Liquid Dishwashing Composition with Unalkoxylated Surfactant
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Hand dishwashing compositions face challenges in achieving effective grease removal while maintaining good suds mileage and physical stability, especially under dilute wash conditions and at low temperatures, due to the trade-offs between using alkyl sulfate surfactants with little or no alkoxylation and those with alkoxylation.
Innovation Solution
A liquid hand dishwashing composition is formulated with a surfactant system comprising at least 40% alkyl sulfate anionic surfactant, having an alkyl chain of 8-18 carbon atoms with less than 15% branching and less than 0.5 alkoxylation, along with a co-surfactant like amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactants, and 0.1-10% polypropylene glycol of specific molecular weight, to enhance grease removal and suds mileage without compromising stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If alkyl sulfate surfactant with little or no alkoxylation is used, then grease removal is improved, but suds mileage is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines unalkoxylated alkyl sulfate surfactant (for grease removal) with alkoxylated alkyl ether sulfate surfactant (for sudsing) and nonionic surfactant (for stability and suds enhancement). This composite surfactant system resolves the contradiction by integrating components with complementary functions: the unalkoxylated portion provides superior grease removal while the alkoxylated and nonionic portions maintain robust sudsing and stability under dilute conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the alkoxylation degree parameter of the alkyl sulfate surfactant to be less than 0.5 (partially unalkoxylated), rather than using fully alkoxylated or completely unalkoxylated variants. This parameter optimization allows balancing grease removal effectiveness with adequate sudsing performance, resolving the contradiction through precise control of the alkoxylation parameter.
2Reliability
If unalkoxylated alkyl sulfate surfactant is used, then grease removal is improved, but physical stability deteriorates especially at low temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite surfactant system where unalkoxylated alkyl sulfate (for grease removal) is combined with alkoxylated alkyl ether sulfate and nonionic surfactants. The alkoxylated and nonionic components provide the physical stability and low-temperature performance that would be lacking if only unalkoxylated surfactant were used, thus resolving the contradiction between grease removal effectiveness and physical stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces nonionic surfactant and alkoxylated surfactant as intermediary components that mediate between the unalkoxylated alkyl sulfate (which provides grease removal) and the requirement for physical stability. These intermediary surfactants enhance solubility, prevent precipitation at low temperatures, and maintain formulation stability without compromising the grease removal capability of the unalkoxylated component.
3Stability of the object's composition
If high levels of solvents are used to improve physical stability, then formulation flexibility is reduced and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the stability-enhancing function from traditional high-level solvent systems and transfers it to specifically selected surfactant components (alkoxylated alkyl ether sulfate and nonionic surfactants). This extraction allows achieving physical stability through functional surfactant selection rather than relying on excessive solvents, thereby maintaining formulation flexibility and reducing unnecessary formulation complexity.
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 effectively removes grease and maintains robust suds mileage under dilute conditions and at low temperatures, improving user satisfaction and reducing detergent usage, while maintaining physical stability and flexibility in raw material selection.
Implementation Method 1
a surfactant system, wherein the surfactant system comprises at least 40% by weight of the surfactant system of anionic surfactant, wherein the anionic surfactant comprises at least 50% by weight of the anionic surfactant of alkyl sulfate anionic surfactant
Data Source
AI summary
The need for a hand-dishwashing composition which is highly effective at removing grease, while also having good suds mileage, and avoiding negatives on physical stability, especially at low temperatures is met by formulating the hand dishwashing composition to comprise a surfactant system, the surfactant system comprising an alkyl sulfate anionic surfactant comprising little or no branching and having a low degree of alkoxylation, or no alkoxylation, and a co-surfactant, in combination with polypropylene glycol of a defined molecular weight, as described herein.