Inorganic Cleaning Agent with Clay Mineral for Low BOD Wastewater

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional environmentally friendly cleaning agents often contain organic substances, leading to increased biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in wastewater, which complicates pollution control, and achieving effective cleaning without organic materials is challenging, especially for smear removal.

Innovation Solution

A cleaning agent comprising a clay mineral, such as montmorillonite, and inorganic salts like sodium carbonate, with a total organic substance content of 2% or less, which is designed to minimize BOD and COD by eliminating organic substances and using inorganic powders for enhanced cleaning and sensory experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If organic substances such as surfactants are used for smear removal, then cleaning effect is achieved, but BOD and COD in wastewater increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectVSAvoidBOD and COD
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces chemical cleaning mechanisms (organic surfactants) with physical mechanisms (clay mineral particles and inorganic salts). The clay minerals provide mechanical abrasion and electrostatic attraction for smear removal, while inorganic salts like sodium carbonate and lithium carbonate provide buffering and softening effects, achieving cleaning without organic substances that would increase BOD and COD

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by substituting organic carbon-based surfactants with inorganic clay minerals and salts. This parameter change eliminates organic carbon content while maintaining cleaning functionality through different physical-chemical properties of the inorganic materials

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If natural materials are used instead of synthetic materials, then environmental burden is reduced, but BOD and COD still increase due to organic content

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironmental burdenVSAvoidBOD and COD
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the organic substance component entirely from the cleaning agent formulation. By using only inorganic clay minerals and salts, the formulation eliminates the source of organic carbon that would otherwise increase BOD and COD, while still providing effective cleaning functionality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs readily available inorganic clay minerals and salts that are environmentally benign and easily degradable. These inorganic materials do not persist in the environment as organic pollutants, effectively treating wastewater without long-term environmental burden

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Quantity of substance

If inorganic salts containing negative hydrated ions are used, then organic substance content is lowered, but cleaning effect is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveorganic substance contentVSAvoidcleaning effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a composite formulation combining multiple inorganic components: clay minerals (providing mechanical and electrostatic cleaning), inorganic salts like sodium carbonate and lithium carbonate (providing buffering and softening), and optionally inorganic powders. This composite approach achieves sufficient cleaning effect while maintaining low organic content

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent assigns different functional properties to different inorganic components based on their specific characteristics. Clay minerals provide specific electrostatic and mechanical properties, while inorganic salts provide buffering and softening, creating a synergistic effect that achieves adequate cleaning performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 achieves sufficient cleanability and sensory experience while significantly reducing wastewater contamination, as evidenced by low BOD and COD levels, ensuring minimal environmental impact.

Implementation Method 1

a cleaning agent that achieves sufficient cleanability and sensory experience even though the content of organic carbon is extremely low

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical abrasion: Abrasion

Implementation Method 2

crystals containing negatively hydrated ions proposed by Samoilov are dissolved

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrostatic attraction: Electrostatics

Data Source

PatentUS20250019622A1Cleaning agent
Publication Date: 2025.01.16 SHISEIDO CO LTD

AI summary

The present invention provides a cleaning agent which is free from contamination of wastewater and is excellent in cleaning property and sensory experience. A cleaning agent according to the present invention includes: (A) a clay mineral; and (B) one or two or more inorganic salts selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, lithium carbonate, and lithium bicarbonate. In this cleaning agent, the total content of an organic substance based on the total mass of the cleaning agent is 2% by mass or less.