FABRIC CLEANING PROCESS.

摘要

A PROCESS IS FOR WASHING FABRICS IN A HORIZONTAL DRUM TYPE AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINE THAT INVOLVES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A LOCALISED HIGH CONCENTRATION OF A WATER SOLUBLE CARBOXYLATE CHELATING SALT FORMING ONE OF THE BUILDER COMPONENTS OF THE DETERGENT COMPOSITION IN THE WASH LIQUOR IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING THE FABRICS IN THE ROTABLE DRUM DURING THE PERIOD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE START OF THE WASH CYCLE. THE CARBOXYLATE CHELATING SALT DEVELOPS AT LEAST 80% OF ITS EQUILIBRIUM CONCENTRATION WITHIN 45 SECONDS AND THE FREE CA ++ 7- ION CONCENTRATION IS REDUCED TO NO MORE THAN 0.1 MMOLES/LITRE AFTER NOT MORE THAN 30 SECS FOLLOWING THE START OF ROTATION OR OSCILLATION OF THE DRUM.THE WATER SOLUBLE CARBOXYLATE CHELATING SALT IS PREFERABLY A MONOMERIC OR OLIGOMERIC CARBOXYLATE SALT HAVING A FIRST CARBOXYL LOGARITHMIC ACIDITY/CONSTANT (pK) VALUE OF LESS THAN 9, PREFERABLY BETWEEN 2 AND 8.5.