ABSTRACT
Powder laundry detergents contain a wide variety of different ingredients at varying concentrations. Examples of surfactant technologies that have been or are being developed to meet the requirements of compact powder detergents are discussed. Production of new forms of surfactant including high-active liquids, pastes, and powders has been necessitated by the current transition from spray-tower production of powders to agglomeration and dry-blending processes. In order to function effectively in a powder detergent, the surfactant component(s) must dissolve to a sufficient degree for adsorbed molecules to quickly diffuse to and saturate the soil-water and fabric-water interfaces. Nonionic surfactants such as alcohol ethoxylates exhibit significantly different phase behavior in aqueous solution than that exhibited by anionics. Detergency studies of prototype powder formulations have been performed using a radiotracer technique. Household laundry powders have historically been manufactured by the spray drying process. The environmental impact of new surfactants developed for use in next-generation detergent powders will require similar investigation.
