Solid Laundry Detergent with Reactive Dye and Non-Ionic Surfactant

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current laundry detergent compositions that include fabric-substantive dyes do not adequately clean fabrics during domestic laundering, requiring additional conventional detergents and resulting in inefficient color rejuvenation and increased costs, as dyes used in textile mill processes are not effective at lower domestic temperatures.

Innovation Solution

A solid laundry detergent composition combining a non-ionic detersive surfactant and a reactive dye, which stabilizes the dye in wash liquor and improves cleaning and color rejuvenation performance by reducing the need for additional detergents and minimizing the use of harsh chemicals like anionic surfactants, bleach, and phosphate builders.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If fabric-substantive dyes are incorporated into laundry detergent compositions to rejuvenate coloured fabrics, then colour care is improved, but fabric-cleaning performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolour careVSAvoidfabric-cleaning performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines fabric-substantive reactive dyes with conventional detersive surfactants in a single laundry detergent composition, enabling simultaneous achievement of colour rejuvenation and fabric cleaning in one washing process rather than requiring separate treatments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The detergent composition performs multiple functions simultaneously: the reactive dye component provides colour rejuvenation and fabric substantivity while the non-ionic surfactant component provides detersive cleaning action, creating a universal product that addresses both colour care and cleaning needs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If conventional dyes used in textile mill processes are incorporated into laundry detergent compositions, then colour rejuvenation is attempted, but dye stability deteriorates at domestic temperatures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecolour rejuvenationVSAvoiddye stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical parameters of the dye by using reactive dyes with specific reactive groups (such as halogeno, cyano, or nitro groups) that are stable at domestic washing temperatures (5-60°C), unlike conventional dyes designed for high-temperature mill processes (90-95°C). This parameter change enables dye stability and effectiveness at lower temperatures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-generated harmful factors

If multiple separate laundering processes are used to achieve both cleaning and colour rejuvenation, then adequate cleaning is achieved, but productivity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning adequacyVSAvoidlaundering efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the cleaning function (provided by surfactants) and the colour rejuvenation function (provided by reactive dyes) into a single integrated laundry detergent composition, eliminating the need for separate washing and colour treatment cycles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The detergent composition is designed to perform both detersive cleaning and fabric colouring simultaneously in one washing process, improving productivity by reducing the number of separate laundering operations required

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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 composition provides enhanced fabric cleaning and color rejuvenation while reducing environmental impact and operational costs by maintaining dye stability and performance across multiple wash cycles at domestic temperatures.

Implementation Method 1

The inventors believe that the detersive non-ionic surfactant protects the dye from hydrolysis degradation, leading to an improved colour rejuvenation profile of the solid laundry detergent composition

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrolysis protection: Hydrolysis