Self-Structuring Surfactant System for Stable Liquid Detergent
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Structured heavy-duty liquid detergent compositions tend to phase separate or precipitate under heat, pressure, or agitation, leading to stability issues and consumer perception of poor quality, especially when using external structurants like hydrogenated castor oil, which are sensitive to high shear conditions and require additional manufacturing complexities.
Innovation Solution
A self-structuring surfactant system comprising anionic and zwitterionic/amphoteric surfactants, without external structurants, forms lamellar structures or worm-like micelles to suspend water-immiscible materials, maintaining stability under high shear and exhibiting good shear thinning properties, allowing for a simple batch-mixing process without the need for a separate premix unit.
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 exhibits higher viscosity and improved suspension capability, but the composition becomes sensitive to high shear conditions and undergoes phase separation during transportation and storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent 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 need for separate premix units and simplifies the manufacturing process while maintaining structured phase formation and suspension capabilities through the surfactant-based internal structurant mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by selecting specific surfactant types (anionic surfactants at 5-30%, nonionic surfactants at 1-20%, and amphoteric/zwitterionic surfactants at 0.1-5%) and their ratios to achieve desired rheological properties. This parameter optimization enables the formation of stable structured phases with appropriate viscosity that remain stable under high shear conditions during manufacturing
2Stability of the object's composition
If external structurants are incorporated to increase viscosity and suspend particles, then the detergent achieves desired rheological properties, but additional capital investment and manufacturing cost are required for separate premix units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of external structurants and surfactants into a unified internal structurant system. The surfactant combinations perform both cleaning functions and structured phase formation, eliminating the need for separate structurant premixing operations and reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining viscosity stability and particle suspension capabilities
3Ease of operation
If the detergent composition is exposed to high shear conditions during manufacturing, then the composition can be pumped through pipelines, but external structurant-containing compositions undergo phase separation and exhibit non-homogeneous appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic rheological system where the surfactant-based internal structurant provides shear-thinning behavior. The composition maintains high viscosity at rest for stable suspension, but viscosity decreases under high shear conditions during pumping, enabling easy pipeline flow without phase separation. After shear removal, the structured phase reforms to maintain stability during storage and transportation
4Ease of manufacture
If a simple batch-mixing process is used without separate premix units, then manufacturing cost and complexity are reduced, but incorporating external structurants becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-structuring surfactant system where the surfactant combinations automatically form structured phases and suspend particles without requiring external structurant addition or separate premixing operations. The surfactants self-assemble into micellar and lamellar structures that provide the desired rheological properties, enabling simple batch-mixing processes while achieving complex functional outcomes
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 achieves phase stability and shear thinning properties, enabling effective suspension of water-immiscible materials and easy pipeline flow during manufacturing, while avoiding the drawbacks of external structurants, such as sensitivity to high shear and non-homogeneous appearance.
Implementation Method 1
A self-structuring surfactant system comprising anionic and zwitterionic/amphoteric surfactants, without external structurants, forms lamellar structures or worm-like micelles to suspend water-immiscible materials
Implementation Method 2
forms lamellar structures or worm-like micelles to suspend water-immiscible materials
Implementation Method 3
maintaining stability under high shear and exhibiting good shear thinning properties, allowing for a simple batch-mixing process
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A stable liquid detergent composition containing a self-structuring surfactant system is provided. Without using external structurants, the liquid detergent composition exhibits good shear thinning properties while maintaining stability under high shear. The liquid detergent composition comprises a linear alkyl benzene sulfonate, a zwitterionic and/or amphoteric surfactant and optionally polyethylene glycol.