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Laundry detergents were traditionally supplied as solids, in bars or as granular powders. It was not until the 1960s that liquid laundry detergents were launched in the United States. Since then, they have come to overwhelmingly dominate the U.S. market. Their market share in Europe varies: In countries of Northern Europe, liquids capture a mere 10-20 percent of sales -- but in the Mediterranean countries, liquid holds at least half the market, and its popularity is still growing. This eBook lays out the differences in ingredients between solid and liquid detergents, and the properties of each medium. Purchasing, storing and washing behaviors of U.S. and European consumers are compared, including the surprising popularity of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) capsules for timed release of liquid detergents. It also reviews soluble additives such as enzymes, bleaches and why bleach activators work well in powdered detergent while being problematic in liquid detergent. Development of liquid detergents is continuing against a backdrop of major changes, in particular new environmental regulatory obstacles. In response, manufacturers are improving their production processes and looking to replace synthetic petrochemical-derived ingredients with those obtained from renewable natural resources. The eBook also posits how future improvements in washing machine technology could impact detergent development.
Executive Summary
Introduction and Methodology
Introduction
Scope
Methodology
Definitions
Powder and Liquid Detergent Technologies
Introduction
Powdered Heavy-Duty Laundry Detergents
- Surfactants
- Builders
- Bleaches
- Enzymes
- Polymers, Complexing Agents and Other Ingredients
Liquid Heavy-duty Detergents
- Surfactants
- Soaps and Fatty Acids
- Builders
- Bleaches
- Enzymes
- Polymers
Laundry Bars
Unit-dose Laundry Detergents
- Tablets
- Liquitabs or Capsules
Laundry Aids
- Bleaches
- Fabric Softeners
Hand Dishwashing Detergents
Other Cleaning Formulations
The Global Market for Powder and Liquid
Detergents
Introduction
Types of Laundry and Dishwashing Detergents
- Laundry Detergents
- Dishwashing Detergents
Use of Liquid Laundry Detergents
- Hand Washing Laundry
- Laundry Detergents for Machine Washing
- Use of Liquid Laundry Detergents
- Dishwashing Detergents
Comparison of Solid and Liquid Laundry Detergents
Summary
Improving Detergent Performance
Introduction
The Solubility of Surfactants in Water
- Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance
- The Formation of Micelles
- Effect of Temperature on the Aqueous Solubility of Surfactants
- Liquid Crystal Phases
- Effect of Other Ingredients on Surfactant Solutions
- Formulation of Concentrated Liquid Laundry
Detergents
Enzymes
- Stabilisation of Enzymes in Aqueous Solutions
- The Stability of Enzymes in the Presence of Surfactants
- Stabilising Enzymes in the Presence of Bleaches
Liquid Detergent Viscosity
Separating Ingredients (Detergent Boosters)
Encapsulation
The Future of Liquid and Powder Detergents
Surfactants
Bleaches
Environmental and Sustainability Issues
Reducing Washing Temperature
Reducing Water Use
Sustainability
Automatic Dispensing of Liquid Detergents
Spot Cleaners
Unit-Doses
Could Powders Fight Back?
References
Tables & Figures
List of Tables
TABLE 2.1 Composition of typical European powder and liquid heavy-duty detergents
TABLE 3.1 Typical laundry hand washing conditions in BRIC
TABLE 3.2 Typical washing machine conditions in developed regions
TABLE 3.3 Advantages and disadvantages of liquid detergents
TABLE 3.4 Advantages and disadvantages of powder detergents
TABLE 3.5 Advantages and disadvantages of tablet detergents
TABLE 3.6 Advantages and disadvantages of liquid tabs (capsules)
TABLE 4.1 Structure of key detergent enzyme amino acids
List of Figures
FIGURE 2.1 Structure of surfactants
FIGURE 2.2 Ethylene oxide
FIGURE 2.3 Alkyl polyglucoside (APG) surfactant
FIGURE 2.4 EDTA
FIGURE 2.5 EDTA metal complex
FIGURE 2.6 The activity of oxy-bleaches at different temperatures
FIGURE 2.7 The formation of peracid bleaches from persalts
FIGURE 2.8 Typical soap molecule
FIGURE 2.9 Citric acid
FIGURE 2.10 EDDS
FIGURE 2.11 The structure of quat fabric softeners
FIGURE 2.12 Structure of esterquat fabric softener
FIGURE 3.1 Household ownership of washing machines by country, 2005 and 2010 (%)
FIGURE 3.2 Household ownership of automatic dishwashers by country, 2005 and 2010 (%)
FIGURE 3.3 US: market for liquid and powder laundry detergents, 2006-2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.4 France: market for liquid, powder and tablet laundry detergents, 2006-2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.5 Italy: market for liquid, powder and tablet laundry detergents, 2006- 2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.6 Spain: market for liquid, powder and tablet laundry detergents, 2005-2009 (€m)
FIGURE 3.7 UK: market for liquid, powder and tablet laundry detergents, 2006- 2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.8 Sweden: market for liquid and powder laundry detergents, 2006- 2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.9 Germany: market for liquid, powder and tablet laundry detergents, 2006- 2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.10 Poland: market for liquid, powder and hand wash laundry detergents, 2006- 2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.11 Russia: market for powder, hand wash and bar laundry detergents, 2006-2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.12 Turkey: market for powder and hand wash laundry detergents, 2006-2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.13 Japan: market for liquid and powder laundry detergents, 2006- 2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.14 China: market for liquid, powder, and bar laundry detergents, 2006-2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.15 US market for dishwashing detergents by type, 2006- 2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.16 Western European market for dishwashing detergents by type, 2006-2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.17 Dishwashing detergent market for Egypt, Poland, Russia and Turkey by type, 2006-2010 (€m)
FIGURE 3.18 Dishwashing detergent market for Brazil, China and Japan by type, 2006-2010 (€m)
FIGURE 4.1 Effect of CMC on micelle formation
FIGURE 4.2 The structure of spherical and rod-shaped micelles
FIGURE 4.3 Solubility of an ionic surfactant as a function of temperature
FIGURE 4.4 Phase diagram for the alcohol ethoxylate surfactant, C12E6
FIGURE 4.5 Spherical micelles arranged in a cubic lattice
FIGURE 4.6 Cylindrical micelles arranged into a hexagonal lattice
FIGURE 4.7 Bicontinuous liquid crystal structures
FIGURE 4.8 Structure of surfactant bilayers and vesicles
FIGURE 4.9 Phase diagram for SDS-water
FIGURE 4.10 Structure of amino acid and formation of peptides
FIGURE 4.11 Structure of Kao's M-protease
FIGURE 4.12 A protease molecule digesting a protein stain