Detergent Powder Plants

Detergent powder is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions. These substances are usually alkyl benzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are more soluble in hard water, because the polar sulfonate (of detergents) is less likely than the polar carboxyl (of soap) to bind to calcium and other ions found in hard water. Powder detergents work because they are amphiphilic - partly hydrophilic (polar) and partly hydrophobic (non-polar). Their dual nature facilitates the mixture of hydrophobic compounds (like oil and grease) with water. Detergent powder falls into four major groups: Heavy duty detergents (high and low foaming), Light duty detergents, Soap powders, and Soda products. The major use of detergent powders is in households for washing clothes and utensils. They are suitable for hand washing and also for machine washing in laundries and dish washers. The major raw materials used to produce detergent powder are Alkyl benzene sulphonic acid, sodium tri polyphosphate, sodium sulphate, sodium silicate, and caustic soda. Caustic soda can be obtained locally while the other raw materials are supposed to be imported. However, there is a possibility to manufacture sodium sulphate and sodium silicate locally as the starting materials for these chemicals are locally available. Auxiliary material i.e. printed polyethylene is necessary as