Patent ID: 6369018
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: C11D

Abstract:
A process for making a stable shear-thinning, transparent or translucent liquid laundry detergent composition, the composition comprising:(a) about 0.01 to 5% by wt. of a polymer gum or polymer gums capable of forming stable, non-continuous networks selected from the group of gums consisting of agar, gelatin, rhamsan, gellan and furcellaran wherein said stable, non-continuous network can suspend particles having a size of 300 to 5000 microns; (b) 15 to 85% by wt. of a surfactant; (c) an alkalinity buffer; wherein by shear thinning is meant being able to support particles 300 to 5000 microns in size while having a pour viscosity of about 50 to about 3000 cps measured at 21Sâˆ’1 at about room temperature; wherein by stable is meant particles do not phase separate for at least 2 weeks when measured at room temperature; wherein said process comprises: (i) mixing about 0.01 to 5% by wt. of a gum premix of said gum polymer or polymers with balance water at a temperature of about room temperature to about 200Â° F. for at least 30 minutes or until gum is swollen to form a polymer gum premix having concentration about 0.001 to 5% by wt. composition; (ii) promoting formation of gum bits from said premix by agitating the premix and additionally selecting a method selected from the group consisting of addition of counterion, use of temperature differential and mixtures thereof; and (iii) separately preparing a liquid detergent base comprising the surfactant which is subsequently combined with the gum bits formed in step (ii) to form a final detergent composition comprising suspending gum bits.