Sulfonated Polyester Composition for Stable Liquid Detergents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing polyesters used in detergents and cleaning agents tend to precipitate or crystallize in liquid formulations with high anionic surfactant contents, leading to reduced washing performance and stability during storage.
Innovation Solution
A combination of low sulfonate group-containing repeating units with high nonionic polyalkoxy ether end groups in the polymer backbone, resulting in polyesters with enhanced storage stability and soil release properties, suitable for both solid and liquid detergent formulations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If anionic polyesters are used to improve soil release properties, then washing performance is improved, but the polyesters tend to form deposits and precipitate in liquid formulations during storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the molecular weight of the polyalkylene glycol ether end groups (specifically 1,000-5,000 g/mol) and the proportion of anionic structural units (4-30% by weight). These parameter optimizations balance the soil release performance with storage stability, preventing precipitation while maintaining effectiveness. The specific molecular weight range and compositional parameters resolve the contradiction between performance and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite polyester structure combining anionic structural units (for soil release performance) with nonionic polyalkylene glycol ether end groups (for stability and solubility). This composite approach allows the polyester to exhibit both excellent soil release properties and high storage stability in liquid detergent formulations, resolving the contradiction between these two opposing requirements.
2Reliability
If high proportion of anionic units is used to enhance soil release, then washing effectiveness is improved, but precipitation and phase separation occur in liquid formulations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the parameter of anionic unit proportion to 4-30% by weight, which is sufficient for soil release effectiveness but low enough to prevent precipitation and phase separation in liquid formulations. This parameter control resolves the contradiction between effectiveness and harmful precipitation effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The nonionic polyalkylene glycol ether end groups act as an intermediary that mediates between the anionic structural units and the aqueous detergent environment. These end groups provide solubility and prevent aggregation, allowing the anionic units to function effectively without causing precipitation or phase separation.
3Ease of operation
If low molecular weight end groups are used to improve water solubility, then ease of incorporation into detergents is improved, but storage stability and resistance to precipitation are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent identifies and optimizes the molecular weight parameter of the polyalkylene glycol ether end groups to a specific range (1,000-5,000 g/mol). This parameter optimization achieves the dual benefit of maintaining good water solubility for easy incorporation while providing sufficient steric stabilization to prevent precipitation during storage, resolving the contradiction between solubility and stability.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are polyesters containing structural units corresponding to formula (I) or to formula (II) or to formulae (I) and (II), structural units of formula (III) or of formula (IV) or of formulae (III) and (IV), and optionally structural units of the formula (V)—CO—R1—CO—O—C2H4—O— (I),—CO—R1—CO—O—(C3H6—O)— (II),—CO—R2—CO—O—C2H4—O— (III),—CO—R2—CO—O—(C3H6—O)— (IV),—CO—R3—CO—O—R4—O— (V),as well as nonionic endgroups of the formula (VI), and optionally nonionic endgroups of the formula (VII)—CO—(O—C2H4—)n—OR5 (VI),—CO—OR6 (VII).In these structural units and endgroups R1 to R6 are selected organic radicals and n is a number between 30 and 500.The polyesters according to the invention are characterized by very good soil release properties, can be readily stored in detergent and cleaning agent formulations and can be used as soil-release polymers.