Conditioning Particles With Gel Network Stability Against Sintering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conditioning beads made of cationic surfactants and fatty alcohols tend to soften or melt during transport and storage due to high temperatures, leading to agglomeration and sintering, which complicates their incorporation into personal care compositions.
Innovation Solution
Formulating solid gel network particles using a specific combination of C12-C22 fatty alcohol, amidoamine cationic surfactant, and oil soluble acid with an AlogP of −1.2 or greater, resulting in reduced sintering and agglomeration, with an Onset Melt Temperature of 40°C or greater and a Creep-Recovery value of −0.003 or greater.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional conditioning beads are exposed to high temperatures during transport and storage, then the particles soften or melt, but this causes agglomeration and sintering that makes them difficult to incorporate into personal care compositions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the conditioning beads by incorporating specific ratios of cationic surfactants (30-70 wt%), fatty alcohols (20-50 wt%), and oils (10-40 wt%). This parameter optimization raises the melting point and reduces sintering tendency, allowing particles to maintain structural integrity at elevated temperatures while remaining processable.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite particle structure combining multiple functional components: cationic surfactants for conditioning, fatty alcohols for structural framework, and oils for flexibility. This composite approach synergistically improves thermal stability while preventing excessive hardness that would hinder processing.
2Strength
If the particles are made harder to resist sintering, then they maintain structural integrity, but they become more difficult to disperse and distribute evenly in the composition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates particles with heterogeneous internal structure where different regions have different properties. The fatty alcohol provides a rigid structural framework for hardness, while embedded oil phases create softer regions that facilitate deformation and dispersion. The cationic surfactant distributes throughout providing both structural support and surface properties for controlled interaction with the composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention optimizes the particle hardness parameter through controlled composition: fatty alcohol content (20-50 wt%) provides structural rigidity, while oil content (10-40 wt%) and cationic surfactant ratio adjust the effective hardness to a range that balances sintering resistance with dispersibility. Particle size (1-5 mm) is also optimized to maintain handling ease while improving distribution.
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 particles maintain structural integrity under pressure and compaction, preventing agglomeration and sintering, ensuring easy processing and even distribution in personal care products.
Implementation Method 1
solid gel network particles comprising a cationic surfactant, a fatty alcohol and an oil soluble acid with an AlogP of −1.2 or greater
Implementation Method 2
an oil soluble acid having an AlogP of −1.2 or greater
Implementation Method 3
When conventional conditioning beads are exposed to high temperatures (e.g., >40° C.), they may soften or melt, resulting in compressed or agglomerated particles
Data Source
AI summary
A solid particle for use in a personal care composition. The particle includes a C12-C22 fatty alcohol; an amidoamine cationic surfactant, an oil soluble acid having an AlogP of −1.2 or greater, less than 50% water and, optionally, a benefit agent. A plurality of the solid, discrete particles can be added to an aqueous carrier to form a personal care composition, or to a pre-existing personal care composition to provide a benefit. The particles have a relatively high melt point to reduce agglomeration and sintering during shipping and storage.