Cationic Polymer Suspension in Non-Aqueous Laundry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cationic polymers are difficult to solubilize in non-aqueous liquid compositions and increase viscosity, making it challenging to incorporate them into compact, low-water laundry products without affecting the solubility of enclosing films.
Innovation Solution
Creating a stable suspension of cationic polymers in particulate form using a non-aqueous dispersant, which improves physical stability and allows for easy redistribution, even in unit dose articles, without complexing with the water-soluble or dispersible film.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cationic polymer is added to non-aqueous liquid composition, then fabric care benefits are improved, but the polymer is difficult to solubilize and increases viscosity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the cationic polymer from dissolved to suspended particulate form, and modifies the water content parameter from high to low (non-aqueous), thereby achieving both fabric care benefits and manageable viscosity characteristics in the liquid composition
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dispersant as an intermediary substance to facilitate the incorporation of cationic polymer particles into the non-aqueous liquid composition, enabling stable suspension without requiring full solubility and controlling viscosity increase
2Quantity of substance
If water is reduced to make composition more compact, then composition compactness is improved, but cationic polymer becomes difficult to solubilize
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the solubility parameter by transitioning from aqueous to non-aqueous environment, and changes the polymer state from dissolved to suspended particulate form, thereby maintaining polymer functionality at low water concentrations
Solution Approach 2:
The dispersant acts as a mediator that enables polymer incorporation in non-aqueous conditions, replacing the solubilizing function that water would normally provide
3Reliability
If cationic polymer is incorporated into unit dose article, then fabric care benefit is improved, but it complexes with enclosing film and reduces film solubility
Solution Approach 1:
The dispersant serves as a protective intermediary between the cationic polymer and the enclosing film, preventing direct interaction and complex formation that would otherwise reduce film solubility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the cationic polymer from a dissolved state and places it in a suspended particulate state, thereby removing the polymer's ability to interact with and complex with the enclosing film while maintaining its fabric care 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 method enables the stable incorporation of cationic polymers into non-aqueous liquid compositions, maintaining film solubility and providing effective fabric care benefits while avoiding the formation of viscous premixes and sedimentation issues.
Implementation Method 1
a non-aqueous dispersant which distributes the cationic polymer throughout the non-aqueous composition
Implementation Method 2
creating a stable suspension of the cationic polymer in particulate form in the non-aqueous composition
Data Source
AI summary
The need for a stable, compact composition providing improved fabric care benefit, that is also convenient to use, can be met by incorporating a cationic cellulose polymer into a non-aqeous composition, using a non-aqueous dispersant. Such compositions have good physical stability, with little or no clumping of the cationic polymer in particulate form.