Biodegradable Scouring Pad Mesh for Cleaning Power Without Scratches

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing environmentally-friendly scouring pads for washing dishes suffer from low cleaning power, poor bubble formation, and the risk of scratching surfaces, while also contributing to environmental pollution due to non-biodegradable materials.

Innovation Solution

A scouring pad composed of heat-treated biodegradable polyester divided yarns and filaments, specifically poly-lactic acid, aligned and connected in a specific structure to form a mesh net without abrasives, providing excellent cleaning power, bubble formation, and scratch resistance, and naturally degrading after use.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional polymer scouring pads are used, then cleaning power is achieved, but environmental pollution occurs due to non-biodegradable materials

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning powerVSAvoidenvironmental pollution
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by heat-treating the biodegradable polyester divided yarns at 120°C to 170°C to enhance their cleaning performance. This thermal treatment modifies the physical properties of the biodegradable material, enabling it to achieve cleaning power comparable to conventional pads while maintaining environmental friendliness through natural degradation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The scouring pad uses a composite structure combining biodegradable polyester divided yarns (heat-treated) with biodegradable polyester filament yarns. This composite approach integrates the cleaning effectiveness of heat-treated fibers with the structural integrity of filament yarns, achieving both performance and biodegradability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If environmentally-friendly biodegradable polymer scouring pads are used, then environmental pollution is reduced, but cleaning power becomes low and bubble formation is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental friendlinessVSAvoidcleaning power
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Heat treatment at 120°C to 170°C is applied to the biodegradable polyester divided yarns to fundamentally change their physical properties. This parameter change enables the biodegradable material to generate sufficient cleaning power and bubble formation capability, resolving the performance limitations of conventional biodegradable scouring pads.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the yarn structure into two components: heat-treated divided yarns (23 to 30 filaments per yarn, 550 to 650 deniers) for cleaning action and untreated filament yarns (350 to 450 deniers) for structural support. This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its specific function optimally while maintaining overall biodegradability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 scouring pad exhibits superior cleaning power, effective bubble formation, and prevents scratches on dishes while being environmentally friendly and biodegradable, maintaining flexibility and economic feasibility.

Implementation Method 1

a plurality of degradable polyester divided yarns heat-treated at 120°C to 170°C

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat treatment: Heat Treatment

Data Source

PatentEP3019652B1Scouring pad for washing dishes
Publication Date: 2018.08.22 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES CO
  • EP3019652B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3019652B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3019652B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a scouring pad for washing dishes comprising: (a) a plurality of degradable polyester divided yarns heat-treated at 120C to 170C and (b) a plurality of degradable polyester filament yarns, wherein the individual filament yarns are aligned in parallel to each other and the individual divided yarns are positioned between the adjacent two filament yarns and are connected to the adjacent two filaments.