Isoamyl Lactate Solvent Composition for Safe Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solvents used in industrial and household applications are often toxic, flammable, and pose health and environmental risks, lacking effective, cost-effective, and widely available safer alternatives that maintain performance.
Innovation Solution
A biodegradable solvent composition comprising isoamyl lactate, a C1-C5 ester of a C16-C22 fatty acid, optionally a surfactant, thickener, and organic solvent, which is non-toxic, has a high closed cup flash point, and is partially miscible with water, making it safe for indoor use and easy to rinse.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional organic solvents are used for effective cleaning and dissolution, then solvency power and cleaning effectiveness are improved, but toxicity and flammability increase posing health and environmental risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using isoamyl lactate (an ester) as the primary solvent instead of conventional toxic organic solvents. This parameter change maintains solvency power while reducing toxicity and flammability, achieving effective cleaning without the harmful effects of traditional solvents
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite solvent system combining isoamyl lactate with optional complementary solvents (alcohols, ethers, ketones, or esters) to achieve both effective cleaning performance and enhanced safety characteristics. This composite approach allows optimization of solvency while maintaining low toxicity and reduced flammability
2Object-affected harmful factors
If environmentally safer solvents are used to reduce toxicity, then health and environmental safety are improved, but cleaning performance and solvency power deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by selecting isoamyl lactate, an ester with specific molecular properties that provide both environmental safety and adequate solvency. The optional addition of complementary solvents further adjusts the parameter profile to enhance cleaning performance while maintaining the environmentally safe baseline
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite solvent formulation where isoamyl lactate serves as the environmentally safe base, supplemented by optional solvents from specific chemical groups (alcohols, ethers, ketones, esters) to boost cleaning performance. This composite structure achieves both safety and effectiveness
3Reliability
If halogenated solvents are used for high solvency power, then dissolution capability is improved, but environmental harm and toxicity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates halogenated compounds from the solvent system entirely, replacing them with isoamyl lactate and optional non-halogenated complementary solvents. This extraction of harmful substances maintains necessary solvency power while eliminating environmental harm and toxicity associated with halogenated solvents
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by specifying solvents from particular chemical groups (esters, alcohols, ethers, ketones) that are inherently free of halogens. This parameter change achieves high solvency power through alternative chemical mechanisms without the environmental harm of halogenated compounds
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 solvent composition is safer than halogenated solvents, biodegradable, non-toxic, and derived from renewable sources, offering effective performance in various cleaning tasks while being economically viable and suitable for use in occupied areas.
Implementation Method 1
A solvent is a substance that is generally capable of dissolving another substance, or solute, to form a uniformly dispersed mixture (solution) at the molecular or ionic level
Implementation Method 2
The solvent composition is biodegradable in normal sewerage treatment plants
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a biodegradable, environmentally friendly cleaning solvent composition comprising; (a) about 20 weight percent to about 99.9 weight percent of isoamyl lactate; (b) about 0.1 weight percent to about 60 weight percent of a C1-C5 ester of a C16-C22 fatty acid; (c) 0 to about 20 weight percent of a surfactant; (d) 0 to about 20 weight percent of a thickener; and (e) 0 to about 50 weight percent organic solvent. The subject invention further relates to a household cleaning solvent that is comprised of isoamyl lactate and a small amount of a fragrance. The subject invention further relates to a solvent composition comprising: (a) about 10 to about 99.9 weight percent of isoamyl lactate; (b) 0 to about 60 weight percent of a C1-C5 ester of a C16-C22 fatty acid; (c) 0 to about 20 weight percent of a surfactant; (d) 0 to about 20 weight percent of a thickener; and (e) 0.1 to about 90 weight percent organic solvent. The present invention also relates to a solvent composition comprising (a) isoamyl lactate and (b) from about 0.1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of a fragrance.