Cationic Inulin – The Next Generation Ingredient for 2-in-1 Laundry Detergents

Originally presented at the Virtual 2020 AOCS Annual Meeting & Expo. All #AOCS2020 presentations are available on-demand until May 2021. View this presentation at https://cdmcd.co/vb83J6 Presenting author, Robert Nolles, Director of M&S at Cosun Biobased Products, will discuss a new range of quaternary polymers that was developed through the functionalization of inulin, which is a naturally occurring polysaccharide extracted from chicory. The high reactivity of the inulin backbone allows much higher degrees of substitution (resulting in higher charge densities) than can be achieved with cellulose and guar. Another advantage of using inulin as a backbone is that it results in an inherently biodegradable ingredient, which complies with the trends in the home and fabric care industry. This research has shown that cationic inulin demonstrates excellent softening in combination with a significant static reduction effect in 2-in-1 laundry detergents, at use levels over 50% lower than typical cationic polymers such as PQ-10 and cationic guar. This presentation will posit cationic inulin as a viable option for a next-generation ingredient for fabric softening, particularly suitable for use in 2-in-1 laundry detergents: high performing, user-friendly and sustainable.