Dilutable Cleaning Composition with Divalent Metal Salt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning compositions, particularly hand dishwashing liquids, face challenges in maintaining a consistent viscosity across a wide dilution range, leading to issues with pourability, dissolution rate, and foaming performance, while also requiring a more sustainable and environmentally friendly formulation.
Innovation Solution
An aqueous liquid cleaning composition comprising a combination of surfactants, including anionic, amphoteric, and nonionic surfactants, along with a divalent metal salt, that maintains a viscosity of 100 to 500 mPas in its concentrated form and up to 1600 mPas upon dilution with water, ensuring a stable and non-gelling diluted product, allowing for easy dilution by consumers to achieve desired viscosity properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If cleaning compositions are formulated with high surfactant concentration to reduce packaging waste and transportation costs, then environmental sustainability is improved, but maintaining consistent viscosity across dilution ranges becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully adjusting the concentration ranges of different surfactant types (anionic, amphoteric, nonionic) and their molecular characteristics to achieve a formulation that maintains stable viscosity across dilution. The specific parameter adjustments include controlling total surfactant concentration at 15-40% and optimizing the balance between different surfactant classes to prevent both gelling and excessive thinning upon dilution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining multiple types of surfactants (anionic, amphoteric, and nonionic) with different molecular structures and properties. This composite approach creates a synergistic effect where the interaction between different surfactant types stabilizes the formulation's rheological properties during dilution, preventing phase separation and maintaining consistent viscosity.
2Ease of operation
If concentrated cleaning compositions are designed to be readily dilutable by consumers, then ease of operation is improved, but controlling viscosity to remain within acceptable ranges during dilution becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by designing a formulation that adapts its viscosity characteristics in response to dilution. The dynamic rheological behavior is achieved through the selected surfactant combination, which allows the composition to flow easily during application while maintaining sufficient viscosity for foaming and cleaning performance across the dilution range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by optimizing the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of the surfactant mixture and controlling the concentration of electrolytes and co-surfactants. These parameter adjustments ensure that the formulation remains stable and viscosity-controlled from concentrated form through various dilution levels, preventing gelling while maintaining pourability.
3Productivity
If rapid dissolution in water is achieved to improve foam generation, then cleaning performance is improved, but viscosity must be optimized to balance pourability and dissolution rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing specific properties of the surfactant molecules, such as the length and structure of hydrophobic chains and hydrophilic head groups. This local optimization of molecular characteristics enhances water solubility and dissolution rate in specific regions of the formulation, allowing rapid foam generation while maintaining overall viscosity stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting the molecular weight, chain length, and structural parameters of the surfactants. These parameter modifications create a balance where the composition dissolves rapidly in water for immediate foaming action while maintaining sufficient viscosity for proper flow and application characteristics.
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 a stable viscosity profile across a broad dilution range, ensuring consistent cleaning performance, reduced packaging waste, and eco-friendly characteristics by allowing consumers to dilute concentrated products to a regular dishwashing liquid form, maintaining consumer expectations for pourability and foaming while minimizing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
at least one divalent metal salt in an amount of 1.5% to 5% by weight, based on the weight of the composition
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of surfactants, the surfactants including surfactant active components comprising from greater than 30% to up to 55% by weight
Data Source
AI summary
This application relates to a dilutable aqueous liquid cleaning composition, typically a dishwashing liquid, which comprises a plurality of surfactants, the surfactants including surfactant active components comprising from greater than 30% to up to 55% by weight, based on the weight of the composition, wherein the composition has a viscosity of 100 to 500 mPas as measured at 25° C., and the composition is dilutable with water to form a non-gelling diluted composition having up to six times the volume of the undiluted composition and a viscosity within the range of 100 to 1600 mPas as measured at 25° C. at any dilution up to the six times dilution.