Laundry Detergent Dosing With High-Shear Water to Prevent Gelling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Highly concentrated liquid detergents face challenges in dispensing and dissolution due to gelling when contacted with water, making them difficult to use in washing machines and limiting their market availability.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a device connected to a water supply to provide a high shear water flow, with a flow rate ratio of the detergent to water in the range of 0.0001 to 0.5, ensuring the detergent's surfactant concentration is between 50% to 100% and solvent content is minimal, preventing gel formation by introducing the detergent into a high velocity water stream, typically above 0.25 m/sec, using a reducer or Venturi tube mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If highly concentrated liquid detergent composition is contacted with water, then dispersion and dissolution should occur, but gel formation prevents effective dispersion and dissolution
Solution Approach 1:
The detergent composition is pre-mixed with a portion of the total wash water in a dosing chamber before being introduced to the main water flow. This preliminary action allows the concentrated detergent to begin dissolving and dispersing before encountering the full water volume, preventing gel formation that would occur upon direct contact with large amounts of water
Solution Approach 2:
A dosing chamber serves as an intermediary device between the detergent container and the water supply. This intermediary allows controlled mixing of detergent with a limited amount of water under specific conditions (temperature range 5-40°C, agitation), creating a pre-diluted solution that can then be effectively dispersed in the remaining wash water without gelling
2Quantity of substance
If highly concentrated liquid detergent composition is used, then packaging cost and shipping cost decrease, but dispensing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing system is designed to automatically control the dispensing of highly concentrated detergent without requiring manual intervention. The system self-regulates by using water pressure to drive the detergent from the container through the dosing chamber, where it is automatically mixed with a portion of the water supply and then dispensed into the wash, eliminating the need for manual measuring or pouring
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses hydraulic principles by utilizing water pressure from the washing machine's water supply to drive the highly concentrated detergent through the dosing chamber. The water pressure automatically controls the flow rate and mixing process, making dispensing easy despite the high concentration and viscosity of the detergent composition
3Stability of the object's composition
If highly concentrated liquid detergent composition is used, then stability against microorganisms and water-sensitive ingredients is improved, but dispersion and dissolution in wash water becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The detergent is pre-mixed with a controlled amount of water in the dosing chamber before entering the main wash. This preliminary mixing action ensures that the highly concentrated detergent begins to disperse and dissolve under controlled conditions, preventing gel formation and ensuring uniform distribution in the final wash solution
Solution Approach 2:
The dosing chamber incorporates agitation or mixing mechanisms that dynamically mix the detergent with water. This dynamic mixing process ensures thorough dispersion and dissolution of the concentrated detergent composition, overcoming the static conditions that would otherwise lead to gel formation and poor dispersion
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
Enables the commercial feasibility of highly concentrated liquid detergents by ensuring immediate dispersion and dissolution without gel formation, reducing packaging and shipping costs while maintaining product quality.
Implementation Method 1
by dispensing HCLD with a fast-moving or high shear water flow, the phenomenon of HCLD forming a gel in water, which contributed to the difficulty of dispersion and dissolution in water, is eliminated
Implementation Method 2
helping the dispersion and dissolution of such compositions in the wash
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A laundry detergent system comprising a highly concentrated liquid laundry detergent and a device connected to a water supply feed, that provides the injection pressure of the detergent composition being greater than water flow pressure at the junction of the detergent composition and the water flow and water flow rate at the junction of greater than 0.25 m/sec; wherein the flow rate ratio of the detergent composition to the water flow is in the range of from about 0.0001 to about 0.5.