Abstract: Disclosed herein are detergent compositions containing a water soluble organic surfactant and as a builder therefor a compound of the general formula: ##STR1## wherein X and X' are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxys having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, carboxyl in salt form (i.e., --COOM), and carboxymethyloxy in salt form (i.e., --OCH.sub.2 COOM), with the provision that only one of X and X' can be hydrogen, alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, carboxyl in salt form or carboxymethyloxy in salt form; Y and Y' are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyls having from 1 to 2 carbon atoms, and hydroxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; in the cases where both X and Y' or X' and Y are hydrogen or alkyls, X' and Y or X and Y' taken together can constitute a single bond which connects the .alpha. and .alpha.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are detergent compositions containing a water soluble organic surfactant and as a builder therefor a compound of the general formulas ##STR1## wherein X and X' are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxys having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, carboxyl in salt form (i.e., --COOH), and carboxymethyloxy in salt form (i.e., --OCH.sub.2 COOH), with the provision that only one of X and X' can be hydrogen, alkoxy, alkoxyalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, carboxyl in salt form or carboxymethyloxy in salt form; Y and Y' are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyls having from 1 to 2 carbon atoms, and hydroxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; in the cases where both X and Y' or X' and Y are hydrogen or alkyls, X' and Y or X and Y' taken together can constitute a single bond which connects the .alpha. and .alpha.