Amine Oxide Co-Surfactant Stabilizes Protease in Dishwashing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Proteases in hand dishwashing compositions are destabilized by anionic surfactants, making it challenging to maintain effective cleaning and storage stability.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating an amine oxide co-surfactant into the surfactant system, which includes anionic surfactants like alkyl sulfate and alkyl alkoxy sulfate, to stabilize proteases and enhance cleaning and sudsing performance, while using an enzyme stabilizer like potassium acetate to further maintain protease activity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If anionic surfactants are used in hand dishwashing composition, then good cleaning and sudsing performance is achieved, but protease destabilization occurs during storage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoidprotease stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Amine oxide acts as an intermediary substance between anionic surfactant and protease. The amine oxide co-surfactant forms a protective complex with the protease, preventing direct interaction between the anionic surfactant and protease that would otherwise cause destabilization. This mediator approach allows the system to maintain both cleaning efficacy and enzyme stability simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite surfactant system combining anionic surfactant and amine oxide co-surfactant in specific ratios (1:1 to 5:1 weight ratio). This composite surfactant system provides synergistic effects where the anionic component delivers cleaning performance while the amine oxide component protects the protease, resolving the contradiction between cleaning efficacy and enzyme stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Productivity

If protease is incorporated into hand dishwashing composition, then proteinaceous soil removal is improved, but storage stability deteriorates due to anionic surfactant interaction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesoil removal capabilityVSAvoidprotease stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Amine oxide serves as a protective intermediary that forms a stable complex with protease, shielding it from destabilizing interactions with anionic surfactants during storage. This intermediary layer allows the protease to remain active and stable in the presence of anionic surfactants, enabling both improved cleaning and maintained stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention optimizes the concentration ratio of anionic surfactant to amine oxide (1:1 to 5:1 weight ratio) to achieve the desired balance between cleaning performance and protease stability. By carefully controlling these compositional parameters, the system maintains protease activity while delivering effective cleaning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If amine oxide co-surfactant is added to stabilize protease, then protease stability is improved, but formulation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotease stabilityVSAvoidformulation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Amine oxide serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a co-surfactant that enhances cleaning performance, a protease stabilizer that prevents enzyme degradation, and a formulation component that works synergistically with anionic surfactants. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate additives and simplifies the overall formulation despite the added complexity of balancing multiple components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 composition achieves stable storage and effective cleaning by reducing protease destabilization, maintaining enzyme activity, and providing good sudsing and cleaning performance.

Implementation Method 1

the destabilization effect is reduced by adding an amine oxide co-surfactant to the cleaning composition

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSurfactant interaction: Surfactant

Implementation Method 2

Proteases are used in automatic dishwashing for the removal of proteinaceous soils

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEnzymatic hydrolysis: Enzyme

Implementation Method 3

Anionic surfactants contribute to destabilization of proteases

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSurface tension reduction: Surfactant

Data Source

PatentUS10519401B2Cleaning composition

Publication Date: 2019.12.31 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

AI summary

A hand dishwashing cleaning composition comprising a surfactant system including an anionic surfactant and an amine oxide co-surfactant wherein the weight ratio of the surfactant system to the amine oxide is from about 1.5:1 to about 4.5:1 and wherein the composition further includes a protease and an enzyme stabilizer selected from the group consisting of: potassium salts of halides, sulfates, sulfites, carbonates, hydrogencarbonates, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, formates, acetates, propionates, citrates, maleates, tartarates, succinates, oxalates and lactates; a peptide aldehyde, peptide ketone, a hydrosulfite adduct thereof; a phenyl boronic acid, a derivative thereof and mixtures thereof.