Dishwasher Detergent Citrate Formulation for Stain Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional automatic dishwashing detergents face challenges in effectively removing bleachable stains like tea and vegetable dyes without using phosphates or bleach, while maintaining low alkalinity to avoid damage to glass surfaces and skin irritation, and ensuring environmental sustainability.

Innovation Solution

A phosphate- and bleach-free automatic dishwashing detergent formulation using citrate as a primary component, combined with dicarboxylic acid and complex-forming phosphonates, which maintains a low pH level and includes additional builders like carbonates and polycarboxylates to enhance cleaning performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If alkalinity is increased to improve cleaning performance, then cleaning performance increases, but damage to glass surfaces and skin irritation worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoiddamage to glass surfaces and skin irritation

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing traditional high-alkalinity builders (phosphates, metal phosphates) with low-alkalinity alternatives (citrate, dicarboxylic acid, phosphonates). This parameter change allows maintaining cleaning effectiveness while reducing pH to below 12, thereby minimizing damage to glass surfaces and skin irritation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses citrate and dicarboxylic acid as biodegradable, environmentally friendly builders that can be used in higher concentrations without long-term environmental harm. These substances provide sufficient alkalinity for cleaning while being safe for glass surfaces and human skin, effectively replacing persistent phosphate-based builders.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Productivity

If phosphates are used to increase alkalinity and improve cleaning, then cleaning performance improves, but environmental pollution worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoidenvironmental pollution

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates phosphate components from the detergent formulation, replacing them with environmentally compatible alternatives. By removing phosphates entirely and using citrate, dicarboxylic acid, and phosphonates instead, the invention achieves effective cleaning without contributing to eutrophication and waterway pollution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the builder system from phosphate-based to citrate and dicarboxylic acid-based systems. This parameter change in chemical composition maintains the necessary alkalinity and cleaning performance while fundamentally altering the environmental profile to be sustainable and non-polluting.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If bleach and bleach activators are used to improve bleaching effect, then cleaning of bleachable stains improves, but incompatibility with enzymes and stability problems worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebleaching effectVSAvoidstability and compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces unstable bleach systems with stable, enzyme-compatible alternatives based on citrate and dicarboxylic acid. These substances provide bleaching and stain-removal capabilities without the incompatibility issues with enzymes or the stability problems during storage, ensuring reliable performance throughout the product shelf life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite builder system combining citrate, dicarboxylic acid, and phosphonates that work synergistically to provide bleaching effectiveness. This composite approach achieves stain removal performance comparable to bleach while maintaining compatibility with enzymes and stability during storage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 detergent achieves improved cleaning performance against bleachable stains at low temperatures with reduced environmental impact, avoiding phosphate and bleach-related issues, and minimizing damage to glass surfaces.

Implementation Method 1

A technical possibility of improving the cleaning performance of automatic dishwashing detergents, in particular bleach-free automatic dishwashing detergents, is to increase the alkalinity of these detergents

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAlkalinity:

Implementation Method 2

1 to 8% by weight of complex-forming phosphonate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectComplex formation:

Implementation Method 3

which maintains a low pH level and includes additional builders like carbonates and polycarboxylates to enhance cleaning performance

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectpH level:

Data Source

PatentEP2366007B1Dishwasher detergent

Publication Date: 2018.08.08 HENKEL KGAA

AI summary

The invention relates to phosphate- and bleach-free dishwasher detergent containing: a) 10 to 60 wt % citrate, b) 1 to 30 wt % maleic acid, wherein said dishwasher detergents are characterized by good cleaning performance, particularly improved cleaning of tea.