Acrylate Encapsulate Compositions for Uniform Rupture Across Sizes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumer product compositions with encapsulates exhibit inconsistent performance due to varying fracture strengths across different sizes, leading to inconsistent delivery of benefit agents on diverse surfaces.
Innovation Solution
Formulating consumer product compositions with a population of encapsulates having a core:shell weight ratio of at least 95:5, characterized by a Broadness Index of at least 1.0 and Delta Fracture Strength of less than 400%, ensuring consistent fracture strengths across varying sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If encapsulates of different sizes are used to deliver benefit agents, then the delivery coverage is improved, but the fracture strength varies significantly leading to inconsistent performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the shell material composition and thickness to compensate for size variations. By changing the physical and chemical parameters of the shell (such as using polymers with different glass transition temperatures or cross-linking densities), the fracture strength is normalized across encapsulates of different sizes, allowing them to perform consistently while maintaining diverse size distribution for broad delivery coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining multiple polymer components in the shell formulation. This composite approach allows the shell to have both mechanical strength for larger encapsulates and flexibility for smaller ones, creating a unified shell structure that maintains consistent fracture strength across the entire size distribution while enabling versatile delivery coverage.
2Reliability
If a narrow size distribution of encapsulates is used, then the fracture strength consistency is improved, but the delivery performance on diverse surfaces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different regions of the encapsulate population to have optimized properties for their specific size classes. Smaller encapsulates have thinner shells with higher flexibility for depositing on fine fabrics, while larger encapsulates have thicker shells for robust surfaces. This localized optimization maintains overall fracture strength consistency while preserving delivery performance across diverse surfaces through the size distribution.
3Strength
If the shell thickness is increased to improve fracture strength, then the structural integrity is improved, but the core:shell weight ratio decreases affecting delivery efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by optimizing the shell thickness and material density to achieve the minimum necessary fracture strength. By carefully controlling the shell thickness parameter and selecting materials with appropriate mechanical properties, the design maintains high core:shell weight ratios (ensuring sufficient benefit agent content) while providing adequate fracture strength for reliable delivery across different encapsulate sizes.
Data Source
AI summary
Consumer product compositions, such as fabric care compositions, that include a treatment adjunct and a population of encapsulates, where the encapsulates comprise a core and a shell surrounding the core, where the shell comprises an acrylate material, where the core includes a benefit agent, and where the population is characterized by a core-shell weight ratio of equal to or greater than 95:5. Related methods of using and making such compositions.