Liquid Trialkanolamine Ester Quats for Solvent-Free Hair Conditioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ester quats used in hair conditioning are solid substances that require solvents for formulation, limiting formulation options and decreasing viscosity with increasing concentration, and they do not provide excellent conditioning effects on keratin fibers while maintaining high viscosity and stability.
Innovation Solution
A composition comprising an ester quat with specific acyl radical ratios, allowing it to be liquid at room temperature and easily incorporated without solvents, providing enhanced conditioning effects, increased shine, and improved viscosity, while being ecologically friendly and effective in low concentrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solid ester quats are used in hair conditioning formulations, then conditioning effects are achieved, but solvents are required which limits formulation options and affects viscosity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the physical state of ester quats from solid to liquid through specific molecular structure design. The liquid ester quats have reduced chain length and optimized fatty acid composition compared to traditional solid ester quats, enabling them to remain liquid at room temperature without requiring solvents like isopropanol. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for solvents while maintaining conditioning effectiveness.
2Reliability
If concentration of liquid hair conditioning agents is increased to improve conditioning effects, then conditioning performance improves, but viscosity decreases requiring emulsifiers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials by combining liquid ester quats with specific fatty alcohols and surfactants to create a stable formulation system. The composite composition maintains high viscosity and stability even at elevated conditioning agent concentrations because the liquid ester quats integrate synergistically with the other components without phase separation or crystallization. This resolves the contradiction by enabling high concentration formulations while maintaining viscosity through compositional synergy rather than requiring additional emulsifiers.
3Reliability
If solid ester quats are used, then conditioning effects are achieved, but they may crystallize out in formulations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by fundamentally altering the melting point parameter of ester quats through molecular structure modification. The liquid ester quats have lower molecular weight and reduced saturation compared to solid ester quats, keeping them in liquid state under formulation storage conditions. This eliminates crystallization issues while preserving the cationic conditioning functionality, as the liquid state prevents ordered crystal lattice formation that occurs with solid ester quats.
4Ease of manufacture
If solvents are used to formulate solid ester quats, then formulation is possible, but specific solvents must be present which limits formulation freedom
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the solvent component from the formulation system entirely. Instead of using solid ester quats that require solvents for dissolution, the invention uses liquid ester quats that are self-formulatable. This extracts the solvent requirement from the system, allowing the ester quat to be incorporated directly into various cosmetic formulations without mandating the presence of specific solvents, thereby maximizing formulation freedom and flexibility.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides compositions comprising specific ester quats based on trialkanolamines, and to the use of these compositions in cosmetics.