Cleaning Booster Composition for Lower Surfactant Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for cleaning boosters that maintain primary cleaning performance with reduced surfactant loading in laundry detergent formulations, particularly in liquid or gel forms, while also providing improved anti-redeposition performance and biodegradability according to OECD 301F protocol.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning booster is formulated with a divalent linking group having 4 to 24 carbon atoms, where each R1 is independently selected from specific alkyl groups, and includes a cycle when the linking group has 4 carbon atoms, enhancing sebum soil removal and anti-redeposition performance, and exhibiting desirable biodegradability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional cleaning boosters are used in laundry detergent formulations, then primary cleaning performance is maintained, but surfactant loading cannot be reduced and anti-redeposition performance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite structure consisting of a polyether portion (R2) and a polyol portion (R1) connected by a linking group (A1). This composite molecular architecture combines the soil-removal capabilities of polyether with the anti-redeposition properties of polyol, enabling reduced surfactant loading while maintaining and enhancing cleaning performance. The specific composite structure allows the molecule to perform multiple functions simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes specific parameters including the carbon atom count in the linking group (4-24 carbons), the degree of ethoxylation (a=1 or 2), and the polyol structure (b=1 or 2). These parameter changes create a balanced molecule that achieves both primary cleaning and anti-redeposition functions with lower surfactant concentrations, resolving the contradiction between reducing surfactant loading and maintaining cleaning reliability.
2Reliability
If cleaning boosters are designed for improved anti-redeposition performance, then soil removal capability is enhanced, but biodegradability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention carefully controls the carbon chain length in the linking group (4-24 carbons) and the degree of polymerization (c=0 to 30) to achieve an optimal balance. This parameter optimization ensures that the molecule has sufficient hydrophobic character for anti-redeposition performance while maintaining adequate biodegradability, as evidenced by the >60% degradation requirement in OECD 301F tests.
Solution Approach 2:
The molecular structure features localized functional regions: the polyether portion (R2) provides anti-redeposition quality, while the polyol portion (R1) and linking group (A1) provide biodegradability. This local quality differentiation allows the molecule to exhibit both improved anti-redeposition performance and acceptable biodegradability simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
Cleaning booster for cleaning dirty laundry is provided, wherein the cleaning booster is of formula (I) wherein A1 is a divalent linking group having 4 to 24 carbon atoms and R1 is of formula (II), formula (III) or formula (IV); wherein * is the point of attachment to formula (I); a is 1-2; b is 1-2; and R2 is of formula (V); wherein * is the point of attachment to the associated base formula; R3 is selected from hydrogen and C1-22 alkyl group; R4 and R5 are independently selected from hydrogen and C1-2 alkyl group, with the proviso that at least one of R4 and R5 is hydrogen in each subunit c; and wherein c is 0-30; and with the proviso that when the divalent linking group, A1, has 4 carbon atoms, the divalent linking group, A1, includes a cycle.