Detergent Composition for Tough Soil Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automatic dishwashing processes struggle to effectively remove cooked-, baked-, and burnt-on soils, especially when using phosphate-free detergents, as traditional surfactants lack the necessary cleaning capabilities.

Innovation Solution

An automatic dishwashing detergent composition comprising a combination of cleaning surfactants, such as anionic, zwitterionic, and amphoteric surfactants, along with cleaning amines, which synergistically work together to enhance the removal of tough food soils, including cooked-, baked-, and burnt-on soils, while being phosphate-free and minimizing non-ionic surfactant content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If traditional low foaming non-ionic surfactants are used in automatic dishwashing compositions, then filming and spotting are reduced and shine is improved, but removal of cooked-, baked- and burnt-on soils is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshine qualityVSAvoidtough food soil removal

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines traditional low foaming non-ionic surfactants with anionic surfactants and cleaning amines in a synergistic formulation. This merging of different surfactant types and cleaning agents enables the composition to simultaneously achieve excellent shine quality and effective removal of tough cooked-, baked- and burnt-on soils, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture (shine) and reliability (soil removal).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite detergent composition containing multiple surfactant types (non-ionic, anionic) and cleaning amines with specific functional properties. This composite material approach allows the formulation to leverage the shine-enhancing properties of non-ionic surfactants while incorporating anionic surfactants and amines that provide superior tough food soil removal capabilities, thus resolving the performance contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If phosphate builders are used to enhance cleaning performance, then removal of tough food soils is improved, but environmental compatibility and regulatory compliance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetough food soil removalVSAvoidenvironmental harm from phosphates

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces phosphate builders with alternative builder systems that have different chemical parameters and environmental profiles. By changing the builder composition parameters to use phosphate-free alternatives, the formulation maintains effective tough food soil removal while eliminating the environmental harm associated with phosphate discharge, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning performance and environmental compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If cleaning amines and anionic surfactants are added to improve soil removal, then cleaning performance is enhanced, but composition complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoiddetergent composition complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent selects cleaning amines and anionic surfactants that serve multiple functions within the composition. These ingredients not only provide superior tough food soil removal but also contribute to overall cleaning performance, foam control, and compatibility with other formulation components. This multi-functionality approach enhances cleaning performance while minimizing the increase in composition complexity by using versatile ingredients rather than multiple specialized additives.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 provides superior removal of tough food soils, achieving better cleaning performance than traditional detergents, especially in phosphate-free formulations, with improved shine and reduced filming and spotting.

Implementation Method 1

the cleaning surfactants act synergistically in combination with the cleaning amines to provide though food soil removal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSynergistic cleaning action:

Implementation Method 2

These surfactants help with sheeting of the water and contribute to the lack of filming and/or spotting that it is then reflected in better shine of the washed items

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSheeting:

Data Source

PatentUS10190078B2Detergent

Publication Date: 2019.01.29 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

AI summary

An automatic dishwashing detergent composition comprising:a) from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of a cleaning surfactant selected from the group consisting of an anionic surfactant, a zwitterionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, and mixtures thereof;b) from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of a cleaning amine.