Neutral Floor Cleaner Composition With Stable Low-Foaming Surfactants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current neutral cleaning compositions for hard surfaces are inadequate in terms of cleaning efficacy, often requiring personal protective equipment and failing to meet environmental compliance standards, while also being costly and prone to foaming issues.
Innovation Solution
A neutral pH floor treatment composition combining water-insoluble surfactants, such as branched alcohol alkoxylates and ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymers, with a water-soluble anionic hydrotrope, forming a stable, low-foaming solution that maintains cleaning efficacy comparable to alkaline compositions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If neutral pH floor cleaners are formulated to be environmentally responsible and safe for users, then user safety and Green Seal compliance are improved, but cleaning performance deteriorates compared to alkaline cleaners
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pH parameter from alkaline to neutral while maintaining cleaning efficacy through a synergistic surfactant combination. The neutral pH formulation eliminates the need for personal protective equipment and meets Green Seal compliance while the specific surfactant blend (Guerbet ethoxylate, EO-PO copolymer, and anionic hydrotrope) ensures cleaning performance equivalent to alkaline cleaners
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite surfactant system combining three different surfactant types (Guerbet ethoxylate, EO-PO copolymer, and anionic hydrotrope) to achieve enhanced cleaning performance at neutral pH. This composite approach allows the formulation to maintain effectiveness comparable to alkaline cleaners while being safer for users and environmentally responsible
2Reliability
If water-insoluble surfactants are used to improve cleaning performance, then cleaning efficacy is improved, but solution stability and solubility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an anionic hydrotrope as an intermediary substance that mediates between the water-insoluble surfactants and water. The hydrotrope acts as a solubilizing agent that allows the water-insoluble Guerbet ethoxylate and EO-PO copolymer to form a stable, clear solution while maintaining their cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the solubility parameter by combining water-insoluble surfactants with a water-soluble anionic hydrotrope. This parameter change enables the formation of a stable, clear solution that maintains the cleaning efficacy provided by the water-insoluble surfactants while achieving the desired solution stability
3Ease of operation
If conventional neutral cleaners are formulated to reduce foaming, then ease of operation on hard surfaces is improved, but cleaning performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the foaming parameter by selecting specific surfactant types (Guerbet ethoxylate and EO-PO copolymer) that inherently provide low-foaming characteristics. The anionic hydrotrope further modifies the foam properties while the neutral pH formulation contributes to reduced foaming, achieving ease of operation on hard surfaces
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 solution provides equivalent cleaning performance to alkaline solutions without the need for personal protective equipment, meets environmental compliance standards, and reduces operational costs while avoiding foaming issues, ensuring safe and effective hard surface cleaning.
Implementation Method 1
about 1-50 wt-% of a water-soluble anionic hydrotrope; and about 20-90 wt-% water, wherein the composition has a neutral pH and forms a clear solution
Implementation Method 2
a synergistic combination of water insoluble surfactants with an anionic hydrotrope forming a stable, low-foaming solution
Data Source
AI summary
Compositions and methods for improved cleaning using neutral cleaners are disclosed. In particular, neutral pH cleaning compositions according to the invention employ a synergistic combination of water insoluble surfactants and an anionic hydrotropes capable of forming a stable, low-foaming solution. The neutral cleaning solutions provide significant benefits over water insoluble microemulsions traditionally used for neutral cleaning compositions and provide at least equivalent cleaning efficacy as non-neutral cleaning compositions.