Heavy metal adjuncts, their preparation and use

A stable heavy metal adjunct, particularly manganese adjunct, for use as a peroxygen bleach catalyst is disclosed which comprises a matrix of a heavy meal salt provided with a surface powder coating of desiccant microsized powdered material having a mean particle size of less than 25 mu m. A process for preparing said adjunct and bleaching and detergent compositions containing said adjunct are also disclosed. Preferred heavy metal is manganese and preferred surface powder coating is with microsized silicon dioxide (silica).