Abstract: A bed of particulate solids including some hydrated materials can be converted by controlled irradiation with subinfrared electromagnetic radiation into a unitary porous solid that is mechanically strong enough for easy handling. When the particulate solids include typical mildly acid to alkaline cleaner materials, a block or tablet especially suitable for automatic cleaning machinery, with a very fast dissolution rate in water, can readily be obtained.

Abstract: The invention relates to an agglomerate containing at least one of the following water-soluble or water-dispersible materials as a bonding base polymer: carboxylized and/or alkoxylized starch, cellulose ether and fully synthetic vinyl polymers and/or polyacrylates. The agglomerate is characterized in that it contains a blasting agent which produces a high swelling pressure, but, advantageously, does not gel. The agglomerate can have a regular geometric form or not. Its weight should be between 0.5 and 500 g. The agglomerate is used in particular in the production of lump-free paste.

Abstract: A process for producing detergent tablets by exposing a detergent composition to microwave radiation in the frequency range from 3 to 300,000 MHz while treating the detergent composition with hot air having a temperature of 50.degree. C. to 300.degree. C.

Abstract: A process for producing detergent tablets containing more than 10% by weight of anionic surfactant wherein the detergent tablets contain detergent components which are at least partly in hydrated form and the anionic surfactant is present in the form of one or more compounds containing up to 95% by weight of surfactants, by exposing a mixture of the detergent components and the anionic surfactant to microwaves in the frequency range from 3 to 300,000 MHz.

Abstract: A bed of particulate solids including some hydrated materials can be converted by controlled irradiation with subinfrared electromagnetic radiation into a unitary porous solid that is mechanically strong enough for easy handling. When the particulate solids include typical acid to alkaline cleaner materials, a block or tablet especially suitable for automatic cleaning machinery, with a very fast dissolution rate in water, can readily be obtained.

Abstract: In order to prepare fluid, storage-stable ampholytic surface-active agents, (a) 1-hydroxyethyl-2-alkyl-2-imidazolines having formula (1), in which R.sup.1 stands for an alkyl residue with 5 to 21 carbon atoms, are quaternated or carboxymethylated with halogenated carboxylic acid salts at a pH range from 7.5 to 9, and at the same time hydrolyzed with aqueous bases, then (b) the pH value of the reaction final products is set between 5 and 7.