Silicone-Free Shampoo Formulation via Metallocene Polyolefin

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge in personal care compositions, such as shampoos, is to balance components that promote silicone deposition without causing silicones to wash off, leading to the goal of developing formulations that mimic silicone properties without using silicones.

Innovation Solution

A shampoo formulation comprising an aqueous dispersion of metallocene catalyzed polyolefin, ethylene acrylic acid copolymer, and cosmetically acceptable surfactants or emollients, where the metallocene catalyzed polyolefin is an ethylene octene copolymer, and the shampoo contains less than 0.09 wt% silicone, preferably being substantially free of silicone.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If silicone is added to personal care compositions to improve smoothness perception, then the aesthetic properties and conditioning effects are enhanced, but the silicone washes off during shampooing and deposition is not maintained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesilicone depositionVSAvoidsilicone retention
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the polyolefin by using metallocene catalysis to produce specific molecular weight distributions and comonomer contents (5-20 mol% alpha-olefin), creating a polymer with optimized properties for deposition and retention that differs from conventional polyolefins

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite system combining metallocene catalyzed polyolefin with ethylene acrylic acid copolymer in specific ratios (95:5 to 50:50), where the two polymers work synergistically to achieve both aesthetic properties and conditioning effects without silicone

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If new formulations without silicone are developed to mimic silicone properties, then the goal of silicone-free conditioning is achieved, but the formulations must overcome the challenge of balancing components for deposition versus wash-off

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveformulation flexibilityVSAvoiddeposition control
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes specific parameter ranges for the metallocene polyolefin (molecular weight 10,000-1,000,000, comonomer content 5-20 mol%, density 0.91-0.97 g/cm³) and EAA copolymer (10-40 wt% acrylic acid) to optimize the balance between deposition and retention, providing formulation flexibility within defined boundaries

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention applies local quality by creating an aqueous dispersion with specific local concentrations of polymers and surfactants, where the metallocene polyolefin and EAA copolymer are distributed in water with controlled hydrophilic-lipophilic balance to achieve uniform deposition

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2477600B1Silicone replacements for personal care compositions
Publication Date: 2017.12.20 UNION CARBIDE CHEMICALS & PLASTICS TECHNOLOGY LLC

AI summary

Described are personal care compositions, comprising an aqueous dispersion comprising a metallocene catalyzed polyolefin and an ethylene acrylic acid copolymer; a cationic polymer; and a least one cosmetically acceptable surfactant, emollient, or cosmetic active, provided that the personal care composition contains less than 0.09 wt % of silicone, and preferably is substantially free of silicone.