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Laundry detergents
Anti-redeposition with LignoBrite
Soil Redeposition Issues
In powder and liquid laundry detergents, soil redeposition is a major concern – especially in low-temperature and short-cycle washes. Without the right dispersant system, dirt and particles removed during washing can settle back onto fabrics, causing greying and loss of brightness. Today’s synthetic dispersant polymers used to control greying are based on petroleum.
The Encrustation Challenge
Hard water often contains high levels of calcium. During washing, calcium can deposit onto fabrics, leading to stiff, harsh textures, reduced absorbency, and faster fabric wear. To counteract this, petroleum-based polymers such as polycarboxylates and complexing agents are typically used to bind calcium and keep it away from fabrics.
Bio-Based Greying Prevention and anti-encrustation
LignoBrite provides effective anti-redeposition performance by dispersing and stabilising soils in the wash liquor, keeping them suspended and away from fabric surfaces. Bio-based1 and biodegradable2, it offers a natural alternative to synthetic polymers, compatibility with enzymes and modern builder systems. LignoBrite is also stable in, and compatible with, highly harsh systems such as highly concentrated sodium hydroxide used in industrial laundry.
LignoBrite is engineered with effective calcium-binding properties, preventing calcium salts from attaching to fabrics and causing encrustation. This results in softer textiles, better long-term fabric quality, and reduced greying from mineral build-up.
reduced fabric greying results
Lab testing demonstrates how the dispersion properties of LignoBrite prevent redeposition of soils onto fabrics. In the test, black cooking oil (pigmented with carbon black) is added to hard water and stirred. LignoBrite is introduced into one of the beakers, and white cotton–polyester fabric squares are immersed and stirred for 10 minutes. After removal, the fabric from the LignoBrite beaker remains visibly cleaner, showing that LignoBrite disperses soils effectively and prevents redeposition — directly supporting anti-greying performance in laundry detergents:
Laundry anti-redeposition test
Experiment
5 consecutive washes (Miele PW 6065 machine), in hard water, with mixed ballast soil (CFT greying sock). Detergent base compared with polyacrylate or LignoBrite.
Results
LignoBrite outperformed polyacrylate in reducing greying of polyester, comparable on cotton.
Conclusion
Dispersion properties reduce greying in laundry.
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Kiilto launches world's first laundry powder with Borregaard's LignoBrite
"LignoBrite gives superior cleaning performance while significantly reducing carbon emissions compared to conventional synthetic ingredients"
— Tomi Peltonen, RDI Manager at Kiilto