Foamable Cleaning Composition With Acidic pH And Surfactant System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current sprayable cleaning compositions, especially those at neutral or basic pH, struggle with removing difficult soils due to solubility issues, and acidic compositions face stability and foam degradation challenges, limiting their effectiveness in removing oily fatty stains and requiring complex processing.
Innovation Solution
A foamable liquid cleaning composition with a pH of 2 to 4, comprising 1 to 20 wt.% alkoxylated anionic surfactant, 2 to 25 wt.% nonionic surfactant, 0.1 to 3 wt.% amphoteric surfactant, and 3 to 40 wt.% water miscible solvent, which forms a stable foam with a density of less than 0.4 g/ml, ensuring effective stain removal without compromising stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If acidic cleaning composition (pH 2-4) is used to remove difficult soils, then soil removal effectiveness is improved, but foam stability and composition stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the pH parameter to an acidic range (2-4) to improve soil removal effectiveness for difficult soils, while simultaneously optimizing surfactant concentrations and ratios to maintain foam stability. This resolves the contradiction by changing the pH parameter without sacrificing foam performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite surfactant system combining multiple surfactant types (anionic, nonionic, amphoteric) in specific ratios. This composite approach enables the formulation to achieve both acidic pH stability and effective foaming, resolving the contradiction between acidity and foam stability.
2Productivity
If higher solvent content (3-40 wt.%) is added to improve stain removal, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but foam stability and composition homogeneity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the solvent concentration parameter within the 3-40 wt.% range and adjusts the surfactant-to-solvent ratio to maintain composition homogeneity. By carefully controlling these parameters, the formulation achieves effective stain removal while preventing phase separation and maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent distributes surfactants throughout the solvent-containing composition to ensure uniform local properties. This prevents localized instability and phase separation, maintaining homogeneity even with higher solvent content for improved stain removal.
3Stability of the object's composition
If neutral or basic pH (7-12) cleaning composition is used, then composition stability is improved, but soil solubility and cleaning effectiveness worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using neutral or basic pH for stability, the patent inverts the approach by using acidic pH (2-4) and compensating with a optimized surfactant system. This resolves the contradiction by showing that stability can be achieved at acidic pH through proper surfactant selection and formulation.
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 provides superior soil removal benefits across various stain types, maintaining stability and foam integrity, allowing for targeted and efficient application with reduced surfactant usage and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
The surfactant system of the cleaning composition has a combination of anionic surfactant and a co-surfactant selected from betaine, amine oxide and mixtures thereof
Implementation Method 2
Foams provides a visible indication of the parts of the surface to which the cleaner has been applied. More importantly, the foam clings to the surface and prevent runoff
Implementation Method 3
certain soils, can be very difficult to clean since these soils are less soluble at a basic pH
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a pre-treatment composition for the cleaning of fabrics, especially a sprayable foamable liquid cleaning composition. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sprayable foamable liquid cleaning composition for the pretreatment of fabric which has superior soil removal properties for a wide variety of stains. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a foamable cleaning composition having a pH of less than 4which provides good stain removal benefits without compromising on the stability of the isotropic solution or foam structure. We have found that a foamable liquid composition providing a stable foam which exhibits dilutability, homogeneity in solution, excellent cleaning performance on various stain types can be prepared when higher levels of solvents and low pH are combined with specific amounts of alkoxylated anionic surfactant, nonionic surfactant, amphoteric surfactant and at specific ratios between the surfactant and solvents.