Polyetheramine Salts for Cold Water Detergent Cleaning
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current laundry detergents fail to achieve satisfactory cleaning at low temperatures, particularly in cold water, and there is a need for a detergent additive that can improve grease removal without affecting production or quality.
Innovation Solution
A detergent composition containing a salt of a polyetheramine and a polymeric acid, where the polyetheramine contains at least two propylene oxide units and/or butylene oxide units, and the polymeric acid is a homopolymer of carboxylic acid or a copolymer of acrylic and maleic acid, formulated as a powder or granule to enhance cleaning performance at low temperatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional surfactants and known additives are used in detergent compositions, then the detergent can be manufactured and shipped, but it fails to achieve satisfactory cleaning performance at low temperatures (30°C and below)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the detergent composition by incorporating polyetheramine salts with specific molecular weights (100-10,000) and particular structural characteristics (containing ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide units). These parameter changes enable the detergent to maintain effective cleaning performance across a broad temperature range, specifically achieving satisfactory results at low temperatures (30°C and below) while preserving hot water wash effectiveness.
2Reliability
If liquid polyetheramines are used to improve cold water cleaning, then cleaning performance improves, but shipping and storage become more difficult and production becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies phase transition by converting the polyetheramine from liquid form to solid form through salt formation with carboxylic acids. The polyetheramine salt exhibits a melting point of 50°C or higher, enabling it to be incorporated into solid detergent compositions (powders, granules, tablets) while retaining the cold water cleaning effectiveness of the original liquid polyetheramine. This phase change resolves the contradiction between improving cold water cleaning and maintaining ease of manufacture and shipping.
3Ease of manufacture
If polyetheramine salts with low melting points are used, then they are easier to incorporate into detergent formulations, but they cannot form stable solid detergent compositions for shipping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies particular parameter ranges for the polyetheramine salt to resolve this contradiction: molecular weight of 100-10,000, containing 2-50 ethylene oxide units and 2-50 propylene oxide units per molecule, and forming salts with carboxylic acids having 1-20 carbon atoms. These parameter changes ensure the salt has a melting point of 50°C or higher, enabling stable solid detergent compositions while remaining manufacturable.
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 detergent composition effectively improves grease removal in cold water while simplifying the production and shipping of solid detergents, maintaining the quality and performance of laundry detergents.
Implementation Method 1
laundry detergents containing an aliphatic amine compound, in addition to at least one synthetic anionic and/or nonionic surfactant
Implementation Method 2
improve the removal of grease stains at temperatures of 30°C and below
Implementation Method 3
reaction of diamines or polyamines with alkylene oxides and compounds derived from the reaction of amine terminated polyethers with epoxide functional compounds
Implementation Method 4
A polyetheramine in the form of a powder or a granule may render the shipping of such material easier
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates generally to detergent compositions and, more specifically, to detergent compositions containing salts of polyetheramines and polymeric acid, particularly salts of polyetheramines and polycarboxylic acid, which are suitable for removal of stains from soiled materials.