Compacted Liquid Laundry Detergent Viscosity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low relative humidity liquid laundry detergent compositions with reduced hydroxyl-containing amine levels often exhibit high viscosity, making them difficult to pour and process, as they can become too viscous, impacting consumer usability and manufacturing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A liquid laundry detergent composition comprising a liquid phase, a lamellar liquid crystal phase, and a particulate phase, with the lamellar liquid crystal and particulate phases dispersed within the liquid phase, using specific alcohols and surfactants to maintain acceptable viscosity while minimizing hydroxyl-containing amine compounds, and achieving an equilibrium relative humidity of less than 65% at 20°C.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If hydroxyl-containing amine levels are reduced to be more environmentally friendly, then the composition becomes less harmful, but viscosity increases making it difficult to pour and process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by introducing specific low-viscosity co-surfactants (short-chain alcohols like ethanol, propanol, butanol) and adjusting the surfactant blend ratios. This modifies the physical properties of the composition, maintaining low viscosity even with reduced hydroxyl-containing amine levels, thus resolving the contradiction between environmental friendliness and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses low-viscosity co-surfactants as intermediary substances that mediate between the surfactant molecules and water. These co-surfactants reduce interfacial tension and prevent excessive viscosity buildup, allowing the composition to remain fluid-friendly while using environmentally preferred lower levels of hydroxyl-containing amines
2Loss of energy
If compacted liquid formulation is used to minimize filler liquids, then environmental impact of transport is reduced, but viscosity increases due to high relative concentration of cleaning materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the compacted liquid by incorporating specific co-surfactants and adjusting the concentration ratios of surfactant components. This changes the rheological properties, maintaining acceptable viscosity despite the high concentration of cleaning materials required for compacted formulation, thus resolving the contradiction between transport efficiency and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite liquid system combining multiple surfactant types (anionic, nonionic) with co-surfactants and low-viscosity additives. This composite formulation achieves both compacted liquid density for reduced transport impact and modified flow properties for ease of pouring and dosing
3Loss of energy
If compacted liquid formulation with high cleaning material concentration is used, then less filler liquid needs to be transported, but processability during manufacture is impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the chemical composition parameters by adding low-viscosity co-surfactants and optimizing surfactant blend ratios, which modifies the physical properties to maintain processability during manufacturing while preserving the compacted liquid formulation's high cleaning material concentration for efficient transport
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 composition achieves consumer-acceptable and process-acceptable viscosities while maintaining low relative humidity and reduced hydroxyl-containing amine levels, preventing phase splitting and ensuring effective handling and dosing.
Implementation Method 1
the term 'lamellar liquid crystal' herein means the system being in a state where the surfactant molecules are organised in stacks of bilayers of surfactant in the melted state separated by thin layers of solvent
Implementation Method 2
Liquid laundry detergent compositions with low equilibrium relative humidities have the advantage of being less susceptible to microbial contamination
Implementation Method 3
the particulate phase is defined as the solid obtained when the liquid laundry detergent composition is centrifuged at 1200 G for 10 mins
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid laundry detergent composition that includes a liquid phase, a lamellar liquid crystal phase, and a particulate phase, where the lamellar liquid phase and particulate phase are dispersed within the liquid phase.