Acidic Liquid Cleaning Compositions with Organic Acids
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional light duty liquid cleaning compositions often fail to provide effective antibacterial efficacy while maintaining low toxicity and ease of rinsing, and may leave residues on surfaces, making them unsuitable for delicate and food-contact surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The development of acidic liquid cleaning compositions that combine specific amounts of anionic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, and organic acids, such as lactic acid, which exhibit antibacterial activity with a log10 reduction of at least 3 in microbes within 30 seconds, while being stable for over a year at room temperature and having low toxicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional light duty liquid cleaning compositions are used, then they provide basic cleaning ability, but they fail to provide effective antibacterial efficacy and may leave residues on surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the pH of the cleaning composition to an acidic range (pH 2-4) and optimizing the concentration of surfactants and organic acids. This parameter modification enables the composition to achieve effective antibacterial efficacy while ensuring complete rinsing without residues on surfaces, resolving the contradiction between reliability and harmful factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite formulation combining anionic surfactants (1-20 wt%), zwitterionic surfactants (1-15 wt%), and organic acids (1-10 wt%) such as lactic acid, citric acid, or acetic acid. This composite material approach creates a synergistic effect that provides both antibacterial activity and ease of rinsing, eliminating residues while maintaining reliable antibacterial performance.
2Reliability
If acidic formulations are used to enhance antibacterial efficacy, then antibacterial activity improves, but toxicity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the pH parameter within the range of 2-4 and limits organic acid content to 1-10 wt%, which maintains effective antibacterial activity while ensuring low toxicity. This parameter optimization allows the composition to be safe for use on food-contact surfaces and animate surfaces including human skin, resolving the contradiction between antibacterial reliability and toxicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs readily biodegradable organic acids with short environmental persistence, such as lactic acid, citric acid, and acetic acid. These substances provide effective antibacterial action during use but rapidly degrade in the environment, minimizing toxic accumulation and allowing safe reuse on sensitive surfaces without long-term harmful effects.
3Productivity
If strong cleaning agents are used to improve cleaning performance, then cleaning ability enhances, but ease of rinsing deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters of surfactants (anionic 1-20 wt%, zwitterionic 1-15 wt%) and adjusts pH to 2-4, creating a formulation that delivers strong cleaning performance while maintaining excellent rinsability. The acidic pH and specific surfactant combination ensure complete removal from surfaces without requiring extensive rinsing, resolving the contradiction between productivity and ease of operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
These compositions achieve enhanced cleaning performance, reduced residue left on surfaces, and are safe for use on delicate and food-contact surfaces, including human skin, with minimal rinsing required, demonstrating superior antibacterial efficacy and low toxicity.
Implementation Method 1
The cleaning compositions of the invention include a surfactant mix that includes anionic surfactants, zwitterionic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants
Implementation Method 2
enhanced cleaning performance, reduced residue left on surfaces
Implementation Method 3
which exhibit antibacterial activity with a log10 reduction of at least 3 in microbes within 30 seconds
Implementation Method 4
acidic liquid cleaning compositions with low toxicity and antibacterial efficacy on surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
The invention encompasses liquid cleaning compositions, for example, dish washing liquids, and methods of their manufacture and use, which possess enhanced cleaning ability. The cleaning compositions of the invention include acidic light duty liquid cleaning compositions with low toxicity and antibacterial efficacy on surfaces, for example, hard surfaces.