Potassium Salt Stabilization for Liquid Detergent Enzyme Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing liquid detergents and cleaning agents face challenges in maintaining enzyme stability, particularly in liquid forms, due to environmental influences, leading to reduced effectiveness over time and potential cloudiness issues with calcium salts.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating potassium salts, such as potassium acetate, into the formulations to enhance enzyme stability without causing significant clouding, thereby maintaining enzyme activity and cold stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If liquid enzyme preparations are used in detergents, then enzyme activity and cleaning effect are improved, but enzyme stability decreases due to environmental influences

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectVSAvoidenzyme stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a protective colloid as an intermediary substance that forms a protective barrier around the enzyme molecules in the liquid detergent formulation. This protective colloid acts as a mediator between the enzyme and harmful environmental factors (such as temperature changes, pH variations, and other detergent components), thereby stabilizing the enzyme activity while maintaining the liquid formulation's cleaning effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If calcium salts are used to stabilize enzymes, then enzyme stability is improved, but cloudiness occurs during storage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenzyme stabilityVSAvoidcloudiness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes calcium salts from the enzyme stabilization approach and replaces them with alternative stabilizing agents that do not cause cloudiness. By extracting the problematic calcium salt component and substituting it with compatible stabilizers, the formulation maintains enzyme stability while eliminating the harmful clouding effect during storage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If boric acids or borates are used as stabilizers, then enzyme stability is improved, but undesirable by-products are formed and environmental damage occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenzyme stabilityVSAvoidby-products and environmental damage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces boric acids and borates with alternative stabilizing agents that provide the same enzyme stabilization benefit without the harmful by-products and environmental damage. The invention converts the harmful borate-based stabilization approach into a beneficial, environmentally friendly formulation using compatible alternative stabilizers that maintain enzyme activity without forming undesirable by-products.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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 use of potassium salts in liquid detergents and cleaning agents significantly improves enzyme stability, retaining 80% activity after four weeks at 30°C and preventing clouding at 0°C, ensuring effective cleaning performance and skin compatibility.

Implementation Method 1

the addition of potassium salts significantly improves the stability of enzymes in liquid detergents or cleaning agents

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEnzyme stabilization: Enzyme

Implementation Method 2

even when the detergent and cleaning agent according to the invention was stored at 0 ° C, no significant clouding or flocculation could be detected

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectClouding prevention: Precipitation

Data Source

PatentEP2956533B1Liquid washing or cleaning product having improved enzyme stability
Publication Date: 2019.04.17 HENKEL KGAA

AI summary

Liquid washing and cleaning products can contain at least one enzyme and, for improving the enzyme stability, potassium ions.