Bio-Based Surfactant Chemistry for Water-Miscible Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surfactants face challenges in achieving high water solubility and miscibility, leading to unsuitable performance in various applications, and there are concerns about the sustainability and environmental impact of traditional materials like cocamide DEA.
Innovation Solution
Development of bio-based surfactants derived from functionalized epoxidized high oleic soybean oil (HOSO) through specific reaction pathways to create compounds with tailored functional groups, ensuring high water miscibility and biobased carbon content, including betaine, hydroxysultaine, and chelating surfactants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional surfactants like cocamide DEA are used, then cleaning performance is achieved, but environmental toxicity and sustainability concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using bio-based fatty acid esters with specific chain lengths (C12-C18) and functional groups (carboxylate, sulfate, sulfonate, carboxylate amide, carboxylate ester) to create surfactants that are both effective and environmentally friendly, replacing traditional petroleum-based surfactants
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite surfactant molecules by combining bio-based fatty acid esters with various functional groups and structures (amphoteric, anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic) to achieve both cleaning effectiveness and environmental sustainability
2Productivity
If bio-based surfactants are developed, then sustainability is improved, but water solubility and miscibility challenges arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality modification by introducing hydrophilic functional groups (carboxylate, sulfate, sulfonate, amide, ester) at specific positions in the molecular structure to enhance water solubility while maintaining the hydrophobic fatty acid chain for cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes molecular parameters by selecting specific fatty acid chain lengths (C12-C18) and functional group configurations to optimize the balance between hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity, ensuring high water solubility and miscibility for bio-based surfactants
3Object-affected harmful factors
If existing surfactant formulations are used, then cleaning applications are satisfied, but high non-biobased carbon content and environmental harm occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses biodegradable fatty acid ester molecules that can be safely disposed of and broken down in the environment, replacing persistent petroleum-based surfactants with natural, renewable resources that decompose harmlessly
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the carbon source parameter from petroleum-based to bio-based (plant-derived) fatty acids, increasing biobased carbon content while maintaining effective cleaning performance through optimized molecular structures
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 bio-based surfactants demonstrate equivalent or superior performance in hard surface cleaning, laundry detergents, and oil recovery, while reducing environmental toxicity and reliance on non-renewable resources.
Implementation Method 1
The invention provides a composition, comprising one or more compounds selected from candidates 14-32, 34-48, and 50-55
Implementation Method 2
reacting the epoxide with an alcohol to form an ether
Implementation Method 3
reacting with an amide to form a C(O)N moiety
Implementation Method 4
reacting the oleic acid or other oleate in a hydroformylation reaction followed by hydrogenation to form a hydroxymethyl group
Implementation Method 5
a chelating surfactant comprising a polyether sidechain connected via an ether linkage to the C18 carbon chain moiety or a polyamine sidechain connected via an amine linkage to the C18 carbon chain moiety
Data Source
AI summary
Bio-based surfactants have great opportunity for use in a variety of applications such as laundry detergents, industrial cleaners, adjuvants, and oil & gas. Surfactants in these applications can be nonionic, anionic, cationic, or amphoteric. Utilizing high oleic soybean oil as a platform chemical, a variety of surfactants and properties can be produced. While early work focused solely on surfactant use in laundry cleaning and fracking, recent work has expanded functional groups and application evaluations in hard surface cleaning.The current invention expands on Battelle's high oleic soybean oil (HOSO) surfactant technology. Use of HOSO overcomes the limitations of regular soybean oil and significantly reduces or eliminates undesirable byproducts in most chemistries. However, with use of select reagents, a few candidates were achievable with regular epoxidized soybean oil (ESO). The HOSO surfactant platform offers several key advantages including: a highly water miscible (not typical of C18 surfactants) and water stable surfactant; ability to adjust and vary hydrophilic-lipophilic (HLB) values for stain removal performance; and increased biodegradability without toxic or persistent by-products.