Liquid Detergent Low-Temperature Stability via Surfactant Ratios
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid detergents containing α-SF salts experience cloudiness or reduced fluidity at low temperatures, affecting their stability and performance in cold regions.
Innovation Solution
A liquid detergent formulation comprising α-sulfofatty acid ester salt, alkylbenzene sulfonate, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfate, and alkanolamine, with specific mass ratios and pH control, to enhance low-temperature stability and detergency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an α-SF salt is used as a cleaning component in liquid detergent, then detergency is improved, but cloudiness or reduction of fluidity occurs at low temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple surfactant types (α-SF salt, alkylbenzene sulfonate, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfate) with specific mass ratios to create a composite surfactant system. This composite formulation maintains the high detergency of α-SF salt while the combination with other surfactants prevents cloudiness and fluidity reduction at low temperatures, resolving the contradiction between cleaning performance and low-temperature stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent specifies precise parameter ranges including mass ratio (a)/((b)+(c)) ≤ 1, mass ratio (d)/(a) ≥ 1/5, pH 5-9, and temperature range 0-40°C. By controlling these parameters, the formulation achieves both high detergency and stable fluidity across a wide temperature range, preventing the cloudiness and gelation that would otherwise occur at low temperatures.
2Reliability
If the amount of α-SF salt is increased to improve detergency, then cleaning performance is enhanced, but low temperature fluidity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes the mass ratio (a)/((b)+(c)) ≤ 1, which controls the concentration of α-SF salt relative to other surfactants. This parameter control ensures sufficient detergency from the α-SF salt while preventing excessive concentration that would cause gelation and fluidity loss at low temperatures, thus maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite surfactant system where α-SF salt is combined with alkylbenzene sulfonate and polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfate in specific ratios. This composite approach allows the α-SF salt to provide high detergency while the other surfactants in the composite prevent gelation and maintain fluidity, resolving the contradiction between cleaning performance and ease of operation.
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 ensures improved storage stability and detergency at low temperatures, preventing cloudiness and gelation, and maintaining effective cleaning performance.
Implementation Method 1
a liquid detergent which contains an α-sulfofatty acid ester salt (component (a)), an alkylbenzene sulfonate (component (b)), a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfate (component (c)), and an alkanolamine (component (d))
Data Source
AI summary
This liquid detergent contains an α-sulfofatty acid ester salt (component (a)), an alkylbenzene sulfonate (component (b)), a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfate (component (c)), and an alkanolamine (component (d)). The amount of the component (a) is 5% by mass or greater; the total amount of the component (b) and the component (c) is 5% by mass or greater; the total amount of the component (a), the component (b), and the component (c) is 10% by mass to 50% by mass, the mass ratio represented by (d)/(a) is 1/5 or greater, and the mass ratio represented by (a)/((b)+(c)) is 1 or less.