Polylactic acid and polyether compounds
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for improved surfactants with lower foaming properties and enhanced performance for use in personal hygiene products and home care applications, particularly for treating polymeric substrates and nonwoven materials made from bio-based materials like polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene (PE), which require effective fibre finishes and cleaning formulations.
Innovation Solution
Development of a polylactic acid and polyether copolymer compound comprising sorbitan ester, fatty alcohol, or fatty acid residues, with multiple lactic acid and oxyethylene groups, which is used as a fibre finish or surfactant, reducing foaming and improving wettability and absorption properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional surfactants are used for treating polymeric substrates, then foaming properties are high, but wettability and absorption performance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies the chemical structure of surfactant molecules by incorporating specific polyether chains with controlled molecular weight and composition, changing the physical and chemical parameters to achieve low foaming while maintaining or improving wettability and absorption performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite surfactant molecules combining hydrophobic groups (for substrate affinity) with hydrophilic polyether chains (for water solubility and low foaming), resulting in a material that simultaneously achieves multiple performance characteristics including reduced foaming and improved wettability
2Productivity
If traditional fibre finishes are applied to bio-based polymeric substrates, then processing time is long, but treatment effectiveness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes molecular weight, hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance, and chemical composition parameters of the fibre finish compounds to enable faster penetration and binding to polymeric substrates, reducing strike-through time while maintaining treatment effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/physical finishing methods with chemically-active surfactant compounds that actively interact with the polymeric substrate at molecular level, enabling faster and more effective treatment
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 compound provides shorter strike-through times, reduced run-off, lower re-wet amounts, and improved wettability, making it suitable for personal hygiene products and effective in low-foaming cleaning formulations, while being environmentally friendly due to its bio-based components.
Implementation Method 1
the compounds according to the invention may surprisingly provide one or more of the following benefits: shorter strike through times, lower run-off amounts, lower re-wet amounts, improved wettability, lower foaming properties, surfactancy properties
Implementation Method 2
improved wettability
Data Source
AI summary
Compounds are described which are polylactic acid and polyether copolymers, wherein the compounds comprise: a) at least one of: a sorbitan ester residue, a C6 to C24 fatty alcohol residue or a C6 to C24 fatty acid residue; b) at least 2 lactic acid residues; and c) at least 2 oxyethylene groups; and wherein the compounds comprise at least two ether bonds and at least two ester bonds. A process for producing the compounds is also described, comprising reacting a) at least one of: a polysorbate, a C6 to C24 fatty alcohol ethoxylate or a C6 to C24 fatty acid ethoxylate; and b) lactide; wherein the compound comprises at least 2 lactic acid residues and at least 2 oxyethylene groups, and the use of such compounds as fibre finishes in non-woven materials such as personal hygiene products and/or as surfactants in cleaning applications such as home care formulations.