Hair Fixative Co-Polymer for Sustained Fragrance Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

Hair styling fixative systems face challenges in maintaining long-lasting fragrance delivery without compromising hold or humidity resistance, as traditional fragrance deposition interferes with fixative performance and is often lost quickly.

Innovation Solution

A hair styling composition incorporating a hair fixative co-polymer with a combination of acid-containing, hydrophobic, and optional hydrophilic monomers, neutralized to a specific extent, which encapsulates fragrances within a film that slowly releases them upon moisture contact, ensuring sustained scent while maintaining style and humidity resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If fragrance is deposited on hair using conventional emulsion methods, then pleasant fragrance during application is achieved, but the fragrance is lost quickly and the fixative's ability to hold hair and resist humidity is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefragrance delivery durationVSAvoidhair hold and humidity resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a film-forming polymer as an intermediary carrier that encapsulates the fragrance. This polymer film is deposited on the hair and releases fragrance slowly over time, preventing direct contact between the fragrance emulsion and the fixative polymer. The film acts as a mediator that separates the fragrance delivery function from the hair holding function, allowing both to perform optimally without interfering with each other.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a thin film-forming polymer coating that encapsulates the fragrance. This flexible film adheres to the hair and provides a controlled release mechanism for the fragrance while maintaining the structural integrity needed for hair hold. The film's thin nature allows for gradual fragrance diffusion, and its flexibility enables it to conform to hair strands without compromising the fixative's humidity resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Ease of operation

If surfactants are added to stabilize fragrance emulsion, then fragrance deposition is improved, but the fixative becomes more susceptible to moisture and wetting, decreasing moisture resistance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefragrance emulsion stabilityVSAvoidmoisture resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The film-forming polymer serves as an intermediary barrier between the fragrance emulsion and the fixative polymer. By encapsulating the fragrance within the film, the need for surfactants that would otherwise be required to stabilize direct fragrance-fixative contact is eliminated. This intermediary layer provides emulsion stability without introducing moisture-susceptible surfactant components, thereby preserving the fixative's moisture resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the fragrance from direct contact with the fixative polymer by encapsulating it within a separate film-forming polymer matrix. This separation removes the need for surfactants that would be required to stabilize the fragrance if it were in direct contact with the fixative, thereby eliminating the source of the moisture resistance problem while maintaining fragrance delivery functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Duration of action of moving object

If conventional fragrances are applied to hair, then pleasant scent during application is achieved, but the fragrance is lost quickly after applying

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefragrance durationVSAvoidfragrance intensity
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of fragrance delivery by transitioning from direct emulsion application to film-encapsulated release. The film-forming polymer modifies the release kinetics of the fragrance, transforming it from rapid evaporation to controlled diffusion. This parameter change extends the fragrance duration while maintaining adequate intensity through sustained release rather than initial burst.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The film-forming polymer enables periodic fragrance release through controlled diffusion over time. Instead of a single application providing continuous scent, the film structure allows for sustained, periodic release of fragrance molecules as they gradually diffuse through the polymer matrix and evaporate, thereby extending the overall duration of fragrance presence on the hair.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

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 solution provides a controlled release of fragrance upon water addition, offering a long-lasting scent without compromising the hair's hold or humidity resistance, with adjustable fragrance duration based on monomer ratios and neutralization levels.

Implementation Method 1

releasing the fragrance from the film upon addition of water

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDiffusion: Diffusion

Implementation Method 2

at least one second monomer having a hydrophobic group

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrophobe: Hydrophobe

Data Source

PatentEP2747740B8Method of controlling fragrance release on hair
Publication Date: 2019.09.11 AKZO NOBEL CHEMICALS INTERNATIONAL BV

AI summary

Hair styling compositions include at least one volatile compound and a hair fixative co-polymer, in which the hair fixative co-polymer includes at least one first monomer having an acid containing group and at least one second monomer having a hydrophobic group. The hair styling compositions provide extended release of volatile compounds, such as fragrances.