Liquid fabric detergent is the most extensively used type of liquid detergent, employed for washing and maintaining various fabrics. These fabrics typically include cotton, cotton/polyester blends, or synthetic products, often contaminated with human body soils (sebum), solid soils (dust), and animal and plant oils.
Basic Requirements for the Formulation of Laundry Detergent for Regular Fabrics are as Follows:
Strong stain removal power.
Good adaptability to water quality, suitable for hard water.
Appropriate foam levels. For machine washing, foam should not be excessive and should facilitate easy rinsing.
Moderate alkalinity. Heavy-duty laundry detergents may possess a certain level of alkalinity to enhance stain removal power, but the alkalinity should comply with national standards. Detergents for washing silk and wool products are generally neutral to prevent damage to natural fibers such as silk and wool. Laundry detergent formulations typically consist of surfactants, enhancers, pH adjusters, chelating agents, functional additives, dyes, preservatives, defoamers, inorganic salts, solvents, and solubilizers.
Commonly Used Ingredients Include:
Surfactants:
Surfactants are the primary active components in laundry detergents for removing dirt, typically composed of anionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants. 1-2 types of anionic surfactants are typically the main surfactants: Sodium Fatty Alcohol Polyoxyethylene Ether Sulfate (AES), Sodium Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate (LAS), Sodium Alkyl Sulfonate (SAS), Alpha Olefin Sulfonate (AOS), etc. Nonionic surfactants such as Fatty Alcohol Polyoxyethylene Ethers (AEO7, AEO9) serve as auxiliary enhancing agents and can include nonionic surfactants with low EO numbers as penetrating agents to increase penetration speed. Alkyl Amides (6501) or amine oxides mainly function as thickeners and enhancers. The industry standard for total surfactant content requires not less than 15% to ensure effective stain removal at normal usage levels, with concentrated products exceeding 25%.
Enhancers:
Components in liquid detergents that enhance washing effectiveness, including enzyme preparations such as Proteases, Lipases, Cellulase Enzymes, etc.
Anti-Redeposition Agents:
Sodium Polyacrylate, Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone, etc.
pH Adjusters:
Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Triethanolamine, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Succinate, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Metasilicate, etc. Chelating Dispersants: Sodium Citrate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Polyacrylate/ Maleic Acid Copolymer.
Inorganic Salts:
Sodium Chloride, Sodium Sulfate, Calcium Chloride, etc.
Functional Additives:
Including Anti-Bleeding Agents, Oxygen Activators for color bleaching, Plant Extracts for antibacterial effects, etc., some of which include Fabric Softeners for softening.
Solvents:
Ethanol, Propylene Glycol, Isopropanol, etc.
Solubilizers:
Sodium Methyl Sulfonate, Sodium Dimethyl Sulfonate, Urea, etc.
Defoamers:
Defoamers are commonly used to control foam in laundry detergents, facilitating easy rinsing and water conservation. Common defoamers include organic silicones, polyether types, and mineral oil types. Organic silicone defoamers have the best defoaming and inhibiting effects, but when used in emulsion form at higher concentrations, they can affect the transparency of the detergent. Polyether defoamers have defoaming effects above their cloud point and are suitable for formulating transparent laundry detergents. Mineral oil defoamers are relatively inexpensive and economically advantageous.
Preservatives:
Commonly used preservatives in liquid detergents include Kasugamycin, Bromopol, etc.
Fragrances and Dyes:
Provide a pleasant appearance to laundry detergent, ensuring long-lasting fragrance on fabrics after use.
Laundry detergent is trending towards concentration, low-temperature water saving, safety, environmental friendliness, and natural green solutions. It is becoming more functional to meet personalized needs such as antibacterial properties, color fastness, anti-pilling, enhanced brightness and softness, and longer-lasting fragrance.
