Polyamide Encapsulates for Perfume Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current polyamide-based encapsulates for perfumes suffer from leakage issues due to low packing density and inadequate compaction, leading to inefficient perfume delivery, particularly in hard surface treatment applications, as they are not designed to fracture and release perfume as desired.
Innovation Solution
The development of encapsulates with a polyamide polymer shell comprising a combination of two or more water miscible and two or more water immiscible monomers, optimized to achieve a balanced packing density and mechanical properties, ensuring controlled release of perfume by adjusting the diameter, fracture strength, and incorporating a parametric balancing agent to enhance stability and suspension in fluids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If polyamide-based encapsulates are used to deliver perfume, then the perfume is contained within the encapsulate, but the encapsulate leaks perfume over time due to insufficient compaction and low packing density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the shell materials by selecting specific monomers with controlled water miscibility and molecular sizes. The use of water-miscible monomers (diamines or amino alcohols) combined with water-immiscible monomers (dicarboxylic acid derivatives) in specific ratios optimizes the packing density and intermolecular forces, thereby reducing perfume leakage while maintaining reliable containment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite shell structures formed by polymerizing combinations of water-miscible and water-immiscible monomers. This composite approach creates a shell with optimized internal structure and intermolecular interactions that simultaneously achieves compact packing (reducing leakage) and maintains structural integrity (ensuring containment).
2Stability of the object's composition
If polyamide-based encapsulates are used to deliver perfume, then the encapsulate structure is formed, but the encapsulate does not fracture and release perfume at the desired time or in the desired quantity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the fracture properties by adjusting monomer selection and ratios. Water-miscible monomers provide hydrogen bonding capability that enhances structural stability, while water-immiscible monomers create hydrophobic regions that influence fracture behavior. By tuning these parameters, the encapsulate achieves optimal balance between stability and controlled fracture for efficient perfume delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates local variations in shell properties through the heterogeneous composition of water-miscible and water-immiscible monomers. This results in regions with different mechanical properties within the shell, allowing the encapsulate to maintain overall structural stability while having specific zones prone to controlled fracture under appropriate conditions, enabling timely perfume release.
3Reliability
If perfume is used at high levels in compositions, then the perfume effectiveness may be improved, but the cost increases and the perfume may be lost during post-application processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs thin-shell encapsulates formed by interfacial polymerization that provide flexible yet protective coverage for perfume. The shell is thin enough to allow controlled release and fracture during application, yet sufficient to prevent premature loss during post-application processes like rinsing or drying, thereby maintaining perfume effectiveness without requiring high perfume levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses disposable encapsulates designed to fracture and release their perfume content during or after application. These single-use microcapsules are economical and effective, providing controlled perfume delivery without the need for high concentrations, and their sacrificial nature ensures complete perfume release without loss during subsequent washing or drying processes.
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 encapsulates provide improved perfume delivery efficiency by maintaining optimal mechanical properties, reducing premature release, and ensuring consistent fragrance release, even under high soil conditions and cold water, thus enhancing the effectiveness of perfumes in various applications.
Implementation Method 1
the source of the leakage problem and delivery timing was that previous polyamide encapsulates shells were not sufficiently compact. While not being bound by theory, Applicants believe that the aforementioned lack of compaction is due to the use of only one water miscible monomer and one water immiscible, organic monomer in the current art polyamide encapsulates and the manner in which such monomers are processed to form such encapsulates.
Data Source
AI summary
Encapsulates, compositions, packaged products and displays comprising such encapsulates, and processes for making and using such encapsulates, compositions, packaged products and displays. Such compositions have improved deposition and retention properties that may impart improved benefit characteristics to a composition and/or situs.