Powdered or granular cleansing agent composition

Abstract

To provide a powdered or granular cleansing agent composition which has high storage stability, reduced roughness in tactile sensation, and favorable feeling upon use.SOLUTION: A powdered or granular cleansing agent composition comprises a carbonate, an organic acid, and a surfactant. The content of particles having a particle diameter of 100 μm or more is 30 mass% or more. Among the particles having the particle diameter of 100 μm or more, the content of particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more is 0.10 number% or less.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a powdery or granular detergent composition.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, foam-type facial cleansers and body soaps have attracted attention from the viewpoint of easy availability. Under such circumstances, a foaming cosmetic composition that generates fine bubbles of carbon dioxide gas by utilizing the property that a mixture of a carbonate and an organic acid generates carbon dioxide gas by adding a small amount of water has been reported (Patent Document 1). This foaming cosmetic composition is disclosed to be usable as a facial cleansing soap, shaving foam, shampoo, or body soap. However, since the foaming cosmetic composition described in Patent Document 1 is a mixture of a carbonate and an organic acid, even a trace amount of water causes carbon dioxide gas to be generated during storage, and water is generated as a by-product by the reaction, resulting in a chain reaction. As a result, there are problems such as the package swelling or the foaming property decreasing during use.

[0003] Regarding this problem, techniques for improving storage stability have been reported. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a briquette preparation having improved storage stability by containing polyethylene glycol and polyvinylpyrrolidone. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a bath agent composition having good storage stability by containing the following components (A) to (C): (A) 25 to 55% by mass of an alkali metal carbonate in which particles having a particle diameter of 180 μm or more are 50% or more, (B) 40 to 70% by mass of an organic acid in which particles having a particle diameter of 180 μm or more are 50% or more, and (C) 0.01 to 10% by mass of a hardly water-soluble metal oxide.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0005] However, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, since a polymer compound that is solid at normal temperature such as polyethylene glycol is used, the immediate solubility of the detergent decreases, resulting in roughness due to the remaining undissolved components and deterioration of the feel during use. Therefore, it has been found that the usability as a detergent is impaired. Further, Patent Document 3 is a technique related to a bath agent. When the bath agent composition dissolves on the surface of the bath water, carbon dioxide gas escapes without being sufficiently dissolved in the bath water. Therefore, it is necessary to precipitate the bath agent composition in the bath water and keep it there for a certain period of time in order to dissolve the bath agent composition in the bath water. Therefore, it is a prerequisite to use raw material particles having a certain particle size as the particles constituting the bath agent composition. On the other hand, in the case of a detergent composition, immediate solubility in a small amount of water in a short time is required. Therefore, when particles having a large particle size are used as the detergent composition, the solubility is poor, and the same problem as described above occurs. Different from a bath agent, a detergent composition directly touches the skin such as the face and body, and thus a delicate feel (touch) is required. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a powdery or granular detergent composition having high storage stability, suppressed roughness of the feel, and good usability. [Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] As a result of investigations, the present inventors have found that a detergent composition containing a carbonate, an organic acid, and a surfactant, which contains a predetermined amount or more of particles having a particle size equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and in which the content of particles having a particle size and hardness equal to or greater than a predetermined value is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, can solve the above problems. That is, the present invention relates to a powder or granular detergent composition containing a carbonate, an organic acid, and a surfactant, containing 30% by mass or more of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more, and having a content of particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more of 0.10% by number or less.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a powder or granular detergent composition having high storage stability, suppressing the roughness of the feel, and having a good usability.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] The powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention contains a carbonate, an organic acid, and a surfactant, contains 30% by mass or more of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more, and the content of particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more is 0.10% by number or less. The powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention (hereinafter, also simply referred to as the detergent composition) can exhibit excellent detergency by reacting a carbonate and an organic acid to generate carbon dioxide gas when the detergent composition is dissolved in water in addition to the cleaning action of the surfactant. In addition, the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention is mainly used for washing the face, body, etc. A detergent composition directly applied to the skin such as the face and body is required to have a good feel without roughness when foamed, and it is necessary to dissolve it immediately in a short time. It is desirable that the particle size of the particles constituting the detergent composition is small. However, when the particle size of the detergent composition is small, even if a hygroscopic agent is added, its effect is not sufficient, and the generation of carbon dioxide gas in the packaging material cannot be suppressed, and it has been found that the storage stability is poor. Therefore, in order to suppress the generation of carbon dioxide gas during storage, it is necessary to increase the particle size of the carbonate or organic acid. As a result of intensive research to solve this conflicting demand, the present inventors have found that the hardness and particle size of the particles constituting the detergent composition are deeply related to the feel during use and storage stability, and by adjusting the hardness and particle size of the particles in the detergent composition, it has been found that it is possible to achieve both good feel and storage stability, and the present invention has been completed. According to the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention, by containing a predetermined amount or more of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more and setting the content of particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more to a predetermined number % or less, roughness of the feel can be suppressed and a good feel can be obtained.

[0009] <Carbonate> The powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention contains a carbonate. Examples of the carbonate used in the present invention include dialkali metal carbonates such as sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate; hydrogen carbonate alkali metal salts such as sodium hydrogen carbonate and potassium hydrogen carbonate; and the like, and one or more of these can be used. Among the above, from the viewpoint of improving foaming properties, the carbonate preferably contains one or more selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and sodium hydrogen carbonate (NaHCO3), and more preferably contains sodium hydrogen carbonate. The content of one or more selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogen carbonate in the carbonate is preferably 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, and preferably 100% by mass or less, and more preferably 100% by mass, from the viewpoint of improving foaming properties.

[0010] From the viewpoint of improving foaming property, the content of carbonate in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, still more preferably 20% by mass or more, and even more preferably 30% by mass or more. And from the viewpoint of improving foam retention, it is preferably 60% by mass or less, more preferably 55% by mass or less, still more preferably 50% by mass or less. And the content of carbonate in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 10% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or more and 55% by mass or less, still more preferably 20% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, and even more preferably 30% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less.

[0011] The carbonate used in the present invention may be contained as raw material particles as they are (hereinafter also referred to as "raw material particles") in the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention, and may be contained as particles granulated with other components (hereinafter also referred to as "granulated particles") as required, and these may be mixed and contained. Further, when the carbonate is granulated particles, it may be granulated alone or granulated together with components other than carbonate. However, in the case of granulated particles, from the viewpoint of storage stability, it is preferably free of organic acids. Here, "free of" means substantially free of, and the amount of organic acid in the granulated particles is preferably less than 1% by mass, and more preferably 0% by mass. Furthermore, the carbonate is preferably granulated together with one or more selected from the group consisting of other components other than organic acids, for example, surfactants, excipients, binders, and hygroscopic agents, and particularly preferably granulated together with all components other than organic acids. By granulating components other than organic acids together, the amount of fine powder derived from components other than organic acids can be suppressed, and choking caused by the scattering of fine powder during the use of the detergent composition can be prevented.

[0012] <Organic acid> The powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention contains an organic acid. Examples of the organic acid used in the present invention include citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, malonic acid, pyridonecarboxylic acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, adipic acid, glutaric acid, ascorbic acid, etc., and one or more of these can be used. Among these, from the viewpoints of foaming property and solubility in water, the organic acid preferably contains one or more selected from the group consisting of citric acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, and ascorbic acid, and more preferably contains citric acid. The content of one or more selected from the group consisting of citric acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, and ascorbic acid in the organic acid is preferably 80% by mass or more, more preferably 90% by mass or more, and preferably 100% by mass or less, and more preferably 100% by mass, from the viewpoint of improving the foaming property.

[0013] From the viewpoint of improving the foaming property, the content of the organic acid in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 7% by mass or more, and still more preferably 10% by mass or more. And from the viewpoint of improving the foam retention, it is preferably 60% by mass or less, more preferably 50% by mass or less, still more preferably 40% by mass or less, even more preferably 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or less. And the content of the organic acid in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 5% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, still more preferably 7% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, even more preferably 7% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less, and even more preferably 10% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less.

[0014] The organic acid used in the present invention may be contained as raw material particles as they are in the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention, or may be contained as granulated particles granulated with other components as necessary, or these may be mixed and contained. Further, when the organic acid is granulated particles, it may be granulated alone or may be granulated together with components other than the organic acid. However, in the case of granulated particles, from the viewpoint of storage stability, it is preferably free of carbonate. Here, "free of" means substantially free of, and the amount of carbonate in the granulated particles is preferably less than 1% by mass, more preferably 0% by mass. Further, the organic acid is preferably granulated together with one or more selected from the group consisting of components other than carbonate, such as surfactants, excipients, binders, and hygroscopic agents, and particularly preferably granulated together with all components other than carbonate. By granulating the components other than carbonate together, the amount of fine powder derived from the components other than carbonate can be suppressed, and choking caused by the scattering of fine powder during the use of the detergent composition can be prevented.

[0015] <Surfactant> The detergent composition of the present invention contains a surfactant. Examples of the surfactant used in the present invention include anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, and nonionic surfactants, and one or more of these can be used. Specific examples of each are shown below.

[0016] 〔Anionic surfactant〕 Specific examples of the anionic surfactant include N-acyl amino acid salts, N-acyl-N-methyl amino acid salts, fatty acid salts, salts of esters of fatty acids having 5 to 18 carbon atoms and isethionic acid, alkyl or alkenyl sulfonate salts having 10 to 18 carbon atoms, polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether sulfate ester salts, and linear alkylbenzene sulfonate salts, etc.

[0017] Examples of the counterions of the anionic group of the anionic surfactant include alkali metal ions such as sodium ions and potassium ions; alkaline earth metal ions such as calcium ions and magnesium ions; ammonium ions; alkanolammonium having 1 to 3 alkanol groups with 2 or 3 carbon atoms (for example, monoethanolammonium, diethanolammonium, triethanolammonium, triisopropanolammonium, etc.). Among them, sodium ions and potassium ions are preferred, and sodium ions are more preferred.

[0018] Cationic surfactant Examples of the cationic surfactant include quaternary ammonium salts such as alkyltrimethylammonium salts, alkoxyalkyltrimethylammonium salts, dialkyldimethylammonium salts, alkylamidalkyltrimethylammonium salts, benzalkonium chloride, and alkylpyridinium salts.

[0019] Examples of the counterions of the cationic group of the cationic surfactant include alkyl sulfate ions having 1 to 3 carbon atoms, sulfate ions, phosphate ions, carboxylic acid ions having 1 to 3 carbon atoms (formate ions, acetate ions, propionate ions), and halide ions such as chloride ions and bromide ions. Among these, from the viewpoints of ease of production and availability of raw materials, halide ions are preferred, and chloride ions are more preferred.

[0020] Amphoteric surfactant Examples of the amphoteric surfactant include one or more selected from the group consisting of alkylamine oxides having an alkyl group with 10 to 18 carbon atoms and alkylbetaines having an alkyl group with 10 to 18 carbon atoms.

[0021] Nonionic surfactant Specific examples of nonionic surfactants include, for example, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkenyl ethers, polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene sorbit fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters, alkyl glucosides, alkyl alkanolamides, alkyl glyceryl ethers, higher fatty acid sucrose esters, polyglycerin fatty acid esters, polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil, and alkyl saccharides, and one or more selected from the group consisting of these are mentioned. Among these, from the viewpoints of good solubility in water and good foaming property, anionic surfactants are preferred, and salts of esters of fatty acids having 5 to 18 carbon atoms and isethionic acid are more preferred. Also, from the viewpoint of low irritation, amino acid-based anionic surfactants such as N-acyl amino acid salts and N-acyl-N-methyl amino acid salts are preferred.

[0022] From the viewpoint of improving foaming property, the content of the surfactant in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 10% by mass or more, more preferably 15% by mass or more, still more preferably 20% by mass or more. And from the viewpoint of improving foam breakage, it is preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 45% by mass or less, still more preferably 40% by mass or less, and even more preferably 35% by mass or less. And the content of the surfactant in the detergent composition is preferably 10% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, more preferably 15% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less, still more preferably 15% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, and even more preferably 20% by mass or more and 35% by mass or less.

[0023] In a powder or granular detergent composition, the mass ratio of the total amount of carbonate and organic acid to the surfactant [(carbonate + organic acid) / surfactant] is preferably 0.1 or more, more preferably 1.0 or more, still more preferably 1.5 or more, from the viewpoint of foaming property, and preferably 20 or less, more preferably 10 or less, still more preferably 5 or less, from the viewpoint of improving detergency. And the mass ratio of the total amount of carbonate and organic acid [(carbonate + organic acid) / surfactant] is preferably 0.1 or more and 20 or less, more preferably 1.0 or more and 10 or less, still more preferably 1.5 or more and 5 or less. In a powder or granular detergent composition, the mass ratio of the organic acid to the carbonate [organic acid / carbonate] is preferably 0.05 or more, more preferably 0.1 or more, still more preferably 0.2 or more, from the viewpoint of foaming property, and preferably 10 or less, more preferably 5.0 or less, still more preferably 1.0 or less. And the mass ratio of the organic acid to the carbonate [organic acid / carbonate] is preferably 0.05 or more and 10 or less, more preferably 0.1 or more and 5.0 or less, still more preferably 0.2 or more and 1.0 or less.

[0024] The total amount of carbonate and organic acid in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 35% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, still more preferably 45% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of foaming property, and preferably 70% by mass or less, more preferably 65% by mass or less, still more preferably 60% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of improving foam retention. And the total amount of carbonate and organic acid in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 35% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or more and 65% by mass or less, still more preferably 45% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less. From the perspective of improving detergency and foaming properties, the total amount of carbonate, organic acid, and surfactant in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 50% by mass or more, more preferably 60% by mass or more, still more preferably 70% by mass or more. And from the perspective of improving foam retention, it is preferably 95% by mass or less, more preferably 90% by mass or less, still more preferably 85% by mass or less. And the total amount of carbonate, organic acid, and surfactant in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 50% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less, more preferably 60% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, still more preferably 70% by mass or more and 85% by mass or less.

[0025] <Humectant> The powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention preferably further contains a humectant. Examples of the humectant used in the present invention include alkaline earth metal oxides such as magnesium oxide and calcium oxide, and zinc oxide. Among the above, magnesium oxide is preferred from the perspectives of storage stability and improvement of foaming properties. From the perspective of improving storage stability, the content of the humectant in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 0.01% by mass or more, more preferably 0.1% by mass or more, still more preferably 1% by mass or more, even more preferably 2% by mass or more, and even more preferably 4% by mass or more. And from the perspective of improving foaming properties, it is preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 9% by mass or less, still more preferably 8% by mass or less. And the content of the humectant in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 0.01% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, more preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 9% by mass or less, still more preferably 1% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less, even more preferably 2% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less, and even more preferably 4% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less.

[0026] <Other components> The powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention may contain components generally used in powder or granular detergent compositions, as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired. Such other components include, for example, excipients, binders, natural pigments, humectants, anti-inflammatory agents, bactericides, antiperspirants, antioxidants, fragrances, and mixtures thereof. Examples of the excipients used in the present invention include silicic acid, silicic anhydride (silica), magnesium silicate, calcium silicate, aluminum silicate, barium silicate, strontium silicate, diatomaceous earth, talc, sericite, mica, kaolin, montmorillonite, clay, bentonite, vermiculite, titanium oxide-coated mica (mica titanium), bismuth oxychloride, boron nitride, zirconium oxide, titanium oxide, lower titanium oxide, metal tungstates, hydroxyapatite, zeolite, ceramic powder, chlorohydroxyaluminum, aluminum chloride, aluminum sulfate, basic aluminum bromide, basic aluminum iodide, chlorohydroxyaluminum zirconium, zinc sulfate, basic aluminum zinc lactate, aluminum oxide, calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, red iron oxide, black iron oxide, yellow iron oxide, ultramarine, navy blue, chromium oxide, chromium hydroxide, calamine, carbon black and other inorganic powders; monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose, galactose, mannose; disaccharides such as lactose, trehalose, maltose; starches such as starch, potato starch; sugar alcohols such as mannitol, maltitol, xylitol, erythritol; etc. One or more of these can be used. From the viewpoints of solubility, granulation property, foaming property, and storage stability, the content of the excipient in the detergent composition is preferably 5% by mass or more, more preferably 10% by mass or more, and preferably 50% by mass or less, more preferably 40% by mass or less, still more preferably 30% by mass or less. And the content of the excipient in the detergent composition is preferably 5% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, more preferably 10% by mass or more and 40% by mass or less, still more preferably 10% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less.

[0027] Examples of the binder used in the present invention include hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxymethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, xanthan gum, carrageenan, etc., and one or more of these can be used. From the viewpoints of instant solubility and productivity, the content of the binder in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, still more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, and preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 5% by mass or less, still more preferably 3% by mass or less. And the content of the binder in the powder or granular detergent composition is preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, more preferably 0.3% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less, still more preferably 0.5% by mass or more and 3% by mass or less.

[0028] <Powder or granular detergent composition> The powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention contains 30% by mass or more of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more, and the content of particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more is 0.10% by number or less. That is, the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention contains 30% by mass or more of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more in the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition, and in the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition, the content of particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more is 0.10% by number or less. By containing 30% by mass or more of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more, the storage stability can be enhanced, and by setting the content of particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more to 0.10% by number or less, it is possible to suppress the roughness of the touch and improve the usability.

[0029] Moreover, at least a part of the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more is preferably granulated particles. The content of granulated particles among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more is preferably more than 55% by number, more preferably more than 60% by number, further preferably more than 65% by number, even further preferably more than 70% by number, and most preferably all are granulated particles, from the viewpoint of improving the usability, particularly suppressing the roughness of the touch. However, from the viewpoint of production efficiency, it may contain some particles of the raw material as it is. Since the hardness of granulated particles can be easily adjusted, it is possible to adjust the content of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more and a hardness of 5 gf or more. In addition, the content of granulated particles among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more in the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention can be determined by sieving with a sieve having a mesh size of 100 μm, observing the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more obtained by SEM observation, and actually measuring the percentage by number.

[0030] Generally, the raw material carbonate particles and organic acid particles have high hardness. If the large-sized raw materials are used as they are, the content of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more and a hardness of 5 gf or more will be high, and the touch will deteriorate due to the undissolved particles when the detergent composition is dissolved in water. However, by making at least a part of the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more into granulated particles, it is possible to reduce the content of particles with high hardness, suppress the roughness of the touch, and improve the usability. As an example where one part is granulated particles, there is a case where either an organic acid or a carbonate is used as granulated particles and the other is used as it is as a raw material. More specifically, components constituting a detergent composition other than an organic acid, preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of a surfactant, an excipient, a binder, and a humectant, more preferably all components other than the organic acid and the carbonate are used as granulated particles, and the organic acid is used as it is as a raw material without granulation, or components constituting a detergent composition other than a carbonate, preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of a surfactant, an excipient, a binder, and a humectant, more preferably all components other than the carbonate and the organic acid are used as granulated particles, and the carbonate is used as it is as a raw material without granulation. From the viewpoint of production efficiency, it is preferable to use an organic acid as granulated particles and a carbonate as raw material particles as they are. Further, it is preferable that the granulated particles contain a surfactant. The organic acid and the carbonate are preferably not granulated together and are in the form of each separate independent particle. By making the organic acid and the carbonate in the form of each independent particle, the storage stability and the foaming property can be further improved.

[0031] The powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention preferably contains particles (A) containing a carbonate and particles (B) containing an organic acid. Here, it is preferable that particles (A) do not contain an organic acid and particles (B) are particles that do not contain a carbonate. Further, it is preferable that particles (A) or particles (B) contain a surfactant, or it is preferable that both particles (A) and particles (B) contain a surfactant. Specifically, the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention may contain particles (A) containing a carbonate and particles (B) containing an organic acid and a surfactant, may contain particles (A) containing a carbonate and a surfactant and particles (B) containing an organic acid, or may contain particles (A) containing a carbonate and a surfactant and particles (B) containing an organic acid and a surfactant.

[0032] The content (mass ratio) of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more in all the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention can be measured by a sieving method. The content of particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more and a hardness of 5 gf or more among all the particles constituting the powdery or granular detergent composition of the present invention can be measured by the following method. (i) First, calculate the content (number ratio) of particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more among all the particles. Specifically, using a Comsize XT (particle size measuring device, manufactured by RETSCH), measure the particle size distribution. Among the obtained distribution, particles with a particle size of 1 to 3000 μm are regarded as the "all particles" in the present invention. Logarithmically divide it evenly into 100 parts, and count the range of intervals including 100 μm or more as 100 μm or more. Calculate the total number of particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more, and calculate the content rate (number ratio) of particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more among all the particles. (ii) Next, calculate the content (number ratio) of particles with a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more. Specifically, sieve the powdery or granular detergent composition with a sieve having an aperture of 100 μm. From the obtained particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more, sample any 20 or more particles, and use a micro compression tester (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, MCT series) to measure the hardness of each particle one by one, and calculate the content rate of particles with a hardness of 5 gf or more. Repeat this operation 3 times to calculate the average value. As the hardness of the particle, the load (gf) at the breaking point of the particle loaded using the micro compression tester can be adopted. In addition, when the particle collapses in multiple stages, the load at the first occurring breaking point (hereinafter, also referred to as the first breaking point) is adopted as the hardness of the particle. (iii) Next, by multiplying the content (number ratio) of particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more among all the particles obtained in (i) by the content (number ratio) of particles with a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more obtained in (ii), the content (number ratio) of particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more and a hardness of 5 gf or more among all the particles can be calculated.

[0033] Among all the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention, the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more are contained in an amount of 30% by mass or more, preferably 35% by mass or more, more preferably 40% by mass or more, still more preferably 50% by mass or more, even more preferably 55% by mass or more, even more preferably 65% by mass or more, and even more preferably 70% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of storage stability. And from the viewpoint of productivity, it is preferably contained in an amount of 100% by mass or less, more preferably 95% by mass or less, and still more preferably 90% by mass or less. Among all the particles, the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more are contained in an amount of 30% by mass or more, preferably 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, still more preferably 40% by mass or more and 95% by mass or less, even more preferably 50% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, even more preferably 55% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, even more preferably 65% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less, and even more preferably 70% by mass or more and 90% by mass or less.

[0034] Also, among all the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention, the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more are preferably 0.015% by number or more, more preferably 0.017% by number or more, still more preferably 0.02% by number or more, still more preferably 0.03% by number or more, and still more preferably 0.1% by number or more, from the viewpoint of storage stability. The upper limit value is preferably ideally 100% by number, but since fine powder is also included in the manufacturing process, from the viewpoint of productivity, it is preferably 1% by number or less, more preferably 0.7% by number or less, and still more preferably 0.5% by number or less. Among all the particles, the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more are preferably 0.015% by number or more and 1% by number or less, more preferably 0.017% by number or more and 0.7% by number or less, still more preferably 0.02% by number or more and 0.5% by number or less, still more preferably 0.03% by number or more and 0.5% by number or less, and still more preferably 0.1% by number or more and 0.5% by number or less. Among all the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention, the content of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more and a hardness of 5 gf or more is 0.10% by number or less, preferably 0.07% by number or less, more preferably 0.05% by number or less, still more preferably 0.04% by number or less, and even more preferably 0% by number, from the viewpoint of improving the usability, particularly suppressing the roughness of the touch. From the viewpoint of productivity, the lower limit may be, for example, preferably 0.001% by number or more, more preferably 0.005% by number or more, and still more preferably 0.01% by number or more.

[0035] Also, the content of particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more is preferably 45% by number or less. If the content of such particles is 45% by number or less, the usability can be improved, particularly the roughness of the touch can be suppressed. The content of particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more is preferably 40% by number or less, more preferably 35% by number or less, still more preferably 30% by number or less, and even more preferably 25% by number or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, and it is preferably not contained, that is, 0% by number, but from the viewpoint of productivity, it is preferably 1% by number or more, more preferably 5% by number or more, and still more preferably 10% by number or more.

[0036] Among all the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention, the content of fine powder having a particle size of 10 μm or less is preferably 3.5% by mass or less, more preferably 3.3% by mass or less, still more preferably 3.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 2.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 1.0% by mass or less, from the viewpoints of improving the usability and storage stability, particularly preventing choking. From the viewpoint of productivity, it is preferably 0.001% by mass or more, more preferably 0.002% by mass or more, and still more preferably 0.003% by mass or more. And, among all the particles, the content of fine powder having a particle size of 10 μm or less is preferably 0.001% by mass or more and 3.5% by mass or less, more preferably 0.002% by mass or more and 3.3% by mass or less, still more preferably 0.003% by mass or more and 3.0% by mass or less, even more preferably 0.003% by mass or more and 2.0% by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.003% by mass or more and 1.0% by mass or less. Further, from the viewpoint of improving storage stability, the average hardness of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more is preferably 0.3 gf or more, more preferably 0.4 gf or more, still more preferably 0.5 gf or more. Further, from the viewpoint of improving the usability, particularly suppressing the roughness of the touch, it is preferably less than 5 gf, more preferably 4.7 gf or less, still more preferably 4.5 gf or less. The average hardness value is obtained by sampling any 20 or more particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more, measuring the hardness of each particle using a micro compression tester (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, MCT series), and calculating the average value.

[0037] The powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention can be suitably used for face care products such as facial cleansers and body care products such as hand soaps and body soaps. The foaming detergent product using the detergent composition of the present invention can be enclosed in a packaging material and provided. Since the detergent composition of the present invention is less likely to cause swelling of the packaging material due to the generation of carbon dioxide gas even when stored in the packaging material, it has excellent storage stability in the product form enclosed in the packaging material. The shape of the packaging material is not particularly limited as long as it has a structure capable of enclosing the detergent composition. Examples include a bag shape and a bottle shape. Among these, a bag-shaped packaging material is preferred. The material constituting the packaging material is also not particularly limited as long as it can enclose the detergent composition. For example, in the case of a bag-shaped packaging material, a resin film or a laminated film in which an inorganic thin film made of a metal or a metal oxide is laminated on the resin film can be used.

[0038] <Method for producing powder or granular detergent composition> The method for producing the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention includes a step of granulating at least one of a carbonate and an organic acid. One of the carbonate and the organic acid may be used as it is without granulation, or the carbonate and the organic acid may be granulated and used as granulated particles of the carbonate and granulated particles of the organic acid, respectively. By using at least one of a carbonate or an organic acid as granulated particles, it becomes possible to produce a detergent composition with adjusted particle size and hardness, and it becomes possible to achieve both storage stability and usability.

[0039] The method for producing the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention preferably includes a step of mixing particles (A) containing a carbonate and particles (B) containing an organic acid. The particles (A) containing a carbonate preferably do not contain an organic acid. Also, the particles (A) containing a carbonate may be the raw material particles as they are, or may be granulated particles of the carbonate. On the other hand, the particles (B) containing an organic acid preferably do not contain a carbonate. Also, the particles (B) containing an organic acid may be the raw material particles as they are, or may be granulated particles of the organic acid. It is preferable that the particles (A) or the particles (B), or both the particles (A) and the particles (B) contain a surfactant.

[0040] When granulating the carbonate, it is preferable to granulate one or more selected from the group consisting of components constituting the detergent composition other than the organic acid, preferably a surfactant, an excipient, a binder, and a humectant, more preferably all components other than the organic acid, and the carbonate to obtain granulated particles. When granulating the organic acid, it is preferable to granulate one or more selected from the group consisting of components constituting the detergent composition other than the carbonate, preferably a surfactant, an excipient, a binder, and a humectant, more preferably all components other than the carbonate, and the organic acid to obtain granulated particles.

[0041] Also, as raw materials, it is preferable to use a carbonate and an organic acid having a median diameter of 170 μm or less. More specifically, from the perspective of improving productivity and storage stability, the median diameter of the carbonate used as a raw material is preferably 10 μm or more, more preferably 15 μm or more, and still more preferably 20 μm or more. From the perspective of improving the feel, it is preferably 170 μm or less, more preferably 150 μm or less, still more preferably 120 μm or less, even more preferably 110 μm or less, even more preferably 100 μm or less, even more preferably 95 μm or less, and even more preferably 90 μm or less. And the median diameter of the carbonate used as a raw material is preferably 10 μm or more and 170 μm or less, more preferably 15 μm or more and 150 μm or less, still more preferably 20 μm or more and 120 μm or less, even more preferably 20 μm or more and 110 μm or less, even more preferably 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less, even more preferably 20 μm or more and 95 μm or less, and even more preferably 20 μm or more and 90 μm or less. Further, from the same perspectives as above and from the perspective of further improving the feel, when the carbonate is used as a raw material for granulation, the more preferable median diameter of the carbonate, in addition to the above range, is even more preferably 100 μm or less, even more preferably 90 μm or less, even more preferably 70 μm or less, and even more preferably 60 μm or less. And it is even more preferably 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less, even more preferably 10 μm or more and 90 μm or less, even more preferably 10 μm or more and 70 μm or less, and even more preferably 10 μm or more and 60 μm or less. Further, from the same perspectives as above and from the perspective of the balance between storage stability and feel, when the carbonate is used as a raw material without granulation, the more preferable median diameter of the carbonate, in addition to the above range, is even more preferably 80 μm or more, even more preferably 90 μm or more, and also even more preferably 110 μm or less. And it is even more preferably 80 μm or more and 170 μm or less, even more preferably 80 μm or more and 150 μm or less, even more preferably 90 μm or more and 120 μm or less, and even more preferably 90 μm or more and 110 μm or less.

[0042] Also, from the viewpoint of improving productivity and storage stability, the median diameter of the organic acid as the raw material particles is preferably 10 μm or more, more preferably 15 μm or more, still more preferably 20 μm or more. And from the viewpoint of improving the feel, it is preferably 170 μm or less, more preferably 150 μm or less, still more preferably 120 μm or less, still more preferably 110 μm or less, even more preferably 100 μm or less, still more preferably 95 μm or less, even more preferably 90 μm or less, even more preferably 80 μm or less. And the median diameter of the organic acid as the raw material is preferably 10 μm or more and 170 μm or less, more preferably 15 μm or more and 150 μm or less, still more preferably 20 μm or more and 120 μm or less, even more preferably 20 μm or more and 110 μm or less, even more preferably 20 μm or more and 100 μm or less, even more preferably 20 μm or more and 95 μm or less, even more preferably 20 μm or more and 90 μm or less, even more preferably 20 μm or more and 80 μm or less. Also, from the same viewpoints as above and the viewpoint of further improving the feel, the more preferable median diameter of the organic acid as the raw material when granulating the organic acid is, in addition to the above range, more preferably 30 μm or more, and also more preferably 70 μm or less, more preferably 60 μm or less, more preferably 50 μm or less, and more preferably 20 μm or more and 70 μm or less, more preferably 20 μm or more and 60 μm or less, more preferably 20 μm or more and 50 μm or less. Also, from the same viewpoints as above and the viewpoint of the balance between storage stability and feel, the preferable median diameter when using the organic acid as the raw material without granulation is, in addition to the above range, more preferably 80 μm or more, more preferably 90 μm or more, and also more preferably 110 μm or less, and more preferably 80 μm or more and 170 μm or less, more preferably 80 μm or more and 150 μm or less, more preferably 90 μm or more and 120 μm or less, more preferably 90 μm or more and 110 μm or less.

[0043] Also, the carbonate and the organic acid are preferably produced so as to have the following median diameters, respectively. From the viewpoint of storage stability, the median diameter of the carbonate in the detergent composition (product) is preferably 80 μm or more, more preferably 90 μm or more, still more preferably 100 μm or more, even more preferably 110 μm or more, and even more preferably 120 μm or more. From the viewpoint of productivity, it is preferably 500 μm or less, more preferably 400 μm or less, still more preferably 300 μm or less, and even more preferably 200 μm or less. The median diameter of the granulated product of the carbonate in the detergent composition (product) is preferably 80 μm or more and 500 μm or less, more preferably 90 μm or more and 400 μm or less, and still more preferably 100 μm or more and 300 μm or less. In addition, from the viewpoint of improving the usability, particularly suppressing the roughness of the touch, it is preferable to use the carbonate as a granulated product, and in that case, the median diameter before compounding after granulation of the carbonate preferably falls within the above range. Further, in addition to the above preferred range, from the viewpoint of further improving the storage stability, the median diameter when made into a granulated product is more preferably 110 μm or more and 300 μm or less, even more preferably 120 μm or more and 300 μm or less, and even more preferably 120 μm or more and 200 μm or less. The preferred range of the median diameter of the carbonate in the powder or granular carbon dioxide foaming composition (product) when using the carbonate as the raw material as it is is as described for the median diameter of the carbonate as the above raw material particles.

[0044] Also, from the viewpoint of storage stability, the median diameter of the organic acid in the detergent composition (product) is preferably 70 μm or more, more preferably 80 μm or more, still more preferably 90 μm or more, even more preferably 100 μm or more, even more preferably 110 μm or more, and even more preferably 120 μm or more. And from the viewpoint of productivity, it is preferably 500 μm or less, more preferably 400 μm or less, still more preferably 300 μm or less, and even more preferably 200 μm or less. And the median diameter of the granulated product of the organic acid in the detergent composition (product) is preferably 70 μm or more and 500 μm or less, more preferably 80 μm or more and 500 μm or less, still more preferably 90 μm or more and 400 μm or less, and even more preferably 100 μm or more and 300 μm or less. In addition, from the viewpoint of improving the usability, particularly suppressing the roughness of the touch, it is preferable to use the organic acid as a granulated product, and in that case, it is preferable that the median diameter after granulation and before blending of the organic acid falls within the above range. Further, in addition to the above preferred range, from the viewpoint of further improving the storage stability, the median diameter when made into a granulated product is more preferably 110 μm or more and 300 μm or less, even more preferably 120 μm or more and 300 μm or less, and even more preferably 120 μm or more and 200 μm or less. The preferred range of the median diameter of the organic acid in the powder or granular carbon dioxide foaming composition (product) when using the organic acid as the raw material as it is is as described for the median diameter of the organic acid as the above raw material particles.

[0045] Here, the median diameter (D50) means the particle diameter at which the cumulative volume frequency calculated by volume fraction becomes 50% when calculated from the smaller particle diameter side. Specifically, the median diameter can be measured by the method described in the examples.

[0046] Also, from the viewpoint of further improving the touch, after removing particles having a particle diameter of preferably 500 μm or more, more preferably 400 μm or more, and still more preferably 300 μm or more from the raw material particles in advance using a sieve, granulation may be performed. Other raw material components other than the carbonate and the organic acid are those having a median diameter equal to or smaller than the median diameter of the carbonate and the organic acid, and usually 170 μm or less, for example, 5 μm or more and 150 μm or less.

[0047] As the granulation method, any of a fluidized bed granulation method, a stirring granulation method, a rolling granulation method, or an extrusion granulation method can be used. Among these, from the viewpoint of improving the solubility of the detergent composition in water, the fluidized bed granulation method is preferable. Specifically, for example, raw material particles are charged into a fluidized bed granulator, and granulation can be carried out by adding a binder solution in which a binder is dissolved in water, ethanol, or a mixed solution thereof to the uniformly mixed powder particles. The content (solid content) of the binder in the binder solution is preferably 0.1% by mass or more, more preferably 0.3% by mass or more, still more preferably 0.5% by mass or more, and preferably 10% by mass or less, more preferably 8% by mass or less, still more preferably 5% by mass or less, from the viewpoint of productivity. And the content of the binder in the binder solution is preferably 0.1 to 10% by mass, more preferably 0.3 to 8% by mass, still more preferably 0.5 to 5% by mass. As described above, from the viewpoint of improving storage stability, it is preferable that the carbonate and the organic acid are not contained simultaneously in the same granulated particles. The granulated particles can be mixed with the non-granulated particles by known means to produce the detergent composition. When the carbonate and the organic acid are granulated separately, each granulated particle (the granulated particle containing the carbonate and the granulated particle containing the organic acid) can be similarly mixed using known means to produce the detergent composition.

[0048] <Method of using the powder or granular detergent composition> The powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention can be suitably used, for example, for face washing, hair washing, and body washing. The powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention is a foaming detergent composition that starts to foam naturally by adding water. Therefore, it foams quickly and does not require a special foaming operation that takes time and labor, so it can be used easily. As a method of using the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention, for example, take the detergent composition in the palm of the hand, add water to the detergent composition, gently foam it after thoroughly mixing the water with the detergent composition on the palm, and apply it to the face, hair, whole body, etc. to be washed, and then wash.

[0049] From the viewpoint of improving the solubility of the powder or granular detergent composition and also improving the foaming property, the mass ratio of the powder or granular detergent composition to the added water (powder or granular detergent composition / water) is preferably 1 / 30 or more, more preferably 1 / 25 or more, still more preferably 1 / 20 or more, and preferably 1 / 0.5 or less, more preferably 1 / 1 or less, still more preferably 1 / 2 or less.

[0050] From the viewpoint of the foam retention property, for the powder or granular detergent composition of the present invention, it is preferable that the time from adding water to applying it to the skin is within 5 minutes, more preferably within 3 minutes, still more preferably within 2 minutes, and even more preferably applying it within 1 minute and 30 seconds. The temperature of the water added to the powder or granular detergent composition is not particularly limited, but is preferably 15°C or higher and 50°C or lower, more preferably 15°C or higher and 45°C or lower, still more preferably 20°C or higher and 45°C or lower.

[0051] Hereinafter, regarding the above-described embodiments, the present invention further discloses the following. <1> A powder or granular detergent composition containing a carbonate, an organic acid, and a surfactant, containing 30% by mass or more of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more, and the content of particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more is 0.10% by number or less. A powder or granular detergent composition. <2> The powder or granular detergent composition according to <1>, wherein the content of particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more is 45% by number or less. <3> Furthermore, a powder or granular detergent composition according to <1> or <2>, which contains a moisture absorbent. <4> A powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <3>, which contains one or more selected from the group consisting of citric acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, and ascorbic acid as the organic acid. <5> A powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <4>, which contains one or more selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogen carbonate as the carbonate. <6> A powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <3> to <5>, wherein the moisture absorbent is magnesium oxide. <7> A powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <6>, wherein at least a part of the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more are granulated particles. <8> The powder or granular detergent composition according to <7>, wherein the granulated particles are granulated particles obtained by granulating either an organic acid or a carbonate and a component constituting the other detergent composition other than the organic acid and the carbonate. <9> A powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <8>, wherein the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more are contained in an amount of 30% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less in all the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition. <10> A powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <9>, wherein the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more are contained in an amount of 0.015% by number or more and 1% by number or less in all the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition. <11> A powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <10>, wherein the content of the fine powder having a particle size of 10 μm or less is 0.001% by mass or more and 3.5% by mass or less in all the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition. <12> A powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <11>, wherein the average value of the hardness of the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more is 0.3 gf or more and less than 5 gf. <13> The powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <7> to <12>, wherein the content of granulated particles among the particles having a particle diameter of 100 μm or more is more than 55% by number. <14> The powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <13>, wherein the particles having a particle diameter of 100 μm or more are 35% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, and 0.017% by number or more and 0.7% by number or less. <15> Among all the particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition, the content of particles having a particle diameter of 100 μm or more and a hardness of 5 gf or more is 0.07% by number or less, and the particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more among the particles having a particle diameter of 100 μm or more are 40% by number or less. The powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <14>. <16> The powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <15>, wherein the content of the carbonate is 10% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less. <17> The powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <16>, wherein the content of the organic acid is 5% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less. <18> The powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <17>, wherein the content of the surfactant is 10% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less. <19> The powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <18>, wherein the mass ratio [(carbonate + organic acid) / surfactant] of the total amount of the carbonate and the organic acid to the surfactant is 0.1 or more and 20 or less. <20> The powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <19>, wherein the mass ratio [organic acid / carbonate] of the organic acid to the carbonate is 0.05 or more and 10 or less. <21> The powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <20>, wherein the total amount of the carbonate and the organic acid is 35% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less. <22> The powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <3> to <21>, wherein the content of the moisture absorbent is 0.01% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less. <23> Containing the particles (A) containing the carbonate and the particles (B) containing the organic acid, The powder or granular cleaning composition according to any one of <1> to <22>, wherein the particles (A) do not contain an organic acid and the particles (B) do not contain a carbonate. <24> The powder or granular cleaning composition according to <23>, wherein the particles (A) contain a surfactant. <25> The powder or granular cleaning composition according to <23>, wherein the particles (B) contain a surfactant. <26> The powder or granular cleaning composition according to <23>, wherein both the particles (A) and the particles (B) contain a surfactant. <27> A method for producing a powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of <1> to <26>, comprising a step of granulating at least one of a carbonate and an organic acid. A method for producing a powder or granular detergent composition, comprising a step of granulating at least one of a carbonate and an organic acid.

Examples

[0052] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of examples, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the examples. The measurements in the present examples were performed by the following methods.

[0053] (1) Method for measuring the content (number ratio) of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more Using 3 g of the detergent composition, it was measured with a Camsizer XT (particle size measuring device, manufactured by RETSCH Co., Ltd.). Among the obtained distributions, the particle size range of 1 to 3000 μm was evenly divided into 100 parts on a logarithmic scale, and the total number of particles of 100 μm or more was calculated by counting the range of intervals including 100 μm or more as 100 μm or more. The content rate (number ratio) of particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more in all particles was calculated.

[0054] (2) Method for measuring the content (number ratio) of particles with a hardness of 5 gf or more among particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more The powder or granular detergent composition was sieved with a sieve having an aperture of 100 μm, and the particles on the sieve were collected with an extremely small spatula. Next, the particles collected with the spatula were scattered on the pressure plate of a micro compression tester (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation, MCTW500), the hardness of any 20 particles was measured, and the content (number ratio) of particles with a hardness of 5 gf or more among particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more was calculated. This operation was repeated 3 times to calculate the average value.

[0055] (3) Method for measuring the content (number ratio) of granulated particles among particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more The powder or granular detergent composition was sieved with a sieve having an aperture of 100 μm, and the particles on the sieve were collected with an extremely small spatula. The collected particles were scattered on a 5 mm × 5 mm carbon tape and observed with a Hitachi desktop microscope Miniscope TM3030 (manufactured by Hitachi High-Tech Corporation). Any 20 particles were observed, and the content (number ratio) was calculated with the agglomerates regarded as granulated particles.

[0056] (4) Method for calculating the content of particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more and a hardness of 5 gf or more The value obtained by multiplying the value obtained by the measurement in (1) above by the value obtained by the measurement in (2) above was used to calculate the content of particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more and a hardness of 5 gf or more among all particles.

[0057] (5) Method for measuring the content (mass ratio) of particles with a particle size of 100 μm or more 3 g of the powder or granular detergent composition was sieved with a sieve having an aperture of 100 μm, and it was calculated from the mass remaining on the upper part.

[0058] (6) Method for measuring the content of fine powder Using 3 g of the detergent composition, it was measured with a Camsizer XT (particle size measuring device, manufactured by RETSCH). Among the obtained distribution, the particle size range of 1 to 3000 μm was evenly divided into 100 parts on a logarithmic scale, and the volume frequency of 10 μm or less was calculated with the range below the interval including 10 μm regarded as 10 μm or less, and the content (mass ratio) of particles with a particle size of 10 μm or less among all particles was calculated.

[0059] [Measurement method of median diameter] Regarding the organic acids, carbonates, and their granulated products used as raw materials, 3 g of each was used, and the median diameter was measured using a Camsizer XT (particle size measuring device, manufactured by RETSCH Co., Ltd.).

[0060] [Preparation of mixed surfactant] 300 g of sodium N-myristoyl-L-glutamate (Amisoft MS, manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Inc.) and 291.5 g of sodium N-lauroyl-L-glutamate (Amisoft LS, manufactured by Ajinomoto Co., Inc.) were mixed at room temperature to obtain a mixed surfactant.

[0061] [Example 1] According to the formulation shown in Table 1, a powder or granular detergent composition was obtained. 67.4 g of citric acid (Citric Anhydride 60, manufactured by Iwata Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), 118.3 g of the mixed surfactant, 25.2 g of magnesium oxide (manufactured by Kyowa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), and 84.0 g of talc (SW-K4, manufactured by Asada Flour Milling Co., Ltd.) were charged into a fluidized bed granulator (FD-MP-01E, manufactured by Powrec Co., Ltd.). While adding 314 g of a 1.6% carrageenan aqueous solution (solid content: 5.0 g) at a rate of 5 g / min under the conditions of an air volume of 0.3 m 3 / min and an intake air temperature of 80°C, granulation was carried out to obtain granulated products with a size of 172 μm. The obtained granulated products and 203 g of sodium hydrogen carbonate (hereinafter also referred to as baking soda, manufactured by AGC Inc.) were put into a bag and manually mixed in a transparent vinyl bag until uniform to prepare a powder or granular detergent composition. Using the obtained detergent composition, each evaluation was carried out according to the method shown below. The results are shown in Table 1. In addition, Table 2 shows the particle sizes of the citric acid and sodium hydrogen carbonate (baking soda) used as raw materials and the particle sizes in the obtained powder or granular detergent composition (product).

[0062] [Examples 2 - 3, 5 - 7] Powder or granular detergent compositions were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the formulation shown in Table 1 was followed. Using the obtained powdery or granular detergent composition, each evaluation was carried out according to the method shown below. The results are shown in Table 1. Also, the particle sizes of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate used as raw materials and the particle size in the obtained powdery or granular detergent composition (product) are shown in Table 2 respectively.

[0063] [Example 4] According to the formulation shown in Table 1, sodium bicarbonate was granulated. 139.9 g of sodium bicarbonate (manufactured by AGC Inc.), 81.5 g of mixed surfactant, 17.3 g of magnesium oxide (manufactured by Kyowa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), and 57.8 g of talc (SW-K4 manufactured by Asada Flour Milling Co., Ltd.) were charged into a fluidized bed granulator (FD-MP-01E manufactured by Powrex Corporation), and granulation was carried out under the same conditions as in Example 1 while adding 216 g (solid content: 3.5 g) of a 1.6% carrageenan aqueous solution at a rate of 5 g / min to obtain granulated products of 127 μm. The obtained granulated products were manually mixed with 46.6 g of citric acid in a transparent vinyl bag until uniform to prepare a powdery or granular detergent composition. Using the obtained powdery or granular detergent composition, each evaluation was carried out according to the method shown below. The results are shown in Table 1. Also, the particle sizes of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate used as raw materials and the particle size in the obtained powdery or granular detergent composition (product) are shown in Table 2 respectively.

[0064] [Comparative Examples 1 to 3] According to the formulation shown in Table 3, a powdery or granular detergent composition was obtained. In Comparative Examples 1 to 3, without granulation, all the components were put into a bag and manually mixed in the bag to obtain a powdery or granular detergent composition. Using the obtained powdery or granular detergent composition, each evaluation was carried out according to the method shown below. The results are shown in Table 3. Also, the particle sizes of citric acid and sodium bicarbonate used as raw materials are shown in Table 4 respectively.

[0065] [Storage Stability] At 50°C and 50% RH, 3.9 g of each detergent composition was enclosed in an aluminum packaging material measuring 80 mm × 50 mm × 18 mm, and the expansion amount of the aluminum packaging material before and after storage at 50°C for 4 weeks was measured. Specifically, a water tank filled with water at 25°C was placed on a scale and its weight was measured. Next, the aluminum packaging material enclosing the detergent composition was completely submerged in the water tank, and its mass was measured. The difference in mass before and after submerging the aluminum packaging material in water was converted to volume using the density of water as 1.0 g / ml based on Archimedes' principle, and this was taken as the volume of the aluminum packaging material before storage. Then, after 4 weeks of storage, the same measurement was performed to obtain the volume of the aluminum packaging material after storage, and the expansion amount of the aluminum packaging material after storage was obtained from the difference in volume of the aluminum packaging material before and after storage. A smaller expansion amount indicates better storage stability.

[0066] [Sense of use (touch)] Take 1 g of the powder or granular detergent composition in the palm of the hand, drip 10 g of water at 42°C onto the cleaning composition, thoroughly mix the water with the detergent composition on the palm of the hand, and let it foam naturally. After about 10 seconds have elapsed since dripping the water (after the water has been dripped), bring the other palm together to whip the foam. Then, while continuing the whipping operation, three professional panels evaluated the touch when whipping the foam within 3 minutes after dripping the water according to the following criteria, and it was determined by the agreement of the professional panels. 1: Does not feel rough from the beginning 2: Feels rough at first, but disappears at the initial stage of foaming 3: Feels rough at first, but disappears during foaming 4: Feels rough, but disappears after foaming 5: Feels rough and does not disappear after foaming (The above "initial stage of foaming" means within 1 minute after dripping water onto the detergent composition, "during foaming" means more than 1 minute and within 2 minutes, and "after foaming" means more than 2 minutes and within 3 minutes.)

[0067]

Table 1

[0068]

Table 2

[0069]

Table 3

[0070]

Table 4

[0071] *1 The "organic acid granulation" described in the column of "granulation state" in Tables 1 to 4 refers to the state in which an organic acid and all components other than carbonate (sodium bicarbonate) (surfactant, excipient, binder, and hygroscopic agent) are granulated. In the case of organic acid granulation, the carbonate (sodium bicarbonate) was used as raw material particles without being granulated. The "carbonate granulation" refers to the state in which a carbonate and all components other than organic acid (citric acid) (surfactant, excipient, binder, and hygroscopic agent) are granulated. In the case of carbonate granulation, the organic acid (citric acid) was used as raw material particles without being granulated. "Ungranulated" refers to the state in which all powder components are used without being granulated. *2 Carrageenan was dissolved in purified water and used as a 1.6% aqueous carrageenan solution. However, since the purified water evaporates in the manufacturing process, the carrageenan content in Tables 1 and 3 indicates the solid content. *3 In Tables 1 and 3, "in the total detergent composition" means "in all particles constituting the powder or granular detergent composition". *4 The particle sizes in Tables 2 and 4 indicate the median diameter.

[0072] From Tables 1 and 3, it can be seen that the powder or granular detergent composition of this example is excellent in storage stability and touch. In addition, all of the detergent compositions of this example had good foaming properties, foam breakage, and foam retention.

Industrial Applicability

[0073] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a powder or granular detergent composition having high storage stability, suppressed roughness in touch, and good usability. The detergent composition can be used in face care products such as facial cleansers and body care products such as hand soaps and body soaps.

Claims

1. Contains carbonate, organic acid and surfactant, The particle size of 100 μm or more is 30% by mass or more, and The content of particles having a particle diameter of 100 μm or more and a hardness of 5 gf or more is 0.10% by number or less. Powder or granular detergent compositions.

2. 2. The powder or granular detergent composition according to claim 1, wherein particles having a hardness of 5 gf or more account for 45% or less by number of said particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more.

3. The powder or granular detergent composition according to claim 1 , further comprising a moisture absorbent.

4. 2. The powder or granular detergent composition according to claim 1, wherein the organic acid comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of citric acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, and ascorbic acid.

5. 2. The powder or granular detergent composition according to claim 1, wherein the carbonate comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate.

6. 4. The powder or granular detergent composition according to claim 3, wherein the moisture absorbent is magnesium oxide.

7. 2. The powder or granular detergent composition according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the particles having a particle size of 100 μm or more are granulated particles.

8. The particle (A) containing the carbonate and the particle (B) containing the organic acid, 2. The powder or granular cleaning composition according to claim 1, wherein the particles (A) are free of organic acids and the particles (B) are free of carbonates.

9. 9. The powder or granular cleaning composition of claim 8, wherein the particles (A) or the particles (B), or both the particles (A) and the particles (B), contain a surfactant.

10. A method for producing the powder or granular detergent composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising the steps of: A method for producing a powder or granular detergent composition, comprising a step of granulating at least one of a carbonate or an organic acid.

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