Acidic Cleaning Composition with Polymers for Water Mark Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing acidic hard surface cleaning compositions fail to effectively prevent water marks and splash marks, particularly on glossy and transparent surfaces, and inclined surfaces, despite the use of surface modification polymers and crystal growth inhibitors.
Innovation Solution
A liquid hard surface cleaning composition combining a surface modification polymer, such as polysulphobetaine polymers, with a crystal growth inhibiting polymer, like sulfonated poly(meth)acrylates, at a pH of 1.5 to less than 7.0, which prevents limescale deposits from adhering and coalescing, maintaining surface shine by keeping deposits in suspension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surface modification polymers and crystal growth inhibitors are added to acidic cleaning compositions, then limescale removal capability is improved, but water marks and splash marks become more visible on glossy and transparent surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the cleaning composition by incorporating specific polymers (polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polysulphobetaine, polyacrylate) that modify the physical-chemical properties of the solution. These polymers alter the surface tension and interaction characteristics between the cleaning solution and the treated surface, preventing water mark formation while maintaining limescale removal effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite cleaning composition by combining acidic components (for limescale removal) with multiple polymer additives (surface modification polymers and crystal growth inhibitors). This composite formulation achieves synergistic effects where the acidic components remove limescale while the polymers prevent water mark formation, resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and surface appearance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If crystal growth inhibitors are used to reduce precipitate size, then visibility of splash marks is reduced, but they remain at least partially visible on glossy and transparent surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the cleaning composition by incorporating polymers that change the surface properties and drying characteristics. These polymers alter how water evaporates and deposits on the surface, preventing the formation of visible marks even on glossy and transparent surfaces where crystal growth inhibitors alone are insufficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces polymer intermediaries (polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polysulphobetaine, polyacrylate) that mediate between the water-based cleaning solution and the treated surface. These intermediaries form a protective layer during drying that prevents direct deposition of calcium carbonate and other salts, thereby preventing water mark formation on surfaces where crystal growth inhibitors alone fail to provide complete protection.
3Reliability
If water beads are allowed to dry on treated surfaces, then cleaning effect is maintained, but calcium carbonate precipitation leads to visible water marks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces polymer intermediaries that form a protective barrier between the drying water beads and the treated surface. These intermediaries (polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polysulphobetaine, polyacrylate) prevent direct contact between evaporating water and the surface, thereby preventing calcium carbonate precipitation and water mark formation while allowing the cleaning effect to be maintained throughout the drying process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the cleaning composition by adding polymers that modify surface tension and evaporation characteristics. These parameter changes ensure that water beads dry uniformly without forming concentrated precipitates, maintaining surface shine while preventing water mark formation during the natural drying process.
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
The composition significantly reduces the visibility of water marks and splash marks on treated surfaces, maintaining surface shine and preventing limescale deposits from forming visible streaks, even on inclined surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
Crystal growth inhibitors, such as 1-hydroxyethane 1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) have been added in order to minimize the visibility of such splash marks and water marks. Such crystal growth inhibitors work by preferentially binding to calcium ions and also by reducing the size of the precipitates and hence also reducing their visibility.
Implementation Method 2
Surface modification polymers, such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone and copolymers thereof, have also been added to acidic cleaners, to improve the beading of water on the treated surface and hence maintain surface shine after subsequent application of water to the treated surface.
Implementation Method 3
Acidic liquid compositions for cleaning limescale from hard-surfaces have been disclosed in the art. Such acidic cleaning compositions react with the limescale in order to remove such unsightly deposits.
Data Source
AI summary
The need for an acidic hard surface cleaning composition which provides further improvements in the maintenance of surface shine, especially the prevention of water marks and splash marks, is met by formulating the hard surface cleaning combination with a combination of surface modification polymer and crystal growth inhibiting polymer.