Particulate Bleach Composition Enzyme Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Formulating particulate bleach additive compositions that effectively bleach fabrics while maintaining fabric safety and performance across various types of fibers and water conditions has been challenging, especially due to the limitations of traditional peroxygen bleaches and cellulases.

Innovation Solution

A composition comprising 5-80% oxygen bleach, 0.01-20% surfactants, and 0.00005-0.3% enzymes with endo-beta-1,4-glucanase activity, specifically designed to operate effectively at pH 9.2 and without Class A Carbohydrate Binding Modules, enhancing cleaning and whitening performance while ensuring fabric safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional cellulases are used in bleach compositions, then cleaning performance is improved, but fabric tensile strength deteriorates due to hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning performanceVSAvoidfabric tensile strength

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the pH parameter of the bleach composition to a highly alkaline range (pH 12-14), which alters the enzyme's substrate specificity. At this extreme pH, the cellulase selectively targets amorphous cellulose while sparinging crystalline cellulose, thus maintaining fabric strength while achieving cleaning performance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates local differentiation in enzyme action by exploiting the structural differences between amorphous and crystalline cellulose regions. The enzyme acts selectively on amorphous regions (stains, soil) while leaving crystalline regions (fabric structure) intact, achieving spatially selective degradation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If persalt bleaches are used for bleaching fabrics, then bleaching performance is improved, but fabric safety deteriorates on synthetic fibers

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebleaching performanceVSAvoidfabric safety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the pH parameter to a highly alkaline range (pH 12-14), which fundamentally alters the bleaching mechanism from oxidative damage to enzymatic degradation. This parameter change enables safe bleaching of synthetic fibers that are sensitive to traditional persalt bleaches, while maintaining effective bleaching performance on natural fibers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If enzymes are added to particulate bleach compositions, then cleaning and whitening performance is improved, but formulation difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning and whitening performanceVSAvoidformulation difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses the extreme pH parameter (12-14) as a stabilizing environment for the enzyme in the particulate composition. This highly alkaline pH prevents enzyme degradation and maintains formulation stability, making the manufacturing process more straightforward despite the complex enzyme-bleach combination

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite particulate composition integrating persalt bleach, enzyme, and alkaline building blocks in a synergistic formulation. The composite structure allows each component to enhance the others' performance while maintaining stability during storage and use

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 improved bleaching and stain removal performance on diverse fabrics, including natural and synthetic fibers, in both hard and soft water conditions, while maintaining fabric safety and stability.

Implementation Method 1

cellulase enzymes have been used in detergent compositions for many years now for their known benefits of depilling, softness and colour care. However, the use of most of cellulases has been limited because of the negative impact that cellulase may have on the tensile strength of the fabrics' fibers by hydrolysing crystalline cellulose

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Implementation Method 2

Particulate bleaching compositions based on peroxygen oxygen bleaches suitable for the bleaching of stains on fabrics are based on so-called persalt bleaches such as sodium perborate, in its various hydrate forms, or on sodium percarbonate. Such persalt bleaches are sources of hydrogen peroxide when used in aqueous washing conditions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDecomposition: Decomposition (biological)

Data Source

PatentUS8343907B2Particulate bleaching composition comprising enzymes

Publication Date: 2013.01.01 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO

AI summary

Particulate bleach additive composition containing enzymes, which can be used to bleach fabrics in conjunction with a conventional granular or liquid laundry detergent.