Enamel Composition for Room-Temperature Cleaning of Cooking Appliances

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing enamel compositions require high-temperature heat treatment for cleaning, consuming significant energy and limiting their application to inner surfaces of cooking appliances, and they are not effective in removing oil-based contaminants without a soaking process.

Innovation Solution

A composition for enamel comprising specific weight percentages of SiO2, B2O3, alkali oxides, NaF, ZnO, TiO2, MoO3, Bi2O3, CeO2, MnO2, Fe2O3, and Co3O4, which can be coated on both inner and outer surfaces of cooking appliances, allowing for cleaning at room temperature without water soaking, enhancing chemical resistance and adhesion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high-temperature heat treatment is used to clean enamel, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but energy consumption increases and application scope is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the enamel by incorporating specific metal oxides (TiO2, MoO3, Bi2O3, CeO2, MnO2, Fe2O3, Co3O4) that enable low-temperature cleaning functionality. This allows the enamel to be cleaned at room temperature or low temperatures while maintaining cleaning effectiveness, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and energy consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite enamel material combining traditional glassy glaze components with multiple catalytic metal oxides. This composite structure provides both the protective function of traditional enamel and the low-temperature cleaning capability through catalytic reactions, enabling effective cleaning without high energy consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If high-temperature heat treatment is used to clean enamel, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but application scope is limited to inner surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidapplication scope

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

By modifying the chemical composition to include low-temperature active metal oxides, the patent enables the enamel to function effectively at room temperature or low temperatures. This allows application on outer surfaces of cooking appliances that cannot withstand high temperatures, thus expanding application scope while maintaining cleaning effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If traditional enamel composition is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but cleaning capability at room temperature is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidroom temperature cleaning capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent develops a composite enamel material that combines traditional glassy glaze components with multiple metal oxide catalysts. This composite formulation maintains relatively simple manufacturing processes while adding low-temperature cleaning functionality through the catalytic properties of the metal oxides, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and room temperature cleaning capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

4Reliability

If soaking process is used to remove oil-based contaminants, then cleaning completeness is improved, but process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning completenessVSAvoidprocess complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables the enamel surface to perform self-cleaning through catalytic reactions with contaminants. The metal oxide components actively react with oil-based and other contaminants, breaking them down and facilitating easy removal without requiring prolonged soaking or complex multi-step processes, thus achieving cleaning completeness while reducing process complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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 enables efficient removal of all contaminants at room temperature without water soaking, improving durability and chemical resistance while maintaining excellent adhesion performance.

Implementation Method 1

5 to 15 wt % of titanium dioxide (TiO2), 3 to 7 wt % of molybdenum trioxide or molybdenum(IV) oxide (MoO3), 5 to 15 wt % of bismuth oxide or bismuth(III) oxide Bi2O3, 1 to 5 wt % of cerium dioxide or cerium(IV) oxide (CeO2), and 1 to 10 wt % of one or more of manganese dioxide or manganese(IV) oxide (MnO2), ferric oxide or iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3), and/or cobalt oxide or cobalt(II, IIII) oxide (Co3O4)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCatalysis: Catalysis

Data Source

PatentUS11661371B2Composition for enamel, method for preparing a composition for enamel, and cooking appliance

Publication Date: 2023.05.30 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

A composition for enamel may include 20 to 45 wt % of SiO2; 1 to 15 wt % of B2O3, 10 to 20 wt % of one or more of Na2O, K2O, and Li2O, 1 to 5 wt % of NaF, 1 to 10 wt % of ZnO, 5 to 15 wt % of TiO2, 3 to 7 wt % of MoO3; 5 to 15 wt % of Bi2O3, 1 to 5 wt % of CeO2, and 1 to 10 wt % of one or more of MnO2, Fe2O3, and Co3O4. The composition may be used to coat a cooking appliance for easy removal of contaminants at room temperature.