Concentrated Flowable Detergent with Catechol and Phosphonates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern detergents, especially liquid ones, face challenges in storage stability and cleaning performance due to high concentrations, which can lead to incompatibilities and affect their optical and rheological properties, making it difficult to produce visually appealing, concentrated, and efficient detergent preparations that can be packaged in water-soluble sachets.
Innovation Solution
A detergent preparation combining catechol derivatives with phosphonates and polyalkoxylated amines, formulated to be flowable, with specific weight percentages of catechol compounds, phosphonates, polyalkoxylated amines, and water, optimized for storage stability and cleaning performance, packaged in water-soluble films for convenient use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the concentration of active ingredients is increased to reduce packaging volume and improve sustainability, then transport efficiency and sustainability are improved, but storage stability and cleaning performance deteriorate due to incompatibilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the concentration ranges of specific ingredients (catechol derivatives at 0.1-5 wt.%, phosphonates at 0.1-0.9 wt.%, polyalkoxylated amines at 1-8 wt.%) and adjusting the water content (less than 20 wt.%) to achieve a balance where high concentration provides good storage stability without ingredient incompatibility. This optimized parameter combination resolves the contradiction between concentration and stability.
2Reliability
If the concentration of active ingredients is increased to improve cleaning performance, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but optical and rheological properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains visually appealing optical properties and appropriate rheological characteristics while achieving high cleaning performance by optimizing the concentration parameters. Specifically, the controlled water content (less than 20 wt.%) and balanced ingredient ratios ensure the detergent remains flowable and aesthetically acceptable despite high active ingredient concentrations, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and sensory properties.
3Ease of operation
If miniaturized packaging is used to improve handling and sustainability, then consumer acceptance and transport efficiency are improved, but manufacturing and packaging complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by providing the detergent composition in pre-portioned units (such as foil pouches with compartments or single-dose sachets). This segmentation into smaller, manageable units improves consumer handling and dosing convenience while the standardized portioning actually simplifies manufacturing processes and packaging operations, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Summary Free-flowing detergent preparation containing, based on its total weight, a) 0.1 to 5 wt.% of at least one catechol compound of formula (I) wherein R1 and R2 independently represent a hydrocarbon residue having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, optionally substituted with at least one residue selected from hydroxy, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C4)-alkoxy(CH2CH2O)n-, -NR'R" or -N+R'R"R"' X-, wherein n = 1 to 10, R', R" and R"'' independently represent H or a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon residue having 1 to 3, preferably 1 to 2 carbon atoms and X- represents an anion; b) 0.1 to 0.9 wt.% of at least one phosphonate; c) 0.5 to 10 wt.-% of a polyalkoxylated amine with a weight-average molecular weight Mw in the range of 600 g/mol to 10000 g/mol, obtainable by reacting ammonia or primary alkyl or hydroxyalkyl amines having a molecular weight below 200 g/mol with alkylene oxides; d) less than 20 wt% water, detergent portion units, comprising these detergent preparations and washing processes using the detergent preparation or the detergent portion unit.