Polysaccharide Rinse Aid for Sheeting Drying Without Surfactants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automatic ware washing processes using nonionic surfactants in rinse aids face limitations such as inadequate drying, visual appearance issues, foam formation, instability with acids and bleaches, and food non-compatibility, which affect drying efficiency and substrate cleanliness.
Innovation Solution
The use of polysaccharides in rinse aid compositions that adsorb onto substrates to provide improved wetting and drying without the need for nonionic surfactants, reducing surface tension and enhancing drying behavior.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nonionic surfactants are used in rinse aid to reduce surface tension and improve drying, then drying performance is improved, but visual appearance deteriorates due to smears and streaks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes nonionic surfactants from the rinse aid composition entirely, extracting the harmful drying mechanism while retaining beneficial drying effects through alternative means (heated rinse water and substrate heating), thereby eliminating smears and streaks while maintaining drying performance
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the warewashing system by heating the rinse water to higher temperatures (e.g., 80-90°C) and/or heating the substrate, which alters the drying mechanism from surfactant-dependent to temperature-dependent evaporation, thus achieving drying without visual defects
2Reliability
If nonionic surfactants are used to achieve drying, then drying is improved, but foam formation increases requiring additional defoamers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts nonionic surfactants from the rinse aid composition, which are the root cause of foam formation, thereby eliminating foam generation at its source while maintaining drying performance through thermal means
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of heated rinse water (potential for excessive drying or substrate damage) into a beneficial drying mechanism by controlling temperature parameters, achieving effective drying without the need for surfactants that cause foaming
3Reliability
If nonionic surfactants are used in rinse aid, then drying is achieved, but stability with acids and bleaches is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes nonionic surfactants from the rinse aid formulation, eliminating their chemical instability and incompatibility issues with acids and bleaches, while achieving drying through physical (thermal) processes instead
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified rinse aid composition that copies only the essential function of drying through thermal energy transfer, eliminating the complex surfactant chemistry that causes stability problems with common warewashing chemicals
4Reliability
If nonionic surfactants are used to reduce surface tension, then drying performance improves, but additional components like hydrotropes and defoamers are required increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts nonionic surfactants and their associated stabilizing components (hydrotropes, defoamers) from the rinse aid composition, simplifying the formulation to essentially water and optional safe additives, while achieving drying through heated rinse water
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the rinse water itself multi-functional by using it both for rinsing (removing residues) and for drying (through heating and evaporation), eliminating the need for separate surfactant-based drying agents and their complex formulations
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
Polysaccharides achieve effective drying and improved visual appearance by reducing drying time and residual droplets, eliminating the need for nonionic surfactants, and providing stability with acids and bleaches, while being food-compatible and easily dispersible.
Implementation Method 1
The use of polysaccharides in rinse aid compositions that adsorb onto substrates to provide improved wetting and drying without the need for nonionic surfactants
Data Source
AI summary
A method of washing ware in an automatic ware washing machine, is disclosed, using a rinse aid composition containing a polysaccharide. The polysaccharide adsorbs on the ware resulting in a sheeting action of the rinse solution leading to improved drying of the ware.