Polytrimethylene Ether Glycol Solubilizers for Essential Oils
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for extracting flavor and fragrance materials from plants often rely on petrochemical solvents, which are environmentally harmful, difficult to remove, and can cause skin irritation, while alternatives like water-based microemulsions require large amounts of surfactants and may contain undesirable silicones.
Innovation Solution
The use of polytrimethylene ether glycols as non-petrochemical, non-volatile, and biodegradable solubilizers with molecular weights between 134 and 2000 to extract and solubilize essential oils from plants, offering a renewably sourced solution that eliminates the need for volatile organic compounds and surfactants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If petrochemical solvents are used to extract flavor and fragrance materials, then extraction efficiency is improved, but environmental harm and skin irritation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the extraction system by using polytrimethylene ether glycol with specific molecular weights (134-2000) instead of conventional petrochemical solvents. This parameter change maintains extraction efficiency while eliminating the harmful effects of VOCs and petrochemical residues, directly resolving the contradiction between productivity and harmful factors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces polytrimethylene ether glycol as an intermediary substance that facilitates the extraction of flavor and fragrance materials from plant materials. This intermediary acts as a safe alternative to harmful petrochemical solvents, maintaining the extraction function while removing the harmful effects, thus resolving the contradiction between effective extraction and environmental/safety concerns
2Stability of the object's composition
If water-based microemulsions are used to solubilize essential oils, then water solubility is improved, but surfactant and silicone content increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful components (surfactants and silicones) from the microemulsion system by using polytrimethylene ether glycol as a standalone solubilizer. This removal of harmful substances while maintaining water solubility directly resolves the contradiction between improved solubility and increased harmful factors
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses polytrimethylene ether glycol as an intermediary substance that enables water solubility of essential oils without requiring harmful surfactants or silicones. This intermediary performs the solubilization function alone, eliminating the need for additional harmful additives and resolving the contradiction between solubility improvement and harmful content
3Quantity of substance
If high molecular weight polytrimethylene ether glycols are used for extraction, then solubilizing capability is improved, but viscosity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the molecular weight parameter of polytrimethylene ether glycol to fall within the specific range of 134-2000. This parameter optimization achieves the right balance between solubilizing capability and viscosity, ensuring effective extraction and solubilization while maintaining acceptable flow properties for product formulation
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
Polytrimethylene ether glycols effectively extract and solubilize essential oils, providing high efficacy and safety, reducing the need for petrochemical solvents and surfactants, and enabling the creation of clear, stable solutions and microemulsions for use in personal care and industrial products.
Implementation Method 1
polytrimethylene ether glycols as non-petroleum based, non-volatile, non-toxic, non-hazardous and biodegradable, and have high efficacy to extract flavor and fragrance materials from plants and to solubilize essential oils
Implementation Method 2
Major methods used to concentrate flavor and fragrance materials include distillation, mechanical separation and solvent extraction
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are poly(trimethylene ether)glycol homopolymers and copolymers suitable for use as solubilizers for essential oils. The polymers can be used to provide compositions having a variety of uses in applications such as cosmetics, personal care products, and industrial cleaning products.