Allergen Inactivator Agent with Titanium Oxide and Sodium Polyacrylate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for removing allergens from house dust are ineffective at high pH levels and can cause staining, and none provide a satisfactory removal of house dust without these drawbacks.
Innovation Solution
A house dust treatment agent containing titanium oxide with photocatalytic activity and sodium polyacrylate, which is used in the form of a spray or sheet to adsorb and inactivate allergens, including dead mites and pollens, while maintaining stability across a wide pH range and preventing staining.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adsorption techniques using water-swellable clay, polyvinyl alcohol, or inorganic powder are used to remove allergens, then allergen removal is achieved, but adsorbability decreases at high pH levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter of the treatment agent by using titanium oxide instead of conventional adsorbents like water-swellable clay or inorganic powders. This parameter change enables the agent to maintain stable allergen removal effectiveness across a wide pH range (pH 4-10), resolving the contradiction between reliable allergen removal and adaptability to different pH conditions.
2Reliability
If denaturation and inactivation techniques using tannic acid, alcohol, or benzalkonium chloride are used, then allergen inactivation is achieved, but staining occurs on treated objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful staining property from conventional denaturation agents by replacing them with titanium oxide. The titanium oxide achieves allergen inactivation through photocatalytic oxidation without the staining side effect, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable allergen inactivation and prevention of object staining.
3Reliability
If conventional allergen removal techniques are used, then some allergen removal is achieved, but satisfactory house dust removal is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two functions into a single agent: allergen inactivation and house dust aggregation. The titanium oxide inactivates allergens while sodium polyacrylate aggregates house dust particles, making them easily removable by vacuuming. This combination resolves the contradiction between achieving allergen removal and achieving satisfactory house dust removal.
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 agent effectively adsorbs and inactivates allergens, facilitating their removal without performance degradation at varying pH levels and preventing staining, while also aggregating dust for easy removal with a vacuum cleaner.
Implementation Method 1
a titanium oxide having a photocatalytic activity
Implementation Method 2
sodium polyacrylate... capable of not only adsorbing and removing an allergen
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an allergen inactivating agent having less lowering in performance due to fluctuation in pH, and being capable of not only adsorbing and removing an allergen, but also inactivating and removing the allergen itself. In addition, there is provided a house dust treatment agent, spray, and sheet, capable of effectively removing house dust, without any disadvantages upon use such as generation of stains.