Solid Rinse Aid Composition for High TDS Water
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rinse aid compositions for warewashing machines are not environmentally friendly and often contain phosphates and aminocarboxylates, and they do not effectively prevent spotting and filming on various surfaces, especially in high solids containing water environments.
Innovation Solution
A solid rinse aid composition incorporating short-chain alkyl benzene and alkyl naphthalene sulfonates as a solidification agent, combined with a surfactant system including alcohol ethoxylates, defoaming agents, and association disruption agents, which are biodegradable and GRAS-approved, to reduce spotting and filming by enhancing wetting and drying properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional rinse aid compositions containing phosphates and aminocarboxylates are used, then drying performance is improved, but environmental friendliness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters by replacing phosphates and aminocarboxylates with biodegradable surfactants having specific HLB values (10-16), molecular weights (500-5000), and cloud points (100-180°F). This parameter transformation maintains effective drying performance while eliminating environmentally harmful substances, achieving both reliability and environmental compatibility.
2Ease of operation
If high foaming surfactants are used to promote sheet formation, then wetting performance is improved, but interference with warewashing machine operation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by selecting surfactants with specific localized properties: HLB values between 10-16 for optimal wetting, cloud points between 100-180°F for sheet formation at rinse temperatures, and controlled foaming characteristics. This targeted specification of local molecular properties achieves effective wetting and sheeting while minimizing harmful foaming that interferes with machine operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If rinse aids are used in high total dissolved solid water conditions, then spotting prevention is needed, but conventional compositions fail to prevent filming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses composite materials by combining multiple surfactant components with complementary properties: primary surfactants for wetting, secondary surfactants for sheet formation, and biodegradable additives for water solids management. This composite surfactant system synergistically prevents both spotting and filming in high TDS conditions, achieving reliable performance where single-component conventional rinses fail.
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 composition effectively reduces spotting and filming on diverse surfaces, including plastics, glass, and metals, while being environmentally friendly and suitable for use in high solids containing water, improving drying times and sheeting action without foaming issues.
Implementation Method 1
the surfactant in the rinse agent is absorbed on the surface at temperatures at or above its cloud point
Implementation Method 2
reduces the solid-liquid interfacial energy and contact angle
Implementation Method 3
This leads to the formation of a continuous sheet which drains evenly from the surface
Implementation Method 4
the short-chain alkylbenzene and alkyl naphthalene sulfonates class of hydrotopes which are traditionally included at low concentrations in detergents and rinse aids, when included at higher percentages, can act as a solidification aid
Implementation Method 5
improving drying times and sheeting action
Implementation Method 6
enhancing wetting and drying properties
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a solid rinse aid composition and methods of making and using the same. Applicants have surprisingly found that the crystal modifier sodium xylene sulfonate (short chain alkyl benzene or alkyl naphthalene sulfonates) at higher percentage can act as a solidification agent. The solid rinse aid composition generally includes a short chain alkyl benzene or alkyl naphthalene sulfonates solidification agent and an effective amount of a surfactant which can include a sheeting agent component, defoamer component and/or association disruption agent. The solid rinse aid composition may be phosphate-free, aminocarboxylate-free, and GRAS if desired.