Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Thickening Agent Viscosity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thickening/stabilizing agents, such as 12-hydroxystearic acid, cannot adjust the viscosity of fluid organic substances to a desired level and often result in either a completely solidified or liquid state, failing to maintain uniform stability and transparency in compositions.
Innovation Solution
Compounds with a specific structure, represented by Formula (R2—HNOC)4-n—R1—(CONH—R3)n, where R1, R2, and R3 are aliphatic hydrocarbon groups, are used to thicken fluid organic substances to a desired viscosity, preventing sedimentation and maintaining uniform stability by dissolving in the substances and forming a fibrous self-assembled structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If 12-hydroxystearic acid is used as a thickening/stabilizing agent for fluid organic substances, then the substance can be thickened, but the degree of gelling is unadjustable and the substance can only be brought into either a completely solidified state or a liquid state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the molecular structure of the thickening agent through varying the carbon chain lengths (R1: 4-20 carbons, R2: 4-20 carbons, R3: 4-20 carbons) and hydrogen content of aliphatic hydrocarbon groups. This structural parameter variation enables continuous adjustment of thickening degree, allowing the fluid organic substance to achieve any desired viscosity between liquid and solid states, resolving the binary state limitation of 12-hydroxystearic acid
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining multiple aliphatic hydrocarbon groups with different properties (R1, R2, R3 groups with 4-20 carbon atoms each) into a single thickening agent molecule. This composite structure allows the agent to interact with fluid organic substances in a tunable manner, providing adjustable thickening effects that neither simple compounds like 12-hydroxystearic acid nor pure polymers can achieve alone
2Stability of the object's composition
If existing thickening agents are used, then thickening can be achieved, but uniform stability and transparency are not maintained in compositions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses parameter changes by optimizing the carbon chain length parameters (R1, R2, R3 groups with 4-20 carbons) to achieve optimal molecular size and hydrophobicity balance. This parameter optimization enables the thickening agent to form stable colloidal dispersions in fluid organic substances, preventing sedimentation and local aggregation while maintaining composition uniformity and transparency over time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by using the aliphatic hydrocarbon groups (R1, R2, R3) as mediator structures that interact with both the thickening agent core and the fluid organic substance. These intermediary hydrocarbon chains act as compatibility bridges, ensuring uniform distribution and stable dispersion without causing sedimentation or aggregation, thereby maintaining composition stability and transparency
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 compounds effectively adjust the viscosity of fluid organic substances, maintaining uniform stability and transparency, making them suitable for use in cosmetics, coating materials, and pharmaceutical preparations by imparting pseudoplastic behavior and high storage modulus.
Implementation Method 1
forming a fibrous self-assembled structure
Implementation Method 2
dissolving in the substances
Implementation Method 3
imparting pseudoplastic behavior
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are: a compound, a thickening/stabilizing agent including the compound, a thickened/stabilized composition including the thickening/stabilizing agent and a fluid organic substance, and a method for producing the thickened/stabilized composition, where the compound effectively thickens the fluid organic substance to a desired viscosity and effectively uniformly stabilizes the formulation of the composition containing the fluid organic substance via thickening of the fluid organic substance. The thickening/stabilizing agent according to the present invention includes a compound represented by Formula (1):(R2—HNOC)4-n—R1—(CONH—R3)n (1)where R1 is a group resulting from removing four hydrogen atoms from the structural formula of butane; R2 and R3 are different from each other and are aliphatic hydrocarbon groups each containing 4 or more carbon atoms; and n is an integer of 1 to 3.