Low-Surfactant Warewashing for Rinse-Free Sheeting Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Institutional warewashing processes face challenges in achieving effective drying due to short wash and rinse cycles and the absence of carry-over of wash solution into the rinse solution, making built-in rinse components ineffective, necessitating the use of separate rinse aids.
Innovation Solution
A method using a surfactant in the wash stage that adsorbs onto ware, allowing for sheeting action in the rinse stage with fresh water, reducing drying times and eliminating the need for separate rinse aids by incorporating low levels of nonionic or polymeric surfactants in the wash detergent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate rinse aids are used to achieve effective drying, then drying performance is improved, but process complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drying function into the wash detergent by incorporating surfactants that provide both cleaning and sheeting actions. This eliminates the need for separate rinse aid products and simplifies the warewashing process while maintaining effective drying performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The wash detergent is designed to perform multiple functions: cleaning soils during the wash cycle and providing sheeting action during the rinse cycle for effective drying. This multi-functional approach replaces the traditional two-product system (wash detergent + rinse aid) with a single versatile detergent.
2Productivity
If short wash and rinse cycles are used to increase productivity, then output is improved, but drying effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical parameters of the wash detergent by incorporating specific surfactants at optimized concentrations. These surfactants provide rapid sheeting action that is effective within short rinse cycles, enabling fast drying without extending the overall wash time.
Solution Approach 2:
The surfactants in the wash detergent prepare the substrate surface during the wash cycle by adsorbing and creating a foundation for subsequent sheeting action. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the rinse cycle occurs, the sheeting action is immediately effective, enabling fast drying in short cycles.
3Manufacturing precision
If no carry-over of wash solution into rinse solution occurs in high temperature machines, then rinse solution purity is improved, but built-in rinse components become ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the rinse aid function from the wash solution carry-over mechanism and incorporates it directly into the wash detergent formulation. The surfactants in the detergent are specifically selected to provide sheeting action that works effectively in the rinse cycle regardless of whether wash solution carries over into the rinse solution.
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
This approach results in faster drying times and improved visual appearance of substrates without the need for separate rinse aids, achieving drying performance comparable to systems using rinse aids, while reducing costs and simplifying the wash process.
Implementation Method 1
The warewashing detergent contains sufficient adsorbing surfactant to provide a layer of surfactant on the ware so as to afford sheeting action in the potable aqueous rinse step
Implementation Method 2
the surfactants will adsorb onto the ware during the wash process with a subsequent lowering of the contact angle of the rinse water, leading to reduced thickness of the rinsewater film
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method of washing ware in an automatic institutional warewashing machine wherein the method includes contacting ware with a cleaning composition containing a surfactant and further includes contacting the washed ware in a rinse step with a potable aqueous rinse, the aqueous rinse being substantially free of an intentionally added rinse agent. A surfactant is employed in the wash step in an amount not to exceed 15 wt % based on weight of the detergent. The amount of surfactant is sufficient to provide a layer of surfactant on the ware so as to afford a sheeting action in an aqueous rinse step without any added rinse agent.