Dishwashing Detergent Thinning Upon Dilution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual dishwashing compositions with high levels of amine oxide surfactants become thick when diluted with small amounts of water, reducing flash suds and affecting cleaning performance.
Innovation Solution
A detergent composition with a specific ratio of anionic surfactant to amine oxide surfactant, including low-cut amine oxide and alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine, which provides a thinning upon dilution profile and generates flash suds, enhancing cleaning efficiency and user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high levels of amine oxide surfactant are used in the composition, then cleaning performance is improved, but the composition becomes thick when diluted with small amounts of water, reducing flash suds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by introducing low-cut amine oxide (C10) instead of traditional mid-cut amine oxide (C12-C16), and by adding alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine polymer. This parameter change modifies the dilution behavior of the composition, causing it to thin rather than thicken upon dilution, while maintaining effective cleaning performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite surfactant system combining anionic surfactant, low-cut amine oxide surfactant, and alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine polymer. This composite material works synergistically to provide both excellent cleaning performance and improved flash suds, resolving the contradiction between cleaning efficacy and dilution behavior.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the composition thickens upon dilution, then stability is improved, but flash suds are reduced, affecting product performance and user perception
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the compositional parameters by using low-cut amine oxide with shorter carbon chains (C10) and incorporating alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine. These parameter changes fundamentally alter the rheological response to dilution, transforming the composition from thickening to thinning behavior, thereby enabling rapid flash suds generation while maintaining formulation stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine acts as an intermediary component that mediates between the anionic surfactant and amine oxide surfactant, controlling the interaction and micelle formation dynamics. This intermediary substance prevents excessive thickening upon dilution and promotes flash suds formation by facilitating rapid micelle assembly.
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 achieves good cleaning performance for tough food residues and grease while maintaining appealing, airy suds, contributing to faster and more effective cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
Compositions comprising anionic surfactant and amine oxide surfactant, in particular mid-cut amine oxide surfactant, in these ratios can present a thickening upon dilution profile
Implementation Method 2
If part of the mid-cut amine oxide is replaced by low-cut amine oxide and an alkoxylated polyalkyleneimine is added to the composition, the composition presents a thinning upon dilution profile
Implementation Method 3
The user expects the cleaning composition to foam as soon as it is delivered onto the cleaning implement
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A method of washing dishware including the steps of: i) delivering a detergent composition in its neat form onto the dishware or a cleaning implement; ii) cleaning the dishware with the detergent composition in the presence of water; and iii)optionally rinsing the dishware.