By the BASF Home Care and I&I team
An enzyme typically makes up a small percentage of an overall detergent formula, but it’s hard to overstate its importance. When optimized in the right product, enzymes blend stability, efficacy and sustainability – an ROI trifecta for formulators.
Let’s review the basics of enzymes and understand why formulators are increasingly reframing enzymes as an essential component of detergents.
What is an enzyme?
An enzyme is a protein that speeds up chemical reactions in living organisms. They’re known as catalysts because they kickstart a change.
As catalysts, enzymes can alter chemical reactions without the enzyme itself being altered, which makes the enzyme reusable. An enzyme can catalyze reactions repeatedly.
There are several different categories of enzymes, each with its own specialty. This article covers four types: protease, amylase, cellulase, and mannanase.
Blood, sweat and tears
Discussion of enzymes can quickly fall into esoteric scientific jargon. Fortunately, detergents present a great opportunity to illustrate the power of the enzyme.
Let’s use the example of a blood stain. A simple skinned knee will heal quickly, but without the right detergent, the blood stain on your pants may stick around for the long haul. Stains like these often send damaged textiles to the landfill, which is costly and wasteful.
Enter the protease enzyme. The protease enzyme is ideally suited to breaking down protein-based stains, like blood or egg. You might be surprised to learn that grass also counts as a protein-based stain – and human sweat, too!
The chemical reaction that the protease enzyme catalyzes is the breakdown of the stain itself. That breakdown would happen eventually on its own, at least to some extent, but if you don’t have decades or centuries to wait around, a protease enzyme will speed up that chemical reaction. And it can do it in the time it takes to do a load of laundry.
Enzymes in detergent formulations
If every household included a trained scientist with access to special ingredients, they might be able to leverage enzyme technology on their own. (Bobby spilled ice cream on his shirt? Let mom or dad grab the mannanase and their lab equipment!)
Fortunately, ingredient suppliers have made enzyme technology much more accessible by developing enzyme-based products that formulators can add to detergent formulations. Enzymes enhance the stain-fighting power of detergent, making a favorite brand even more potent against the most notoriously stubborn stains.
Again, each enzyme has a specialty. Protease, with its power against common stains, is the most commonly deployed in detergent formulations, but it’s not the only one worth noting. Cellulase is ideal for combating the microfibrils (pilling) that often forms on cotton fabric. Amylase takes on starches Mannanase can break down a form of simple sugars (see Bobby’s problem above). No lab equipment required for the end user.
Powerful sustainability
Powerful stain removal is a compelling reason to include enzymes in detergent formulations, but it’s not the only reason. Formulators are attracted by enzymes’ sustainability and biodegradability. Some enzyme-based products have been developed to ensure peak performance even at lower wash temperatures.
The market has shifted dramatically toward eco-friendlier, more sustainable options – and yet consumers don’t want to compromise efficacy. Enzymes are the perfect solution, as they offer a compelling blend of sustainability and performance. They have been in use for many years (research published in 1998 in the Journal of Surfactants and Detergents heralded their usefulness), but this market shift – along with the release of new products that leverage the latest technology – have put enzymes squarely in the spotlight.
Enzymes have become a core component of laundry detergents – an expected element rather than a bonus. And the most successful formulators will be those who leverage enzyme-based products that make the most out of the natural sustainability, efficacy, and stability of selected enzymes.
A little goes a long way
As we mentioned, enzyme products need only make up a small percentage of a formulation – often less than 5% – to pack a powerful punch. Since consumers increasingly view enzymes as an expected element, it’s important for formulators to shift from viewing enzymes as a premium to viewing them as a high-ROI, unmissable element.
Where to look
When seeking enzyme-based products for formulations, look for those with high demonstrated performance at both higher and lower temperatures to optimize the core benefits of sustainability and efficacy. If brightness and color protection are key goals, make sure cellulase is under your consideration. Protease is a powerhouse for a lot of applications, but it’s important to choose one that is as stable as it is versatile.
BASF offers a number of high-performing, sustainable enzyme-based products, and is constantly innovating new products. Two of the latest are Lavergy Pro 114 LS and Lavergy C Bright 100 L.
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