Laundry Formulas with High Solvent Ratio for Mildness
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a unit dose laundry detergent product that effectively cleans textiles while maintaining mildness and minimizing allergenic compounds, particularly in formulations for unit dose film pouches.
Innovation Solution
A unit dose product comprising a pouch made from a water-soluble film material, with a detergent composition that includes 5-25 wt% water, 20-40 wt% surfactant, and 35-55 wt% non-aqueous solvent comprising polyethylene glycol and glycerin, without enzymes, and exhibiting less than 30% swelling in 24 hours.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional surfactants like LAS are used for effective cleaning, then cleaning performance is improved, but skin and eye irritation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing conventional surfactants (LAS) with alternative surfactant systems that have different irritation profiles. The formulation uses surfactants at optimized concentrations (20-40 wt%) combined with specific non-aqueous solvents to achieve effective cleaning while reducing skin and eye irritation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces non-aqueous solvents (35-55 wt%, particularly polyethylene glycol and glycerin) as intermediary substances that modify the interaction between surfactants and skin/eyes. These solvents act as mediators that reduce the direct irritating contact between conventional surfactants and sensitive tissues while maintaining cleaning efficacy.
2Reliability
If propylene glycol is used as a solvent in detergent compositions, then cleaning performance is improved, but allergenic potential increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts propylene glycol from the formulation or reduces it to minimal/zero levels, removing the identified allergen while maintaining the necessary solvent functions through alternative substances like polyethylene glycol and glycerin that provide similar performance without the allergenic properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the solvent composition parameters by substituting propylene glycol with alternative solvents (polyethylene glycol, glycerin) that have different allergenic profiles. This parameter change maintains the required cleaning performance while eliminating the specific allergen identified by the American Contact Dermatitis Society.
3Ease of operation
If unit dose film pouches are used for packaging, then convenience and skin protection are improved, but formulation challenges increase due to swelling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the formulation parameters by carefully controlling water content (5-25 wt%) and using specific non-aqueous solvents with appropriate hygroscopic properties. These parameter changes ensure that the detergent composition inside the water-soluble film pouch does not cause excessive swelling, maintaining pouch structural integrity while enabling convenient unit dose packaging.
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 detergent composition provides effective cleaning performance while maintaining mildness and reducing allergenic potential, with a stable pouch structure that retains its height by less than 15% over a temperature range of 0°F to 125°F.
Implementation Method 1
a pouch formed from a water-soluble film material
Implementation Method 2
wherein a percent swelling is not more than about 30% in a 24 hour (hr) test
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a unit dose product comprising a pouch formed from a water-soluble film material and a detergent composition disposed within the pouch. The detergent composition comprises about 5 to about 25 wt % water, about 20 to about 40 wt % of at least one surfactant, about 35 to about 55 wt % non-aqueous solvent comprising polyethylene glycol and glycerin, and no enzyme, wherein a percent swelling is not more than about 30% in a 24 hr test. The composition can further comprise additional components, such as a base, a performance polymer, an anti-redeposition agent, a defoamer, a bleaching agent, a bleach activator, a chelating agent, an optical brightener, a bitterant, a corrosion inhibitor, or any combination thereof. The detergent composition comprises surfactants with improved mildness and solvents with lower allergic components.