Low pH Laundry Detergent Composition for Fabric Care
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry detergent powders with high pH profiles face challenges in balancing cleaning performance with fabric care, as high pH ensures effective cleaning but can compromise fabric appearance and shape retention, necessitating a formulation that maintains good cleaning while improving fabric care.
Innovation Solution
A solid free-flowing particulate laundry detergent composition with a low pH profile, incorporating anionic detersive surfactant, phthalocyanine photobleach, and specific formulation features such as organic acids and sodium silicate, which maintains good cleaning performance while enhancing fabric care by adjusting the pH to a range of 6.5 to 9.0.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high pH profile is used in laundry detergent powder, then cleaning performance is improved, but fabric care profile deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by fundamentally shifting the pH profile from traditional high pH (10.5 or higher) to low pH (6.5-9.0 range). This parameter change enables the detergent to achieve effective cleaning through alternative mechanisms while eliminating the harmful high pH effects on fabric appearance and shape retention. The low pH formulation uses organic acids (4-20 wt%) and specific surfactant combinations to provide cleaning efficacy without compromising fabric care.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If low pH profile is used in laundry detergent powder, then fabric care profile is improved, but cleaning performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating functionally distinct components within the detergent formulation. The base detergent particles provide fabric care and soil suspension functions at low pH, while separate surfactant additions and photobleach components deliver targeted cleaning and stain removal capabilities. This localized functional distribution allows each component to optimize its performance without the compromises required in traditional high pH formulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining multiple detergent components with complementary functions: anionic surfactants (8-15 wt%) for cleaning, organic acids (4-20 wt%) for pH control and soil dispersion, photobleach (0.1-1 wt%) for stain removal, and builder particles (sodium silicate 0-8 wt%) for water softening. This composite formulation achieves synergistic cleaning performance at low pH that neither component could achieve alone.
3Reliability
If sodium carbonate is included in detergent composition, then cleaning performance is improved, but pH profile increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by deliberately removing sodium carbonate from the formulation or limiting it to very low levels (0-4 wt%). Instead of relying on carbonate-based alkalinity for cleaning performance, the formulation extracts this function and replaces it with organic acid-based pH control (4-20 wt%) combined with enhanced surfactant systems (8-15 wt% anionic surfactant) and photobleach components, achieving effective cleaning at the lower pH range of 6.5-9.0.
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 low pH detergent composition effectively balances cleaning performance and fabric care, improving fabric whiteness and reducing unwanted hue build-up, as demonstrated by comparative examples showing improved whiteness and stability over high pH formulations.
Implementation Method 1
phthalocyanine photobleach
Implementation Method 2
from 4wt% to 20wt% organic acid; wherein the composition at 1wt% dilution in deionized water at 20°C, has an equilibrium pH in the range of from 6.5 to 9.0
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a solid free flowing particulate laundry detergent composition comprising: (a) anionic detersive surfactant; (b) from 0wt% to 8wt% zeolite builder; (c) from 0wt% to 4wt% phosphate builder; (d) from 0wt% to 8wt% sodium carbonate; (e) from 0wt% to 8wt% sodium silicate; (f) from 4wt% to 20wt% organic acid; and (g) phthalocyanine photobleach, wherein the composition at 1wt% dilution in deionized water at 20°C, has an equilibrium pH in the range of from 6.5 to 9.0, wherein the composition comprises from 30wt% to 90wt% base detergent particle, wherein the base detergent particle comprising (by weight of the base detergent particle): (a) from 4wt% to 35wt% anionic detersive surfactant; (b) optionally, from 1wt% to 8wt% zeolite builder; (c) from 0wt% to 4wt% phosphate builder; (d) from 0wt% to 8wt% sodium carbonate; (e) from 0wt% to 8wt% sodium silicate; (f) from 1wt% to 10wt% organic acid; and (g) optionally, from 1wt% to 10wt% magnesium sulphate.