Gel Composition Adhesion and Whitening Resistance via Ether Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gel cleaner compositions for toilets lose transparency and adhesion upon drying, become hardened, and have poor high-temperature stability, especially in tankless toilets, and the addition of calcium chloride or magnesium chloride restricts the use of anionic or amphoteric surfactants.
Innovation Solution
A gel composition containing polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether and water, with specific molecular configurations and ratios, providing high adhesion and whitening resistance without the need for calcium chloride or magnesium chloride, allowing for the inclusion of anionic or amphoteric surfactants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional gel cleaner compositions are used, then they can be attached to hard surfaces, but they lose transparency and become hardened upon drying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the gel composition by specifying precise molecular weight ranges for polyoxyethylene alkyl ether (10,000-100,000) and polyoxypropylene alkyl ether (1,000-10,000), and controlling their mass ratio (95:5 to 5:95). This parameter optimization prevents crystallization upon drying, maintaining transparency while ensuring proper drying behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite gel system combining two different polyoxyalkylene alkyl ethers with distinct molecular characteristics. The mixture of polyoxyethylene alkyl ether and polyoxypropylene alkyl ether in specific ratios produces synergistic effects that prevent hardening and maintain transparency during drying, overcoming the limitations of single-component gels.
2Stability of the object's composition
If calcium chloride or magnesium chloride is added to improve surface drying, then whitening resistance improves, but the ability to use anionic or amphoteric surfactants is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates calcium chloride and magnesium chloride from the gel composition entirely. Instead, it relies on the optimized polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether system to provide whitening resistance through controlled molecular structure and ratios, thereby removing the chemical restriction that prevented surfactant use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by removing salt additives and instead optimizing the molecular weight and ratio parameters of the polyoxyalkylene alkyl ethers. This alternative approach achieves whitening resistance through physical-chemical properties of the ether mixture rather than through salt-based mechanisms, enabling surfactant compatibility.
3Strength
If conventional gel cleaner compositions are used, then they provide initial adhesion, but they have poor high-temperature stability and soften or liquefy at high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the molecular weight parameters of the polyoxyalkylene alkyl ethers, specifying polyoxyethylene alkyl ether with 10,000-100,000 and polyoxypropylene alkyl ether with 1,000-10,000. These parameter selections ensure the gel maintains adequate adhesion at room temperature while resisting softening and liquefaction at elevated temperatures up to 50°C or higher.
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 gel composition maintains adhesion and high-temperature stability while enabling the use of surfactants, offering improved product design flexibility and performance.
Implementation Method 1
a gel composition that contains a polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether (A) and water (B)
Implementation Method 2
Gel composition
Data Source
AI summary
A gel composition having high adhesion, high whitening resistance, and high high-temperature stability is provided. The gel composition includes a polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether (A) represented by general formula (1) and water (B). R-O-(PO)m-(EO)n-H (1) In the formula (1), R is a linear alkyl group having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, PO represents an oxypropylene group, EO represents an oxyethylene group, m and n each represent an average number of moles added, m is a number of 1 to 20, and n is a number of 1 to 80. PO and EO are added in a configuration of block addition.