Low-concentration Liquid Detergent Perfume Oil Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid detergents with low surfactant content face challenges in storage stability, particularly at low temperatures, due to the inability to stably disperse perfume oil components, leading to phase separation issues.
Innovation Solution
A liquid detergent formulation with a surfactant mixture of 5-18% nonionic and anionic surfactants, where nonionic surfactants comprise at least 75% of the anionic surfactants, and a perfume oil content of 0.4-1.5% by weight, ensuring a ratio of nonionic to anionic surfactants of 0.75:1 and nonionic to perfume oil between 5:1 and 30:1, stabilizing the detergent under various climatic conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the surfactant content is reduced to maximum 25% by weight to produce cost-effective liquid detergents, then manufacturing cost is reduced and ecological impact is minimized, but storage stability deteriorates and phase separation occurs particularly at low temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the surfactant system by specifying a minimum content of nonionic surfactants (at least 0.75 times the anionic surfactant content) and controlling the ratio between nonionic surfactants and perfume oil (5:1 to 30:1). This parameter optimization allows the formulation to maintain storage stability at low temperatures while using reduced total surfactant content (5-18% by weight), thereby resolving the contradiction between cost reduction and stability maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite surfactant system combining both anionic and nonionic surfactants in specific proportions, rather than using a single surfactant type. This composite approach creates synergistic effects where the nonionic surfactants provide steric stabilization and the anionic surfactants provide electrostatic repulsion, together preventing phase separation at low temperatures while maintaining low overall surfactant content.
2Quantity of substance
If higher amounts of perfume oil (0.4% by weight and above) are incorporated into low-surfactant detergents, then fragrance performance is improved, but storage stability deteriorates due to insufficient dispersion of hydrophobic components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses nonionic surfactants as intermediary substances that mediate between the hydrophobic perfume oil components and the aqueous detergent base. The nonionic surfactants form stable microemulsions with the perfume oil, acting as a bridge that allows high perfume oil content (0.4% and above) to be incorporated without causing phase separation, even at low temperatures where hydrophobic interactions would normally lead to instability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the ratio parameter between nonionic surfactants and perfume oil (specifically 5:1 to 30:1) to achieve stable dispersion. By controlling this critical parameter, the formulation can incorporate higher perfume oil amounts while maintaining homogeneous composition and storage stability, resolving the contradiction between fragrance performance and compositional stability.
3Reliability
If the ratio of nonionic surfactants to anionic surfactants is increased to at least 0.75:1 to improve perfume oil dispersion, then storage stability is improved, but the complexity of formulation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a specific parameter range for the ratio of nonionic to anionic surfactants (at least 0.75:1) and the ratio of nonionic surfactants to perfume oil (5:1 to 30:1). By defining these parameters as minimum thresholds rather than precise fixed values, the formulation provides a flexible guideline that ensures storage stability while allowing manufacturers flexibility in exact composition, thereby balancing stability requirements with formulation simplicity.
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 formulation achieves storage stability and enhanced washing performance on greasy stains, allowing for high perfume content without phase separation, even at low temperatures, while minimizing surfactant usage for cost and ecological benefits.
Implementation Method 1
the incorporation of higher amounts of perfume, i.e. amounts from 0.4% by weight, is difficult. Problems arise with regard to storage stability, which are particularly evident when storing at low temperatures, i.e. temperatures between 0 and 10 °C. The small amount of surfactant is probably no longer sufficient to stably disperse the hydrophobic components of the perfume oil in particular.
Implementation Method 2
Anionic surfactants are used because of their good solubility in water and their high detergency at low temperatures.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention describes a storage-stable liquid detergent or cleaner containing perfume oil which comprises up to 25% by weight of a surfactant mixture of nonionic and anionic surfactants, where the ratio of the nonionic surfactants to the anionic surfactants is at least 0.75 : 1 and the ratio of the nonionic surfactants to the perfume oil is between 5 : 1 and 30 : 1. The invention also relates to the use of the liquid detergent or liquid cleaner and to a process for its preparation. In addition, the use of a surfactant mixture of nonionic and anionic surfactants for improving the storage stability of a liquid detergent or cleaner containing perfume oil is described.