Solid Laundry Detergent for Restaurant Soils at Moderate pH
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaning compositions for restaurant soils, particularly greasy and proteinaceous soils, often require high pH levels that necessitate personal protective equipment (PPE) and can damage laundry, and they lack stability and effectiveness in removing tough soils.
Innovation Solution
Development of solid cleaning compositions comprising an alkali metal carbonate as an alkalinity source, a surfactant system with anionic and nonionic surfactants, and a water conditioning agent, which maintain a pH between 7 and 11, ensuring effective cleaning without PPE requirements and laundry damage, while being dimensionally stable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high pH cleaning compositions are used to remove greasy and proteinaceous soils, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but safety requirements worsen (PPE required and laundry damage)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pH parameter from traditional high pH (12-14) to a moderate pH range (7-11), specifically using alkali metal carbonates to provide alkalinity. This parameter change maintains cleaning effectiveness for greasy and proteinaceous soils while eliminating the need for PPE and preventing laundry damage, directly resolving the contradiction between cleaning effectiveness and safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite cleaning composition containing alkali metal carbonate (sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate) combined with specific surfactants (anionic and nonionic), water conditioning agents, and builders. This composite formulation achieves effective cleaning of restaurant soils at moderate pH levels without requiring high alkalinity, thus resolving the contradiction between cleaning power and safety
2Adaptability or versatility
If chlorine is added to alkaline cleaning compositions for sanitizing and bleaching, then functional performance is improved, but chemical stability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces water conditioning agents (chelating agents like EDTA, phosphonates, or polycarboxylates) as intermediaries that sequester metal ions which would otherwise catalyze chlorine decomposition. This intermediary substance protects chlorine from reacting with metal ions in the alkaline environment, maintaining both sanitizing/bleaching functionality and chemical stability
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 solid compositions effectively remove greasy and proteinaceous soils without the need for PPE, are safe for restaurant laundry, and exhibit improved dimensional stability, making them suitable for restaurant cleaning applications.
Implementation Method 1
a surfactant system comprising an anionic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant
Implementation Method 2
an alkalinity source comprising an alkali metal carbonate
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to solid detergents for cleaning restaurant soils and methods of making and using the same. Embodiments of the invention can include solid cleaning compositions having an alkalinity source comprising an alkali metal carbonate, a surfactant system comprising an anionic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant, a water conditioning agent, and water. Embodiments of the invention can have a pH between about 7 and about 11, and are suitable for removing restaurant soils, including, synthetic grease, animal grease, and proteinaceous soils.