Surfactant-Free Rinse Aid Prevents Plastic Stress Cracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mechanical cleaning of plastic parts often leads to stress cracks due to surfactant contact and high temperatures, reducing their service life.

Innovation Solution

A surfactant-free rinse aid containing polymers with cationic or both cationic and anionic dissociable groups is used, which improves drying and prevents stress cracks in plastic parts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional rinse aids containing surfactants are used, then drying performance is improved, but stress cracks form on plastic parts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrying performanceVSAvoidstress cracks
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes surfactants from the rinse aid composition, creating a surfactant-free formulation that eliminates the harmful effect of stress crack formation while maintaining essential drying functions through alternative polymers with cationic or ampholytic groups

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the rinse aid by replacing surfactant-based active substances with polymers having cationic dissociable groups or combinations of cationic and anionic dissociable groups, fundamentally altering the mechanism of action while preserving drying effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If high temperature drying is applied, then drying efficiency is improved, but stress cracks are promoted on plastic parts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrying efficiencyVSAvoidstress cracks
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention converts the potentially harmful effect of high temperature into a beneficial process by using heat-stable polymers that can withstand thermal sterilization temperatures (up to 121°C) without degrading, thereby maintaining both drying efficiency and plastic part integrity through the same formulation

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

3Duration of action of moving object

If rinse aids with traditional surfactants are used, then final drying is improved, but service life of plastic parts is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrying effectivenessVSAvoidservice life
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces polymers with cationic dissociable groups as intermediary substances that mediate between the rinse aid and plastic part surface, providing effective drying through electrostatic and adsorption mechanisms without causing the stress crack formation associated with conventional surfactants

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 solution effectively prevents stress cracks and enhances drying performance, even under high-temperature conditions, thereby extending the service life of plastic parts.

Implementation Method 1

a surfactant-free rinse aid which comprises at least one polymer which has cationic dissociable groups or a combination of cationic and anionic dissociable groups

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectrostatic interaction: Electrostatics

Implementation Method 2

achieves a good drying effect on plastic parts

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSurface tension reduction: Surface Tension

Implementation Method 3

improve the final drying process

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWetting: Wetting

Data Source

PatentEP2677022B1Machine cleaning of plastic parts
Publication Date: 2015.10.21 CHEM FAB DR WEIGERT
  • EP2677022B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2677022B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2677022B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to the use of a surfactant-free rinse aid containing at least one polymer having cationic dissociable groups or a combination of cationic and anionic dissociable groups in the machine cleaning of plastic parts to prevent or reduce stress cracking in these plastic parts. The invention further relates to a method for the machine cleaning of plastic parts.