AT509864A4 - nucleating - Google Patents

Description

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The invention relates to a nucleating agent, as it can be used for the production of artificial snow (= technical snow = machine snow) use.

The increasing climate change, in particular global warming, requires intensive work being carried out on 5 methods for the artificial or technical influencing of the atmospheric water vapor condensation processes and in particular snow production.

One of the consequences of global warming is increasingly causing negative effects, on the one hand on tangible and agricultural goods in the event of hailstorms and on the other hand on tourism, 10 in particular due to insufficient quantities of snow.

Methods using artificial nucleation agents (= additives) in technical / artificial processes to bring about rain or fend off hail and to optimize artificial snow production are particularly critical, since they may have adverse effects on the environment (limited environmental compatibility) and long-term effects Energy needs to be considered.

When producing artificial snow, freezing centers are used as additives (= nucleating agents). Alternatively, condensation nuclei in water vapor saturated cloud formations are used to fend off hail or to cause clouds to deliberately rain down.

Freezing nuclei are known as nucleating agents based on, for example, freeze-dried bacteria "Pseudomonas syringae", which due to special proteins are able to raise the nucleation temperature of water. If this nucleating agent (= additive), ie the dried bacterium "Pseudomonas syringae", used in the snow, can be done at higher wet bulb temperatures, effective artificial snow, which is possible at higher temperatures, as in snow water without the addition of nucleating agents. A disadvantage of this process, in which freeze-dried bacteria are added as nucleating agent (= 30 additive) when producing technical snow, is that this nucleating agent is not permitted in all countries due to its biological origin.

It is further known that natural minerals in the dust form are atmospheric nucleators 35 for forming droplets / ice crystals in clouds, and that impurities in the form of particles of mineral origin (e.g., glacial cut) in the snowwater promote the formation of artificial snow at higher temperatures.

As condensation nuclei for inoculating clouds, silver iodide is usually used in steam-saturated cloud formations, these condensation nuclei being brought into the clouds from aircraft or with the aid of hailstorm rockets. A disadvantage of the use of silver iodide for vaccinating clouds is a possible negative impact on health and safety as well as a possible adverse effect on the vegetation. 5

From DE 694 20 522 T2 it is known to use the juice of the sea-buckthorn plants in the ice-cream preparation in order to allow higher production temperatures.

The object of the invention is to propose nucleating agents (= additives) which exclusively use substances which occur frequently in nature and in appropriate amounts.

This object is achieved with a nucleating agent having the features of claim 1. 15

Preferred and advantageous embodiments of the nucleating agent according to the invention are the subject matter of the subclaims.

The invention is based on the finding that basically all naturally occurring minerals which can be produced naturally or synthetically (eg with the aid of precipitation reactions) can be used as additives (= nucleating agents) for the purposes of the invention.

The advantage of the additive according to the invention (= nucleating agent) is that it can be adapted exactly to the conditions in terms of size, quantity and composition and in its form. This applies with regard to size, quantity and condition for naturally occurring and for synthetically produced nucleating agents of the invention, wherein the morphology, ie the shape, especially in artificially produced nucleating agents can be adapted to the circumstances. 30

The invention thus provides nucleating agents which can be selected specifically with regard to chemical composition, grain size, particle size distribution, concentration and morphology. The nucleating agents according to the invention can be produced by milling or precipitation method exactly with the parameters that make them suitable for use as an additive (= nucleating agent).

In the present case, a mineral is understood as meaning a naturally occurring, mostly crystalline solid having a uniform chemical composition and a structure which is uniform at the microscopic level. In the context of the invention, minerals 40 according to the invention can also be synthesized with the same chemical 5 • * · α · · * ο ·· ···

Composition like the naturally occurring mineral can be produced.

In particular, the following minerals or mixtures thereof are considered within the scope of the invention:

Carbonates: calcium carbonate

Calcium magnesium carbonate (dolomite) 10 15

Barium carbonate Potassium carbonate Sodium carbonate Magnesium carbonate Strontium carbonate Sulfates: Calcium sulfate

Barium sulfate Strontium sulphate Silicates: kaolin

talc

In the context of the invention, it is preferred that the minerals used as nucleating agents (= additive) are either comminuted mechanically to a particle size of 0.05 to 5 μm or, if they are produced by precipitation, by observing defined boundary conditions, be made so that they are in the Komgrößenspectrum 0.05 to 5 pm. 25

Particular consideration is given in the context of the present invention, not least due to its availability ground calcium carbonate on the one hand and precipitated calcium carbonate on the other. Ground calcium carbonate may be e.g. be present as chalk, limestone or marble and is mechanically comminuted after mining in several stages dry and / or wet to the present invention considered grain size between 0.05 and 5 pm. The thus crushed calcium carbonate (crushed grain) is present with an amorphous structure, whereby the shape has not been significantly influenced by the grinding process.

Precipitated calcium carbonate, which is also preferably considered as nucleating agent (= additive) in the context of the invention, has the advantage over ground calcium carbonate that it can be produced in various morphologies and in a very narrow grain size band with high purity. Precipitated calcium carbonate also has the advantage that it can be produced without contamination by organic substances, especially if burnt lime is used as the starting product before the precipitation process. Depending on precipitation conditions, precipitated calcium carbonate may have one of the following morphologies: 5 - scalenohedron - rhombohedron - aragonite - vaterite 10

The crystals can be used as disintegrants according to the invention (= additive) discretely / singly or else in the form of agglomerates. The single crystal sizes are in a preferred range in the invention of about 0.05 to 5 pm. When used, the nucleating agents according to the invention can be sprayed with the aid of pyrotechnic aids or used as a suspension by means of a targeted liquid metering in the snow / feed water of snow guns.

When producing artificial snow (~ technical snow), the number of nucleation nuclei per water droplet can be precisely defined with the aid of a dosage 20 of the nucleating agents (= additives) according to the invention, and thus a continuous amount adapted to the requirements can be selected is adjustable to the given conditions. Thus, the consumption of nucleating agent can be optimized according to the invention. 25

In the case of producing artificial snow (= technical snow), the nucleating agent according to the invention can be used in all snow-making equipment, such as snow lances or propeller machines. Since naturally occurring minerals (even if they have been synthetically produced) are used in the context of the invention, a risk or negative influence on flora and fauna is excluded.

Within the scope of the invention it is also contemplated to increase the effect of the nucleating agents 35 as nucleation nuclei by using them with a coating or in admixture with various natural substances.

Such substances used in combination with the nucleating agent of the present invention (as a coating or as a compounding ingredient) are, for example, 40 amino acids which promote the formation of ice nuclei (in the atmosphere). In particular • # * * t * * * * «*« * • * * * * * * * * # # '«• * * * * lC * · * * * *? # Considered L-leucine, which may be used as a nucleation promoter in conjunction with nucleating agents of the invention, especially ground calcium carbonate or precipitated calcium carbonate. Another substance used in combination with the nucleating agent according to the invention, which can be used, for example, as a coating of the nucleating agents according to the invention, is the sea-buckthorn plant. In particular, the berries and / or the leaves of the sea buckthorn plant are comminuted and subsequently processed as an extract for use as a coating agent. That with the aid of an extraction solution based on solutions of alginates, polygalacturonic acid, amylose, lactose, etc., the active substances are removed from the comminuted / treated sea buckthorn constituents. In the subsequent step, the solid components are separated by common filtration techniques (e.g., filter press); the remaining liquid fraction then contains the corresponding nucleation promoters which subsequently enhance the action of the mineral / synthetic additives.

A considerable advantage of the nucleating agent according to the invention for producing artificial snow is still that the snow volume can be increased, the artificial snow quality can be improved and / or the water / energy consumption can be reduced. 20

Experiments with a propeller snow gun in which precipitated calcium carbonate coated with L-leucine (in powder form) was used as the nucleating agent have shown that technical snow can be produced at about 1.5 ° C. higher wet bulb temperature compared to standard conditions without inventive nucleating agent ,

Hereinafter, an embodiment is shown:

Test date: 30 Location: Machine type: Additive: Average particle size: Morphology: 35 Specific surface area: Coating: Dosage point: Nucleation nuclei: 10.12.2009 Villach (AT)

Areco / Sufag standard propeller machine PCC (precipitated calcium carbonate) 100 nanometers (= 0.1 pm) rhombohedral approx. 17m2 / gr L-leucine (amino acid) Cooling tower basin = suction point for supply pump approx. 70 (assuming 0.75 mm drop diameter) 40 Φ · # ·· «· * · • Λ · · ψ - · ο · ♦ * ··

2 ° C wet snow Yes -2,2eC approx. 2 ° C wet snow. Additive Dosage Wet bulb Temperature Water temperature Result No -2,2 ° C approx. 2 ° C No snow No -3,7 ° C approx

The nucleating agents according to the invention of ground, coated minerals, in particular calcium carbonate as precipitated or ground calcium carbonate, can be produced in the production of artificial snow (= technical snow-machine snow) with a coating / treatment agent from proteinaceous and lipidic components of the sea-buckthorn plant (Hippophae) and / or from amino acids , such as L-leucine, persist.

The nucleating agents according to the invention can, apart from the production of artificial snow (technical snow or machine snow), also for accelerated condensation of water in the atmosphere, in particular as a hailstorm measure, are used. In this context, the accelerating condensation and dripping of water in the atmosphere of importance.

In summary, an embodiment of the invention may be described as follows:

As an additive / nucleating agent for causing condensation of water in clouds to cause rain and / or to produce artificial snow, naturally occurring, mechanically processed minerals or synthetically produced minerals 25 of the same chemical composition, or a mixture of both types in one Grain size between 0.05 and 5 pm used. Particularly contemplated are nucleating agents in the form of mineral carbonates, sulfates or silicates, with calcium carbonate being particularly preferred. The nucleating agents may be provided with a coating which acts as a nucleation promoter, such coatings in particular being amino acids.

Claims (10)

· · ♦ »· • · · * · · · • · · • · · · · '·· • .i7 Claims 1. A nucleating agent for the production of technical snow, artificial snow or even machine snow, characterized in that it comprises a particulate mineral. 2. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a ground mineral. 3. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a mineral obtained by precipitation. 4. Composition according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the nucleating agent in admixture with a nucleation promoter in the form of a coating / admixture of proteinaceous and lipidic components of the sea-buckthorn plant and / or amino acids, in particular L-leucine present. 5. Composition according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the Teilchengrölie is between 0.05 and 5 pm. 20 6. Composition according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the nucleating agent is selected from the group consisting of mineral carbonates, in particular calcium carbonate, calcium magnesium carbonate, barium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, strontium carbonate, mineral sulfates, especially Caiciumsutfat, barium sulfate, strontium sulfate and mineral silicates, in particular kaolin, talc, quartz sand. 7. Composition according to claim 6, characterized in that the agent is ground calcium carbonate. 30 8. Composition according to claim 6, characterized in that the agent is precipitated calcium carbonate. 9. Composition according to claim 8, characterized in that the means of a suspension 35 of quicklime in water (hydrated lime) precipitated calcium carbonate. 10. Composition according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the agent comprises mechanically processed minerals or synthetically produced minerals with the same chemical composition, or a mixture of both types. 1. A nucleating agent for the production of technical snow, artificial snow or even machine snow, comprising a present in the form of particles having a particle size between 0.05 and 5 pm mineral as a nucleating agent, characterized in that the nucleating agent with a nucleation promoter in the form of a 2. Composition according to claim 1, characterized in that the nucleating agent is selected from the group consisting of mineral carbonates, in particular calcium carbonate, calcium magnesium carbonate, barium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, strontium carbonate, mineral sulfates , in particular calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, strontium sulfate and mineral silicates, in particular kaolin, talc, quartz sand. 3. Composition according to claim 2, characterized in that the agent is ground calcium carbonate. 4. Composition according to claim 3, characterized in that the agent is precipitated calcium carbonate. 5. Composition according to claim 4, characterized in that the agent is precipitated calcium carbonate from a suspension of quicklime in water (hydrated lime). 6. Composition according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the agent comprises mechanically processed minerals or synthetically produced minerals with the same chemical composition, or a mixture of both types.