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The development of an effective detergent for the dishwasher based on the natural component
INTRODUCTION
In connection with the worsening environmental situation, the qualitative composition of detergents offered by leading manufacturers of powders, gels and tablets for dishwashers raises concern. Water from the dishwasher, entering the sewage system, contains an excessive amount of phosphates, which cause rapid growth of blue-green algae [1], which adversely affects the state of water bodies, and many chemical reagents enter the human body due to insufficiently good rinsing dishes . The amount of water consumed may vary depending on the year of manufacture and the brand of the dishwasher. The general rule is this: the more expensive a dishwasher, the less it consumes electricity and water. However, no matter how simple or old the dishwasher, the water consumption per cycle extremely rarely exceeds 20 liters. And most of the newest models in general "fit" in 10 liters. Phosphates are added to water softeners. It is in soft water that the properties of the other components of the agent are fully manifested. But phosphates are not the most dangerous components. Since the main task of washing dishes is the destruction of microorganisms, bacteria, and the removal of food debris and fats, many components are introduced into the composition of detergents, making it possible to get glasses transparent and shiny, and pans and pans are non-greasy. Some of the components used adversely affect human health [2], while others poison water and the environment [3]. Modern detergents at low cost have a very high price. There are no reliable and environmentally friendly detergents on the market with an optimal price.
In the present work, the goal is to develop an environmentally friendly detergent mixture for dishwashers with low cost, unlike the leading manufacturers of the market. To achieve this goal it is necessary to solve a number of tasks:
- to study the compositions of existing tablets for dishwashers of leading brands
- to study the toxicity of the components of modern detergents
- to make a composition, after washing which the dishes would meet the requirements of SanPin [4]
- to analyze the washings with clean dishes.
THEORETICAL PART
Analysis of the composition of existing detergent tablets
Before developing an environmentally friendly (non-toxic) detergent composition, it is necessary to find out what detergents exist on the current market, what are their positive and negative sides, what companies and trademarks create dishwashing products, than some of the ingredients are dangerous.
On sale there are a variety of detergents for dishwashers. Some products are quite expensive, and high cost is not always an indicator of quality. Sometimes a cheap tool can handle washing even better than its expensive counterpart.
The composition of the tablets for dishwashers of various manufacturers:
ARCFNDIS company Kiehl (Germany). Composition - non-ionic surfactants, polycarboxylates, bleaching components based on oxygen 5-10%, enzymes, flavor (Limonene). The average cost of 1 tablet is 19 rubles.
ECOVER from the Belgian manufacturer. The composition of sodium citrate, sodium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium disilicate, acetic acid, isooctylglucose, glucitol (sorbitol), rapeseed oil methyl esters, glycerin, amylase, subtilisin, limonene, sodium gluconate. The average cost of 25 rubles per pill.
SOMAT. Composition - organic salts, complexing agents, oxygen-containing bleach, phosphonates, polycarboxylates, non-ionic surfactants, TAED, polymer, enzymes, fragrance, dye, preservative. Average 22 rubles per pill.
FINISH. Composition –30% or more phosphates, bleach, polycarboxylates, non-ionic surfactants, phosphonates, enzymes, flavoring. The average cost per pill is 21 rubles.
The main functions of the components
Sodium citrate (sodium salt of citric acid Na 3 C 6 H 5 O 7 ) is necessary to stimulate the formation of foam, has antibacterial properties.
Sodium percarbonate (crystal carbonate of sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide Na 2 CO 3 1,5H 2 O 2 ) has whitening properties, it is necessary for the splitting of dirt.
Sodium carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 soda ash) softens the water.
Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 baking soda) softens the water.
Sodium disilicate (Na 2 Si 2 O 5 ) softens the water and binds the components of the tablet into granules.
Sodium gluconate (gluconic acid sodium salt HOCH 2 (CHOH) 4 COONa) combats scaling, softening water.
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid is necessary for washing scale from a dishwasher (mechanism of action is not specified).
Isooctylglucoside is a synthetic anion-active substance that is part of the rinse, which reduces the surface tension of water
Sorbitol is a sweetener.
Esters of rapeseed oil - necessary to reduce the surface tension of water, are part of the rinse.
Glycerin - necessary for viscosity, bonding of all substances.
Amylase and protease (enzymes) - promote the breakdown of proteins and carbohydrates.
Subtilisin is an enzyme of the hydrolase class, a serine endopeptidase catalyzing the hydrolysis of proteins and peptides.
Surface active substances for the formation of foam [5].
Hypothesis
After analyzing all the components, it becomes clear that:
products with many of these components in the composition, of course, harmful; they can accumulate in the body, do not decompose in nature, causing harm to the environment [6];
they include a large number of substances duplicating in their functionality;
the sweetener is introduced explicitly so that when using the dishes after washing, one does not feel “tasteless” unwashed components;
flavors - substances that are often included in detergents; It is one thing if they are contained in laundry detergent to impart scent to laundry, but why do we need the smell of dishes? Probably, in order to hide the smell of "incomplete freshness" unwashed dishes.
Thus, we believe that part of the components of detergents can be easily excluded from the composition of tablets, gels and powders, and the properties of detergents will not deteriorate, or replace them with others to make products cheaper, more qualitative and more environmentally friendly, if possible.
EXPERIMENTAL PART
2.1. Selection of detergent composition
When studying the composition of detergents, it became obvious that in addition to the detergent degreasing components, the list was supplemented with various fragrances, sulphates and many other substances. Although all this is washed off with water, some of them enter the body. The quantitative proportions of ingredients in industrial detergents are constantly changing: the most toxic chemicals from the list disappear, the cost of production is constantly growing. Detergents should not be subject to mandatory certification, the composition of ingredients is not strictly regulated. Therefore, it can vary from batch to batch, and sometimes does not correspond to the stated formula.
For the manufacture of tablets with good detergency competitive in the market, it makes sense to use non-toxic substances that break down fats and carbohydrates (enzymes), substances that soften water, surfactants to reduce the surface tension of water, compounds for bonding the components of the manufactured tablets [7].
In this paper, the proposed composition of detergent mixtures of three to four components. Mustard powder, sodium citrate can be used as a fat-soluble substance to stimulate the formation of foam, to create an anti-bacterial environment. It is proposed to use soda or baking soda as a bleach and water softener. To achieve the effect of "shine" glassware, an attempt was made to use citric acid (to soften the rigidity).
An attempt has been made to use a component of plant origin that is unusual for industrial mixtures. Since it contains saponins, complex nitrogen-free organic compounds from plant-derived glycosides with surfactant properties, saponin solutions, when agitated, form a thick, durable foam characteristic of detergents [8]. The name comes from the Latin sapo– soap.
Water was used as a binder [9].
For half a year, the optimal composition of the tablet for the dishwasher was selected according to the necessary components and their percentage ratio. Medically safe substances were used as substances decomposing fats, washing away dirt from dishes, softening water, giving it shine, disinfecting dishes: mustard, citric acid, soda ash and baking soda, sodium citrate, natural detergent and some others ( Appendix Table 1). Mustard powder perfectly coped with fat residues, but on a transparent dish left a thin layer of suspension. Soda ash leached clear glass, leaving frosted stains. During the long experiment, these components had to be abandoned, although they can be recommended for washing very greasy pots and pans. Citric acid did not bring any special results, it was also removed from the mixture. The dried fruit of a plant from a sort of saponins was the most "magic" component. They were crushed in a mortar and added as a new component.
The composition, coped with the fat and matte coating on a transparent dish, contained baking soda, sodium citrate and natural detergent powder.
The experiments were carried out on two dishwashers of various brands: Grand and Whirlpool. The degree of contamination of the dishes and the degree of loading was about the same.
2.2. Designing and manufacturing a device for forming tablets
After selecting the optimal detergent composition for more convenient use, it was decided to give it a pill shape. For this purpose, a round metal mold was created, into which a previously prepared, moistened powder was poured. This form was placed in a vice and pressed. The output was a tablet, which was dried and after that was ready for use.
Figure 1. The design of the press for the manufacture of detergent tablets:
a) a steel cylinder to form a tablet; b) washers, which allow compressing the mixture components
2.3. Analysis of washes dishes for the presence of sodium ions
Due to undesirable side effects of sodium ions (edema and weight gain) that are in the water and food consumed by humans, some experts warn about the control of electrolytes in the body. Since sodium citrate and sodium bicarbonate were used as components of the developed composition, a qualitative determination of sodium ions by microcrystalscopic reaction with potassium antimonate was carried out to prove that no detergent residues remain on the surface of the washed dishes [10]. The detection limit of sodium is 0.04 µg, the limiting dilution is 1 2.5-10. The test solution was pretreated with 0.5 M K 2 CO 3 solution to remove heavy and alkaline earth metal ions [11].
The dishes were washed with detergent, then the same dishwasher load was thoroughly rinsed with running water, the machine worked twice with the entire volume of dishes without detergent, and then turned off without drying. A wadded layer was removed from the walls of the dishes, placed on a glass slide, and a qualitative analysis was carried out for the presence of sodium ions. Part of the dishes washed in this way was loaded into the machine and the process of analyzing the presence of sodium ions was repeated with each of the five detergents of industrial composition and developed.
Na + ions are opened by microcrystalscopic reaction with potassium antimonate (KH 2 SbO 4 ). At the same time in a neutral medium a white crystalline precipitate of sodium antimonate NaH 2 SbO 4 is formed :
Na + + KH 2 SbO 4 → NaH 2 SbO 4 ↓ + K +
When performing the reaction, the following conditions were met:
a) a sufficiently high concentration of sodium salt
b) neutral reaction of the test solution (pH ≈ 7)
c) conducting the reaction in the cold, since the solubility of NaH 2 SbO 4 increases strongly with increasing temperature.
A drop of the solution obtained after removal of NH 4 + ions is evaporated to dryness on a slide. Then a drop of KH 2 SbO 4 solution is applied directly to the dried drop. If Na + ions are present, colorless transparent granular crystals are clearly visible under the microscope (Fig. 2).
Fig.2. NaH 2 SbO 4 crystals , confirming the presence of sodium ions
Crystals are formed at the junction of a drop of reagent and a dried drop. Often crystals are found only in a certain place.
drops and need to search. When performing this reaction, it is necessary to carry out a blank experiment , since crystals are almost always visible under the microscope in the solution of the reagent itself. They have another shape that differs from the shape shown in fig. 2
Test tube reaction with KH 2 SbO 4 . 2–3 drops of the solution obtained after removal of NH 4 + ions is poured into the tube. Then create a strictly neutral environment, adding with a pipette a solution of HNO 3 or KOH to pH 7 on indicator paper. An equal volume of the KH 2 SbO 4 reagent solution is added to the neutral solution and stirred with a glass rod. The formation of a white crystalline (not amorphous!) Precipitate indicates the presence of Na + ions in the solution. To accelerate the formation of a precipitate, it is necessary to rub it with a stick against the walls of the tube and cool its contents.
Since sodium ions are already present in tap water, a qualitative reaction could give a positive result only with a high concentration of sodium ions on the surface of the dish.
When washing dishes was used the developed composition. After analyzing the swabs from the plates [12], the analysis did not give a positive result for the presence of sodium ions in any sample,
therefore, it was concluded that the amount of sodium citrate taken in the pill was optimal (Table 2 of the appendix).
2.4. The calculation of the cost of the developed tools for the components
The cost of the new composition of the improved formula for the constituent components was calculated by the formula:
S = C · N , where
C - the price of each component
N is the percentage of each component
S is the cost of each component.
The total cost price of the tablet consists of the sum of the prices of all components [13].
Substituting the data into the formula, the cost of the developed tablet is obtained: 3 rubles 92 kopecks.
The effectiveness of detergents for dishwashers is influenced by two aspects:
firstly, proper storage - tablets are hygroscopic, absorbing moisture, they can lose their consumer properties , and therefore should not be in a wet room, as well as fall under direct sunlight
secondly, the dishes in the car during washing should be loaded not abutly, about two-thirds of the declared volume of the machine by the manufacturer, in this case, the effectiveness of the detergent and the work of the machine itself will be higher, the dishes will be washed better [14].
CONCLUSION
As a result of the work done:
1) developed a detergent composition for dishwashers in the form of a tablet, which is environmentally friendly in relation to the environment and the human body
2) manufactured tablets have a low cost, which distinguishes them from the current means by an average of 6 - 7 times
3) a device was designed and implemented to form four loose components in the form of a tablet
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