Textile Microparticle Formulation for Wash-Stable Active Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for articles of manufacture, such as textiles, that can progressively release an active ingredient over time, with microparticles dispersed in a carrier material, which maintain a consistent release rate even after multiple wash cycles, and methods to determine the presence and amount of active ingredients in these articles.
Innovation Solution
The development of articles with microparticles that include an active ingredient dispersed in a carrier material, which undergo progressive erosion in response to stimuli, ensuring a gradual release of the active ingredient, and methods for manufacturing these microparticles and applying them to substrates like textiles, maintaining a consistent release rate over multiple wash cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If microparticles are used to deliver active ingredient, then release duration is improved, but release rate consistency deteriorates after wash cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The microparticle is segmented into distinct functional zones: a hydrophilic outer shell containing erosion-controlled release mechanism, and a hydrophobic inner core containing the active ingredient. This segmentation allows the hydrophilic shell to provide consistent erosion control during wash cycles while the hydrophobic core maintains the active ingredient, resolving the contradiction between extended release duration and consistent release rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the microparticle, specifically using a hydrophilic polymer for the shell (such as polyacrylic acid, polyacrylamide, or carboxymethyl cellulose) with controlled erosion properties, and a hydrophobic material for the core. This parameter change enables the shell to erode at a controlled, consistent rate during wash cycles, maintaining reliable release kinetics while extending overall release duration.
2Ease of operation
If microparticles undergo progressive erosion, then release control is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a liquid-phase suspension polymerization process to manufacture the microparticles. The hydrophilic polymer is formed through controlled polymerization in an aqueous suspension containing the hydrophobic active ingredient, creating the core-shell structure in a single manufacturing step. This hydraulic approach simplifies manufacturing compared to multi-step processes while maintaining precise release control through the inherent erosion properties of the hydrophilic polymer shell.
3Reliability
If microparticles are retained in substrate interstices, then delivery effectiveness is improved, but detection difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention incorporates a colorimetric indicator system into the microparticle formulation or the substrate treatment. As the microparticles undergo progressive erosion and release the active ingredient, the indicator changes color to visually signal the release status. This color change mechanism solves the detection difficulty by providing an obvious visual cue that the microparticles are present and actively releasing, while the microparticles remain retained in the substrate interstices for effective delivery.
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 allows for a controlled and prolonged release of active ingredients from textiles, ensuring effective delivery over time, even after repeated washing, and provides methods to monitor the presence and amount of active ingredients, enhancing the durability and efficacy of the active ingredient delivery.
Implementation Method 1
the microparticles undergoing progressive erosion in response to a stimulus to cause gradual release of the active ingredient
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A
Figure 3B
AI summary
The present invention relates to articles of manufacture having a formulation distributed therein, wherein the formulation comprises an active agent which manifests a desirable property when released from the articles of manufacture. The present invention also relates to methods for manufacturing these articles of manufacture, to vehicles for applying the formulation to these articles of manufacture, and to perception indicators indicating the presence and the amount of formulation comprising an active agent applied to an article of manufacture.