Amphoacetate Microemulsion Concentrates for Low-Viscosity Dilution
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cosmetic products for impregnating textiles and paper face challenges in achieving high concentration, low viscosity, transparency, and storage stability, while being skin-friendly and free from skin-irritating components, with current microemulsions often requiring heating for dilution and containing ethoxylated compounds or mineral oils that are undesirable.
Innovation Solution
The use of microemulsion concentrates containing alkyl and/or alkenyl glycosides, monoesters of glycerol, specific oils, and amphoacetates as surfactants, with a total water content below 35% by weight, which are thermally stable, transparent, and low-viscosity, allowing for easy dilution without gelling, and maintaining stability at varying temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If microemulsion concentrates are made highly concentrated to save storage and transport costs, then concentration is improved, but viscosity increases and transparency is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by introducing amphoacetates as a new surfactant class and optimizing the surfactant combination ratios. This allows achieving high concentration (up to 85% solids content) while maintaining transparency and low viscosity, as the specific amphoacetate structures enable effective micelle formation at high concentrations without phase separation or turbidity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite surfactant systems combining amphoacetates with other compatible surfactants in specific ratios. This composite approach creates synergistic effects where the combination maintains microemulsion stability, transparency, and low viscosity at high concentration levels that single surfactants cannot achieve alone.
2Quantity of substance
If microemulsion concentrates are made highly concentrated, then storage and transport costs are reduced, but storage stability becomes difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes multiple parameters simultaneously: surfactant composition (amphoacetate content), water content (0.5-35%), oil phase selection, and pH control. This multi-parameter optimization creates a stable microemulsion system that resists phase separation, precipitation, and viscosity changes during storage, even at high concentrations and across wide temperature ranges (-20°C to +60°C).
3Shape
If conventional microemulsions are used, then transparency is achieved, but heating is required for dilution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the microemulsion composition parameters, specifically the surfactant-to-water ratio and amphoacetate concentration, to create a thermally stable formulation. The optimized amphoacetate-based system maintains its microemulsion structure and transparency across a wide temperature range, eliminating the need for heating during dilution while preserving optical clarity.
4Reliability
If conventional surfactants are used, then cleaning performance is achieved, but skin-irritating components are present
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the surfactant chemistry from conventional anionic or nonionic surfactants to amphoacetates, which have amphoteric properties. This chemical parameter change provides effective cleaning performance through micelle formation while the amphoteric nature reduces skin irritation by being compatible with both acidic and basic skin conditions, eliminating harsh components found in traditional surfactant systems.
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 solution provides a stable, skin-friendly, and transparent microemulsion concentrate that can be easily diluted, ensuring excellent storage stability and low viscosity, effectively impregnating textiles and paper without heating, while being free from undesirable compounds.
Implementation Method 1
amphoacetates as surfactants
Implementation Method 2
Microemulsions are macroscopically homogeneous, optically transparent mixtures of two immiscible liquids
Implementation Method 3
thermodynamically stable emulsions made of oil and water, which are produced in selected quantities in the presence of selected emulsifiers
Data Source
AI summary
The invention is in the field of cosmetic agents and relates to highly concentrated, low-viscosity micro-emulsion concentrates containing special surfactants and oils in selected quantity ratios, which can be very easily diluted with water, and to the use of said dilutions for impregnating textiles and paper for cosmetics.