Alkaline Stable Surfactants for Cleaning Solutions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing alkaline cleaning solutions face challenges with surfactant stability and foaming properties, particularly in highly alkaline conditions, where surfactants tend to become insoluble and chemically altered, affecting their effectiveness and cost due to the need for hydrotroping agents.
Innovation Solution
Development of surfactants with compact hydrophobic and hydrophilic functional groups that maintain solubility and molecular integrity in highly alkaline solutions, even at elevated temperatures, and provide controlled foaming properties without the need for hydrotroping, using specific alkyl spacers and amine propionate structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional surfactants are used in highly alkaline cleaning solutions, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but surfactant solubility and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the surfactant molecular structure parameters - specifically using compact hydrophobic groups (C3-C7 alkyl) with short alkyl spacers (1-3 carbons) and compact hydrophilic groups (amine propionates). These structural parameter changes enable the surfactant to maintain solubility and stability in highly alkaline conditions while preserving cleaning effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite surfactant structure combining specific hydrophobic and hydrophilic components with defined spacer lengths. This composite molecular architecture balances the opposing requirements of alkaline stability and cleaning performance, allowing the surfactant to function effectively in highly built solutions without precipitation or degradation.
2Productivity
If surfactants are used to improve cleaning performance, then foaming increases, but foaming becomes harmful in recirculating CIP systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the foaming parameter by adjusting the surfactant's hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance through specific structural parameters. The compact groups and short spacers create a surfactant that provides adequate foaming for cleaning performance while controlling excessive foam generation in recirculating systems, eliminating the need for separate foam control additives.
3Stability of the object's composition
If hydrotroping agents are added to maintain surfactant solubility, then surfactant stability is improved, but formulation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for separate hydrotroping agents by incorporating solubility-enhancing features directly into the surfactant molecular structure. The compact hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups with short spacers provide inherent solubility in highly alkaline solutions, removing the requirement for additional solubilizing chemicals and reducing overall formulation cost.
4Speed
If surfactants are used at high concentrations for effective cleaning, then cleaning speed is improved, but surfactant degradation by hydroxyl ions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical resistance parameters of the surfactant by selecting hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups with stable chemical bonds that resist nucleophilic attack by hydroxyl ions. The compact structure and specific functional groups maintain molecular integrity even at high concentrations and elevated temperatures, enabling effective cleaning without degradation.
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 surfactants ensure stable and effective detergency, shelf stability, and extended service life in extreme conditions, reducing costs and improving cleaning performance in highly alkaline cleaning solutions.
Implementation Method 1
surfactants are materials that are comprised of hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions that result in properties unique to this class of material, particularly having a free energy drive to migrate to interfaces and form aggregate structures commonly referred to as micelles
Implementation Method 2
Surfactants are solubilized in solution via hydrogen bonding between the hydrophilic portion of the surfactant and the water of the solution
Implementation Method 3
The alkaline material will interact with the physical fat structure to allow the soil to be removed more easily by mechanical action as well as reacting chemically with the triglycerides that comprise fatty soils
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
Cleaning solution comprising a) one or more surfactant(s) according to Formula (I), wherein R1 is a linear, branched, or cyclic, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic group having from 3 to 7 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 or 7 carbon atoms or an aIkylaryl group having 7 carbon atoms; and R2 and R3 may be identical or different and are bivalent alkyl radicals with two to four carbon atoms; and R4, R5, and R6 may all be identical or two of them may be identical or all may be different and are selected from the group consisting of ethyl group, 1-methylmethane group, n-propyl group, isopropyl group, n-butyl group, isobutyl group, or tert-butyl group; and Χ1, X2 and X3 may all be identical or two of them may be identical or all may be different and are selected from the group consisting of OH and Ο-Y+, wherein Y+ is a cation; and m is 0 or 1, n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; and wherein n is 1, 2 or 3, if m = 0 and if R1 comprises a tertiary carbon atom attached to the nitrogen atom; b) one or more alkaline compound(s); and c) water Surfactant according to formula (I). Use of said cleaning solution in industrial cleaning or consumer cleaning applicaitons.