Opaque Cleaning Compositions Using Surfactant-Salt Complexes for Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning compositions struggle with achieving sufficient opacity, viscosity, and stability due to unpredictable interactions between different surfactants, often leading to instability and precipitate formation, and the use of pearling agents complicates the formulation process.
Innovation Solution
A synergistic combination of surfactants, including sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) and calcium chloride, in specific ratios with nonionic surfactants like NEODOL, provides opacity and stability without the need for pearling agents or thickeners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If pearling agents are added to cleaning compositions to provide opacity, then the desired opaque appearance is achieved, but the formulation complexity and number of diverse ingredients increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for pearling agents from the formulation by utilizing the inherent opacity-providing capability of surfactant-salt complexes. This removes the disturbing component (pearling agents) while maintaining the desired opacity function through a simpler surfactant-salt system.
Solution Approach 2:
The surfactant-salt complex serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the desired opacity, maintains formulation stability, and eliminates the need for separate pearling agents. This multi-functional approach reduces formulation complexity while achieving the same optical effect.
2Reliability
If multiple diverse ingredients are combined to achieve stability and desired characteristics, then functional performance is improved, but the compatibility research and development time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the formulation parameters by using specific surfactant-salt combinations with defined concentration ranges. This parameter-based approach provides predictable stability outcomes without requiring extensive compatibility research, as the stability is achieved through controlled surfactant-salt complex formation rather than trial-and-error with diverse ingredients.
3Reliability
If surfactants are combined in cleaning compositions to enhance cleaning performance, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but unpredictable interactions occur leading to instability and precipitate formation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces salts as intermediary components that mediate between different surfactants. The salt ions interact with surfactant molecules to form stable complexes, preventing direct unfavorable interactions between chemically different surfactants. This intermediary mechanism ensures both cleaning effectiveness and formulation stability by controlling surfactant-surfactant interactions through salt-mediated complex formation.
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 stable, opaque, and viscous solutions with improved phase stability under various conditions, including exposure to UV radiation and elevated temperatures, without the use of opacifying agents.
Implementation Method 1
The surfactant system and the one or more salts may be present in synergistic amounts to provide opacity and stability to the cleaning composition
Implementation Method 2
The surfactant system and the one or more salts may be present in synergistic amounts to provide opacity and stability to the cleaning composition
Data Source
AI summary
Opaque cleaning compositions substantially free of opacifying agents and pearlizers, and methods for the same are disclosed. The cleaning composition may include a synergistic combination of a surfactant system and one or more salts. The surfactant system may include a nonionic surfactant and two anionic surfactants, and the one or more salts may include a multivalent ion. In some examples, the cleaning composition is free of thickeners.