Salt-Free Structured Detergent Pack Viscosity Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current structured detergent compositions face challenges with high costs, complexity, and instability due to the use of rheology control agents and surfactants, which affect viscosity and compatibility with packaging films, leading to issues like pack dissolution and reduced stability.
Innovation Solution
A structured detergent composition with a surfactant component including alcohol ethoxy sulfate and linear alkyl benzene sulfonate, combined with a non-aqueous solvent, in a specific weight ratio with water, eliminating the need for added rheology modifiers and enhancing viscosity to at least 100 Pa·s, thereby stabilizing unit dose packs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If rheology control agents (salts, alkoxylated polyethyleneimines, polyethylene glycol, ionic liquids) are added to control viscosity, then viscosity control is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes rheology control agents from the formulation entirely, extracting the problematic component while maintaining viscosity control through the surfactant system architecture alone. This eliminates the need for separate rheology modifiers and simplifies the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The surfactant system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides the primary cleaning action, controls the rheology/viscosity of the composition, and ensures compatibility with packaging films. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for dedicated rheology control agents.
2Reliability
If large amounts of surfactants are used to achieve desired cleaning performance, then cleaning efficacy is improved, but cost increases and viscosity reduction occurs making structuring difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the surfactant system by using specific surfactant combinations and ratios, along with a co-surfactant, to achieve both high cleaning efficacy and proper viscosity control. The specific parameter range of surfactant concentration (about 5-20 wt% actives) optimizes both cleaning performance and rheological properties.
3Reliability
If certain surfactants are used to improve cleaning performance, then cleaning efficacy is improved, but compatibility with packaging films (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol) deteriorates causing pack instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a co-surfactant as an intermediary component that mediates between the primary surfactants and the packaging film. This co-surfactant enhances compatibility with water-soluble films like polyvinyl alcohol while maintaining the cleaning efficacy of the surfactant system.
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 increases pack stability, reduces premature dissolution and fusion, optimizes dissolution profiles, and allows for simpler formulations, enabling wider environmental use of the detergent product.
Implementation Method 1
a structured detergent composition comprising a surfactant component, water, and a non-aqueous solvent component
Implementation Method 2
The structured detergent composition is free of an added rheology modifier and wherein a combination of the surfactant component and the non-aqueous solvent component is present in a weight ratio of actives with a total amount of water of from about 1:0.4 to about 1:0.75
Data Source
AI summary
A unit dose detergent pack includes a pouch and a structured detergent composition encapsulated within the pouch. The structured detergent composition includes a surfactant component including an alcohol ethoxy sulfate having a C8-C20 backbone that is ethoxylated with from about 1 to about 10 moles of ethylene oxide, a linear alkyl benzene sulfonate, a C8-C20 alcohol alkoxylated with about 2 to about 12 moles of an alkylene oxide, water and a non-aqueous solvent component. The structured detergent composition is free of an added rheology modifier. A combination of the surfactant component and the non-aqueous solvent component is present in a weight ratio of actives with a total amount of water of from about 1:0.4 to about 1:0.75 such that the structured detergent composition has a viscosity of at least about 100 Pa.s.