Effects of a formulation of surfactants (DBS, AOS and APE), zeolite and protease in the model system of phosphate-free home laundry detergents were studied in 100 ppm hard water at
pH 9.5 by Scheffé's Symplex Lattice Design. The soil removal of protein, synthetic sebum, mud (Dilivium) and carbon black compounded in soiled fabrics were determined separately and were represented by Scheffe's special cubic equation to predict the soil removal by an interaction between the soils and the component of a detergent.
(1) It was found that the protease affected not only the protein removal, but also the particulate soils adhered to the fabrics with protein in any surfactant systems.
(2) The nonionic APE systems were superior to the anionic AOS or DBS system in the detergency of any soils studied. AOS was very similar to APE. The soil removal behavior were dependent on the interaction between the soils and the component of the detergent in hard water.
(3) Anionic DBS systems were different from other surfactants in low detergency and the interaction between the soils and the component of the detergent. It was deduced that the differences of the soil removal between DBS and AOS would result from the interaction properties of the surfactants with hardness ion. The zeolite and the protease formulated in DBS systems used in hard water were effective to enhance the removing efficiency of perceptible soils.
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