Antimicrobial Fabric Care Composition for Deep Fiber Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry appliances and fabric care compositions fail to provide effective antimicrobial benefits during the laundry program, failing to meet consumer demands for disinfection, sanitization, and durability while adhering to regulatory standards, and do not adequately address microbial contamination, biofilm formation, and malodor removal.
Innovation Solution
A fabric care composition comprising a mixture of cationic biocide, functionalized alkylpolyglycoside, and sulfolaurate salt, designed to penetrate inter-yarn and intra-yarn pores of fabrics through hydrodynamic and electrostatic interactions, providing dose-dependent antimicrobial activity, malodor removal, and 24-48-hour durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional laundry appliances and fabric care compositions are used, then basic cleaning functions are provided, but antimicrobial benefits such as disinfection and sanitization are not delivered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functional ingredients in a single fabric care composition: cationic biocide for antimicrobial action, functionalized alkylpolyglycoside for surfactant and penetration properties, and sulfolaurate salt for additional biocidal activity. This merging of functions allows the composition to simultaneously provide cleaning and antimicrobial benefits, resolving the contradiction between basic cleaning and antimicrobial protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite chemical formulation where different active ingredients work synergistically. The cationic biocide (such as polyhexamethylene biguanide), functionalized alkylpolyglycoside, and sulfolaurate salt create a composite system that enhances both cleaning performance and antimicrobial efficacy, enabling the composition to meet regulatory standards for disinfection while maintaining fabric care properties.
2Reliability
If existing antimicrobial solutions are used, then disinfection is achieved, but cost and complexity increase making mass production difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the concentration ranges and chemical parameters of the active ingredients to achieve effective disinfection at economically viable levels. By carefully selecting and adjusting the parameters of the cationic biocide, functionalized alkylpolyglycoside, and sulfolaurate salt, the formulation achieves regulatory-compliant disinfection efficacy while maintaining compatibility with standard manufacturing processes and enabling mass production.
3Reliability
If fabric care compositions penetrate deep into fabrics, then antimicrobial protection is achieved, but formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The functionalized alkylpolyglycoside acts as an intermediary agent that facilitates the penetration of the cationic biocide and sulfolaurate salt deep into fabric pores. This surfactant component modifies the interaction between the antimicrobial agents and fabric fibers, enabling effective delivery and binding without requiring complex formulation systems or additional penetration enhancers, thus maintaining formulation simplicity while achieving deep penetration and durable antimicrobial protection.
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 effectively reduces microbial contamination, neutralizes malodors, and provides long-lasting antimicrobial protection by ensuring the active ingredients reach deep within fabrics, meeting regulatory standards and enhancing hygiene and health benefits.
Implementation Method 1
designed to penetrate inter-yarn and intra-yarn pores of fabrics through hydrodynamic and electrostatic interactions
Implementation Method 2
designed to penetrate inter-yarn and intra-yarn pores of fabrics through hydrodynamic and electrostatic interactions
Data Source
AI summary
This present invention is directed to antimicrobial fabric care compositions that provide detersive benefits such as stain and soil removal and aesthetic benefits like softening, wrinkle-reduction and color-protection and when used discretely or synergistically during the laundry program reduce the risk of infections and promote health and hygiene by providing dose-dependent antimicrobial activities such as sanitizing, disinfecting and removing malodors from fabrics, and imparting 24-48 hour antimicrobial-durability into fabrics, and deactivating biofilms inside the washing machine and preventing biofilm formation inside the washing machine to prevent recontamination of fabrics. The compositions are well-suited for use in domestic, commercial and on-premise-laundry-operations such as healthcare facilities, hotels, cruise ships, and the like. Methods for discrete and synergistic uses to simultaneously treat fabrics and the internal surfaces of the washing machine are also disclosed.