 1% of colorant.

7. A process for manufacturing a fabric softening heavy duty liquid detergent comprising 5 to 15% of alkali metal linear higher alkylbenzene sulfonate wherein the alkyl is of 12 to 13 carbon atoms, 2 to 5% of alkali metal alkyl polyethoxy sulfate wherein the alkyl is of 10 to 18 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy is of 3 to 11 ethylene oxide groups, 6 to 26% of builder salt selected from the group consisting of alkali metal tripolyphosphate, alkali metal carbonate, alkali metal nitrilotriacetate, and alkali metal citrate, and mixtures thereof, 10 to 20% of a swelling bentonite and 40 to 75% of water, which comprises mixing together the mentioned components with the exception of the swelling bentonite and 5 to 20%, on a final product basis, of the water, admixing the swelling bentonite to such mixture while it is being stirred, and subsequently admixing the remaining 5 to 20% of water with the resulting mixture t while it is being stirred.

8. A process according to claim 7 wherein the alkali metal is sodium.

9. A process according to claim 8 wherein the liquid detergent manufactured comprises about 9% of sodium linear tridecylbenzene sulfonate, about 2% of sodium alkyl polyethoxy sulfate wherein the alkyl is of 12 to 15 carbon atoms and the polyethoxy is of 3 ethylene oxide groups, 10 to 17% of sodium tripolyphosphate, 2 to 6% of sodium carbonate, with the ratio of sodium tripolyphosphate to sodium carbonate being in the range of 2:1 to 6:1, about 12% of Wyoming bentonite, and 55 to 65% of water, the components initially mixed together are those mentioned with the exception of the swelling bentonite and about 10%, on a final product basis, of the water, the swelling bentonite is admixed with such mixture while is is being stirred, and the remaining water is subsequently admixed with the resulting mixture while it is being stirred.