Cleaning Booster Polymer Reduces Surfactant Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for liquid laundry additives that maintain primary cleaning performance while reducing surfactant loading in liquid or gel laundry detergent formulations, while also providing improved anti-redeposition performance.
Innovation Solution
A liquid laundry additive comprising a cleaning booster polymer with structural units of monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomers, ethylenically unsaturated monomers of specific formulas, and optionally additional ethylenically unsaturated monomers, which are dispersed in water, optimizing the weight percentages and molecular weights to enhance cleaning and anti-redeposition capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If surfactant loading is reduced in liquid laundry detergent formulations, then environmental sensitivity and material cost improve, but cleaning performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a polymer as an intermediary substance that mediates between the reduced surfactant and the fabric/soil system. This polymer, comprising specific monomer units in defined ratios, acts as a bridging agent that enhances soil removal and anti-redeposition mechanisms, allowing the system to achieve effective cleaning with lower surfactant concentrations
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite detergent formulation by combining surfactants with a specifically designed polymer system. The polymer comprises multiple monomer units (carboxylic acid monomer, monomer of formula I, and optionally monomer of formula II) in controlled weight ratios, forming a composite material that synergistically enhances cleaning performance while enabling reduced surfactant loading
2Quantity of substance
If surfactant loading is reduced in liquid laundry detergent formulations, then environmental sensitivity and material cost improve, but anti-redeposition performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The polymer serves as an intermediary that specifically addresses anti-redeposition needs. Its molecular structure, comprising hydrophilic carboxylic acid units and hydrophobic monomer units in specific ratios, allows it to interact with both fabric surfaces and soil particles, preventing soil from redepositing on fabrics even when surfactant concentration is reduced
Solution Approach 2:
The composite polymer-surfactant formulation provides enhanced anti-redeposition performance through the polymer's specific composition. The combination of carboxylic acid monomer units (50-95 wt%) with hydrophobic monomer units (5-50 wt%) creates a material with balanced amphiphilic properties that effectively prevents soil redeposition
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid laundry additive is provided, comprising a cleaning booster polymer having structural units of a monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer; structural units of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer of formula (I)wherein x is an average of 0 to 20, wherein y is an average of 0 to 30 and wherein x+y is at least 1; and,optionally, structural units of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer of formula (II)wherein R1 is independently selected from a —C1-4 alkyl, and wherein R2 is independently selected from H and methyl.