NEUTRALIZATION PROCESS FOR MAKING AGGLOMERATE DETERGENT GRANULES

The subject invention involves a continuous process for producing agglomerate detergent granules comprising the following steps: (a) grinding carbonate selected from sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, and mixtures thereof, to a freshly ground particulate carbonate having a median particle size of from about 2 to about 50 microns, (b) preparing a mixture in a high-speed mixer by feeding to the mixer raw materials consisting essentially of the following: (1) from about 10% to about 25% an alkylbenzene sulfonic acid; (2) from about 25% to about 80% the freshly ground particulate carbonate, the amount of carbonate being at least about 10 times the amount theoretically needed to neutralize the alkylbenzene sulfonic acid; (3) from about 5% to about 40% a phosphate builder selected from polyphosphates, pyrophosphates, and mixtures thereof; (4) from about 5% to about 50% a sodium sulfate; (5) from 0% to about 10% other surfactants; (6) from 0% to about 9% water (including water in the raw materials); and (7) from 0% to about 10% other materials; (c) agglomerating the mixture from step (a) in a moderate-speed mixer, whereby the alkylbenzene sulfonic acid is neutralized by the carbonate and the agglomerate detergent granules are produced, and wherein the granules produced are substantially free of flow aids selected from silicas, clays, diatomaceous earth, aluminosilicates, perlite, calcite, and mixtures thereof.