Shear-Thinning Sulfonate Personal Care Composition
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing personal care compositions, particularly those containing fatty acyl ethane sulfonates like SCI, face challenges with low solubility, hydrolytic instability, and pH instability, limiting their effectiveness and stability in aqueous environments.
Innovation Solution
An aqueous shear-thinning personal care composition comprising at least 3 wt% of a sulfonate compound, at least 3 wt% of an amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant, at least 10 wt% of water, and at least 0.5 wt% of suspended particles or droplets, which maintains stability and suspends water-insoluble particles without sedimentation, providing a rich creamy foam and being mild to the skin and eyes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If fatty acyl ethane sulfonates (e.g., SCI) are used in personal care compositions, then cleansing effectiveness is improved, but solubility in water deteriorates and hydrolytic instability occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical structure of the sulfonate compound by changing parameters such as the length and saturation of the hydrocarbon chain (R1: C8-22 alkyl), the size of the R2 group (C1-4 alkyl), and the substitution patterns in R3-R5 (hydrogen or C1-4 alkyl groups). These structural parameter changes optimize both the cleansing effectiveness and the solubility/hydrolytic stability of the compound in aqueous environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite surfactant systems combining the modified sulfonate compound (a) with amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactants (b) in specific proportions. This composite approach leverages the complementary properties of different surfactant types to achieve both effective cleansing and improved stability/solubility characteristics that single compounds cannot provide alone.
2Reliability
If benefit agent and surface active agent are separated in discrete domains, then adverse interactions are avoided, but formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs the modified sulfonate compound as an intermediary substance that can accommodate both the surface active agent and benefit agent in a compatible aqueous environment. The surfactant's molecular structure acts as a mediator, allowing beneficial components to be transported and deposited without direct adverse interactions, while maintaining a relatively simple single-phase formulation rather than requiring complex multi-phase separation systems.
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 exhibits hydrolytic and pH stability, excellent suspending properties, and non-Newtonian behavior, allowing for the formulation with various ingredients without adverse interactions, resulting in improved skin and hair care performance.
Implementation Method 1
a surface active agent selected from anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic and cationic, surface active agents
Implementation Method 2
aqueous shear-thinning personal care composition
Implementation Method 3
at least 0.5 wt% of an additional component in the form of particles or droplets suspended in the composition
Data Source
AI summary
An aqueous shear-thinning personal care composition comprising:(a) at least 3 wt % of a sulfonate compound of general formulawhere R1 represents a C8-22 alkyl group alkyl group; R2 represents a C1-4 alkyl group; each of R3, R4 and R5 independently represents a hydrogen atom or a C1-4 alkyl group; and M+ represents a sodium or potassium cation;(b) at least 3 wt % of an amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant;(c) at least 10 wt % of water; and(d) at least 0.5 wt % of an additional component in the form of particles or droplets suspended in the composition. The composition is stable in an aqueous environment and can be formulated with a wide range of additional components.