Water-Soluble Surfactant Purification via Liquid-Liquid Extraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available water-soluble surfactants used in oral care compositions often have undesirable taste and odor profiles due to the presence of non-polar materials, which existing purification methods, such as steam-stripping and carbon filtration, are insufficient to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
A liquid-liquid extraction process using solvents like ethyl acetate is employed to significantly reduce the levels of non-polar materials in water-soluble surfactants, resulting in surfactant compositions with improved taste and odor profiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water-soluble surfactants are used in oral care compositions, then desirable properties such as strong affinity for enamel surface and surface binding propensity are achieved, but negative taste and odor profile occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies liquid-liquid extraction to remove non-polar materials from water-soluble surfactants. The process involves mixing the surfactant solution with an immiscible organic solvent (such as ethyl acetate, hexane, or dichloromethane) to form a bilayer, where non-polar impurities partition into the organic phase while the purified surfactant remains in the aqueous phase. This extraction effectively removes taste and odor contaminants while preserving the surfactant's functional properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the surfactant composition by controlling the concentration of non-polar materials to less than 0.5%, 0.1%, or even 0.01% by weight. This parameter change transforms the surfactant from having unacceptable taste and odor characteristics to having improved sensory properties suitable for oral care applications.
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional purification processes (steam-stripping, vacuum-stripping, carbon filtration) are applied to surfactant materials, then some impurities are removed, but unpleasant tastes and odors associated with water-soluble surfactant materials are not sufficiently remedied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance - an immiscible organic solvent - to facilitate the removal of non-polar impurities. This solvent acts as a mediator that selectively dissolves taste and odor contaminants while leaving the water-soluble surfactant unaffected. The intermediary enables a more effective purification mechanism than direct thermal or adsorptive methods alone.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If additional components such as flavors or dyes are added to improve taste or clarity, then overall taste experience or appearance is improved, but cost increases and it may be difficult to entirely mask undesirable taste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary purification through liquid-liquid extraction to remove non-polar materials before formulating the final oral care product. By pre-removing taste and odor contaminants, the need for additional masking agents like flavors or dyes is reduced or eliminated, simplifying the formulation process and reducing costs.
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 process effectively minimizes the presence of undesirable non-polar materials, allowing for the incorporation of surfactants into oral care products with minimal negative taste and odor attributes, enhancing consumer acceptance.
Implementation Method 1
Liquid / liquid extractions (LLE) are generally known in the art as useful for separating components of a mixture, wherein the constituents have differing polarities which can be separated when mixed within two immiscible solvents that form a liquid bilayer after mixing
Data Source
AI summary
Treated surfactant composition containing a water-soluble surfactant and exhibiting improved taste, said composition comprising: a water-soluble surfactant selected from alkyl phosphate surfactants, alkyl phosphate ethoxylated surfactants, betaine surfactants, betaine ethoxylated surfactants, amine oxide surfactants, and mixtures thereof and water; wherein the composition further comprises: less than about 4%, by weight of the water-soluble surfactant, of total undesirable non-polar materials; less than about 2.5%, by weight of the water-soluble surfactant, of alcohols having a carbon chain length of greater than 4; less than about 1%, by weight of the water-soluble surfactant, of amine and amide materials; and less than about 1%, by weight of the water-soluble surfactant, undesirable non-polar materials selected from aldehydes, esters, ketones, and organic acids. Such compositions wherein the compositions have been subjected to liquid-liquid extraction processes.