technology trends in laundry products

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Introduction

Many Far East/Asian countries are now suffering economic

turmoil. As a whole, however, these countries have achieved

substantial economic growth since the last World Conference

on Detergents in 1993. This paper presents an overview

of the detergent industry in the region, focusing on the tech-

nology trends in laundry cleaning products.

The overall picture of the region’s detergent production and

consumption per capita will be shown first. It will be followed

by a detailed explanation of market demands in Japan and

Southeast Asia. The focus will then switch to technical trendsin detergent formulation. Finally, a summary will be given of

several kinds of new technology that emerged in Japan in the

past 5 years, because Japan is the front runner in this context.

Detergents in Far East/Asian Countries

Detergent production volumes in several Far East/Asian coun-

tries are listed in Table 1. The production in Mainland China

represents about one-half of the region’s total. It should be

pointed out that one-fourth of the total production comes from

products other than powders or liquids. Especially in Indonesia,

The Philippines, Myanmer, and Laos, “other” detergent

forms such as pastes and bars exceed powders in their produc-tion volume.

The growth of the detergent market in the region during

the 1990s is shown in Figure 1, which compares the 1990

production with that in 1996. Most countries experienced an

increase in production, but Japan and South Korea havegone in the opposite direction.

107

Technology Trends in Laundry Products: Far East/Asian Countries

Teruhisa Satsuki

Lion Corporation, Research and Development Headquarters, Tokyo 132-0035, Japan

TABLE 1

Detergent Production in Far East Countries (1000 tons, 1996)a

Country Total Powder Liquid Others

Japan 609 535 52 22South Korea 219 176 5 38Taiwan 142 115 14 13China 2430 1624 293 513Thailand 165 155 9 1Malaysia 110 60 40 10Singapore 15 11 3 1Indonesia 516 173 2 341The Philippines 235 60 0 175Myanmer 53 3 0 50Laos 3 1 0 2

Vietnam 145 85 0 60

Total 4642 2998 418 1226

aSource: Ciba.

Fig. 1. Detergent market growth in Far East countries. Source: Ciba.

Copyright © 1999 AOCS Press

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Figure 2 shows detergent consumption per capita.Generally, the more a country’s economy develops, the greater is its detergent consumption. This is not the case in Japan.Its low detergent consumption can be explained by the highratio of compacts. A similar trend can be seen in SouthKorea and Taiwan. Mainland China is already the biggestdetergent producer in the region, as shown in Table 1.Because the consumption per capita in China is still low, deter-gent production will definitely increase in the future.

Consumer Demands in Japan andSoutheast As ian CountriesThis section will analyze the consumer demand for laundrydetergents in the region in terms of social structure andwashing behavior.

Population distribution by age seems to be a good indi-cator of social structure. Figure 3 shows the population byage for China, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand. The age dis-tribution in Japan is typical of a developed country, with asmall proportion of the young and a substantial proportionof the aged. This society is regarded as fully mature. On theother hand, the patterns for the other three countries form amore-or-less bell-shaped curve. The large proportion of working age population indicates that a large increase in the

demand for laundry products can be expected in the future.Table 2 shows the washing habits in the region. In Japan,

machine washing is dominant. In China, the figure is about90% in Shanghai, and in Taiwan it exceeds 90%. In Malaysiaand Thailand, machine ownership has increased in recentyears, particularly in city areas. Top-loading machines seem to be dominant in the region.

However, hand wash is still quite popular in Thailand,

Indonesia, and The Philippines. Even washing machine own-

ers often wash by hand. In these countries hand wash still is

a matter of choice. Why? The answer seems to be that for

people in the region, washing, which means washing by

hand, may be more than mere labor. Working unhurriedly in

washing may be partly leisure and partly provide comfort

through contact with cold water in a hot climate.Table 3 compares the consumer demands on detergents in

Japan with those in Southeast Asia. In both areas, consumer demands reflect the way of life and social circumstances.

In Japan, most of the demand on detergents can be clas-sified as one of function. For Japanese housewives, washingseems to be only a task of duty. This means that laundry

detergents must be functional and easy to handle. The impor-tant point for Japanese is how to save labor and space.Dissolution in low-temperature water and a reasonable price arealso key issues.

On the other hand, the best description for SoutheastAsian detergents is their variety. As a result of the popula-tion structure, top priority among the demands would be asufficient supply and good quality. The majority, whichwashes by hand, would prefer detergents of size and shapewhich make for easy handling, rich foam, a pleasant scent,rapid dissolution, and an affordable price. Mildness to skinmay also be a factor. Laundry detergents in the region mightalmost assume the character of personal care rather than

household products.Against this background, the detergent market can beunderstood more clearly. It is the reason why function is soughtin Japan and a variety of products exists in Southeast Asia.

The Detergent Market in Southeast Asia

Recent Trends

Recent market trends can be summarized as follows: LAS-

based (Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate) low-phosphate pow-

ders and several types of detergent coexist; regular powders

are gaining again; new segment products are introduced

108 T. Satsuki

Fig. 2. Detergent consumption per capita in 1996 in Far East countries. Source: Ciba.





Technology Trends in Laundry Products 109

Fig. 3. Population by age in Far East countries. Source: UN, 1995. Unit: 1,000.

TABLE 2

Washing Habits in Far East Countries

aIn Shanghai. bIn Bangkok. cIn Jakarta.






with added functional ingredients, e.g., detergent with

bleach activator, with softener, with ultraviolet (UV) protec-

tion, or with multienzyme systems.These trends can be explained by the consumer demands

mentioned earlier. The LAS/low-phosphate formulationswould guarantee a sufficient supply of products. The segment products are a response to a variety of consumer demands.

Four countries in the region rate further examination:Thailand, Malaysia/Singapore, Indonesia, and ThePhilippines. Figure 4A shows that detergent production inThailand and Malaysia/Singapore grew steadily from 1990 to1996. Indonesia and The Philippines showed a productionincrease the first three years, followed by leveling off in thesecond three years, as shown in Figure 4B.

Figure 5 shows market shares by detergent type in the area.In terms of variety of detergent type, Southeast Asia is at the

top. The preferred type differs from country to country. InMalaysia/Singapore, liquids command close to one-third of the total, while detergent bars have nearly 10% of the market.Pastes are dominant in the Indonesian market, while detergent bars are dominant in The Philippines. At the same time, how-ever, conventional and compact powders coexist in both mar-kets. The only exception is Thailand where the product mix isclose to that in East Asia or European countries.

In Europe, conventional powders have been gaining pop-ularity again in the past two years. The same trend can beobserved in this area. Figure 6 shows that despite the eco-nomic growth in the area, conventional powder productionhad shrunk until 1994 but made a significant recovery in1996. Although compact powders smoothly penetrated themarket early in their introduction, they may not fit well in a

market where washing by hand is the preference.

New Technology in Southeast Asia

A review of recent detergent technology in Southeast Asiareveals typical examples of technology globalization. Most newsegment detergents employ several kinds of technology fromEurope or America. These are listed in Table 4. One detergentin Thailand is claimed to be a “Softergent,” based on the pres-ence of granulated bentonite. Another in Thailand offers a prod-uct concept of UV colorcare, providing a color-care effect ongarments through the action of a UV absorber present as a com-

ponent. A bleach-activator system has been introduced already,and polyacrylate copolymer builders have been incorporated.

The basic formulation in all Asian countries except Japanis a classical combination of LAS, STPP (Sodium Tripoly

110 T. Satsuki

TABLE 3

Consumer Demands on Laundry Detergents

Japan: Function

Detergency (soil removal)Ease of handling

Space savingDissolution into low-temperature water

Reasonable cost per performance

Southeast Asia: Variety

Sufficient supply of productsGood handling in hand washingRich foamPleasant scent during washingRapid dissolution

Affordable price per unit product

Fig. 4. Detergent production in Southeast Asia during the1990s. Source: Ciba. Unit: 1,000 tons.





Phosphate), and zeolite. However, a variety of newly devel-oped technologies is incorporated in the formulation to fea-ture or to differentiate individual products in this region.

The Detergent Market in Japan

Recent Market Trends

Several aspects make up recent trends in the Japanese deter-gent market: market shrinkage in recent years in both size

and volume; an overwhelmingly high ratio of compactdetergents; almost no phosphate in household laundry deter-gents; appearance of new types of super-super compacts;and the introduction of new category products.

Figure 7 shows annual laundry detergent shipments inJapan. Several characteristics need to be pointed out here.Market volume has shrunk and leveled off recently, partly because of the introduction of more concentrated products,and partly because of the economic downturn last year. Asshown in Figure 7, the percentage of compacts among pow-ders reached 90% last year.

The next movement to be noted is the emergence of newsegment or new category products: color-care detergents, prespotters, antibacterial detergents. It was once thought thatthe color-care concept would not be accepted by Japanese con-sumers, because of the mild Japanese washing conditions. Thisdid not prove to be the case. Until last fall, only one national brand (NB) of prespotter was found, but now several NB prespotters are on the store shelves. Since they are classified asliquid detergents in usage statistics, activity in this category has pushed up the market share of liquids in recent months.

One major heavy-duty powder claims an antibacterial func-

tion. This introduction is a response to the social awareness of sanitation, recently triggered by several virus infections.

The new type of super-super compacts will be discussed below.

Challenge for Compactness in Japanese

Powder Detergents

After Kao launched Attack, the first compact powder (dosage: 25 g/30 L), compacts soon became the most popu-lar detergent form in Japan. Then more concentrated super compacts were introduced in 1995 (dosage: 20 g/30 L).Again in 1996, more concentrated, super-super compactsappeared (dosage: 15 g/30 L). This insistence on compact-ness has been seen only in Japan.

An examination of the makeup of the super-super compacts reveals a handful of new technologies employed there.These include new surfactants, i.e., MES (methyl ester sul-fonate) or nonionics, carboxylated polymers with highchelating and dispersion ability, multifunctional layered sil-icates, and a combination of advanced enzymes.

New Technology in Japanese Laundry Products

In addition to the super-super compacts, new bleach activa-

tors, new surfactants, and a new process for nonionic-based

compacts are among the new technologies.


Fig. 5. Detergent types perferred in 1996 in Southeast Asia.Source: Ciba. Paste: horizontally lined bar; liquid, verticallylined bar; compact powder, diagonally lined bar; conventionalpowder, shaded bar; detergent bar, open bar; soap bar, solid bar.

Fig. 6. Annual production of conventional powders inSoutheast Asia. , Thailand; , Malaysia/Singapore; ,Indonesia; , The Philippines.

TABLE 4

New Segment Detergents Found i n Southeast Asiaa

Concepts Key ingredients

Softening effect Granulated bentoniteUV color-care UV absorbent

Bleach with activator TAEDb

/PerborateClay detergency Polyacrylate

aUV, ultraviolet.b(Tetra Acetyl Ethylene Diamine).






Bleach activators. Several key requirements exist for bleachactivators. They must work efficiently at low temperatures andcause low fabric/dye damage. As a detergent ingredient, theymust be compatible with other components and possess goodstorage stability. Since the last World Conference, two new bleach activators have been commercialized in Japan. They are

listed in Figure 8. Nonanoyloxybenzenesulfonate (NOBS) iswell-known. One of the newcomers is sodium dodecanoyloxy- benzenesulfonate (DOBS), an analog of NOBS, and the other is an acid type, decanoyloxybenzoic acid (DOBA).

The performance of activators is illustrated in Figure 9,which shows stain removal results of an evaluation of a seriesof acyloxybenzoic acids activators at ambient temperature inthe presence of sodium percarbonate. The greatest bleaching boosting effect was obtained with acyl groups with carbonnumbers between 8 and 12. This is the carbon number rangein the activators that have been commercialized.

These activators are used not only in powder detergentsor powder bleaches, but also in a liquid bleach. The bleach products claim bleaching power, deodorization, and even anantibacterial effect in a detergent formulation.

New surfactants. New surfactants that have appeared since

the last World Conference are narrow-range ethoxylates (NRE)and N -methylglucamides.Procter & Gamble first introduced glucamides in their

dishwashing liquid, heavy-duty liquid (HDL), and their fine-fabric detergent. In 1996 Lion introduced a new HDL incorporating an NRE. The NRE is made with a metal oxide cat-alyst and has a narrow ethylene oxide (EO) distribution, and,as a result, high performance and low odor.

112 T. Satsuki

Fig. 7. Annual detergent shipment in Japan. Liquid, open bar; compact powder, diagonally lined bar;conventional powder, shaded bar; soap, solid bar. Source: MITI.

TABLE 5

Challenge for Compactness in Japanese Powder DetergentsReduction of dosage (for 30 L)

1987 25 g1995 20 g1996 15 g

Super-super compacts incorporating:New surfactants (MESa, nonionics)Carboxylated polymersLayered silicates

Advanced enzymes

a(Methyl Ester Sulfonate).

Fig. 8. Bleach activators in Japanese laundry detergents. Abbreviations: NOBS, Nonanoyloxybenzene sulfonate; DOBS,Dodecanoyloxybenzene sulfonate; DOBA,Decanoyloxybenzoic acid.






The EO distribution of a C12EO7 type NRE is compared with

that of a conventional alcohol ethoxylate (AE) in Figure 10.

NRE is seen to have an obviously low level of both short-

chain and long-chain EO adducts compared with that of the

conventional ethoxylate.

Typical advantages of NRE are listed in Table 6. Theyinclude low odor, good soil-removing ability, an antiredeposition

effect for oily soils, and a narrow gelling range in aqueous solu-

tions. The narrow gelling range offers an advantage in that it per-

mits low viscosity formulations with high levels of ethoxylate.

Nonionic-Based Compact Powders. The impetus for the

development of nonionic-based compact powders is the pur-

suit of further compactness. Nonionics permit not only formu-lations with lower surfactant levels, but they also reduce

energy consumption by eliminating spray-drying. The technical


Fig. 9. Bleach performance of percarbonate with activators. Conditions: activator 25 ppm, percarbonate83 ppm, washing 10 min, 25°C, cotton.

Fig. 10. Ethylene oxide distribution in narrow-range ethoxylates (NRE). AE, alcohol ethoxylate.






Introduction

Laundry bars and detergent pastes still represent an impor-

tant form used by consumers in high-growth, developing

markets. Both forms provide good washing performance at

low cost and permit multipurpose uses by consumers. The

coverage of global consumption patterns, the focus on con-

sumer habits and practices that drive the use of bars and

pastes, and a review of recent technologies utilized in these

product forms are featured.

Consumption of Laundry Bars and Pastes

In 1996, the worldwide consumption of laundry bars,

pastes, and heavy-duty laundry detergents (powders/liquids)

is estimated to be 22.3 million tons. Laundry bars represent

about one-fourth (5.6 million tons) of all laundry detergents

products, with laundry pastes a little over 2% (527 thousand

tons) (Table 1).

The focus will be on the areas where laundry bars and

pastes are predominantly sold, covering 80 countries, repre-

senting 83% of the world population. North America and

most of Western Europe are excluded because the bar and

paste markets are small. Also excluded are parts of Eastern

Europe and Africa where it is difficult to obtain data. When

these areas are excluded (Table 2), the total tonnagedecreases to 15.5 million tons. Laundry bars and pastes

become a bigger piece, with the laundry bar consumption rep-

resenting about one-third that of laundry detergents.

The total consumption of laundry detergent in 80 coun-tries from 1993 to 1996 increased about 2.0 million tons(Table 3). The average annual growth rate was the highestfor laundry pastes, followed by powders and syndets.Hardsoap bars experienced a slight decline. This is attributed tothe increased use of powders as shown by the data in thetable. In total, by-product type amounted to 59.2% powders,28.0% hard-soap bars, 8.0% syndet bars, 3.3% laundry pastes, and 1.5% liquids. The data also demonstrate that thistrend is driven by increases in powder tonnage, with bar tonages remaining fairly constant over the time period shown.For example, two countries which have contributed to thischange in the laundry detergent market are India and China.

In India, in the period from 1988 to 1996 (Fig. 1), syn-

det-bar consumption increased fourfold, from 200,000 to780,000 tons, though this trend began to flatten from 1994to 1996. Powder consumption quadrupled and is now at 1.2million tons, while hard-soap consumption only increased

Laundry Bars and Detergent Pastes: Worldwide Outlook

Richard Adams

Colgate-Palmolive Company, Piscataway, New Jersey 08855 1343

115

TABLE 1

1996 Worldwide Consumption of Laundry Bars and Pastes

vs. Powders/Liquids (000 tons)

Tons (%)

Powders/liquids 16,167 72.4Laundry pastes 527 2.4Laundry bars 5,635 25.2

Total 22.3 million

TABLE 2

1996 Consumption of Laundry Bars and Pastes vs.

Powders/Liquids (000 tons)

Tons (%)

Powders/liquids 9,412 60.7Laundry pastes 515 3.3Laundry bars 5,578 36.0

Total 15.5 million

TABLE 3

1993–1996 Consumption by Product Type for Top 80 Bar

Market Countries

93–96Tons (000) 19193 1994 1995 1996 % growth

Hard soap 4,491 4,376 4,423 4,338 –3.4Syndet 1,158 1,251 1,455 1,240 7.1Powder 7,319 7,353 8,260 9,174 25Pastes 395 447 474 515 30

Liquids 360 420 472 238 34

Fig. 1. 1988–1996 consumption by product type for India.Shaded bar is syndet bar. Solid bar is powders. Open bar ishard soap bar.





116 R. Adams

slightly (160,000 tons). The growth in powders and syndet bars can be attributed to population growth, a larger middleclass, and the availability of these product forms.

For China (Fig. 2), the combined laundry-bar and pow-der-detergent consumption has remained relatively flat inthe 4 yr from 1992 to 1996. Within this period the hard-soaptonnages decreased from 700,000 to 455,000 tons. At thesame time the powder detergent usage jumped 28% to 1.6million tons in 1996. The syndet-bar market has not madeany significant inroads in the Chinese market. Still, the con-sumption of both synthetic powder detergents and hard soapis expected to increase in the next few years.

Laundry bars can be separated into two types. The firsttype is the “hard-soap” bar. This type of bar is made fromraw materials such as animal tallow and/or vegetable oilsincluding coconut, palm, or palm kernel. The second type is

the synthetic detergent bar or “syndet bar,” whose formulagenerally resembles that of powdered detergents. Laundry paste is similar to “syndet bar” but contains a higher level of moisture. Analysis of overall consumption by product typeshows that hard-soap bars still remain the dominant formcompared to syndet bars (Table 3).

Examination of laundry product consumption in selectedregions (Fig. 3) reveals that in Africa the tonnage has shiftedfrom bars toward powders, with the consumption of bars beingequal to that of detergent powders. In Asia-Pacific and LatinAmerica, bar consumption has risen slightly, but powder con-sumption has increased at a much faster rate. Paste usage isminimal in all areas but is most common in Asia-Pacific.

Even within each region, consumption varies significantly by product type, and distribution between laundry bars anddetergent powders encompasses a fairly wide range. The pre-dominant form in the Philippines is the laundry bar, mostlysyndet. On the other hand, Mexico’s powder usage accountsfor 80% of total consumption. Laundry bars in India still con-stitute a substantial market. Brazil is more or less evenlydivided between bars and powders, and Venezuela’s bar con-

sumption is one-third of the total detergent market.Figure 4 shows the top ten bar markets. India is seen to be

the leader in total laundry-bar usage, followed by Brazil,China, Pakistan, Mexico, and the Philippines. With theexception of China and Egypt (since 1992), these marketsshow increasing or flat bar tonnages.

Usage of syndet bars is concentrated in India (66%) andthe Philippines (17%) with some usage in Guatemala (3%),Malaysia (3%), Colombia (2%), and a few others.

Laundry paste consumption is concentrated in Asia withtotal consumption estimated at 515 thousand tons. The number-one market is Indonesia, followed by China. Kenya andVietnam are two new emerging markets for this productform. Paste is the most popular form in Indonesia because

of consumer habits, practices, and preferences.

Fig.2. 1992–1996 consumption by products type for China.Shaded bar is syndet bar. Solid bar is powders. Open bar is

hard soap bar.

Fig. 3. 1992–1996 consumption by product type for China. Shaded bar is syndet bar. Solid bar ispowders. Open bar is hard soap bar.






Trends Influencing Laundry Bars andDetergent Pastes

The major factors which influence product use in this seg-

ment are: the local economies, consumer needs, washing

machine ownership, the available technologies, governmen-

tal safety and regulatory issues, and new product trends. The

following sections will contrast the ways in which these fac-

tors impact the detergent trends in hand-wash markets com-

pared to those of developed machine-wash markets.

Economic Considerations

In the large bar and paste markets, the 1997 average per

capita income in U.S. dollars ranged from approximately

$350 in India to approximately $4,000 in Mexico. These fig-ures contrast with an average per capita income of about$26,000 in France, $2,000 in Colombia, $1,193 in thePhilippines, $1,013 in Indonesia, $700 in China, and $508in Zimbabwe. Still, the annual per capita consumption of laundry products in countries such as Colombia and Mexicois equivalent to the consumption of powders and liquidscombined in France (Fig. 5). However, this could be partlydue to use of compact and concentrated products in Franceand other European countries. In countries with lower familyincomes, as in Mexico and Colombia, a much larger portionof the household budget is spent on laundering than in coun-tries with high per capita incomes.

Laundry pastes and bars are often packaged in a manner

offering economy to the consumer. Pastes are packaged in

Laundry Bars and Detergent Pastes 117

Fig. 4. 1996 distribution laundry bar types in top 10 bar market countries.

Fig. 5. 1996 annual consumption of detergents (kg/capita).






poly bags, tubes, or tubs. Paste packages are designed to prevent excessive moisture loss that will result in unsatis-factory consistency. Laundry bars are either unwrapped,shrink-wrapped, or individually wrapped, and are producedin a variety of shapes and sizes.

The shape of the bar can be round, rectangular or cylin-

drical, and may be irregular to make it easier to grasp. Barsare often produced as long blocks which are scored to pro-duce two or three smaller bars upon breakage by at thegroove by the consumer. Often bars are striated or speckledto provide additional aesthetic appeal.

Economic considerations apply not only to the types of products in the market, but also to the way they are distrib-uted and manufactured. In addition to the standard super-markets, typical distribution channels of laundry productsare small grocery stores and outdoor markets.

For the bar and paste manufacturer, the use of local rawmaterials is often required to conserve foreign exchange, tosupport the local industry, and to provide the consumer withquality products at the lowest possible cost. Worldwide, theavailability of raw materials for the industry varies fromcountry to country. Generally, hard soap bars require nomajor imported raw materials, whereas imported ingredi-ents are often used in syndet bars and pastes.

For example, in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela,the bulk of the raw materials is available locally while inCentral America, Africa, the Caribbean, and some Asian countries,most of the raw materials are imported. Typical importedingredients include detergent alkylate, builders, and optical brighteners. There is a constant challenge to deliver availablequality products which may require further raw-material supply simplification regionally or globally.

Consumer Needs

This section will review consumer needs by examining thelaundry habits and washing conditions in various hand washregions of the world and compare them to the developedwashing machine markets in North America and Europe(Fig. 6).

Laundering in bar and paste markets consumes a greatdeal of the homemaker’s time and effort because of the highincidence of hand washing and presoaking, low in theUnited States and moderate in Europe.

In hand wash markets, cleaning standards for launderedgarments are very high, and foam is viewed as an indicationof effectiveness. The hand wash procedure for bar or paste

is fairly standard with slight variations from one country toanother. The laundry is sorted, garments are wet, then the bar or paste is applied to the fabric over a bucket or tub con-taining the washload. White and lightly soiled garments arewashed first.

A laundry bar is used in two basic ways: as the primary

cleaning agent or in combination with a detergent powder.If the laundry bar is used as the primary cleaning agent, it isused to “soap” the clothes. Usually there is a presoaking stepthat can range from less than 15 min to overnight. Frequentlyat this stage in some countries, it is the custom tosun bleach garments for improved whitening. Subsequently,the garments are scrubbed one at a time.

If a laundry bar is used together with a powder, the pow-der is added to ambient water in one or more buckets or tubsand agitated by hand. The bar is used to scrub collars andcuffs or difficult spots and stains. In some instances, the bar is used to scrub the entire garment.

As more and more garments are washed, the detergentconcentration builds up in the basin. The buildup of detergent

concentration from scrubbing with laundry bars and detergent powders leads to lots of suds. The load is then thoroughlyrinsed, and the garments are hung to dry, either outside in thesun or inside the house. Laundering locations differ fromcountry to country because washing is done wherever water is available. In Africa or in the Philippines, laundering may be done at the riverside or even around a well pump.

Although laundering by machine is much less prevalentin bar markets than in markets such as North America or Europe, washing machine ownership is increasing (Table 4). InBrazil, 52% of households had acquired washing machines by 1996 compared to 34% in 1992. Over the same period,machine ownership has also increased in the Philippines andin Mexico. In some countries, such as India, machine own-ership remains as low as 2.0%, but is slowly increasing. As

washing machine ownership increases, it tends to favor con-sumption of powders over bars. For example, in Brazil, con-sumption ratio of powders/bars was 36%:64% in 1992.Since 1992, machine ownership has grown to 52% and withit, an increase of powder consumption to 53% of the mar-ket. In many developing countries, however, even house-holds with washing machines do a fair amount of washing by hand to ensure that soiled garments receive the proper attention. For example, in Malaysia, about 42% of consumersuse a combination of both hand and machine wash. Thewashing machine is often used as a laundry aid to the hand-wash procedure. In some cases, as in Romania or Venezuela,the laundry bar may be grated and used directly in the wash-ing machine.

118 R. Adams

Fig. 6. Laundering time.

TABLE 4

Ownership of Washing Machine in Households

1992 1996

India 1 2Philippines 8 21Guatamala 18 15Brazil 54 52Mexico 40 67

France 84 99





The habits and practices, as well as the budget of the con-sumer in a particular region must be closely examined beforea laundry product is formulated and manufactured. The products sold in each area must be designed by their manu-facturers to deliver quality performance, convenience andvalue to the consumer and, in addition, to give consumers

the variety of attributes meeting their special needs. Furthermore,they must be safe for both the consumer and the envi-ronment.

Laundry Bar and Paste Technologies

This section will discuss technologies involving laundry bar and paste technologies. Several different detergent technologiesare available to address the specific needs of consumerswho use laundry bars and pastes. The task of the laundry bar and paste manufacturer is to make and sell quality value products that meet the consumers expectations.

As noted earlier, the majority of all laundry bars can beseparated into two types, “hard soap” and “syndet.” The“hard-soap” bar is characterized by being high tallow or

palm base soap at high moisture levels.Advantages of hard-soap bars include good cleaning,mildness, and low cost. Unfortunately, the cleaning efficacyand amount of foam are adversely affected by hard water.

The second type is the “syndet bar.” In addition to sur-factants and builders, a larger portion of the formulation ismade up of binders or fillers which generate an economicalsolid bar.

Advantages of syndet bars are superior performance andless sensitivity to hardness ions. Unfortunately, syndet barsgenerally cost more than hard-soap bars.

The chemistries of syndet bars and pastes are similar andoffer a wide variety of performance attributes. Typically,syndet bars and laundry pastes consist of the following basiccomponents: surfactants for high foaming and soil removal; builder systems to control water hardness ions and dispersesoils; antiredeposition agents to prevent washed-out soilsfrom settling back onto clothes; optical brighteners toenhance the appearance of the garments; binders and process-ing aids to promote bar integrity and economy; fragrance tocomplement the cleaning function and add to consumer appeal. Additional ingredients may be utilized to satisfy spe-cific consumer needs or market positioning.

The workhorse surfactant used for syndet bars and pastesis alkylbenzene sulfonate (ABS) (Fig. 7). This material pro-vides efficacy as well as the type of foaming profile whichsignals effective cleaning to the consumer.

There is a continuing trend to convert from branchedABS to linear LAS which is driven by environmenta l and

regulatory considerations. In general, branched ABS dis-

plays a better foam profile under soiled washing conditionsthan its linear counterpart. Bars with branched ABS hardenmore rapidly than with LAS, are more easily cut and pack-aged during production, and age properly. To overcome thesoftness problems exhibited by LAS syndet bars, bar-harden-ing ingredients such as zeolite, calcium oxide, fatty alcohol,

magnesium sulfate, and phosphates are added during the earlystage of bar production to bind water that would otherwise plasticize the mixture prior to bar formation. Although themajority of syndet bars utilize LAS, some regions around theworld make use of indigenous raw materials.

One such example is coco fatty alcohol sulfate used inthe Philippines, driven by government market mandate toutilize to local raw material derived from coconut oil.

A builder system is utilized in both syndet bars and pastes to help control free calcium and magnesium ionswhich are present in the wash water. Without builders suchas phosphates, hardness ions would adversely affect the per-formance of the surfactant. Builders also provide added bar strength and aid in antiredeposition.

A commonly used builder is sodium carbonate. Thismaterial is more economical to use, provides alkalinity for cleaning, and can be used alone or in combination with phosphate.

In order to help prevent the redeposition of washed-outsoils back onto clothes, both syndet bars and pastes makeuse of antiredeposition agents such as carboxymethyl cellu-lose and sodium poly aery late, in addition to phosphates.

Most syndet bars and pastes contain optical brighteners.These ingredients help to brighten and enhance fabricappearance. In many laundry bar markets, consumers dry their garments out in the sun. Since, long exposure to ultravioletradiation degrades the brightener molecules, sunlight stable brighteners have become very important.

A major portion of syndet bar formulations is composed

of ingredients known as binders or fillers. These are materi-als that help produce the solid form, aid in processing the bar and enable it to be lower in cost and more economical touse. Calcium carbonate (as talc) finds significant applica-tion as a filler because of its compatibility in the formula-tion and its abrasivity which complements the physical actionof scrubbing. Other materials which have found use inthis application include clay and starch.

One of the most important ingredients found in these products is fragrance. The fragrance imparts a pleasantsmell to the bar or paste itself, covering its base odor and providing aesthetic appeal for the consumer throughout thewashing process.

An additional ingredient that may be found in syndet barsand pastes is a photobleaching agent (Fig. 8). Bleaching per-formance is obtained from a photobleaching agent (PBA)when the wash garments are damp and exposed to sunlight.A PBA such as aluminum phthalocyaninesulfonate absorbsenergy from the reddish part of the spectrum which is thentransmitted to oxygen molecules in the water. The resultingactivated oxygen (O2*) is able to oxidize stains to provide bleaching action even at low temperatures.

Other additional ingredients that could be found in syn-det bars and pastes include bentonite clay for providing fab-ric softening, glycerin as a mildness additive, and antimi-crobial ingredients for increased germ kill activity. Table 5


Fig. 7. Surfactants.





summarizes the range of ingredients typically found in syn-det laundry bar and paste formulations. One point of differ-ence, however, is that laundry pastes contain higher levelsof moisture to provide the pasty consistency and economyof use. As shown, the amount of each ingredient varies quitea bit, mainly due to the varying washing habits and practicesof consumers around the world.

Processing of Laundry Bars and Pastes

In addition to ingredients, the processing of laundry bars and pastes represents another aspect of technology.

Both hard-soap bars and syndet bars utilize conventionalsoap bar making technology (Fig. 9) with a few modifications

for the syndet bars. In situ neutralization of sulfonic acid withsoda ash is carried out in an amalgamator, where all the for-mula ingredients are mixed. This mass is then sent throughmilling or refining equipment, followed by entry into the plodder or extruder where it is made into billets, cut torequired size and either pressed into final shape or just stamped

with a logo usually after some cooling and hardening.In the paste-making process (Fig. 10) for both laundry

and dish products, all ingredients are blended in a heatedcrutcher and then the hot, pasty, semisolid mass is stored ina holding tank for filling into the final package.

Trends Driving Laundry Bars

Investigation of recent trends in laundry bars suggests thatconsumers around the world are becoming more educatedand are raising their expectations of what they feel should be delivered by a detergent product. This is causing manu-facturers to become more sensitive to consumer needs.There is an ever-present challenge of overall reduction of

product cost while improving efficacy.For example, in Africa and India there is continued need tofind low-cost fats and oils to offset increasing raw-material pricing. Detergent manufacturers are constantly looking at raw-material interchangeability with formula and manufacturingflexibility. One recent example in India is a combination laun-dry bar that has an increased amount of talc fillers up to 26%.

In contrast, the trend in Latin America is more toward higher impact fragrances, fragrance variants and aesthetics. There iseven a segment of laundry bars designed for fine fabrics anddelicate clothes. Here, innovation has been introduced with a bar that combines tallow with syndet for improved efficacy.

In Asia, the emphasis is on expanding benefits. Laundry bar products are combining excellent cleaning with care for

the garments, with strong consideration being driven tocolor protection, softening, fabric conditioning, and soilrelease. In addition, an increasing number of products claimantibacterial and antiodor benefits.

Dish Pastes

Dishwashing products come in various forms: liquid, paste, powder, bar, and gels. In the developing markets, there is amoderate incidence of specialized products used for wash-ing dishes. Although these specialized dish products offer improved performance and convenience, they are still tooexpensive for some consumers.

120 R. Adams

Fig. 8. Action of photobleaching agents. PBA = phthalo-cyanine sulfonate salt; source: Ciba-Geigy Corporation.

Fig. 9. Typical laundry bar manufacturing.

TABLE 5

Typical Laundry Syndet Bar and Paste Formulations(wt%)

Bar Paste

Surfactants 10–35 15–30Builders 10–35 10–35 Anti-redeposition agents 0–0.5 0–0.3Optical brighteners 0–1 0–0.2Processing aids/fillers 20–60 5–20Colors and perfume 0–2 0–2Moisture 5–15 25–50

Other ingredients 0–15 0–15






The liquid form is the predominant form for hand dish-washing products globally, making up 83% of the total tonage(Table 6). The United States and Europe account for two-thirds of this volume with 1.2 MM tons. The liquid form also plays a leading role in the developing markets accounting for 58% of the tonnage or 570 M tons. The paste form is still animportant part of the hand dishwashing segment in developingmarkets, accounting for almost 14% of the total tonnage compared to only 3% of the world tonnage. The reason the pasteform still has a strong presence in the developing markets isthat its form meets consumer dishwashing habits, delivers

good cleaning performance, and is economical.Paste tonnage has grown at a faster rate than the total mar-

ket in key paste countries. Paste has grown 207% since 1988or at 13% compounded annual growth rate compared to thetotal market growth of 94% or 8% compounded annual growthrate for the same period. Again, the reason for this growth inkey paste markets is that the form fits the consumer needs.

Colombia is a good example where paste continues to prosper. In Colombia, paste has grown from 75% of the product mix in 1992 to 83% in 1997 at the expense of a dish bar. Not only did the mix increase but market tonnageincreased 48% from 1992.

In some countries, paste is in decline at the expense of liq-uids. In Malaysia, for example, paste constituted 37% of the

total market tonnage in 1994, while at present it accounts for

only 28% of the product mix as a result of the introduction of low-cost liquids. When economic conditions are favorable tomake liquids affordable, consumers will trade up to liquids asthey perceive liquids as being more modern and less irritatingto hands.

Dish pastes are sold predominately in small plastic tubsand sometimes in a plastic bag in a box.

The predominant method of using dishwashing pasteinvolves applying the product directly to the cleaning imple-ment and then to the soiled dishes.

In some countries the paste is dissolved in water to make

a washing solution which is applied to the soiled dishes withthe cleaning implement. Hence, product consistency variesfor the different washing methods, harder for direct applica-tion and softer for dilute.

The basic composition of dishwashing pastes consists of a surfactant, usually ABS; hydrate-forming salts to control product consistency, such as sodium carbonate and sodiumsulfate; and a mild abrasive, such as calcium carbonate.Other minor ingredients are added for aesthetics, such asfragrance and color, and processing aids.

The latest trend for dishwashing paste is represented by products claiming antibacterial benefits. This follows thetremendous growth of antibacterial products in the devel-oped world. These products offer a range of benefits from

removing, fighting and even killing germs on dishes andother kitchen surfaces. Dish bars have traditionally beenrectangular-shaped. Round bars have recently emerged inGuatemala. This form more easily fits into consumer handsand can be easily placed into cups or dishes during use.

For the Future

The laundry-bar segment will continue to follow the samecleaning impact observed in the powder and liquid detergentmarket. In fact, many bars are linked by equity name and same positioning. With that, continuous improvement of cleaning


Fig. 10. Typical detergent paste manufacturing.

TABLE 6

1997 Consumption of Hard-Dishwashing Products by Form

Total world Developing world(21.1 mm tons) (928 m tons)

Liquid 83 58

Powder 12 25

Paste 3 13

Bar 2 4





and whitening will be offered while still giving importance tocare, mildness, and aesthetics. Because of the continued pricefor performance expectations, there will be a growing oppor-tunity for value segment, offering more for less.

Detergent manufacturers will be challenged to deliver high cleaning performance, while keeping their product cost

low and deliver to the consumer a high-quality laundry bar at affordable prices.

122 R. Adams

In summary, this paper has tried to point out how laun-dry bars and paste products are used, and how the needs of the consumers dictate which technologies are used to design products that provide performance and value to the con-sumers. Laundry bars and detergent pastes are widely usedin many areas throughout the world and present an opportu-

nity as well as a business challenge for the detergent manu-facturers.




Introduction

Without a doubt, over the past decade, change and innova-tion have played a central role in the development of deter-gent products. Change, be it via market trends or in con-sumer habits, combined with a steady stream of major inno-vations that better meet consumer needs, has continuallyensured the delivery of new and better products necessaryfor market growth.

When the last surfactants conference met, the world of detergents was emerging from a period of no less than a revolu-

tion in product design, processing, and technology. The domi-nant subjects then were the growth of heavy-duty liquid deter-gents, the expansion of compacts, and the trend towardincreasing multifunctionality—with detergents based on moretypes of technologies. It was predicted then, in short, that therest of the 1990s would likely produce more of the same. Over the next five years, ironically, this proved to be true in a moreliteral sense. For if the early 1990s were characterized as a rev-olution in detergents, then the past five years would be moreaptly described as evolution—an evolution, in which the tech-nologies initiated earlier in the decade were expanded andextended rather than replaced. From a technological perspective.one is tempted to characterize this time as somewhat unre-markable, even calm by comparison to the activity of the early

1990s. And, while markets grew, whether if by cause or byconsequence, innovation lessened. Fewer significant new tech-nologies were introduced in the market compared to what wehad come to expect earlier in the decade. In this review of thestatus of the business today, this theme will recur continually.

Market Overview

As a start, the key market, product, and technology activityin North America and Latin America will be reviewed briefly. By the end of 1997, the business in the United Stateshad increased to about $4.3 billion.

While this increase is encouraging, several underlyingissues challenged the business over this time. Foremost has

been a decisive shift in consumer mind set. Today con-sumers, maybe more than at any recent time, are increas-ingly value-conscious. They are ever reluctant to pay for product improvements unless they are not only better, buttruly different and worth it. Moreover, pricing pressurewhich started earlier in the decade has continued to be anissue, averaging about a 13% decline over the past five years(1). In one sense, then, the business has actually done wellin spite of these hurdles.

In Latin America, until just recently, the laundry marketwas strong and growing. From 1992 to 1996 the region’sgross domestic product rose by more than 50%. And in

1997, each of the major markets (which include Brazil,Mexico, Argentina, Columbia, and Venezuela) was strongand growing sales by more than 7% (2). Nineteen ninety-eight is clearly going to be up and down, depending onhow the economy continues to fare. While Latin America contin-ues to swing through economic cycles, change and the potential for growth will continue to be reinforced byinevitable demographic changes and market trends.

More women are entering the professional workforce inLatin America, estimated to be nearly 75% in major cities.This urbanization, in turn, is growing new retail distribution

channels. Large supermarkets are sprouting up in LatinAmerica and according to some estimates account for as much as65% of total laundry dollar sales. These supermarkets in turnoffer Latin American consumers more choices in meeting their changing needs with the convenience of buying higher quality products with more value-added features and benefits. Theresult is that a largely hand-wash region today has started to leanforward toward the growth of both automatic machine wash-ing and increased use of premium detergent products.

Product Overview

Liquid Laundry Detergents

One of the more significant outcomes of the past 5 years con-tinues to be the growth of liquid laundry detergents. By 1993,the liquid market stood at about 36% (3). In the past five years,it has grown consistently to about 50% of the market. While anumber of factors contribute to this growth—convenience vs. powders, for example—it accelerated generally as heavy dutyliquid (HDL) performance increased and the cost premium of liquids vs. powders declined in the United States (Fig. 1). Notso surprisingly, and in sharp contrast to the United States, HDLmarkets in Canada and Latin America remain small (Fig. 2),largely due to higher costs vs. powders.

A question often asked is: Where will the powder/liquidmarket end up? The answer lies in looking broadly at productform more globally. Here one has to expect strong support for both forms—including further development of powder and liq-uid technologies. While it is true that liquids have gained aconsiderable share in some regional markets, particularly inthe past few years, powders still dominate product form glob-ally and continue to have the advantage of generally being amore compatible matrix for delivering new technologies.

Compaction

Looking further over the past five years, compact detergentsstill represent one of the factors affecting laundry products.Here powders continued to evolve more than liquids.

Laundry Detergents in the Americas: Change andInnovation as the Drivers for Growth

Richard S. Carpenter

The Procter & Gamble Company, Ivorydale Technical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45217, USA

123




North American powders proceeded through two genera-tions of compaction. The first, launched in the early 1990s,reduced product dosage by 50% and increased product den-sities from the then typical 300 g/L range to about 500 g/L.A second generation launched in 1995–96 reduced dosagesmore modestly, a further 20% or so, while increasing prod-uct densities to their current range of about 600–700 g/L.

Interestingly, the introduction of compact powders didactually slow HDL growth in the early 1990s (Fig. 3). However,liquids, too, soon followed in compacting, and from this pointon, HDL growth has continued unabated in the United States.

As products changed over this time, so have the processesfor their manufacture. Liquids could be compacted, largelythrough extensions of current process technology. Powders,on the other hand, required significant change and invest-ment. New particle-making processes were developed toachieve the higher product densities required for today’scompact products. These changes provided further benefits by extending dry laundry powder processing to include moreheat-sensitive materials that could not stand conventional

spray drying. To detergent scientists, these changes alsoadded new design criteria, requiring future detergent tech-nologies, not only for improved performance but also for greater space and weight efficiency.

At this date, conversion to compacts has not progressedmuch since the momentum of the early 1990s and still varies by region. In the United States, both powder and liquid mar-kets are largely converted. In contrast, compacts still repre-sent only about half the market in Canada with, as yet, littleor no conversion in Latin America.

Thus, of the two major product strategies of the past fiveyears, liquids have done well and continue to grow.Compaction has largely stalled in areas where a convincing con-sumer or trade benefit could not be communicated.

In raw materials, two technologies have largely domi-

nated product design news—enzymes and bleach.

Technology Overview

Enzymes

In the preceding five years, enzyme technology has main-tained itself as a dominant force in detergents. In 1997, for example, enzymes in detergents accounted for about 40% of the industrial enzyme market, U.S. detergents being the sin-gle largest market (Fig. 4).

From a technical perspective, the benefits made possible by major advances in protein engineering over the past

124 R.S. Carpenter

Fig. 1. Heavy duty liquid detergent cost per job—premium vs. powders.

Fig. 2. Liquid detergent regional market share: Canada,United States, and Latin America.






decade have now provided formulators with the capabilityof literally choosing any of Nature’s basic hydrolyticenzymes in formulating laundry detergents. This includes notonly proteases for the removal of protein stains (such asgrass or blood), but amylase for starchy food soils, lipasefor removing food grease/oil, and the newest enzyme classof materials to be added—cellulases.

Fabric Appearance—CellulaseEnzyme Technology

In fact, cellulases have received the primary share of marketattention over the past five years as the technology was broadly expanded across the region. This enzyme was firstcommercialized by Novo Nordisk (Bagsvaerd, Denmark) in

the 1990s as a proprietary, monocomponent cellulase, calledCarezyme. In detergent formulations, this enzyme delivereda major discontinuity beyond cleaning, literally extendingthe useful life of cotton fabrics. The enzyme works byselectively hydrolyzing damaged microfibrils on worn cottongarment surfaces and facilitating their removal through nor-mal abrasion which occurs during the typical washing anddrying process (Figs. 5,6).

This technology was most significant because it funda-mentally changed consumer expectations of future laundry product performance, and its success helped spark interestagain in new enzyme. Over the past five years, the industry

Laundry in the Americas: Status and Future 125

Fig. 3. Powder/liquid share growth.

Fig. 4. Global enzyme market sales: $1.1 billion. Fig. 5. Damanged microfibrils.







clearly stepped up its research activities. From 1985–1995,more than 500 patent applications were published onenzymes for laundry products. The bulk of these was stillrelated to proteases, the most widespread but also the firstenzyme in commercial use. Activity on new enzymesaccounted for only 7% of the total. In just the past 2 years,however, more than 300 patent applications were publishedwith the percentage dealing with new enzymes almost triplethe number from the previous decade. Roughly half of theseapplications describe either enzyme bleaching systems or the use of oxidoreductases in cleaning applications focused

on better low-temperature cleaning, associated color bene-fits such as dye-transfer inhibition, or new benefits, such assanitation.

From a commercial perspective, enzymes such as oxi-doreductases represent the kind of new core capability weneed to establish to keep the industry competitive and grow-ing beyond the stable of current materials. While theseenzymes are complex relative to their hydrolytic counterparts,often containing metalo-heme groups, they demonstrate newand unique oxidation chemistry with the potential for a vari-ety of detergent applications. In the patent literature, someof the general systems described are oxidase enzymes, likeglucose oxidase, which is able to generate peroxide in situ; perhydrolysis systems using a hydrolase enzyme, such as a

protease of lipase, combined with a precursor to form peracids in situ; and peroxidases.Of the three, peroxidases offer one of the best views of

this new catalytic chemistry since they have received bothcommercial and patent attention, with applications in oxi-dizing fugitive dyes during the wash, stain removal, and san-itization.

Generally, these enzymes require a multicomponent sys-tem to complete their oxidation cycle. This system typicallyencompasses the enzyme, a mediator or cofactor, andhydrogen peroxide as the initial source of oxidant. Here inFigure 7, the overall reaction is summarized, basically showing

how the enzyme’s oxidation state is increased via reactionwith peroxide, shown in the upper right, which in turn cat-alyzes oxidation of mediator molecules in one of severalsteps leading to oxidation of the substrate. This chemistryturns out to be some of the most sophisticated yet developedfor detergents. And, while cost has been the main limiter for

broad commercial application in laundry products, the tech-nology continues to receive a great deal of interest.

Growth and Expansion of Detergent

with Acti vated Bleach

Turning to the world of bleaches, hydrophobic bleach technol-ogy in detergent with built-in bleaches continued to be a major success story over the past five years, and a direct outcome of the earlier trend toward increased multifunctionality. By 1993,this segment commanded about an 11% share of the NorthAmerican market. Today, five years later, it stands at about 30%and growing. Globally, powders dominate the segment usingtechnology that is still delivered by one of two approaches: peroxide-only with perborate/percarbonate, or activated peroxy-acids and peroxides based on oxygen bleach activators.

As has been documented repeatedly, with the advent of cooler wash temperatures and shorter wash times (particu-larly in North and South America), hydrophobic activator systems, such as NOBS (Nonanoyl Oxybenzene Sulfonate),combined with either perborate or percarbonate as a perox-ide source, proved to be most effective. Generated in situduring the wash, these systems transform simple peroxideinto a much more effective hydrophobic oxygen bleach,forming a peroxyacid, and a secondary oxidant, diacyl per-oxide (Fig. 8). This dual-action system has delivered botheffective whitening and broad stain removal along withexcellent fabric and color safety.

Challenges in Future Bleach Development

Designing better performance chemistry into one moleculewhile maintaining fabric and color safety, and minimizingcost, has proven to be a significant technical challenge. Thischallenge is further exemplified if one looks at the absence of bleach technology in HDL’s, that is, the absence of the coun-terpart to powder detergent with bleach. In the early 1990s,responding to the success of powder-with-bleach products andin the absence of available technology, HDL first introduced products with “bleach alternative” technology. These HDLlargely derived their bleach-like benefits from the presence of higher levels of materials such as surfactant, enzymes, and brighteners. Patenting activity has continued on the develop-

ment of true bleach chemistry. Over the past two to three years,as many as 30% of patent applications in liquids are related to bleach development of one sort or another. Full formula HDLwork has been reported using both aqueous and nonaqueousapproaches, with aqueous systems appearing to be potentiallya more cost-effective route. Several systems were described:those that include peroxide-only, activator technology—anal-ogous to NOBS and TAED (Tetra Acetyl Ethylene Diamine)in powders—and the use of preformed peracids.

Of the three routes, peracids seem to be one of the morenovel and innovative approaches. Having said this, the liter-

126 R.S. Carpenter

Fig. 6. Cellulose-treated fibers.






Fig. 7. Peroxidase mechanism pathway.

Fig. 8. NOBS perhydrolysis chemistry.






ature shows that formulating preformed peracids into HDL’scarries with it a number of challenges still to be worked out.Over the past 10 years, three materials in particular havereceived a lot of attention, (Fig. 9) the diperacid, DPDA(Diperoxy Dodecanediol Acid), PAP (Phthaloyl AminoPeroxocaproic Acid), and the imido diperacid, TPCAP

(Terephthaloyl Diamino Percarboxy Caproic Acid) (4).Each of these approaches was described in the literatureoffering different advantages, but the general trend has beento decrease the solubility of the peracid in order to improveits stability and matrix compatibility in the product, withthe expectation that the peracid becomes fully solubilizedonce added to the wash. Formulators face different chal-lenges depending on which peracid approach is used. Thetechnical problems encountered with more soluble peracids, such as with DPDA, include the need for improv-ing stability by minimizing hydrolysis, minimizing oxida-tion of other formula components like perfumes or enzymesand, in addition, protecting against decomposition (such asfrom heavy metals) which can release oxygen and require package venting. In approaches with a less-soluble peracid,like TPCAP, one minimizes in-product reactivity, but thenfaces other hurdles, such as stabilizing insoluble peracid particles in the formula, optimizing its aesthetics in the product, and minimizing peracid solubilization by surfac-tant which then simply recreates the issues noted above indealing with more soluble peracids. In either case, the over-all strategy here has been to choose bleach materials and product components that help stabilize peracid activity inthe formula and then still facilitate bleaching and cleaningwhen added to the wash—reinforcing further just how dif-ficult it has become to develop a next-generation bleachsystem for detergents.

The reason for focusing on enzyme and bleach technolo-gies, beyond giving credit to their business-building contri-

butions over the past five or so years, is that like many of thematerials which are candidates for improvement, they face

the question of “Where do we go from here?” It may well be that many technologies in use today are at a crossroad, anotion which is supported by today’s high level of inventiveactivity, but with a lower rate of innovation.

Future Market and Consumer Trends

Converging on a Common Wash Process

So what does the path forward look like over the next 5–10years? Well, predicting the future in the laundry business hasalways proven risky, but if we consider the reticence of the past few years an indication of the future, then it is doubtfulthat our predictions will be more accurate than they werefive years ago. All consumer needs today are still far from being met, and, along with the market, are changing again.

In many ways, the answer to this question is that the futureis already happening, but more inventive effort should befocused more closely at today’s market and consumer trends.One of the more exciting elements about the next 5–10 yearsis the potential to move toward a common wash process, cer-

tainly regionally—possibly globally, based on cooler washtemperatures and concentrated washing through the expectedgrowth of low-water, high-efficiency washing machines.

The Continued Trend to Cooler Wash

Temperatures

While the trend to cooler wash temperatures is certainly notnew, its momentum is reaching a point where change is nownecessary to improve laundry product performance. TheUnited States, for example, has been on a slow but a steadytrend toward cooler wash temperatures for some time. Aswash temperatures continue to decrease over the next 5–10years products simply have to change to improve in areaslike cold-water cleaning and critical physical properties,

such as dissolution and solubility, to stay competitive. Thesechanges will by design necessitate changes in raw materials

128 R.S. Carpenter

Fig. 9. Pre-formed peracids.





and will likely affect technologies like enzymes, bleach, andsurfactants most strongly. As Figure 10 shows, since 1975the percentage of washloads done in hot water has alreadydeclined significantly, and is projected to decline by almost50% by the year 2000. The interesting part is that the shiftis going exclusively to cold water, which in the UnitedStates averages about 18°C/64°F. The percentage of loadswashed in warm water (~31°C/88°F) has stayed fairly con-stant at about 50% over the years (5).

However, this too is changing. Propelled by changes inappliance wash cycles, warm-water temperature will trenddown as well, as the percentage of cold water blended intowarm-water wash cycles has been increased from 50 to 60%in many machines.

From a technological perspective, the net of this is to seecold-water washing less as a trend, and more as a global norm.Europe’s norm for wash temperatures, for example, is alreadyabout 40°C, and Latin America/Asia have largely been cold-

water wash geographies. With the world converging on cooler water washing and formulators looking to standardize prod-ucts more globally, cold-water performance will be a basic product design strategy for future product platforms.

Concentrated Washing—The Introduct ion of High Efficiency Washing Machines

The second element in this convergence is that washing condi-tions will become more concentrated. Washing machines in North America, which have not significantly changed in process for over the past 40+ years are changing now, andin ways that will most affect our industry—by altering

material choices.The introduction of high-efficiency washing machines in

North America will increase wash concentrations three tofive times over what they are today, using less water and bringing North America in line with European wash con-


Fig. 10. Cooler wash trend—percentage of washloads in hot water.

Fig. 11. Wash comparisons.






centrations (Fig. 11).While originally developed in response to government

changes for new energy regulations, these regulations haveso far been pushed out until around 2002. However, in theabsence of mandating regulations, the appliance industryhas proceeded with new machine introductions because

water utilization remains a growing issue and, as the indus-try is discovering, the increased cleaning performance andfabric care benefits from these machines can generate highconsumer appeal in their own right. Frigidaire introduced itsnew Gallery H-axis machines in 1995. Maytag soon fol-lowed with their new H-axis Neptune machine in 1997.Maytag, for example, is generating significant consumer response even with their machines priced at almost three timescurrent U.S. machines representing as much as 20% of newwasher sales in some markets.

It is not yet clear which principal design features for thesemachines will be dominant long-term. Market and patentinformation show effort on both H-axis and V-axis machines. For detergents, the important issue is the focus on concentration.

How will a cooler water, concentrated wash processlikely affect product design (5)?Product concentrations will certainly look more like those

in Europe, but as new machines are staying with shorter washtimes and lower wash temperatures, wash cycles could look more like those in North America today. Technologies will geta boost from concentration but still face kinetic issues. It isalso not clear yet whether any of these machines will offer consumers heater control of wash temperatures, a commonfeature on many European machines. Another change, expectload sizes to increase as well, as these machines offer con-sumers larger capacity without agitators.

Not unexpectedly, new detergent formulas will need to be lower sudsing (due to increased product concentration),with improved dispersion rates (due to the lower water vol-ume) and particularly for powders—with better solubility.

There has been a lot of discussion around dosage, but justas in Europe, dosages are not expected to change much.Most detergent technology is designed to work as a functionof soil and fabric levels at the surface, not in solution.

With respect to individual technologies, consider that initial price of entry will likely not require whole new chemistries, butachieving acceptable performance will demand changes in thetype and level for many of the kinds of materials used cur-rently—with opportunity and momentum to develop new, dif-ferent, and more globally standardized chemistry.

As in Europe, significant increases in the level of sudssuppressor can be anticipated and, not unexpectedly, thesearch will be needed for lower foaming surfactants that

work better in cold water.One of the more significant pieces of news is that

builders will finally build under North American wash con-ditions. Reducing water levels by three to five times willgive most premium products today the opportunity to gofrom underbuilt to built for most wash conditions. Theseconditions could also reopen the long forgotten opportunityto consider new soluble builder chemistry.

Expect significant opportunities in the polymer area. Afivefold increase in the effective concentration of polymer levels in North American wash conditions will have a pro-found effect on improving polymer performance, whether it

is dispersion, soil release, or dye-transfer inhibition.Enzymes and bleaches face an interesting mix of issues.

On one hand, concentrated washing offers the opportunityfor significant increases in the performance of both, butcolder water temperatures and short wash cycles will stillchallenge performance rates, especially should these remain

the standard in new machines.An anecdotal consideration on wash temperatures is also

worth noting, as the focus of temperature has typically beenon water. In low-water machines without heating options,future wash temperatures are likely to be as affected by thethermal impact of clothes weight. While this is somethingnot considered much today, the effect can swing averagewash temperatures by five or more degrees.

Although the market for these machines is still small, rep-resenting about 2% of the U.S. market, it is growing and its potential to impact the industry, along with its high consumer appeal, have already convinced companies like Procter &Gamble and Unilever to introduce new products specially for-mulated for the high efficiency, low-water machines, whichhave been in the market for over a year.

Summary: Innovating to Meet Future Needs

As with technology, this example served primarily to illus-trate a point that the industry has come through a period of transition in detergents, particularly in North America andis now at the beginning of seeing change once again in mar-kets and with consumers. Further, while consumers are moredemanding than ever before, basic consumer needs in laun-dry are fundamentally the same, and the number one unmetneed today is still for improved cleaning. With all this, thereseems to be little reason that our pace of innovation shouldslow down. At the same time, it is ironic as well to note thatin 1998 patent activity in detergents was at an all-timehigh—up almost 40% since 1991 (Fig. 12), with patentactivity on key technologies, such as surfactants, enzymes, and bleach also increasing over the past four years (Fig. 13).

There is no doubt that today, market and technical challengessignificantly raise the bar to delivering real innovation, but thesehurdles should not be driving us to incrementalism. New ideasare needed, but these ideas need to not only be better, but nowfundamentally different and worthwhile in order to have anyappeal with today’s more skeptical and time-hurried consumers.

In summary, over the past five years, the industry has verysuccessfully built the regional business by expanding on the product strategies and technologies introduced earlier in thedecade. As a result, the business has grown, but it is time wemove on technologically to the challenges of the next decadeand reestablish the ability to innovate as well as invent. It is

very clear that without the sustained pace of innovation,historically established, future growth opportunities will belost, and eventually consumers will lose confidence in prod-uct value and differentiation in the market. Most important,there would be a real risk of seeing the industry becomeincreasingly commodity-based. However, in the view of anoptimist who sees the glass as half full, these challenges arecertain to be met. It is likely that the Fifth World Conferencewill report the industry has sensed that its markets andconsumers have changed, has taken the lead in converging ona new wash process which provides for better water and energy

130 R.S. Carpenter




management and that once again innovation is driving its growth.

References

1. Source: Information Resources, Inc., Chicago, Illinois.2. Sussman, J., Latin American Laundry Care, HAPPI 5: 49-52

(1998).

3 Source: Information Resources, Inc., Chicago Illinois.

4 Knowlton, C.N., Coope, J., Kuzmenka, D., and Naser, M.S.

U. S. Patent 5,712,239 (1998).

5 SDA Publication: Detergents and Laundry Additives: High

Efficiency Washers, The Soap and Detergent Association, New

York, 1996, pp. 1–12.


Fig. 12. Patent index summary: detergent industry patents; 1,762 publications in 1990. *, 40% increase in publications vs. 1991.

Fig. 13. Patent index summary.



technology trends in laundry products

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