Formulation of Fabric Conditioners, Washing Liquids and Perfume-Surfactant Interactions
ID: 730005
United Kingdom
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Expert has applied his expertise and training in the area of intermolecular forces (vdW and London Dispersion forces) to the processing, cost and formulation optimisation/simplification and shelf-life improvement of concentrate (3x) detergent liquids and concentrate fabric conditioners over a nine years period. He has optimised detergent builder STP(P) raw material for deterget liquids and powders and improved large scale factory production methods for cost and energy saving. He has published papers on the use of naturally derived primary alcohol sulphates as an alternative to the petrochemical derived detergents.
Expert has spent another 13 years on formulating di-chain ester quats into concentrate fabric conditioners where the interaction between long ethoxylated nonionic and ester cationic quats has been exploited for concentrating these liquids and making shelf-stable products. Expert has published in scientific journals detailed studies of the colloidal stability of perfume-nonionic-cationic systems. His work has enabled the use of cheap ester quats to reformulate fabric conditioners of high quality and performance in a range of well-known and well-loved conditioner range in the the world-wide market. His extensive work and innovative product ideas and formulations are published in 50 patents over this period - Easy ironing conditioners with silicone polymers, Ironing Waters with water soluble perfumes, Luxury conditioners with thickening polymers. Expert was one of the top inventors among his employers.
During research into cationic, anionic and nonionic surfactants Expert has built a theoretical and practical understanding of the subject of surfactant solutions and mesophases and their stability which has helped him to 'break' the rules and innovate new product lines.
In domestic ironing experience static electricity formation can be a problem with fine fabrics like silk.
Expert solved a static formation problem for a multi-national electric goods company whose researchers had developed a new soleplate whose conductance characteristics led to the satic formation. He combined physics, ceramic chemistry, surfactant science and textile science knowledge to come up with a number of solution options within 20 hours. This problem has been long standing in the company and they needed a quick and inexpensive way to resolve it before a new launch.This next problem concerned the boiling characteristics of ironing waters used in the iron to generate perfumed steam. Perfume solutions can act as surfactants causing a lot of foaming during boiling. This leads to water leakage and crackling noise in the steam iron. Expert was enlisted to solve this problem, which was already farmed out to one prominent university who did three years research without a solution. In addition, the perfume house that developed the perfume mix were unable to resolve the issues. Expert combined his surfactant solution expertise with a novel understanding of foaming characteristics of these solutions and applied it to perfume solutions. The work led to two commercially significant patents for the company.In another example Expert was enlisted to solve the problem of freshness in laundry -freshness that simulates laundry drying in the sun, sun-dried-freshness. Expert applied photobleaching technology to the problem and managed to generate sun-freshness with photobleaches. This activity led to two new patents in the field for the company. Expert worked for a short spell for a multi-national gas refining company who were seeking new solvents to remove CO2 and other gases from the natural gas. Their experts had developed commercial solvents that the company has used for their processes. Expert was challenged to come up with a solvent as good or better that gave them a greater choice. Within six months, using his expertise in intermolecular interactions and a novel intermolecular potential field he developed in his thesis, he designed a range of new solvents which according to the company's test method performed at par with the old established mixed solvent system of the company. Expert worked as a part time consultant for a glue manufacturing company on a one day/week basis where he solved many quality control issues for the polymer melts the company produced for the car industry.