Alcohol Gel Composition Without Heating for HPMC Dissolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing alcohol compositions using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) or methylcellulose (MC) as thickening agents face issues such as low solubility, insufficient viscosity, and the need for heating treatments, which increase time and cost, while also failing to achieve high transparency and viscosity.
Innovation Solution
A method involving dispersing water-soluble cellulose ethers like HPMC or MC in a first alcohol, mixing with water to dissolve, and then combining with a second alcohol, without heating, to achieve an alcohol composition with desired viscosity and transparency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If HPMC or MC is used as a thickening agent in alcohol composition, then the composition can achieve high viscosity, but the thickening agent has insufficient solubility in alcohol
Solution Approach 1:
Water is used as an intermediary substance to facilitate the dissolution of HPMC or MC in the alcohol composition. The thickening agent is first dispersed in water to form a homogeneous solution, which is then mixed with alcohol. This two-step process overcomes the poor solubility of cellulose ethers in pure alcohol while maintaining high viscosity.
2Reliability
If heating treatment is applied to dissolve HPMC or MC in alcohol composition, then the solubility and viscosity can be improved, but the manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating process is replaced with a mechanical mixing approach. By dispersing HPMC or MC in water first and then mixing with alcohol, the dissolution is achieved through mechanical agitation rather than thermal energy input. This substitution eliminates the need for heating equipment and reduces manufacturing time while achieving the same solubility improvement.
3Ease of manufacture
If HPMC or MC is dispersed directly in alcohol, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the resulting composition has low transparency and insufficient solubility
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into two distinct stages: first dispersing HPMC or MC in water to ensure complete dissolution and homogeneity, then mixing with alcohol to achieve the final composition. This segmentation ensures high transparency by guaranteeing complete dissolution before alcohol addition, while still maintaining relative process simplicity through the use of straightforward mixing operations.
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 method produces an alcohol composition with appropriate viscosity and transparency, suitable for gel form, using environmentally friendly cellulose ethers, without heating, and allows for high alcohol content, making it useful as a gel-type disinfectant.
Implementation Method 1
dispersing water-soluble cellulose ethers like HPMC or MC in a first alcohol to obtain a dispersion solution
Implementation Method 2
mixing the dispersion solution with water to dissolve the water-soluble cellulose ether to obtain a dissolved solution
Data Source
AI summary
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a method of producing an alcohol composition that can adjust viscosity so as to achieve an appropriate viscosity while containing HPMC or MC as a thickening agent, even without including no step of heating treatment. The objective can be achieved by a method of producing an alcohol composition, including the steps of dispersing at least one water-soluble cellulose ether selected from the group consisting of HPMC and MC in a first alcohol to obtain a dispersion solution; mixing the dispersion solution with water and dissolving the water-soluble cellulose ether to obtain a dissolved solution; and mixing the dissolved solution with a second alcohol to obtain an alcohol composition.