Stable Liquid Cleaning Concentrate Suspension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid cleaning concentrates with high water content are unstable and require large volumes, making them inefficient for storage and transport, while highly concentrated versions with reduced water content often result in high viscosity, making them unsuitable for automatic dosing machines due to potential blockage issues.
Innovation Solution
A liquid cleaning concentrate with 22-46% alkali metal hydroxide, 5-50% dispersant or complexing agent, 0-5% surfactant, and 28-39% water, formulated as a stable suspension with a viscosity of up to 6500 mPa*s, allowing for stable production and pumpable metering, using a specific process that involves controlled addition of ingredients while maintaining a temperature below 40°C.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If water content is reduced to increase concentration, then storage efficiency improves, but viscosity increases making dosing difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the temperature during the addition of alkali metal hydroxide (maintaining below 40°C) to manage the exothermic dissolution process. This temperature control prevents excessive viscosity increase while achieving high concentration (22-46 wt% alkali metal hydroxide), resolving the contradiction between concentration and dosability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite suspension system combining alkali metal hydroxide particles with dispersants and complexing agents. This composite approach allows high solid content (22-46 wt%) while maintaining liquid flow properties suitable for automatic dosing machines, overcoming the viscosity problem that would normally accompany high concentration
2Stability of the object's composition
If water content is high to ensure stability, then handling ease improves, but storage efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter by forming a stable suspension rather than a homogeneous solution. This allows reduced water content (28-39 wt%) while maintaining stability through the suspension formulation with dispersants and complexing agents, achieving both compact volume and stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dispersants and complexing agents as intermediary substances that stabilize the alkali metal hydroxide particles in the aqueous phase. These intermediaries prevent precipitation and aggregation, ensuring stability even at reduced water content and high solid concentration
3Quantity of substance
If concentration is increased to reduce volume, then storage efficiency improves, but viscosity increases causing pump blockage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the temperature parameter during mixing (maintaining below 40°C) to manage viscosity development. This temperature control, combined with the suspension formulation, achieves high concentration (22-46 wt%) while keeping viscosity below 6500 mPa·s, ensuring reliable pump operation without blockage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent formulates a composite suspension containing alkali metal hydroxide particles, dispersants, and complexing agents. This composite structure maintains low enough viscosity for pumpability while achieving high active ingredient concentration, preventing pump blockage that would occur with simpler high-concentration formulations
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 solution enables the production of a highly concentrated, stable, and pumpable cleaning concentrate that can be effectively dosed and diluted using automatic dosing machines, overcoming the issues of stability and viscosity associated with previous formulations.
Implementation Method 1
adding a portion of alkali metal hydroxide as an aqueous solution
Implementation Method 2
5 to 50 wt% dispersant, complexing agent or a combination thereof
Data Source
AI summary
Cleaning concentrate comprising (i) 22 to 46 wt.% alkali metal hydroxide, (ii) 5 to 50 wt.% dispersant, complexing agent or a combination thereof, (iii) 0 to 5 wt.% surfactant, (iv) 0 to 5 wt.% excipients, and (v) 28 to 39 wt.% water, wherein the cleaning concentrate is a suspension; and a manufacturing process therefor.