Fabric Conditioner Viscosity Stability via Electrolyte Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fabric conditioner compositions experience a significant drop in viscosity over time, leading to a less appealing product by the time it reaches consumers, making it difficult to control viscosity stability and predictability.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating electrolyte into the product by adding a portion before and after the ester-linked quaternary ammonium fabric softening active, with 55 to 75 wt% of the electrolyte added before the active and a further portion added after, to stabilize viscosity and prevent excessive thinning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If electrolyte is added after the ester-linked quaternary ammonium fabric softening active, then the initial viscosity of the product is improved, but the viscosity drops significantly over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by adding a first portion of electrolyte (55-75 wt% of total electrolyte) to the water phase before adding the ester-linked quaternary ammonium fabric softening active. This pre-addition establishes a controlled ionic environment that prevents excessive viscosity buildup during active incorporation, while subsequent addition of remaining electrolyte after milling fine-tunes the final viscosity. This two-stage approach eliminates the viscosity drop problem associated with single-stage post-active electrolyte addition.
2Ease of manufacture
If all electrolyte is added at the end of the preparation process, then mixing is simplified, but the product viscosity drops 24 hours after making
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrolyte addition process into two distinct stages: (1) adding 55-75 wt% of electrolyte to water before adding the fabric softening active, and (2) adding the remaining electrolyte after milling the active into the water phase. This segmentation allows optimal control of viscosity at each stage - the first portion prevents excessive thickening during active incorporation, while the second portion achieves target viscosity in the final product, eliminating the 24-hour viscosity drop.
3Stability of the object's composition
If electrolyte is added in multiple stages, then viscosity stability is improved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-adding 55-75 wt% of electrolyte to the water phase before introducing the fabric softening active. This upfront action establishes controlled ionic strength that prevents excessive viscosity buildup during active dissolution. The remaining electrolyte is then added after milling to fine-tune final viscosity. This approach achieves superior viscosity stability while maintaining straightforward manufacturing procedures.
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
This process significantly reduces or eliminates viscosity drop, ensuring the product remains within the desired range and maintains long-term stability, providing reliable and predictable quality.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating electrolyte into the product by adding a portion before and after the ester-linked quaternary ammonium fabric softening active, with 55 to 75 wt% of the electrolyte added before the active and a further portion added after, to stabilize viscosity and prevent excessive thinning
Data Source
AI summary
A process for preparing an aqueous concentrated fabric conditioner composition, being an aqueous dispersion, comprising from 10 to 30 wt % of an ester-linked quaternary ammonium fabric softening active; water; and electrolyte; wherein the process comprises the steps of i) adding a proportion of the electrolyte before the addition of the fabric softening active to the water, and ii) adding a proportion of the electrolyte after the addition of the ester-linked quaternary ammonium fabric softening active leads to improved viscosity stability following preparation without loss of storage stability.