Esterquat Thickening in Viscous Laundry Formulations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laundry and cleaning formulations, particularly fabric softeners, face challenges in achieving high viscosity at low active content without using additional thickeners, which are often associated with ecological and economic disadvantages.
Innovation Solution
The development of active compositions comprising specific ester quats of the general formula I, which include quaternary ammonium salts with specific hydrocarbon radicals and fatty acid chains, allowing for high viscosity without additional thickeners and enabling viscosity adjustment over a broad spectrum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If additional thickeners are used to achieve high viscosity, then viscosity is improved, but ecological and economic disadvantages occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for additional thickener substances by incorporating thickening functionality directly into the quaternary ammonium compound structure itself. The ester quat molecules with specific long-chain alkyl radicals (C16-C30) provide inherent thickening capability, removing the requirement for separate thickener additives and their associated ecological and economic drawbacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The quaternary ammonium compounds serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide fabric softening action, conditioning properties, and viscosity enhancement. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate thickener additives, as the same active ingredient that provides the primary cleaning and softening effects also controls the formulation viscosity.
2Force
If high concentration of active compositions is used to achieve high viscosity, then viscosity is improved, but active content increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the molecular parameters of the quaternary ammonium compounds by incorporating long-chain alkyl radicals (C16-C30) and specific ester groups. These structural parameter changes enhance the thickening efficiency per molecule, allowing high viscosity to be achieved at lower concentrations of active composition compared to conventional quats with shorter chains.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite molecular structures combining specific fatty acid chains (C12-C22) with long-chain alkyl radicals (C16-C30) and ester groups. This composite structure creates synergistic effects that maximize thickening efficiency, enabling high viscosity formulations with reduced active ingredient content.
3Shape
If conventional quats are used, then fabric softening effect is achieved, but viscosity remains low
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies key molecular parameters of conventional quats by extending the alkyl chain length to C16-C30 and incorporating specific ester groups. These parameter changes increase molecular weight and intermolecular interactions, thereby enhancing viscosity while preserving the fabric softening efficacy that depends on the core quaternary ammonium structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates composite molecular structures that integrate the essential fabric-softening quaternary ammonium core with additional long-chain alkyl and ester components. This composite approach maintains the biological and chemical properties needed for fabric softening while adding rheological properties for high viscosity.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to specific active compositions for producing highly viscous laundry and cleaning formulations, particularly laundry fabric softeners, to a method for the production thereof and to said laundry and cleaning formulations. High viscosity can be achieved in the products according to the invention despite a low concentration of active compositions and without using additional thickeners.