Phosphate Ester–Polyquat Hair Conditioning for Color Fastness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal care products, such as shampoos and conditioners, do not effectively enhance conditioning properties and color fastness, particularly for colored hair, using prior art combinations of phosphate esters and polyquaternium compounds.
Innovation Solution
Formulations comprising a polyquaternium compound and a mixture of alkoxylated and nonalkoxylated phosphate esters, where the phosphate esters are derived from fatty alcohols with varying chain lengths and degrees of alkoxylation, are used to create personal care products that improve conditioning and color retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If prior art combinations of phosphate esters and polycationic compounds are used, then basic conditioning is provided, but superior conditioning and color fastness are not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines polyquaternium compounds with phosphate esters of fatty alcohols to create a composite conditioning system. This composite approach allows the formulation to achieve both superior conditioning properties and enhanced color fastness, resolving the contradiction between basic conditioning and advanced color protection capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical parameters of the conditioning system by selecting specific polyquaternium compounds with particular molecular weights and charge densities, combined with phosphate esters of specific fatty alcohols. These parameter changes enable the system to simultaneously provide superior conditioning and enhanced color fastness beyond what prior art combinations achieved.
2Reliability
If only polyquats are used, then some conditioning is provided, but superior conditioning and color retention are not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges polyquaternium compounds with phosphate esters of fatty alcohols in a single formulation system. This combination allows the system to achieve superior conditioning and color retention effects that neither component could achieve alone, while maintaining practical formulation complexity through synergistic interaction.
3Ease of manufacture
If alkoxylated phosphate esters are used, then emulsification is provided, but superior conditioning and color fastness are not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the key parameter from using alkoxylated phosphate esters to using phosphate esters of fatty alcohols without extensive alkoxylation. This parameter change maintains adequate emulsification capability while dramatically improving conditioning performance and color fastness, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and conditioning effectiveness.
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 described formulations provide superior conditioning and color fastness, as measured by reduced wet combing force and preserved hair color after repeated washing, compared to products using only polyquats or alkoxylated phosphate esters.
Implementation Method 1
phosphorous-containing surfactants as polymeric cationic compound deposition aids
Data Source
AI summary
Personal care products exhibiting superior conditioning and/or color fastness can be obtained by use of mixtures of certain phosphate esters and polyquats.