Description:FIELD OF INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to a detergent composition and a process of preparation thereof. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a detergent composition comprising coarse and fine sodium carbonate. The present disclosure also relates to a water softening composition comprising coarse and fine sodium carbonate.

BACKGROUND
Water hardness is a factor that is often overlooked in the laundering process. The presence of certain minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, determines the ‘hardness’ of water. Water hardness can severely affect the quality of the laundering process by reducing the effectiveness of detergents. Typically, detergents comprise anionic surfactants, and commonly used surfactants include petrochemical based synthetic surfactants such as Linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid (LABSA). Dissolved salts of calcium and magnesium in water are divalent cations and have a strong tendency to bind with anionic surfactants such as LABSA, thereby reducing the availability and activity of the surfactant. This phenomenon decreases the detergency of a detergent or in other words it reduces the effectiveness of the surfactant to clean and get rid of dust or dirt from a fabric. For a surfactant to be effective, the calcium and magnesium must be removed from the washing water before use.

Builders are often added to detergents to reduce water hardness as they interact with calcium and magnesium ions making them less available and thus limit their interference with surfactants present in the detergent. A common builder that is added to detergents is sodium tri-polyphosphate (STPP). Sodium carbonate or “washing soda” (also known as soda ash) is another common builder that is added to detergents. Sodium carbonate has the unique property of acting both as a builder in a detergent while also imparting cleaning properties. It prevents hard water from bonding with the surfactant while simultaneously removing stains such as grease and oil stains from clothing. Sodium carbonate is also an environmentally friendly alternative to other commonly used builders such as sodium tri-polyphosphate whose use is now limited owing to its contribution to eutrophication. However, sodium carbonate can vary in density, size, and shape which significantly affects its cleaning and water softening properties.

JP2015151546A describes a detergent composition that has low moisture absorption, good biodegradability, and has reduced dusting. JP2015151546A teaches that the composition comprises one or two kinds of sodium carbonate selected from dense ash and light ash, and the mass ratio of dense ash and light ash is 0 to 0.5, and the total amount is 40-94.5% by mass. It also teaches that the light ash contains fine powder of 100 µm or less to suppress dusting of the fine powder detergent.

SUMMARY
The present application relates to a detergent composition. The detergent composition comprises a surfactant in a range of 5% to 15 % by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition; and a sodium carbonate fraction in a range of 15% to 30 % by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. The sodium carbonate fraction comprises fine sodium carbonate in a range of 5% to 15 % by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction and coarse sodium carbonate in a range of 85% to 95% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. The particle size distribution of fine sodium carbonate is D90 in a range of 8 to 15 µm, D50 in a range of 2 to 7 µm, and D10 in a range of 0.1 to 1 µm, and the particle size distribution of coarse sodium carbonate is D90 in a range of 175 to 220 µm , D50 in a range of 40 to100 µm, and D10 in a range of 2 to 10 µm.

Also described is a process of preparing said detergent composition. The process includes preparing a sodium carbonate fraction by mixing fine sodium carbonate in a range of 5% to 15 % by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction and coarse sodium carbonate in a range of 85% to 95% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. The process further includes mixing an inorganic salt in a range of 20% to 40% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition, an alkali sulphate in a range of 20% to 40% by weight of the total weight the detergent composition, and the sodium carbonate fraction in a range of 15% to 30% by weight of the total weight the detergent composition to obtain a first mixture, and mixing a surfactant in a range of 5% to 15 % by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition with the first mixture to obtain the detergent composition. The particle size distribution of fine sodium carbonate is D90 in a range of 8 to 15 µm, D50 in a range of 2 to 7 µm, D10 in a range of 0.1 to 1 µm, and the particle size distribution of coarse sodium carbonate is D90 in a range of 175 to 220 µm, D50 in a range of 40 to100 µm, and D10 in a range of 2 to 10 µm.

A water softening composition is also disclosed. The water softening composition includes fine sodium carbonate in a range of 5% to 15% by weight of the water softening composition and coarse sodium carbonate in a range of 85% to 95% by weight of the water softening composition, wherein the particle size distribution of fine sodium carbonate is D90 in a range of 8 to 15 µm, D50 in a range of 2 to 7 µm, D10 in a range of 0.1 to 1 µm, and the particle size distribution of coarse sodium carbonate is D90 in a range of 175 to 220 µm , D50 in a range of 40 to100 µm, and D10 in a range of 2 to 10 µm.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
Figure 1 demonstrates the sodium ion concentration of different sodium-carbonate blends, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 2 demonstrates the effect of different sodium carbonate blends on the turbidity of water, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 3 shows the sodium ion concentration of different sodium carbonate blends on the addition of sodium bicarbonate, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 4 shows the effect of the addition of sodium bicarbonate to different sodium carbonate blends on the turbidity of water.
Figure 5 shows the effect of the addition of dolomite to different sodium carbonate blends on the turbidity of water, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the disclosure, reference will now be made to embodiments and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the disclosed composition and method, and such further applications of the principles of the disclosure therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the disclosure and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment”, “in an embodiment” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
The terms “a,” “an,”, and “the” are used to refer to “one or more” (i.e. to at least one) of the grammatical object of the article.
“Hard water” or “hardness of water" is defined as water having a high content of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium, magnesium, and carbonates, bicarbonates, and sulphates thereof. The dissolved mineral content of hard water is greater than 120ppm.
Particle size distribution D50 is the median particle diameter or median particle size distribution in a sample. D10 represents the particle diameter corresponding to 10% cumulative (from 0 % to 100%) undersize particle size distribution. In other words, if the particle size D10 is 5µm, 10% of the particles in the tested sample are less than 5µm. Similarly, D90 represents the particle diameter corresponding to 90% cumulative (from 0 % to 100%) undersize particle size distribution. In other words, if the particle size D90 is 200µm, 90% of the particles in the tested sample are less than 200µm.
Nuclei refers to molecular aggregates that develop via self-assembly or self-organization.
The present disclosure relates to a detergent composition. In its widest scope the present disclosure relates to a detergent composition comprising a surfactant and a sodium carbonate fraction that comprises fine sodium carbonate and coarse sodium carbonate. In accordance with an aspect the detergent composition comprises a surfactant in a range of 5 % to15 % by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition; and a sodium carbonate fraction in a range of 15 % to 30 % by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition, wherein the sodium carbonate fraction comprises fine sodium carbonate in a range of 5 % to 15 % by weight of the total weight of the sodium carbonate fraction and coarse sodium carbonate in a range of 85 % to 95% by weight of the total weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. The fine sodium carbonate has a particle size distribution of D90 in the range of 8 to 15 µm, of D50 in the range of 2 to 7 µm, and of D10 in the range of 0.1 to 1 µm. The coarse sodium carbonate has a particle size distribution of D90 in the range of 175 to 220 µm, D50 in the range of 40 to 100 µm, and D10 in the range of 2 to 10 µm.
The detergent composition of the present disclosure comprises the sodium carbonate fraction in the range of 15% to 30% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In accordance with an embodiment, the detergent composition comprises the sodium carbonate fraction in the range of 20% to 28% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In some embodiments, the detergent composition comprises the sodium carbonate fraction in the range of 20% to 25% by weight of of the total weight of the detergent composition. In another embodiment, the detergent composition comprises 24% of the sodium carbonate fraction by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.
The sodium carbonate fraction in the detergent composition of the present disclosure comprises a mixture of fine sodium carbonate and coarse sodium carbonate.
In accordance with an embodiment, the fine sodium carbonate is in the range of 5% to 15 % by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. In some embodiments the fine sodium carbonate is in the range of 5% to 10% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. In a further embodiment, the fine sodium carbonate is in the range of 10 % to 15 % by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. In a specific embodiment, the detergent composition comprises 10% fine sodium carbonate by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. In another embodiment, the detergent composition comprises 5% fine sodium carbonate by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction.
In accordance with an embodiment, the particle size distribution of fine sodium carbonate, is such that D90 is in the range of 8 to 15 µm, D50 is in the range of 2 to 7 µm, and D10 is in the range of 0.1 to 1 µm. In some embodiments, the particle size distribution of fine sodium carbonate is such that D90 is in the range of 8 to15 µm, D50 is in the range of 2.5 to5 µm, and D10 is in the range of 0.2 to 0.5 µm. In a further embodiment, the particle size distribution of fine sodium carbonate is such that D90 is in the range of 9.67 to 13.2 µm, D50 is in the range of 3.15 to 4.28 µm, and D10 is in the range of 0.33 to 0.38 µm.
In accordance with an embodiment, the fine sodium carbonate of the desired particle size may be prepared from coarse sodium carbonate by various methods including but not limited to spray drying soda ash solution, dry milling, air classification, sieving, recrystallization. In an alternate embodiment, the fine sodium carbonate of the desired particle size may be obtained pre-prepared from commercial sources.
In accordance with an embodiment, the coarse sodium carbonate is in the range of 85% to 95% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. In some embodiments, the coarse sodium carbonate is in the range of 90% to 95% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. In one embodiment, the detergent composition comprises 90% coarse sodium carbonate by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. In another embodiment, the detergent composition comprises 95% coarse sodium carbonate by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction.
In accordance with an embodiment, the particle size distribution of coarse sodium carbonate is such that D90 is in the range of 175 µm to 220 µm, D50 is in the range of 40 µm to 100 µm, and D10 is in the range of 2 µm to 10 µm. In accordance with an embodiment, the particle size distribution of coarse sodium carbonate is such that D90 is in the range of 180 to 220 µm, D50 is in the range of 50 to 80 µm, and D10 is in the range of 2.5 to 9 µm. In some embodiments, the detergent composition comprises a particle size of coarse sodium carbonate in the range of D90 in the range of 181 to 220 µm, D50 in the range of 54.5 to 73.7 µm, and D10 in the range of 3.31 to 8.72 µm.
The detergent composition of the present disclosure comprises a surfactant in the range of 5% to 15 % by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In some embodiments, the surfactant is in the range of 8% to 12% of the total weight of the detergent composition. In a further embodiment, the detergent composition comprises 11% surfactant by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.
In accordance with an embodiment, the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants and combinations thereof.
In accordance with an embodiment, the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid, alkane sulfonate, alkyl ethoxylate sulfate, alkyl glyceryl sulfonate, alkyl sulfate, alpha olefin sulfonate, alkylbenzene sulphonates, alkyl ester fatty acid sulphonates, and methyl ester fatty acid sulphonate, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the surfactant is linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid.
In accordance with an embodiment, the cationic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of benzalkonium chloride, didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, sodium dodecyl sulfate, hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate, stearyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, and combinations thereof.
In accordance with an embodiment, the non-ionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of cetomacrogol 1000, cetostearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, cocamide DEA, cocamide MEA, polysorbate, sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan tristearate, stearyl alcohol, and combinations thereof.
The detergent composition of the present disclosure comprises an inorganic salt in the range of 20 % to 40 % by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In accordance with an embodiment, the inorganic salt is in the range of 25 % to 37% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In some embodiments, the detergent composition comprises 35% inorganic salt by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.
In accordance with an embodiment, the inorganic salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the inorganic salt is sodium chloride.
The detergent composition of the present disclosure also comprises an alkali sulphate in the range of 20% to 40% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In some embodiments, the alkali sulphate is in the range of 25% to 35% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In another embodiment, the detergent composition comprises 28.8% alkali sulphate by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.
In accordance with an embodiment, the alkali sulphate is selected from the group consisting of sodium sulphate, potassium sulphate, and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the alkali sulphate is sodium sulphate.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the detergent composition of the present disclosure may comprise precipitated silica in the range of 1% to 3% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In some embodiments, the precipitated silica is in the range of 1% to 2% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In another embodiment, the detergent composition comprises 1% precipitated silica by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In accordance with an embodiment, the precipitated silica is a detergent grade silica. Any known detergent grade silica known in the art maybe used.
The detergent composition of the present disclosure optionally comprises a fragrance in the range of 0.1% to 1% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In accordance with an embodiment, the fragrance is in the range of 0.1% to 0.5% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In some embodiments the detergent composition comprises 0.2% fragrance by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.
In accordance with an embodiment, the fragrance is a natural fragrance. Natural fragrances include natural extract ingredients that are processed to obtain fragrances, which include, but are not limited to essential oils, infusions, and distillates. Examples of such natural fragrances include but are not limited to basil oil, bergamot oil, birch oil, cedar leaf oil, cedar wood oil, citronella oil, clove oil, camphor oil, eucalyptus oil, geranium oil, hyacinth absolute, jasmine absolute, juniper berry oil, lavender oil, lemon oil, lemongrass oil, mandarin oil, neroli oil, orange oil, orange flower oil peppermint oil, pine needle oil, rose oil, rosemary oil, sandalwood oil, vetiver oil, ylang ylang oil.
In accordance with an embodiment, the fragrance is a synthetic fragrance. Examples of synthetic fragrances include but are not limited to linalool, geraniol, nerol, citronellol, menthol, cinnamyl alcohol, isoeugenol, methyl eugenol, citronellal, hydroxycitronellal, benzaldehyde, vanillin, acetyl propionyl, acetyl butyryl, menthone, camphor, acetophenone, p-methyl acetophenone, amyl butyrolactone, diphenyl oxide, methyl phenyl glycidate, coumarin, cineole, methyl formate, isopropyl formate, methyl acetate, benzyl acetate, cinnamyl acetate, butyl propionate, isoamyl acetate, geranyl isovalerate, methyl laurate, ethyl myristate, methyl myristate, ethyl benzoate, benzyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, cinnamyl cinnamate, methyl salicylate, ethyl pyruvate, cedryl acetate, citronellyl acetate, citronellyl formate, p-cresyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethylene brassylate, geranyl acetate, geranyl formate, isoamyl salicylate.
In accordance with an embodiment, the detergent composition does not contain any sodium bicarbonate.
In accordance with an embodiment, the detergent composition may further include but is not limited to foam regulators, brighteners, enzymes, dyes, and stabilizers. These may be added in the range of 0.1% to 1% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.
In accordance with a specific embodiment the detergent composition comprises: - the surfactant in the range of 5% to 15% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition;
- the sodium carbonate fraction in the range of 15% to 30 % by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition, wherein the sodium carbonate fraction comprises fine sodium carbonate in the range of 5% to 15 % by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction and coarse sodium carbonate in the range of 85% to 95% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction, wherein the particle size distribution of fine sodium carbonate is D90 in the range of 8 to 15 µm, D50 in the range of 2 to 7 µm, and D10 in the range of 0.1 to 1 µm, and the particle size distribution of coarse sodium carbonate is D90 in the range of 175 to 220 µm , D50 in the range of 40 to100 µm, and D10 in the range of 2 to 10 µm.
- the inorganic salt in the range of 20% to 40% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition;
- the alkali sulphate in the range of 20% to 40% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition;
- the precipitated silica in the range of 1% to 3% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition; and
- the fragrance in the range of 0.1% to 1% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.
Also disclosed is a process of preparing the detergent composition.
The process comprises mixing together fine sodium carbonate and coarse sodium carbonate to obtain a sodium carbonate fraction. In the next step, an inorganic salt, an alkali sulphate and the sodium carbonate fraction are mixed together to obtain a first mixture. Subsequently, a surfactant is mixed with the first mixture to obtain the detergent composition. In an optional step a fragrance and precipitated silica are mixed after adding the surfactant to obtain the detergent composition.
In accordance with an embodiment, the components are mixed for a time period of between 5 to 10 minutes before proceeding to the next step. Mixing ensures that all components are combined together in a uniform manner.
In accordance with an embodiment, the sodium carbonate fraction is obtained by mixing fine sodium carbonate in the range of 5% to 15% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction and coarse sodium carbonate in the range of 85% to 95% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. In some embodiments, the sodium carbonate fraction is obtained by mixing fine sodium carbonate in the range of 5 % to 10% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction and coarse sodium carbonate in the range of 90% to 95% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction. In another embodiment, the sodium carbonate fraction is obtained by mixing fine sodium carbonate in the range of 10% to 15% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction and coarse sodium carbonate in the range of 90 % to 95% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction.
In accordance with an embodiment, the fine sodium carbonate and coarse sodium carbonate are mixed together using a blender. In some embodiments, the blender is a ribbon blender.
In the next step of the process, the first mixture is obtained by mixing the sodium carbonate fraction in the range of 15% to 30% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition with the inorganic salt in the range of 20% to 40% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition, and the alkali sulphate in the range of 20% to 40% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.
In accordance with an embodiment, the inorganic salt and the alkali sulphate may be added to the sodium carbonate fraction in the same blender which is used to prepare the sodium carbonate fraction i.e., first the sodium carbonate fraction is prepared in a blender and then the inorganic salt and the alkali sulphate are added to the prepared sodium carbonate fraction in the same blender and mixed to obtain the first mixture. In an alternate embodiment, the sodium carbonate fraction may be prepared beforehand and stored for usage at a later stage. In such a case, the inorganic salt, the alkali sulphate and the sodium carbonate fraction may be mixed together in a blender to obtain the first mixture. Alternatively, the sodium carbonate fraction may be put into a blender and the inorganic salt and alkali sulphate may be added to sodium carbonate fraction with constant mixing to obtain the first mixture.
In some embodiments, the first mixture is obtained by mixing the sodium carbonate fraction in the range of 18% to 28% by weight of the total of the detergent composition with the inorganic salt in the range of 25% to 37% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition, and the alkali sulphate in the range of 25% to 35% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition
In a specific embodiment, the first mixture is obtained by mixing 24% of the sodium carbonate fraction by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition with 35% of the inorganic salt by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition, and 28.8% of the alkali sulphate by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.
In accordance with an embodiment, the inorganic salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the inorganic salt is sodium chloride.
In accordance with an embodiment, the alkali sulphate is selected from the group consisting of selected from the group consisting of sodium sulphate, potassium sulphate, and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the alkali sulphate is sodium sulphate.
In the next step of the process, the detergent composition is obtained by mixing the surfactant in the range of 5% to 15% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition with the first mixture. In accordance with an embodiment, the surfactant is mixed with the first mixture for 5 to 10 minutes to ensure complete and homogenous mixing.
In some embodiments, the surfactant is mixed with the first mixture in the range of 8% to 12% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In another embodiment, 11% of the surfactant by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition is mixed with the first mixture.
In accordance with an embodiment, the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants and combinations thereof.
In accordance with an embodiment, the surfactant is an anionic surfactant and is selected from the group consisting of linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid, alkane sulfonate, alkyl ethoxylate sulfate, alkyl glyceryl sulfonate, alkyl sulfate, alpha olefin sulfonate, alkylbenzene sulphonates, alkyl ester fatty acid sulphonates, and methyl ester fatty acid sulphonate, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the surfactant is linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid.
In accordance with an embodiment, the cationic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of benzalkonium chloride, dodecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, sodium dodecyl sulfate, hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate, stearyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride, dioctadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, and combinations thereof.
In accordance with an embodiment, the non-ionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of cetomacrogol 1000, cetostearyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, cocamide DEA, cocamide MEA, polysorbate, sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan tristearate, stearyl alcohol, and combinations thereof.
In an embodiment, a fragrance in the range of 0.1% to 1% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition and precipitated silica in the range of 1% to 3% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition is optionally added after mixing the surfactant to obtain the detergent composition. In accordance with an embodiment after the addition of the fragrance and the precipitated silica to the surfactant the mixture so obtained is mixed for 5 to 10 minutes to obtain the detergent composition. In an alternate embodiment the fragrance and the precipitated silica are added under constant mixing and the mixing is continued for 5 to 10 minutes to obtain the detergent composition.
In accordance with an embodiment, the fragrance is optionally mixed in the range of 0.1% to 0.5 % by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition and the precipitated silica is mixed in the range of 1% to 2% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In some embodiments, the fragrance is mixed in the range of 0.1% to 3 % by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition and the precipitated silica is mixed in the range of 1% to 2% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition. In accordance with an embodiment, 0.2% fragrance by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition and 1% precipitated silica by weight of the total weight of the detergent of are mixed.
In accordance with an embodiment, the fragrance is a natural fragrance. Natural fragrances include natural extract ingredients that are processed to obtain fragrances which include but are not limited to essential oils, infusions, and distillates. Examples of such natural fragrances include but are not limited to basil oil, bergamot oil, birch oil, cedar leaf oil, cedar wood oil, citronella oil, clove oil, camphor oil, eucalyptus oil, geranium oil, hyacinth absolute, jasmine absolute, juniper berry oil, lavender oil, lemon oil, lemongrass oil, mandarin oil, neroli oil, orange oil, orange flower oil peppermint oil, pine needle oil, rose oil, rosemary oil, sandalwood oil, vetiver oil, ylang ylang oil.
In accordance with an embodiment, the fragrance is synthetic fragrance. Examples of synthetic fragrances include but are not limited to linalool, geraniol, nerol, citronellol, menthol, cinnamyl alcohol, isoeugenol, methyl eugenol, citronellal, hydroxycitronellal, benzaldehyde, vanillin, acetyl propionyl, acetyl butyryl, menthone, camphor, acetophenone, p-methyl acetophenone, amyl butyrolactone, diphenyl oxide, methyl phenyl glycidate, coumarin, cineole, methyl formate, isopropyl formate, methyl acetate, benzyl acetate, cinnamyl acetate, butyl propionate, isoamyl acetate, geranyl isovalerate, methyl laurate, ethyl myristate, methyl myristate, ethyl benzoate, benzyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, cinnamyl cinnamate, methyl salicylate, ethyl pyruvate, cedryl acetate, citronellyl acetate, citronellyl formate, p-cresyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethylene brassylate, geranyl acetate, geranyl formate, isoamyl salicylate.
In accordance with an embodiment, components including but not limited to foam regulators, brighteners, enzymes, dyes, and stabilizers may be mixed with the second mixture to include in the detergent composition.
The present disclosure also relates to a water softening composition. The composition comprises fine sodium carbonate and coarse sodium carbonate wherein the fine sodium carbonate has a particle size distribution of D90 in the range of 8 to 15 µm, D50 in the range of 2 to 7 µm, and D10 in the range of 0.1 to 1 µm. The coarse sodium carbonate has a particle size distribution of D90 in the range of 175 to 220 µm, D50 in the range of 40 to100 µm, and D10 in the range of 2 to 10 µm.
In accordance with an embodiment, the fine sodium carbonate has a particle size distribution of D90 in the range of 9.67 to13.2 µm, D50 in the range of 3.15 to 4.28 µm, and D10 in the range of 0.33 to 0.38 µm. The coarse sodium carbonate has a particle size distribution of D90 in the range of 181 to 220 µm, D50 in the range of 54.5 to 73.7 µm, and D10 in the range of 3.31 to 8.72 µm.
In accordance with an aspect, the water softening composition comprises fine sodium carbonate in a range of 5% to 15% by weight of the total weight of the water softening composition and coarse sodium carbonate in a range of 85 % to 95% by weight of the total weight of the water softening composition. In another embodiment, the water softening composition comprises fine sodium carbonate in a range of 5% to 10% by weight of the total weight of the water softening composition and coarse sodium carbonate in a range of 90% to 95% by weight of the total weight of the water softening composition.
The water softening composition can be used as a stand-alone composition for softening hard water. Alternatively, the water softening composition can be used in water softening systems such as treatment units, appliances and devices.
In order that this disclosure may be better understood, the following examples are set forth. These examples are for the purpose of illustration only and the exact compositions, methods of preparation and embodiments shown are not limiting of the disclosure.
EXAMPLES:
Example 1: Solubility and turbidity analysis of sodium carbonate blends
Solubility Measurement: The solubility or the availability of sodium and carbonate ions plays an important role in interacting with calcium and magnesium ions in water and subsequent nuclei formation and growth. As the carbonate ions from sodium carbonate are released into the water, they react with magnesium and calcium ions which eventually precipitate out.
Different blends of sodium carbonate, as described in Table 1 below were studied for solubility in water. 80mg of each blend of sodium carbonate was added to 40mL of de-ionized (DI) water. The solubility of sodium carbonate in each blend solution was continuously monitored at 10 second intervals for the sodium ion concentration with respect to time by a sodium ion electrode.
Table 1: Sodium carbonate blends
Sr. No Blend No. Weight % of
Coarse Sodium carbonate*1 Weight % of
Fine Sodium carbonate*2
1 BLD 1 100 0
2 BLD 2 95 5
3 BLD 3 90 10
4 BLD 4 85 15
5 BLD 5 75 25
6 BLD 6 50 50
7 BLD 7 0 100
*1 Particle size distribution: D90=181-220 µm, D50=54.5-73.7 µm, D10=3.31-8.72 µm
*2 Particle size distribution: D90=9.67-13.2 µm, D50=3.15-4.28 µm, D10= 0.33-0.38 µm
Turbidity Measurement: The reaction between calcium ion and sodium carbonate forms the white precipitate of calcium carbonate which appears as turbidity in water. For the turbidity measurements, 80mg of each blend of sodium carbonate, as mentioned in Table 1, was added to 40ml of hard water (300ppm as measured by calcium ion concentration). The calcium carbonate particle formation in each blend solution was monitored continuously at 10 second intervals by measuring the turbidity using a turbidity meter.
Results and Observations: The results of the solubility measurements and turbidity measurements are demonstrated in Figs 1 and 2. The solubility measurements in Fig 1 clearly show that the sodium carbonate is highly soluble in water and within the first 40 seconds almost 80% sodium ion concentration is reached. The coarse sodium carbonate takes relatively more time to solubilize due to its larger particle size. As increasing amounts of fine sodium carbonate are blended with coarse sodium carbonate the solubility is improved.
The turbidity measurements in Fig 2 demonstrate that all the blends show sharp increase in turbidity within first 30 seconds of adding each blend to water. Between the time range of 6 to 8 minutes there is drop in the turbidity of solution, this is due to the grown nuclei trying to aggregate and form clusters. As the reaction proceeds further, most of the blend solutions show an increase in the turbidity again. The only solutions showing the continuous decrease in the turbidity are the blend solutions of BLD2 and BLD3.
This occurs as the proportion of fine sodium carbonate in BLD2 and BLD3 dissolve faster in solution and quickly forms the initial required nuclei. As the fine particle concentration in these blends is less, the number of nuclei generated in the initial stages is also less. Subsequently, the dissolution of the proportion of the coarse particles in BLD2 and BLD3 is slightly delayed than fine particles which acts as a growth media for earlier formed nuclei and enables the nuclei to grow faster and form the bigger particles that can separate easily from the solution. Conversely, when an equal or similar concentration of fine and coarse sodium carbonate particles is present in the solution (as in the case of the other blends) the particles dissolve at same time and form a larger number of nuclei which creates competition among the nuclei during the growth period. Hence the particles formed from these nuclei are smaller and they stay dispersed in the solution and take time to aggregate and precipitate out.
Thus, it is clear from the results of Figs 1 and 2 that the blends of BLD2 and BLD3 provide the optimum number of nuclei at any given time which is important for the fast removal of water hardness.

Example 2: Ability of the sodium carbonate blends to soften water
In order to demonstrate the hard water softening ability of the sodium carbonate blends, the blends BLD1 (comprising 100% coarse sodium carbonate) and BLD3 (comprising 90% coarse sodium carbonate and 10% fine sodium carbonate, as described in Table 1) were incorporated into a detergent formulation to obtain detergent formulation/composition DET 1 and DET3, respectively, as described in Table 2 below. The detergency of DET3 in hard water was compared with DET1. Detergency was measured using 5g/l of each solution in a Tergotometer (Spear Exim Pvt. Ltd.) at a speed of 125 rpm, at room temperature. The hard water samples used had a calcium carbonate concentration of 70 ppm and 600 ppm.
Table 2: Detergent formulations
Sr.no. Ingredients DET1 DET3
1 Total sodium carbonate 24 gm 24 gm
1a Fine sodium carbonate 24 gm 21.6 gm
1b Coarse sodium carbonate 0 gm 2.4 gm
2 Non iodized salt 35 gm 35 gm
3 LABSA
(Linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid)
11 gm 11 gm
4 Sodium Sulphate 28.8 gm 28.8 gm
5 Precipitated Silica 1 gm 1 gm
6 Fragrance (Sunbright) 0.2 gm 0.2 gm

Results and Observation: The results of the detergency test of the detergent formulations are provided in Table 3 below and were measured according to the BIS 4955: 2001 standardized test. As seen in Table 3, the detergent formulation/composition DET3 is far more effective with regard to stain removal as water hardness increases, than detergent formulation/composition DET 1. Thus, blend BLD3 comprising 90% coarse and 10% fine sodium carbonate has the ability to soften hard water at very high salt concentrations. This enables better stain removal when this blend is incorporated into a detergent formulation, as compared to when only coarse sodium carbonate is incorporated into the detergent formulation.

Table 3: Detergency analysis with 70 ppm & 600 ppm hardness water*
Water Hardness 70 ppm 600 ppm
Stain name Stain Code DET 1 DET 3 DET 1 DET3
Blood, aged PC S01 90.55 91.20 71.43 80.04
Dirty motor oil PC S65 25.42 29.25 10.60 17.51
Dry ink PC H35 9.47 17.90 8.55 26.58
Tomato ketchup PC H36 66.38 57.66 49.41 53.88
Grass/Mud PC S80 54.09 58.83 48.24 48.82
Collar stain PC S95 22.35 23.55 2.72 18.66
Rice starch ,coloured, aged PC S128 36.79 39.38 30.35 43.16
Sebum/Pigment WFK 20D 72.47 75.43 62.80 64.95
Rust PC H032 29.89 30.70 16.63 18.02
Blood/Milk/Ink E117 45.51 51.24 31.31 37.37
Pigment/sebum WFK10D 46.53 49.88 19.16 37.08
(* Results describe the percentage stain removal)
Example 3: Stain removal efficiency (detergency) of detergent formulations comprising the sodium carbonate blends
The physical properties and stain removal ability or detergency of the sodium carbonate blends as described in Table 1, was evaluated. Each blend was mixed with the base detergent formulation as described in Table 2 and the proportion of coarse and fine sodium carbonate in each of the detergent formulations/compositions is described in Table 4 below.
Briefly, each detergent formulation/composition was prepared by mixing the fine sodium carbonate and coarse sodium carbonate using a rubber blender. To this admixture was further added the inorganic salt and the alkali sulphate to obtain a uniform mixture. The surfactant was then added to the above and the final mixture so obtained was blended for 5 to 10 minutes. Finally, the fragrance and precipitated silica were added to obtain the final detergent formulation/composition.
The detergency of each detergent formulation/composition was measured using 5g/l of each solution in a Tergotometer (Spear Exim Pvt. Ltd.) at a speed of 125 rpm, at room temperature, using a water hardness of 300 ppm (Ca + Mg). Stains were supplied by CFT, Netherlands.
Table 4: Sodium carbonate blends in detergent formulations/compositions
Sr. No Formulation No. Weight% Coarse Sodium carbonate*1 Weight% Fine Sodium carbonate*2
1 DET 1 100 0
2 DET 2 95 5
3 DET 3 90 10
4 DET 4 85 15
5 DET 5 75 25
6 DET 6 50 50
7 DET 7 0 100
*1 Particle size distribution: D90=181-220 µm, D50=54.5-73.7 µm, D10=3.31-8.72 µm
*2 Particle size distribution: D90=9.67-13.2 µm, D50=3.15-4.28 µm, D10= 0.33-0.38 µm

Results and Observations: The physical properties of each detergent formulation/composition are provided in Table 5 below:

Table 5: Properties of detergent formulations
Property DET 1 DET 2 DET 3 DET 4 DET 5 DET 6 DET 7
Appearance Off white free flow powder Off white free flow powder Off white free flow powder Off white free flow powder Off white free flow powder Off white free flow powder Off white free flow powder
Alkalinity 10.7 10.28 10.1 10.38 10.3 10 10.4
% surfactant 10.21 10.37 10.47 10.59 10.6 10.63 10.52
pH of 1% solution of detergent in water 10.85 10.88 10.87 10.9 10.92 10.92 10.91
Foaming Adequate Adequate Adequate Adequate Adequate Adequate Adequate

It is clear from Table 5 that all the detergent formulations/compositions have comparable basic characteristics and there is no deviation in the physical properties of the detergent due to sodium carbonate blends.

The results of the detergency studies are provided in the Table 6 below:

Table 6: Detergency study results
Stain name Stain Code DET 1 DET 2 DET 3 DET 4 DET 5 DET 6 DET 7
Blood, aged PC S01 88.01 88.88 87.43 91.17 87.05 86.27 86.64
Dirty motor oil PC S65 25.56 25.51 32.5 24.13 25.66 24.6 25.6
Dry ink PC H35 24.34 26.16 33.5 16.46 24.18 16.8 13.05
Tomato ketchup PC H36 69.09 71.14 76.11 68.41 75.45 72.8 70.49
Grass/Mud PC S80 53.74 53.57 63.07 55.86 51.07 52.7 48.39
Collar stain PC S95 30.83 43.34 35.46 22.97 28.38 23.91 18.93
Rice starch, coloured, aged PC S128 35.72 37.12 42.3 43.64 36.6 38.53 35.54
Sebum/Pigment WFK 20D 66.84 77.12 76.44 69.93 70.74 71.34 71.28
Rust PC H032 25.36 19.52 38.23 17.96 17.78 19.22 16.62
Blood/Milk/Ink E117 43.31 41.70 42.01 38.83 38.84 37.71 39.1
Pigment/sebum WFK10D 44.58 40.65 46.85 40.79 32.55 36.34 42.5
(Note: Results were measured according to the BIS 4955: 2001 standardized test. Results describe the percentage stain removal. The data is the average of three repeated measurements)

From the above data in Table 6 it is clear that formulation/composition DET3 (90% w/w coarse and 10% w/w fine sodium carbonate) shows the best stain removal ability compared with all the other formulations. It is specifically effective in removing dirty motor oil, dry ink, tomato ketchup, grass/mud, rust, and pigment/sebum. These results concur with the turbidity study. Thus, the proposed blend BLD3 promotes faster removal of calcium and magnesium present in water and therefore the detergent formulation/composition DET3 performs better in detergency and turbidity analysis.

Example 4: Comparison of commercial detergent formulation with detergent formulation comprising 90 % w/w coarse sodium carbonate and 10% w/w fine sodium carbonate

The stain removal efficiency of BLD3 was compared with a commercial detergent formulation comprising 100% coarse sodium carbonate. For this analysis, BLD3 was added to the commercial detergent formulation as described in Table 7 below. Both the test and standard commercial formulation were tested using the procedure described in Example 3 above.

Table 7: Commercial Detergent Formulation
Ingredients Weight %

LABSA 90%
10.0

Light soda ash

24.0

Salt
35.0

Anti reposition
1.0

Sodium bicarbonate
3.0

Silica
1.0

Filler
24.5

Optical brightener
0.1

Enzyme
0.2

Speckles
1.0

Fragrance

0.2

Results and Observations: The results of the analyses are described in Table 8 below:
Table 8: Detergency studies with commercial detergent formulation with BLD3 (90% w/w coarse sodium carbonate and 10% w/w fine sodium carbonate) sodium carbonate blend
Stain name Stain Code Commercial formula with coarse sodium carbonate Commercial formula with BLD3
Blood, aged PC S01 88.70 91.44
Dirty motor oil PC S65 33.78 36.80
Dry ink PC H35 29.08 33.25
Tomato ketchup PC H36 68.39 69.16
Grass/Mud PC S80 57.66 65.23
Collar stain PC S95 44.74 51.77
Rice starch coloured, aged PC S128 46.76 49.93
Sebum/Pigment WFK 20D 81.75 85.53
Rust PC H032 39.02 47.19
Blood/Milk/Ink E117 72.96 77.37
Pigment/sebum WFK10D 60.24 66.35
(Note: Results were measured according to the BIS 4955: 2001 standardized test. Results describe the percentage stain removal. The data is the average of three repeated measurements)

The results clearly demonstrate that a commercial detergent formulation comprising only coarse sodium carbonate is not as effective as a detergent formulation/composition comprising the present blend BLD3. Thus, it can be concluded that the detergency performance largely depends on the particle size management of sodium carbonate. This contributed to the fast removal of calcium and magnesium ions during the laundry process.

Example 5: Effect of additives in sodium carbonate blends

The effect of additives, such as sodium bicarbonate and calcite/ dolomite in the sodium ion concentration, turbidity, and stain removal efficiency of the sodium carbonate blends was tested according to the procedure as described in Example 1 and 3 above.

Results and Observations on the addition of sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate blends:
Figs 3 and 4 demonstrate the effect of the addition of sodium bicarbonate on sodium ion concentration and turbidity, respectively. As seen from Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, adding sodium carbonate adversely affects both the sodium ion concentration and turbidity of the blend solutions. Specifically, as seen in Fig. 3, the sodium ion concentration decreases significantly indicating that the solubility of the sodium ion in these blends is affected. In addition, with the addition of bicarbonate, the precipitation and separation rate of calcium carbonate is delayed in the blend BLD3 which is likely to reduce the stain removal efficacy of the blend.
Sodium bicarbonate was added to the detergent formulation/composition DET3 to obtain the following detergent formulations/compositions:
DET 8 comprising 86% w/w coarse sodium carbonate, 10% w/w fine sodium carbonate and 4% w/w sodium bicarbonate;
DET 9 comprising 82% w/w coarse sodium carbonate, 10% w/w fine sodium carbonate, and 8% w/w sodium bicarbonate; and
DET 10 comprising 78% w/w coarse sodium carbonate, 10% w/w fine sodium carbonate, and 12% w/w sodium bicarbonate.
The detergency of these detergent formulations/compositions was then tested. As can be seen from Table 9 below, the addition of sodium bicarbonate does not improve the detergency of DET3, rather, the detergency of DET3 is reduced on addition of sodium bicarbonate. Thus, the detergency of DET3 comprising 90% w/w coarse sodium carbonate and 10% fine sodium carbonate is not improved by the addition of sodium bicarbonate.

Table 9: Effect of sodium bicarbonate in sodium carbonate detergents
Base Detergent formulation without sodium bicarbonate DET3 + sodium bicarbonate
Stain name Stain Code DET 3 DET 8 DET 9 DET 10
Blood, aged PC S01 87.43 85.57 79.17 82.17
Dirty motor oil PC S65 32.5 29.51 16.21 29.51
Dry ink PC H35 33.5 23.86 21.11 17.33
Tomato ketchup PC H36 76.11 66.23 64.70 48.40
Grass/Mud PC S80 63.07 61.57 56.72 57.74
Collar stain PC S95 35.46 35.23 34.36 27.21
Rice starch, coloured,aged PC S128 42.3 50.12 48.80 41.39
Sebum/Pigment WFK 20D 76.44 68.01 70.17 69.34
Rust PC H032 38.23 38.18 31.13 34.07
Blood/Milk/Ink E117 42.01 49.63 42.26 44.28
Pigment/sebum WFK10D 46.85 51.51 46.85 48.57

(Note: Results were measured according to the BIS 4955: 2001 standardized test. Results describe the percentage stain removal. The data is the average of three repeated measurements)

Results and Observations on the addition of dolomite:
Fig 5 demonstrates the effect of the addition of dolomite on the turbidity of water comprising the sodium carbonate blends as described in Table 1. As can be seen from the figure, the addition of dolomite to BLD3, significantly increases the turbidity levels. This is because dolomite acts as a heterogeneous nuclei seed for calcium carbonate nuclei formation. The large number of nuclei formed causes a sudden increase in turbidity.
The detergency of the blend is also adversely affected by the addition of dolomite. As seen in Table 10 below, dolomite does not improve the stain removal efficiency of DET3, rather, for most of the stains, the stain removal ability of the detergent composition is reduced. Thus, overall, dolomite does not have a significant effect on the cleaning abilities of DET3. Rather, dolomite tends to hamper the cleaning ability of the detergent.

Table 10: Effect of sodium bicarbonate in sodium carbonate detergents
Stain name Stain Code Base Detergent formulation
(comprising 90% w/w of coarse and 10% w/w fine sodium carbonate) DET3 + dolomite
(86:10:04, coarse sodium carbonate: fine sodium carbonate: dolomite)
DET3 DET 11
Blood, aged PC S01 87.43 83.04
Dirty motor oil PC S65 32.5 49.71
Dry ink PC H35 33.5 27.52
Tomato ketchup PC H36 76.11 69.67
Grass/Mud PC S80 63.07 59.84
Collar stain PC S95 35.46 39.12
Rice starch ,coloured,aged PC S128 42.3 51.15
Sebum/Pigment WFK 20D 76.44 75.96
Rust PC H032 38.23 35.15
Blood/Milk/Ink E117 42.01 42.56
Pigment/sebum WFK10D 46.85 50.54

(Note: Results were measured according to the BIS 4955: 2001 standardized test. Results describe the percentage stain removal. The data is the average of three repeated measurements)

Industrial Application

The detergent formulation/composition of the present disclosure demonstrates superior water softening properties and stain removal properties. This is owing to a blend of coarse sodium carbonate and fine sodium carbonate having a particular particle size distribution. This blend provides the optimum concentration of nuclei formation in the initial stage which support the growth of calcium carbonate crystals resulting in faster precipitation. While in the later stages the composition is still able to promote further nuclei formation resulting in a sustained softening effect. Thus, the present detergent formulation/composition is fast acting, enabling quick removal of calcium/magnesium salts in hard water. It also shows superior cleaning efficiency and detergency. , Claims:1. A detergent composition comprising:
a surfactant in a range of 5% to 15% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition; and
a sodium carbonate fraction in a range of 15% to 30% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition, wherein the sodium carbonate fraction comprises fine sodium carbonate in the range of 5% to 15% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction and coarse sodium carbonate in the range of 85% to 95% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction, wherein the particle size distribution of fine sodium carbonate is D90 in the range of 8 to 15 µm, D50 in the range of 2 to 7 µm, D10 in the range of 0.1 to 1 µm, and the particle size distribution of coarse sodium carbonate is D90 in the range of 175 to 220 µm , D50 in the range of 40 to100 µm, and D10 in the range of 2 to 10 µm.

2. The detergent composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sodium carbonate fraction comprises fine sodium carbonate in the range of 5% to 10 % by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction and coarse sodium carbonate in the range of 90% to 95% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction.

3. The detergent composition as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
an inorganic salt in a range of 20% to 40% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition; and
an alkali sulphate in a range of 20% to 40% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.

4. The detergent composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition comprises precipitated silica in a range of 1% to 3% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.

5. The detergent composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition comprises a fragrance in a range of 0.1% to 1% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.

6. The detergent composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants, non-ionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, and combinations thereof.

7. The detergent composition as claimed in claim 6, wherein the surfactant is an anionic surfactant and is selected from the group consisting of linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid, alkane sulfonate, alkyl ethoxylate sulfate, alkyl glyceryl sulfonate, alkyl sulfate, alpha olefin sulfonate, alkylbenzene sulphonates, alkyl ester fatty acid sulphonates, and methyl ester fatty acid sulphonates.

8. The detergent composition as claimed in claim 3, wherein the inorganic salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and combinations thereof.

9. The detergent composition as claimed in claim 3, wherein the alkali sulphate is selected from the group consisting of sodium sulphate, potassium sulphate, and combinations thereof.

10. A detergent formulation comprising:
a surfactant in a range of 8% to 12% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition;
an inorganic salt in a range of 25% to 37% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition;
an alkali sulphate in a range of 25% to 35% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition; and
a sodium carbonate fraction in a range of 20% to 28% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition, wherein the sodium carbonate fraction comprises 10% fine sodium carbonate by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction and of 90% coarse sodium carbonate by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction, wherein the particle size distribution of fine sodium carbonate is D90 in the range of 8 to 15 µm, D50 in the range of 2 to 7 µm, D10 in the range of 0.1 to 1 µm, and the particle size distribution of coarse sodium carbonate is D90 in the range of 175 to 220 µm , D50 in the range of 40 to100 µm, and D10 in the range of 2 to 10 µm.

11. The detergent formulation as claimed in claim 10, wherein the formulation comprises precipitated silica in a range of 1% to 2% by weight of the total weight of the formulation.

12. The detergent formulation as claimed in claim 11, wherein the formulation comprises a fragrance in a range of 0.1% to 0.5% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition.

13. A process of preparing a detergent composition comprising:
preparing a sodium carbonate fraction by mixing fine sodium carbonate in a range of 5% to 15% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction and coarse sodium carbonate in a range of 85% to 95% by weight of the sodium carbonate fraction;
mixing an inorganic salt in a range of 20% to 40% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition, an alkali sulphate in a range of 20% to 40% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition, and the sodium carbonate fraction in a range of 15% to 30% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition to obtain a first mixture; and
mixing a surfactant in a range of 5% to 15% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition with the first mixture to obtain the detergent composition,
wherein the particle size distribution of fine sodium carbonate is D90 in the range of 8 to 15 µm, D50 in the range of 2 to 7 µm, D10 in the range of 0.1 to 1 µm, and the particle size distribution of coarse sodium carbonate is D90 in the range of 175 to 220 µm, D50 in the range of 40 to100 µm, and D10 in the range of 2 to 10 µm.

14. The process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the process further comprises mixing a fragrance in a range of 0.1% to 1% of the total weight of the detergent composition and precipitated silica in a range of 1% to 3% by weight of the total weight of the detergent composition after adding the surfactant to obtain the detergent composition.

15. A water softening composition comprising fine sodium carbonate in a range of 5% to 15% by weight of the total weight of the water softening composition and coarse sodium carbonate in a range of 85% to 95% by weight of the total weight of the water softening composition, wherein the particle size distribution of fine sodium carbonate is D90 in a range of 8 to 15 µm, D50 in a range of 2 to 7 µm, D10 in a range of 0.1 to 1 µm, and the particle size distribution of coarse sodium carbonate is D90 in a range of 175 to 220 µm , D50 in a range of 40 to100 µm, and D10 in a range of 2 to 10 µm.