Solid Fabric Softener Composition for Stable High-Active Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Developing a solid fabric softener composition that is environmentally friendly, has a high active content, and maintains performance comparable to traditional liquid softeners, while avoiding melting, weeping, or separation during storage and transport, and ensuring adequate dispense rates during the rinse cycle.
Innovation Solution
A solid fabric softener composition is formulated using a combination of a water-soluble organic salt and a medium to long chain carboxylic acid, which stabilizes the quaternary ammonium compounds, allowing for up to 70% by weight of quaternary ammonium compound, and includes additional components like acidulants, salts, and silicones to enhance stability and dispense rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If liquid fabric softener composition is used, then ease of handling and dispensing is improved, but water content is high (90-95%) requiring large packaging and transport weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter from liquid to solid form, and reduces water content from 90-95% to significantly lower levels. The solid composition maintains dispensability through controlled dissolution in rinse water, transforming the fundamental parameters of state and concentration to resolve the contradiction between ease of handling and water content reduction.
2Quantity of substance
If concentrated fabric softener is produced to reduce water content, then environmental impact is improved and packaging is reduced, but stability during storage and transport deteriorates (melting, weeping, separation)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite solid composition combining fabric softening actives with water-soluble carriers and stabilizing agents. This composite structure maintains physical stability during storage while enabling controlled dissolution during use, resolving the contradiction between concentration and stability through material composition design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition from solid to dissolved state during the rinse cycle. The composition remains stable in solid form during storage, then transitions to dissolved state in rinse water for effective fabric softening. This controlled phase transition resolves the stability contradiction by separating storage state from functional state.
3Quantity of substance
If solid fabric softener composition is used, then packaging and transport requirements are reduced, but dispense rate during rinse cycle may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates water-soluble components and stabilizing agents that prepare the composition for rapid dissolution. The preliminary formulation design ensures that when water is added during the rinse cycle, the solid composition dissolves at an adequate rate. This preliminary preparation resolves the contradiction between solid form efficiency and dispense rate.
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 formulation provides stability at typical storage temperatures, maintains fabric softening performance similar to liquid compositions, and ensures adequate dispense rates when sprayed with water between 40° C to 60° C, making it environmentally friendly and economically feasible.
Implementation Method 1
a water soluble organic salt and a medium to long chain carboxylic acid, which stabilizes the quaternary ammonium compounds
Implementation Method 2
ensures adequate dispense rates when sprayed with water between 40° C to 60° C
Data Source
AI summary
A solid fabric softening composition is disclosed which includes a quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound which is stabilized to form a solid with a mixture of a water soluble organic salt and a medium to long chain carboxylic acid. This stabilizing combination has been shown to effectively form a solid quaternary ammonium based fabric softening composition with up to as much as 70% by weight of quaternary ammonium compound. The formulations are stable at typical storage temperatures of up to 110° F. and provide fabric softening similar to and even superior to other traditional liquid formulations.