Alcohol free, low viscosity, and high water content air freshener compositions
An alcohol free, low viscosity, and high-water content air freshener composition is provided. The transparent microemulsion system is stable at a broad range of temperatures. The main ingredient of the composition is water. The composition is free of conventionally-used amphiphilic surfactants including ionic and non-ionic surfactants. The composition contains an oil phase, an aqueous phase and at least one glycol ether solvent. The system is compatible for a wide scope of water-immiscible ingredients that are used in fragrances and flavors.
1. An air freshener system consisting of:
water in a portion by weight of between 40% and 60%;
water-immiscible oil in a portion by weight of between 0.01% and 40%; and
glycol ether in a portion by weight of between 10% and 70%,
where the glycol ether has a lipophilic aliphatic chain comprising between 1 to 6 carbons and a hydrophilic chain comprising between 1 and 3 glycol units.
2. The system of system of claim 1 , where:
the glycol units are ethylene glycol units.
3. The system of system of claim 1 , where:
the glycol units are propylene glycol units.
4. The system of system of claim 1 , where:
the glycol ether is diethylene glycol mono butyl ether.
5. The system of system of claim 1 , where:
the glycol ether comprises a phenyl ring.
6. The system of system of claim 1 , where:
the glycol ether comprises a polyaromatic ring.
7. The system of claim 1 , where:
the water-immiscible oil is present in a portion by weight of between 0.01% and 20%.
8. The system of claim 1 , Where:
the water is present in a portion by weight of between 50% and 50%.
9. The system of claim 1 , where:
the water comprises at least one of tap water, deionized water, and distilled water.
10. The system of claim 1 , where:
the glycol ether has a calculated HLB value between 12 and 16.
11. An air freshener base consisting of:
water in a portion by weight of between 40% and 60%;
glycol ether in a portion by weight of between 40% and 60%; and
a preservative in a portion by weight of between 0.1% and 2.0%,
where the glycol ether has a lipophilic aliphatic chain comprising between 1 to 6 carbons and a hydrophilic chain comprising between 1 and 3 glycol units.
12. The air freshener base of claim 1 , where:
the glycol ether is diethylene glycol mono butyl ether.
13. The air freshener base of claim 1 , where:
the glycol ether is dipropylene glycol mono n-hexyl ether.
14. An air freshener system consisting of:
water in a portion by weight of between 40% and 60%;
water-immiscible oil in a portion by weight ot between 0.01% and 40%; and
glycol ether in a portion by weight of between 10% and 70%,
where the glycol ether has hydrophilic-lipophilic balance between 12 and 16.
15. The system of system of claim 14 , where:
the glycol ether is diethylene glycol mono butyl ether.
16. The system of system of claim 14 , where:
the glycol ether is dipropylene glycol mono n-hexyl ether.