Solid Surfactant Composition Using Sodium Carbonate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solid surfactant products, such as bubble bath bars, face issues with crumbly texture and disintegration due to the reaction between cream of tartar and sodium bicarbonate, leading to inefficiencies in production and multiple use, and they still require packaging, contributing to environmental waste.
Innovation Solution
Replacing sodium bicarbonate with sodium carbonate in the formulation of surfactant products, which allows for the creation of a stable, hard solid that does not effervesce during production, enabling easier manufacturing and multiple uses without packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sodium bicarbonate is used in the formulation, then the product provides effervescence and cleaning action, but the product becomes crumbly and disintegrates during use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter by substituting sodium bicarbonate with sodium carbonate in the formulation. This parameter change eliminates the harmful effervescence reaction while maintaining the desired cleaning functionality, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and product stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effervescence reaction (which causes crumbly texture) into a beneficial process by using sodium carbonate instead. The substitution eliminates gas formation during storage while still allowing the product to dissolve and function properly when used, transforming a harmful chemical reaction into a useful one.
2Productivity
If sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar are combined, then the product achieves surfactant functionality, but carbon dioxide gas is liberated causing production delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameter by replacing sodium bicarbonate with sodium carbonate. This eliminates the carbon dioxide liberation reaction between the carbonate and cream of tartar, allowing continuous production without settling delays and improving manufacturing productivity.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the product is formulated to be solid for packaging-free use, then environmental waste is reduced, but the product disintegrates and cannot be reused multiple times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical stability parameter by substituting sodium bicarbonate with sodium carbonate. This prevents the crumbly texture and disintegration issues, enabling the solid product to maintain its structural integrity across multiple uses while remaining packaging-free, thus extending the product's functional lifespan.
4Manufacturing precision
If the mixture is allowed to settle after gas liberation, then the product can be moulded, but the final product contains entrapped gas pockets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the harmful gas liberation reaction by using sodium carbonate instead of sodium bicarbonate. This converts the problematic aerated mixture into a dense, uniform mixture that can be immediately moulded without settling time, producing products free of entrapped gas pockets and improving manufacturing efficiency.
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 use of sodium carbonate results in a stable, hard surfactant product that can be reused multiple times without packaging, reducing environmental impact and improving manufacturing efficiency, while maintaining the foaming effect when used in water.
Implementation Method 1
cream of tartar and sodium bicarbonate react to liberate carbon dioxide
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a surfactant product in the form of a solid comprising a surfactant, sodium carbonate and cream of tartar.