US 12,467,861 B2
Method of quantifying the removal of hydrocarbon component from a soiled fabric by a washing process
Andrew Beeby, Newcastle upon Tyne (GB); Anju Deepali Massey Brooker, Newcastle upon Tyne (GB); Joseph Copsey, Newcastle upon Tyne (GB); Matthew Alexander Leivers, Durham (GB); Andrei Markin, Bristol (GB); and Andrew Philip Moon, Newcastle upon Tyne (GB)
Assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed by The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH (US)
Filed on Jun. 15, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/210,240.
Application 18/210,240 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2022/034436, filed on Jun. 22, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 21181276 (EP), filed on Jun. 23, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0324294 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
Int. Cl. G01N 21/359 (2014.01); D06L 1/12 (2006.01); G01N 21/33 (2006.01); G01N 21/3563 (2014.01); G01N 33/36 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/359 (2013.01) [D06L 1/12 (2013.01); G01N 21/33 (2013.01); G01N 21/3563 (2013.01); G01N 33/367 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of quantifying the removal of hydrocarbon component from a soiled fabric by a washing process, wherein the soiled fabric comprises at least about 0.5 wt % hydrocarbon component wherein the method uses near infra-red (NIR) analysis, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
(a) performing non-contact NIR analysis of the soiled fabric to determine the concentration of hydrocarbon component present on the soiled fabric at multiple points;
(b) washing the soiled fabric to obtain a washed fabric;
(c) performing non-contact NIR analysis of the washed fabric to determine the concentration of hydrocarbon component present on the washed fabric at the same multiple points that were used in step (a); and
(d) quantifying the removal of hydrocarbon component from the soiled fabric by the washing process.