Process for manufacturing solid cast silicate-based detergent compositions and resultant product

A process for producing a solid cast silicate-based cleaning compositions which includes the step of combining appropriate concentrations of an alkali metal silicate, an alkali metal hydroxide and a source of water to form a reaction mixture that solidifies into a reaction product which is processable at temperatures below the melting point or decomposition temperature of the reaction product. The process provides for the rapid manufacture of a solid cast alkaline cleaning composition without melting of the cast composition. Incorporation of appropriate amounts of a combination of a polyacrylate and a phosphonate into the cleaning composition cooperate with the silicate present in the composition to form a threshold system which is effective for controlling precipitation of both calcium and magnesium in a use solution. The invention includes a process for manufacturing an improved solid cast alkaline composition, that includes (a) reacting an alkali metal silicate with an alkali metal hydroxide of the formula MOH, where M is an alkali metal, in an aqueous environment to form a reaction product; and (b) solidifying the reaction product in a mold where the reaction product is formed and solidified at room temperature without the addition of externally supplied heat and the reaction product solidifies without the use of external cooling; and where the relative amount of alkali metal silicate, alkali metal hydroxide and water incorporated into the composition are effective for producing a reaction product having about 20 to 50 parts water per 100 parts of a combination of the alkali metal silicate, the alkali metal hydroxide and water in the cast solid composition and an MO:SiOratio of about 2.5:1 to 4.0:1 and M is an alkali metal; and where the process does not result in the deactivation of desirable operative cleaning components.