Self-Structuring Surfactant System for Stable Liquid Detergent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Structured heavy-duty liquid detergent compositions are prone to phase separation and precipitation under heat, pressure, or agitation, leading to stability issues during transportation and storage, and are sensitive to high shear conditions, which affects manufacturing and consumer perception.
Innovation Solution
A self-structuring surfactant system without external structurants, comprising anionic surfactants like C8-C22 linear alkyl benzene sulfonates and co-surfactants such as zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactants, forming tightly packed lamellar structures to suspend water-immiscible materials while exhibiting good shear thinning properties, allowing for high viscosity at low shear rates and reduced viscosity at high shear rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If external structurants like hydrogenated castor oil are used to form structured phase and suspend water-immiscible materials, then the detergent composition achieves higher viscosity and better suspension capability, but the composition becomes sensitive to high shear conditions causing phase separation during manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes external structurants (hydrogenated castor oil) from the formulation and replaces them with an internal structurant system based on specific surfactant combinations. This extraction eliminates the high shear sensitivity problem while maintaining suspension capability through the self-structuring properties of the surfactant system.
Solution Approach 2:
The surfactant system serves dual functions: it provides cleaning action and simultaneously acts as an internal structurant that self-assembles to suspend water-immiscible materials. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate external structurants and their associated stability issues under high shear.
2Stability of the object's composition
If external structurants are used to create structured phase, then the detergent achieves higher viscosity perceived as better quality, but the composition develops non-homogenous appearance due to phase separation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates localized structured phases through surfactant self-assembly that are distributed uniformly throughout the composition. This local structuring maintains homogeneous appearance while providing the desired viscosity, avoiding the macro-phase separation that causes non-homogenous appearance.
3Productivity
If the detergent composition is pumped through pipelines under high shear conditions, then manufacturing is enabled, but compositions with external structurants undergo phase separation in the pipelines
Solution Approach 1:
The surfactant-based internal structurant system is designed to be transient and reversible under high shear conditions, allowing the composition to flow easily through pipelines without permanent phase separation. The structure reforms after shear cessation, maintaining stability without requiring expensive external structurants.
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 surfactant system maintains stability under high shear conditions, prevents phase separation, and allows for easy flow through pipelines, enhancing manufacturing efficiency and consumer perception by maintaining a homogeneous appearance.
Implementation Method 1
a self-structuring surfactant system which is capable of forming tightly or closely packed lamellar structure to suspend water-immiscible materials or water-insoluble particles
Implementation Method 2
anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of C8-C22 linear alkyl benzene sulfonates (LAS), acid form thereof (HLAS), and mixture thereof; and a co-surfactant selected from the group consisting of a zwitterionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, a branched non-ionic surfactant
Implementation Method 3
the liquid detergent composition exhibits good shear thinning property, i.e., exhibits a high viscosity at a lower shear rate and a significantly reduced viscosity at a higher shear rate
Data Source
AI summary
A stable liquid detergent composition containing a self-structuring surfactant system. A liquid detergent composition that includes a linear alkyl benzene sulfonate, and a co-surfactant selected from a zwitterionic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, a branched non-ionic surfactant and mixture thereof, with a first viscosity of no less than 3000 mPa·s measured at a first shear rate of 0.5 s−1, and a second viscosity of no more than 2,500 mPa·s measured at a second shear rate of 20 s−1, and the ratio of the first viscosity to the second viscosity is no less than 3.