Liquid Laundry Detergent Viscosity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low relative humidity liquid laundry detergent compositions with reduced hydroxyl-containing amine levels often exhibit high viscosity, making them difficult to pour and process, as they can become too viscous, impacting consumer usability and manufacturing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A liquid laundry detergent composition with a solid enzyme particle dispersed in a liquid phase, containing between 5% and 40% alcohol, 10% to 30% non-amine neutralized linear alkylbenzene sulphonate, and less than 10% amine-neutralized anionic surfactant, along with a water-soluble film for a unit dose article, which maintains acceptable viscosity and minimizes phase splitting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydroxyl-containing amine levels are reduced in low relative humidity liquid laundry detergent compositions, then microbial contamination resistance is improved, but viscosity increases making the composition difficult to pour and process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters by using non-amine neutralized anionic surfactants (pH 7-12) instead of amine-neutralized ones (pH 4-6), and incorporates specific polyol concentrations (5-40%) to adjust the viscosity profile. This parameter change allows reduced amine content while maintaining acceptable viscosity and microbial resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite liquid detergent system combining non-amine neutralized anionic surfactants with specific polyols (ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, etc.) and nonionic surfactants. This composite formulation achieves the desired balance between low viscosity and microbial contamination resistance without relying on high amine content
2Object-affected harmful factors
If compacted liquid detergent compositions are formulated with high relative concentration of cleaning materials, then environmental friendliness is improved by reducing filler liquids, but viscosity increases negatively impacting consumer usability and manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the concentration parameters of key ingredients: anionic surfactant (10-30%), polyol (5-40%), and nonionic surfactant (1-20%). This optimized parameter range allows high active material content with minimal filler while maintaining viscosity within 50-5000 cP for easy pouring and efficient manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses polyols (ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, etc.) as intermediary substances that mediate between the high concentration of cleaning materials and the viscosity requirement. These polyols act as viscosity modifiers that enable high active ingredient content without compromising flowability
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 composition achieves consumer-acceptable and process-acceptable viscosities while maintaining low relative humidity and reduced hydroxyl-containing amine levels, ensuring easy pouring and efficient manufacturing, while also preventing phase splitting.
Implementation Method 1
a solid phase is dispersed within the liquid phase
Implementation Method 2
the water-soluble solid phase is defined as the solid obtained when the liquid laundry detergent composition is centrifuged at 1200 G for 10 mins
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is to a liquid laundry detergent composition comprising; a. a liquid phase; b. between 0.5% and 15% by weight of the liquid detergent composition of a solid enzyme particle, wherein the solid phase is dispersed within the liquid phase and wherein the water-soluble solid phase is defined as the solid obtained when the liquid laundry detergent composition is centrifuged at 1200 G for 10 mins; and wherein the liquid phase comprises between 5% and 40% by weight of the liquid of an alcohol selected from the group comprising ethylene glycol, 1,3 propanediol, 1,2 propanediol, tetramethylene glycol, pentamethylene glycol, hexamethylene glycol, 2,3-butane diol, 1,3 butanediol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, glycerol formal, dipropylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether, and mixtures thereof, preferably the alcohol is selected from the group comprising 1,2 propanediol, dipropylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, 2,3- butane diol, dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether and mixtures thereof;and from 10% to 30% by weight of the composition of a non-amine neutralized linear alkylbenzene sulphonate and wherein the liquid laundry detergent composition comprises less than 10% by weight of the liquid laundry detergent composition of an amine-neutralised anionic surfactant; and wherein the composition comprises between 0.5% and 50% by weight of the composition of water; and wherein the composition comprises less than 5% by weight of the composition of a hydroxyl-containing amine.