Detergent Defoamer Powder Composition for Stable Dispersion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing defoaming powders suffer from insufficient storage stability, require significant amounts of additional organic additives, and exhibit suboptimal aqueous solubility and dispersibility, particularly in surfactant formulations.

Innovation Solution

A defoamer powder composition comprising a polysiloxane formulation, a waxy additive, a polycarboxylate binder, and a powdered carrier material, with specific ratios and components to enhance storage stability and aqueous solubility, using a combination of a monoester of glycerol and fatty acid and a polycarboxylate binder with pH 3 or less.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional defoamers based on hydrophobised silica or polydimethylsiloxane are used, then foaming is controlled, but the detergents show poor cleaning performance on oily soils and have high viscosity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefoaming controlVSAvoidcleaning performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the defoamer by using specific polyether modified polysiloxanes with defined molecular weights and polyether content (30-70% by weight), replacing conventional hydrophobised silica or polydimethylsiloxane-based defoamers to achieve both good foaming control and improved cleaning performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs composite defoamer compositions containing polyether modified polysiloxanes combined with specific auxiliary substances (polyols, esters, carboxylic acids), creating a multi-component system that delivers both effective foaming control and enhanced cleaning performance on oily soils while maintaining low viscosity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional defoamers are used, then foaming is controlled, but the detergents have high viscosity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefoaming controlVSAvoidviscosity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the viscosity parameter by selecting polyether modified polysiloxanes with specific molecular weights and polyether contents, and by formulating defoamer compositions with low-viscosity auxiliary substances, achieving foaming control with significantly reduced viscosity compared to conventional defoamers

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If nonionic surfactants are used to improve cleaning performance, then cleaning efficiency increases, but foam stability increases excessively

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning efficiencyVSAvoidfoam stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces polyether modified polysiloxane defoamers as intermediary substances that selectively destabilize excessive foam while preserving the cleaning efficiency of nonionic surfactants, acting as a mediator between cleaning performance and foam control requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 significantly improved storage stability and aqueous solubility and dispersibility in washing powders, requiring fewer additional agents compared to existing solutions.

Implementation Method 1

Defoamers based on polyether modified polysiloxanes have become available which stabilise the foam structure and/or reduce the foam formation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSurface tension reduction: Surface Tension

Implementation Method 2

polyether modified polysiloxanes... have become available which stabilise the foam structure and/or reduce the foam formation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFoam destabilization: Antifoam

Data Source

PatentEP4558242B1Defoamer compositions for detergents
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 WACKER CHEMIE AG

AI summary

The invention relates to novel defoaming powders, containing (A) 100 wt.% of a defoamer formulation, containing (Aa) a polysiloxane which contains units of the formula (I): R1R2SiO2/2, in which R1 is a monovalent, optionally branched, SiC-bonded hydrocarbon group with 1 to 5 C atoms, R2 is a monovalent, optionally branched, SiC-bonded hydrocarbon group with 6 to 30 C atoms, (Ab) a filler, (Ac) an organopolysiloxane resin made of units of the general formula (II): R3 a(R4O)bSiO(4-a-b)/2, in which R3 is a monovalent, optionally substituted, SiC-bonded hydrocarbon group with 1 to 30 C atoms, R4 is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent, optionally substituted hydrocarbon group with 1 to 4 C atoms, a is 0, 1, 2, or 3, and b is 0, 1, 2, or 3 with the proviso that the sum of a + b ≤ 3 and, in less than 50% of all the units of the formula (II), the sum of a + b = 2, optionally an additional organopolysiloxane (Ad), optionally a water-insoluble organic compound (Ae), and optionally a catalyst (Af), (B) 10 to 45 wt.% of a wax-like additive containing a monoester (B') of glycerin and a fatty acid which is free of a polysiloxane-containing additive and which contains less than 5 wt.% of a triester (B") of glycerin and a fatty acid, (C) 10 to 50 wt.% of a polycarboxylate binder which has a pH of 3 or less when dissolved in water, and (D) 120 to 5000 wt.% of at least one pulverulent carrier material with the proviso that the carrier material contains less than 50 wt.% of an alkaline carrier material.