Low Viscosity Compact Shampoo via Linear Branched Sulfate Ratios

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Solution Overview

Problem

High surfactant liquid cleansing compositions often exhibit high viscosity and instability, making them difficult to deliver as aerosol foams, and require costly water-miscible solvents or surfactants with short carbon chains, which can result in harsh products.

Innovation Solution

A concentrated shampoo composition with a combination of linear sulfates and branched sulfates, along with a low content of viscosity-reducing agents, achieving a stable and low viscosity formulation suitable for aerosol foam delivery, while maintaining mildness and transparency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If high surfactant content is used to achieve concentrated formulation, then productivity and cost-effectiveness improve, but viscosity increases making aerosol foam delivery difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcentration efficiencyVSAvoiddeliverability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the surfactant system by using specific linear and branched sulfate combinations with controlled ratios, and adjusts the viscosity reducing agent content to achieve low viscosity despite high surfactant concentration (20-45%), enabling both concentration efficiency and aerosol foam deliverability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite surfactant system combining linear sulfates (20-30 wt%) and branched sulfates (2-25 wt%) in specific ratios (0.3 to 5), along with viscosity reducing agents (0.1-8 wt%), to achieve a synergistic effect that maintains low viscosity while achieving high surfactant concentration for cost-effective formulation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Productivity

If high surfactant content is used to achieve concentrated formulation, then productivity improves, but stability deteriorates causing phase separation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcentration efficiencyVSAvoidformulation stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent stabilizes the high surfactant concentration formulation (20-45%) by changing the chemical parameters including using specific linear to branched sulfate ratios (0.3 to 5), controlling viscosity reducing agent content (0.1-8 wt%), and adjusting pH (5.0-7.0) to prevent phase separation while maintaining concentration efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a composite surfactant architecture combining linear sulfates (20-30 wt%) and branched sulfates (2-25 wt%) with viscosity reducing agents to create a stable microstructure that prevents phase separation even at high surfactant concentrations, ensuring formulation stability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of operation

If water-miscible solvents are used to reduce viscosity, then deliverability improves, but cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedeliverabilityVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent reduces dependence on expensive water-miscible solvents by changing the surfactant system parameters to include viscosity reducing agents (0.1-8 wt%) and optimizing the linear to branched sulfate ratio (0.3 to 5), achieving deliverability through surfactant architecture rather than solvent addition, thus reducing formulation cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of operation

If surfactants with short carbon chains are used to reduce viscosity, then deliverability improves, but mildness deteriorates making products harsh

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedeliverabilityVSAvoidmildness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent maintains mildness by changing the surfactant chain length parameter to use C12-C18 linear and branched sulfates instead of short-chain surfactants, while achieving deliverability through controlled viscosity reducing agent content (0.1-8 wt%) and optimized surfactant ratios (0.3 to 5), thus avoiding harshness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite surfactant system using only mild C12-C18 linear and branched sulfates combined with viscosity reducing agents, achieving both deliverability and mildness simultaneously by relying on the composite architecture rather than harsh short-chain surfactants

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS11129783B2Stable compact shampoo products with low viscosity and viscosity reducing agent

Publication Date: 2021.09.28 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

AI summary

The invention relates stable compact low viscosity hair care compositions comprising: from about 20 weight % to about 45 weight % total surfactant; from about 2 weight % to about 25 weight % branched anionic surfactant with a tail having an alkyl chain with 12 to 18 carbon atoms; from about 5% weight % to about 30 weight % linear anionic surfactant with a tail having an alkyl chain with 12 to 18 carbon atom; from about 0.1 weight % to about 8 weight % of a viscosity reducing agent; from about 40 weight % to about 80 weight % of water; wherein the concentrated shampoo has Ratio of Linear anionic surfactant to Branched anionic surfactant of about 0.3 to about 5, wherein the concentrated shampoo has a viscosity of less than 3000 cP at 26.5° C.