Self-Preserving Liquid Laundry Detergent With Low-Irritation Surfactants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laundry detergent compositions cause skin and eye irritation due to surfactants and preservatives, and water-based products are prone to mold and bacterial growth, necessitating the development of a self-preserved, mild liquid detergent that maintains cleaning effectiveness while minimizing allergenic compounds.
Innovation Solution
A detergent composition comprising specific ratios of fatty acids, anionic and nonionic surfactants, and optional buffers, without preservatives, achieving a pH of 10 to 12 and a Zein score of not more than 2%, which controls microbial growth through water activity and the use of salts, solvents, and antioxidants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If preservatives are added to prevent mold and bacterial growth, then product safety and stability are improved, but skin and eye irritation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes preservatives from the detergent composition entirely, extracting the harmful component while maintaining product stability through alternative means (surfactant system design and pH control).
Solution Approach 2:
The detergent composition achieves self-preservation through its inherent surfactant system and pH buffer capacity, eliminating the need for external preservatives. The formulation self-regulates to prevent microbial growth without adding separate preservative agents.
2Productivity
If surfactants are used to achieve good cleaning performance, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but skin and eye irritation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the pH parameter to 10-12 and carefully controls surfactant concentration and type (anionic and nonionic combinations), changing these parameters to achieve effective cleaning while reducing irritation compared to conventional formulations.
Solution Approach 2:
The detergent uses a composite surfactant system combining anionic surfactants (for cleaning power) with nonionic surfactants (for mildness), creating a synergistic formulation that balances cleaning effectiveness with skin compatibility.
3Productivity
If the pH is increased to improve cleaning performance, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but skin irritation and allergenic compounds increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent sets the pH to a specific range of 10-12, optimizing this parameter to achieve effective cleaning performance while controlling the formation of allergenic compounds through precise pH management.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a mild, self-preserving detergent composition comprising a combination of materials and varying ratios of fatty acid, nonionic surfactant, and anionic surfactant to overcome potential bacteria or fungal growth in the detergent product while maintaining mildness. The detergent composition has a Zein score of not more than about 2% dissolved zein when tested on a 10% dilution.