The present invention relates to a crumbly phase composition containing on total weight of the composition (i) 70-87 wt % of organic compounds and salts thereof containing 85 to 100 wt % on total organic compounds and salts thereof of MGDA-Na3, wherein at least 60 wt % of the MGDA-Na3 is crystalline, and (ii) 13-30 wt % of water

The invention furthermore relates to a process to prepare the above composition and a process to prepare crystals of MGDA-Na3 by drying the above composition.

Process for manufacturing granules or powders comprising the steps of (a) providing an aqueous solution or slurry of (A) at least one chelating agent according to general formula (I a) [CH.sub.3—CH(COO)—N(CH.sub.2—COO).sub.2]M.sub.3-XH.sub.X (I a) wherein M is selected from alkali metal cations and ammonium, same or different, and x is in the range of from 0.01 to 1.0 or (I b) [OOC—CH.sub.2CH.sub.2—CH(COO)—N(CH.sub.2—COO).sub.2]M.sub.4-XH.sub.X (I b) wherein M is as defined above, and x in formula (I b) is in the range of from 0.01 to 2.0, and (B) at least one polymer selected from (B1) polyaspartates with an average molecular weight M.sub.w in the range of from 1,000 to 20,000 g/mole, and (B2) copolymers comprising, in copolymerized form, (α) at least one ester of an ethylenically unsaturated mono- or dicarboxylic acid, and (β) at least one ethylenically unsaturated N-containing monomer, and (b) spray drying or granulating said solution or slurry.

Process for manufacturing granules or powders comprising the steps of (a) providing an aqueous solution or slurry of (A) at least one chelating agent according to general formula (I a) [CH.sub.3—CH(COO)—N(CH.sub.2—COO).sub.2]M.sub.3-XH.sub.X (I a) wherein M is selected from alkali metal cations and ammonium, same or different, and x is in the range of from 0.01 to 1.0 or (I b) [OOC—CH.sub.2CH.sub.2—CH(COO)—N(CH.sub.2—COO).sub.2]M.sub.4-XH.sub.X (I b) wherein M is as defined above, and x in formula (I b) is in the range of from 0.01 to 2.0, and (B) at least one polymer selected from (B1) polyaspartates with an average molecular weight M.sub.w in the range of from 1,000 to 20,000 g/mole, and (B2) copolymers comprising, in copolymerized form, (α) at least one ester of an ethylenically unsaturated mono- or dicarboxylic acid, and (β) at least one ethylenically unsaturated N-containing monomer, and (b) spray drying or granulating said solution or slurry.

Process for making a powder or granule containing at least one chelating agent selected from alkali metal salts of methyl glycine diacetic acid (MGDA) and glutamic acid diacetate (GLDA) and iminodisuccinic acid (IDS), said process comprising the steps of (a) introducing an aqueous solution or aqueous slurry of the respective chelating agent (A) into a spray-dryer or spray-granulator, and removing most of said water by spray-drying or spray granulation using a gas with an inlet temperature of 125 to 250° C., (b) withdrawingpowder or granules, respectively, from the spray-dryer or spray-granulator, respectively, (c) separating off fines from said powder or granules, wherein said fines have a maximum particle diameter of 350 μm, (d) separating off lumps from said powder or granules, wherein said lumps have a particle diameter of 1,500 μm or more, (e) milling said lumps to a maximum particle diameter of 500 μm, (f) re-introducing said fines from step (c) and milled lumps from step (e) into the spray-dryer or spray-granulator, wherein the share of fines is in the range of from 0.5 to 20% by weight of the total chelating agent (A) withdrawn in step (b) and the share of milled lumps is in the range of from 5 to 60% by weight of the total chelating agent (A) withdrawn in step (b).

Process for making a powder or granule containing at least one chelating agent selected from alkali metal salts of methyl glycine diacetic acid (MGDA) and glutamic acid diacetate (GLDA) and iminodisuccinic acid (IDS), said process comprising the steps of (a) introducing an aqueous solution or aqueous slurry of the respective chelating agent (A) into a spray-dryer or spray-granulator, and removing most of said water by spray-drying or spray granulation using a gas with an inlet temperature of 125 to 250° C., (b) withdrawingpowder or granules, respectively, from the spray-dryer or spray-granulator, respectively, (c) separating off fines from said powder or granules, wherein said fines have a maximum particle diameter of 350 μm, (d) separating off lumps from said powder or granules, wherein said lumps have a particle diameter of 1,500 μm or more, (e) milling said lumps to a maximum particle diameter of 500 μm, (f) re-introducing said fines from step (c) and milled lumps from step (e) into the spray-dryer or spray-granulator, wherein the share of fines is in the range of from 0.5 to 20% by weight of the total chelating agent (A) withdrawn in step (b) and the share of milled lumps is in the range of from 5 to 60% by weight of the total chelating agent (A) withdrawn in step (b).

Process for manufacturing granules of at least one alkali metal salt of aminopolycarboxylic acid (A), comprising the steps of (a) providing an aqueous slurry of alkali metal salt of aminopolycarboxylic acid (A), (b) maintaining said aqueous slurry at a temperature in the range of from 50 to 90° C. over a period of time in the range of from 2 to 180 hours, (c) spray granulating said slurry with a gas inlet temperature of at least 150° C.

Process for manufacturing granules of at least one alkali metal salt of aminopolycarboxylic acid (A), comprising the steps of (a) providing an aqueous slurry of alkali metal salt of aminopolycarboxylic acid (A), (b) maintaining said aqueous slurry at a temperature in the range of from 50 to 90° C. over a period of time in the range of from 2 to 180 hours, (c) spray granulating said slurry with a gas inlet temperature of at least 150° C.

The present application relates processes that can be used to produce encapsulated benefit agents comprising a core and a shell that encapsulates said core, encapsulated benefit agents produced by such process and products comprising such encapsulated benefit agents as well as methods of making and using such products. Such process can be used to produce particles that offer the desired protection and release benefits when used in a varity of products.

The present application relates processes that can be used to produce encapsulated benefit agents comprising a core and a shell that encapsulates said core, encapsulated benefit agents produced by such process and products comprising such encapsulated benefit agents as well as methods of making and using such products. Such process can be used to produce particles that offer the desired protection and release benefits when used in a varity of products.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a spray-dried laundry detergent particle, wherein the process includes the step of contacting water-insoluble silicate salt to monomeric organic carboxylic acid in an aqueous mixture, wherein the aqueous mixture has a pH of 4.2 or less, wherein the aqueous mixture includes detersive surfactant, wherein the aqueous mixture is substantially free of carbonate salt, wherein the water-insoluble silicate salt reacts with the monomeric organic carboxylic acid to form silica, wherein the aqueous mixture is spray-dried to form a spray-dried laundry detergent particle, wherein the particle comprises: detersive surfactant; monomeric organic carboxylic acid; and silica, wherein the particle is substantially free of carbonate salt.