New multicomponent laundry system, “ECOLABEL”, at low temperatures and with low water consumption for industrial laundries

Abstract

This Final Degree Project explains the development of a laundry washing multicomponent system for industrial laundries, composed of an atomized powder detergent and a fabric softener. The current situation makes research focuses on obtaining a detergent that is efficient at low temperatures (50 °C), which requires a minimum energy and water consumption and also meets European standards for biodegradability established by EU- Ecolabel certification. For the development of a powdered detergent initially was done a comparative analysis of the formula of old atomized base D74 with the new atomized base D75. This latter is the atomized base from which detergent formulation was relied. Once the new detergent was formulated, a series of studies were conducted: the first was consisted of selecting a perfume that fulfill the EU-Ecolabel certificate without sacrificing high values of odour and substantiation. Then the effectiveness of the product at different temperatures was measured, to determine if the temperature of 50 °C, fixed objective, was a limit temperature or it could work at less temperature without losing much effectiveness. The new detergent was compared with different washing systems of the company in liquid and solid format and with competence products, in order to see if the new detergent was a competitive product with high cost efficiency ratio . These results led to a study of the degradation produced by the detergent on the fabric and an attempt to improve the oxidizing power of this. For the Development of fabric softener it was started from an old formula of no longer stocked softener of the company, which was modified in order to obtain a highly efficient softener with a high aromatic component, obtained by adding microencapsulated perfume.