Abstract: Improved cleaning and/or bleaching compositions including fabric laundry and bleaching compositions, automatic dishwashing compositions, hard surface cleaners, bleach additives and the like, suitable for domestic use, comprising improved bleach activators having particular alpha-modified lactam leaving groups leading to improved in-use performance of bleaching agents such as perborate even under wash conditions less alkaline than those typically encountered or when hydrogen peroxide source is at low levels in a cleaning operation. A preferred class of activators are N-acyl-3-morpholinone compounds with benzoyl being a preferred acyl group and N-Benzoyl-3-oxomorpholine being a highly preferred activator.

Abstract: Bleaching compositions, laundry and automatic dishwashing detergent compositions comprising particular neutral or anionically charged substituted bleach activators are provided. More specifically, the invention relates to compositions which provide enhanced cleaning/bleaching benefits through the selection of perhydrolysis-selective bleach activators having specific leaving groups with a conjugate acid pK.sub.a above 13 and with specific ratios of the rate of perhydrolysis to the rate of hydrolysis and the rate of perhydrolysis to the rate of diacylperoxide production. Included are preferred activator compounds and methods for washing fabrics, hard surfaces, and tableware using the activators.

Abstract: Automatic dishwashing detergent compositions, comprising particular quaternary-substituted bleach activators, are provided. More specifically, the invention relates to granular automatic dishwashing detergents which provide enhanced cleaning/bleaching benefits through the selection of quaternary-substituted bleach activators having specific features, such as caprolactam or valerolactam leaving groups and/or the ability to form particular cationic aliphatic peracid structures in solution. Preferred automatic dishwashing compositions comprise amylase enzymes. Included are preferred activator compounds and methods for washing tableware in domestic automatic dishwashing appliances using the activators.

Abstract: Cleaning and soil dispersing compositions comprising ethoxylated/propoxylated polyalkyleneamine polymers are provided. Thus, detergent compositions which comprise ethoxylated/propoxylated polyalkyleneamine polymers, such as poly(ethyleneimine) with a degree of ethoxylation of 1.0, provide soil dispersing performance in the wash liquor and whitening and/or cleaning benefits to fabrics, hard-surfaces, or dishware.

Abstract: Bleaching compositions, laundry and automatic dishwashing detergent compositions comprising multiple-substituted bleach activators which have at least one quaternary nitrogen atom,, are provided. More specifically, the invention relates to compositions which provide enhanced cleaning/bleaching benefits though the selection of multiple-substituted quaternary bleach activators having specific leaving groups with a conjugate acid aqueous pK.sub.a above 13 and with advantageous ratios of rate of perhydrolysis to rate of hydrolysis and of rate of perhydrolysis to rate of diacylperoxide production. Included are preferred activator compounds and methods for washing fabrics, hard surfaces, and tableware using the activators.

Abstract: Bleaching compositions, laundry and automatic dishwashing detergent compositions comprising multiple-substituted bleach activators which have at least one quaternary nitrogen atom, are provided. More specifically, the invention relates to compositions which provide enhanced cleaning/bleaching benefits though the selection of multiple-substituted quaternary bleach activators having specific leaving groups with a conjugate acid aqueous pK.sub.a above 13 and with advantageous ratios of rate of perhydrolysis to rate of hydrolysis and of rate of perhydrolysis to rate of diacylperoxide production. Included are preferred activator compounds and methods for washing fabrics, hard surfaces, and tableware using the activators.

Abstract: A process for preparing particulate bodies containing a substantially water-insoluble organic peroxyacid compound, which process does not include a solidification step, including an early step of intimately mixing substantially water-insoluble peroxyacid compound with a peroxyacid-stable, water-soluble surfactant.

Abstract: Improved detergent compositions, especially granular detergents, comprising bleach activators which form multiperacids, especially specific monoquaternary substituted bis(peroxycarbonic) acids, upon perhydrolysis are provided.

Abstract: Improved automatic dishwashing detergent compositions, especially granular detergents, comprising bleach activators which form multiperacids, especially specific monoquaternary substituted bis(peroxycarbonic) acids, upon perhydrolysis are provided.

Abstract: Improved detergent compositions, especially granular automatic dishwashing detergents, comprising multiquaternary bleach activators are provided. The bleach activators contain multiple quaternary nitrogen groups, preferably at least three such groups and preferably have at least one quaternary nitrogen group in the peracid-forming portion of the bleach activator as well as at least one quaternary nitrogen group in the leaving-group portion.

Abstract: High quality acyl lactam imides are prepared by reacting an acyl lactam of the formula ##STR1## where 5 carbon atoms and an acylating acid of the formula R'CO.sub.2 H or by reacting a lactam, an anhydride of the formula (RCO).sub.2 O where R is 1 to 5 carbon atoms and an acylating acid, preferably in the presence of a base catalyst. The process affords acyl lactam imides in high yield and at lower reaction temperatures by providing for the removal of volatile carboxylic acid by-products under vacuum or by the use of a stripping gas. The acyl lactam imides are particularly suited for use as bleach activators in detergent compositions.

Abstract: Laundry detergents and bleaching systems comprising acyl verolactam bleach activators having the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or alkoxy group containing from about 1 to about 18 carbon atoms wherein the longest linear alkyl or alkoxy chain extending from and including the carbonyl carbon contains from about 2 to about 12 carbon atoms; ##STR2## wherein R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, and R.sup.6 are members selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, nitro, alkyl, alkoxy, alkoxyaryl, alkaryl, and alkaryloxy moieties containing from about 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, and substituents having the structures: ##STR3## wherein R.sup.7 is selected from the group consisting of H, alkyl, alkaryl, alkoxy, alkoxyaryl, alkaryloxy, and aminoalkyl; X is O, NH, or NR.sup.9, wherein R.sup.9 is H or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group; and R.sup.8 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, or aryl group containing from 3 to 11 carbon atoms; orc) mixtures of a) and b)are provided.

Abstract: Poly(glutamic acid) is used as a dispersing, soil-suspending or anti-redeposition agent in laundry detergent or other cleaning compositions that also contain a detersive surfactant. Suitable polymers include not only the homopolymers of glutamic acid but also block, graft or random copolymers of glutamic acid with biodegradable monomers or polymers, e.g., other amino acids or polyethylene glycol.

Abstract: N-alkylamino polyols substantially free from nickel contamination are prepared by reacting N-alkylamines with reducing sugars in the presence of hydrogen and nickel catalysts under defined conditions of temperature and pressure. The polyols are characterized by their low odor and low color characteristics. Thus, high quality N-methyl glucamine, N-methyl fructamines and the like are secured.

Abstract: Anionic sulfonated poly-ethoxy/propoxy, especially modified isethionate, end-capped esters useful as soil release agents in detergent compositions are presented. The terephthalate esters are homogeneously integrated with one or more crystallization-reducing stabilizers.