CA1330876C - Apparatus for making a post-foaming gel - Google Patents

Apparatus for making a post-foaming gel

Info

Publication number
CA1330876C
CA1330876C CA000585463A CA585463A CA1330876C CA 1330876 C CA1330876 C CA 1330876C CA 000585463 A CA000585463 A CA 000585463A CA 585463 A CA585463 A CA 585463A CA 1330876 C CA1330876 C CA 1330876C
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
foaming agent
gel
pumping
base
foaming
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA000585463A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Paul Wigglesworth
Roger David Ellis
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Colgate Palmolive Co
Original Assignee
Colgate Palmolive Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Colgate Palmolive Co filed Critical Colgate Palmolive Co
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1330876C publication Critical patent/CA1330876C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01FMIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING
    • B01F23/00Mixing according to the phases to be mixed, e.g. dispersing or emulsifying
    • B01F23/40Mixing liquids with liquids; Emulsifying
    • B01F23/49Mixing systems, i.e. flow charts or diagrams

Landscapes

  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Colloid Chemistry (AREA)
  • Feeding, Discharge, Calcimining, Fusing, And Gas-Generation Devices (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Porous Articles, And Recovery And Treatment Of Waste Products (AREA)
  • Paper (AREA)
  • Ultra Sonic Daignosis Equipment (AREA)
  • Seal Device For Vehicle (AREA)
  • Cosmetics (AREA)
  • Materials For Medical Uses (AREA)
  • Meat, Egg Or Seafood Products (AREA)
  • Molding Of Porous Articles (AREA)
  • Processing And Handling Of Plastics And Other Materials For Molding In General (AREA)
  • Processes Of Treating Macromolecular Substances (AREA)
  • Bending Of Plates, Rods, And Pipes (AREA)
  • Detergent Compositions (AREA)
  • Preparation Of Compounds By Using Micro-Organisms (AREA)
  • Glass Compositions (AREA)
  • Agricultural Chemicals And Associated Chemicals (AREA)

Abstract

APPARATUS FOR MAKING
A POST-FOAMING GEL

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An apparatus for making a post-foaming gel comprising, a device for pumping a gel base, a device for measuring the flow rate of the pumped gel base, a device responsive to the measuring device for pumping a foaming agent at a flow rate in a predetermined ratio to the flow rate of the gel base, a device for introducing the foaming agent to the gel base, and a device for forming the gel or emulsion from the introducing device.

Description

.~ 3 ~
BACKGROUND OF
THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for making a post-foaming gel.
Before the present invention, attempts have been made to add foaming agents, such as pentane/butane mixtures to gel bases in conventional partly filled pressure vesseli to make a post-foaming gel. However, any post foaming gel of cosmetically acceptable stiffness will tend to foam spontaneously when exposed to atmospheric pressure if it contains bubbles of air or hydrocarbon. These act as nuclei for foaming, by expanding and shearing the gel in their immediate vicinity. This means that pentane/butane mixtures cannot be incorporated into gel base in a conventional, partly-filled pressure vessel, even when the headspace is pressurized with air or nitrogen. Inevitably some of the water-soluble gas will be entrained in the gel. The resulting spontaneous foaming makes filling into cans very difficult and messy. Even then the product will not settle down on storage to give a satisfactory result.
Taking a potentially 'easy' situation, such as adding only isopentane(B.Pt. 29C) or n-pentane (B.Pt.
37C), there are still problems. Assuming a good gel is produced by cold mixing, you will find that at temperatures around 20C the mixing does vaporise significant amounts of foaming agent and the resulting gel is foamy.
~ hese bubbly gels are not suitable for packing into cans because the external propellant used with the cans gives insufficient pressure to collapse the bubbles on storage. This is largely due to the fact that these gels have a yield value such that they resist ~he applied N-: .

~- ~ 33~ 7~

pressure (or fail to transmit the full effect to the bubbles).
A post-foaming gel is disclosed in U.S. Patent 3r541r581- A continuous method and apparatus to make a post-foaming gel is disclosed in U.S. 4~405~489. The filling of an aerosol can containing an interior plastic bag which holds the product to be dispensed is disclosed in U.S. 4r589rg52.
The U.S. Patent 4r405r489 discloses metering pumps 24 and 25 having a single device mechaniæm 26 on their own drive mechanism.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus for making a post-foaming gelr comprising:
means for pumping a gel base;
means for measuring the flow rate of the pumped gel base;
means responsive to the measuring means for pumping a foaming agent at a flow rate in a predetermined ratio to the flow rate of the gel base;
means for introducing the foaming agent to the gel base; and means for forming the post-foaming gel or emulsion from the introducing means.

The desired ratio of the base and foaming agent is automatically determined and varied as required.
Preferably the apparatus is flame proof, and is of significant construction at reduced cost.
The rate of the base pumping means may be controlled, and preferably means is provided for smoothing out the flow pulsation from the base pumping means.
Preferably the foaming ayent pumping means is variable, and there 1~ means for measuring the flow rate of the foaming agent passing through the foaming agent pumping means.
Preferably the flow rates of the base and foaming agent can be compared.
Another feature of the invention is the provision o~
means for bleeding air and vapor from the foaming agent.

~. ~ 3 ~ 7 J:3 The apparatus may include means for storing the foamed gel or emulsion under pressure, and the gel or emulsion may be selectively passed to a plurality of storage cylinders.
Maximum and minimum filled conditions of the container may be determined.
Preferably the apparatus provides a continuous gel manu-facture with simultaneous can filling capacity.
The pumping means may be interrupted in the event of the maximum and minimum filled conditions of the container.
Further features will become more fully apparent in the following description of the embodiments of this invention and from the appended claims.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus for making a post-foaming gel of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of a pair of storage cylinders for the apparatus of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a metering pump for the apparatus of Figure l;
Figure 4 is a sectional view of a storage cylinder for the apparatus of Figure l; and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of a pneumatic stroke positioner.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown an apparatus generally designated 10 for making a post-foaming gel from a gel base and foaming agent. The apparatus 10 has a storage container 12 for retaining the gel base, with the container 12 being connected to a pump 14 by a conduit 16. Typically, the pump 14 is capabl~ o.f pumping 1,000 liters/hour, and the ~.cj~$ l~

5a 62301-1530 rate of the pump 14 may be manually varied by a control device 18 on the pump 14.
The pump 14 is connected by a conduit 20 to a non-return valve 22 to prevent passage of the foaming agent to the pump 14 and render the apparatus flame-proof. The valve 22 is connected by a conduit 24 to a pressure relief ~ 3 .~ 7 ' valve 26 to prevent excessive pressure in the apparatus 10.
~ The gel base is passed through a conduit 28 to a pulsation dampener 30 to smooth out flow pulsation of the pumped gel base. The gel base passes from the dampener 30 through a conduit 32 to a flow meter 34 which determines the flow rate of the gel base between minimum and maximum limits, such as a range of 0-1000 liters per hour. The flow meter 34 generates an electrical signal indicative of the base flow rate. ~he signal is fed to a current-to-pressure convertor which transforms the electrical Rignal into a pneumatic signal for a purpose which will be described below. The gel base then passes through a conduit 36 to a location 38 in the apparatus 10.
A source of the foaming agent ;s retained in a container 40, and the foaming agent passes from the ~-container 40 through a conduit 42 to a pump 44 which maintains the foaming agent in liquid form. The foaming agent passes from pump 44 through a conduit 46 to a valve 48.
The apparatus 10 has a pneumatic stroke positioner 51 based on a highly responsive, fast acting wedge/cylinder mechanism which adjusts the setting in proportion to 0.2 to 1 bar (3 to 15 lb/in.2) air signal 49. Failure of the air signal or absence of air pressure, returns the stroke setting to zero.
With reference to Figs. 1, 3, and 5, the foaming agent then passes through a conduit 50 to the pump-head 5i of a metering pump 52. The pump 52 has a first one-way ball valve 54 which moves between a first position away from a seat 56 to permit passage of the foaming agent through the valve 54 into a chamber 58, and a second position against ~ "~3~ 7 ~
the seat 56 to prevent passage of the foaming agent from the chamber 58 to the conduit 50. The pump 52 has a second one-way ball valve 60 which moves from a first position away from a seat 62 to permit passage of the foaming agent from the chamber 58 to a conduit 64, and a second position against the seat 62 to prevent passage of the foaming agent or gel base from the conduit 64 to the chamber 58. The pump 52 has an elongated cylinder 66 which slidibly receives a piston 68 connected to a shaft 70, and the piston 68 is reciprocated in the cylinder 66 while cooperating with the first and second valves 54 and 60 in order to pump the foaming agent into and out of the chamber 58. The rate of reciprocation of the piston 68 is controlled by the pneumatic signal from the flow meter 3~ in order to control the pumping rate of the foaming agent at a predetermined ratio relative to the flow rate of the gel base. The pump 52 i9 callbrated to obtain the desired ratio of gel base and foaming agent, and the ratio may be changed by suitable calibrations if desired.
The pumped foaming agent passes through the conduit 64 to a pressure relief valve 72 to prevent excessive pressure of the foaming agent in the apparatus 10, and the foaming agent then passes through a non return valve 74 which prevents backward movement of the foaming agent in the ~;
apparatus 10. The foaming agent passes through a flow meter 75 which determines the flow rate of the foaming agent such ;~
that the flow ratio of the gel base and foaming agent can be compared. The foaming agent then passes through a conduit :::
76 to a bleed off valve 78 to bleed off air or vapor while a manual valve 80 is clo~ed to verify that the foaming agent is in liquid form. Once air or vapor is bled from the -~
foaming agent, the valve 80 is opened to permit passage of ~.3 J3~(g 7~
the pumped foaming agent to the location 38 to permit contact with the pumped gel base.
Both the gel base and foaming agent are pumped frcm location 38 through a conduit 82 to a mixer 84 which may be a static or dynamic mixer or both. The mixer 84 forms the post-foaming gel or an emulsion from the gel base and foaming agent depending upon the conditions of the apparatus 10, such as temperature, The gel or emulsion then passeY
through a conduit ~6 to a valve 8~ for a purpose which will be described below, The apparatus 10 has a storage cylinder 90 having a chamber 92 and a piston 94 slidibly received in the chamber 92, with the piston 94 having a shaft 9~ which extends out of the cylinder 90. The piston 94 separates the chamber 94 into a first compartment 98 to receive the gel or emulsion and a second compartment 100 to receive a compressed gas through a conduit 102 from a source of pressurized gas, such as 50-100 pounds/~quare inch, which may be varied to control pressure on the piston 94. The gel or emulsion is pumped into the first compartment 98 against the pressure on the piston 94 which is controlled to obtain a pressure in the preferred range of 60-100 pounds/square inch in order to maintain the foaming agent in a liquid condition without vaporizing.
Once the cylinder 90 is full, the valve 88 may be closed and the gel or emulsion is passed through a valve 104 to suitable containers. In the event o~ the gel, it is passed into container 106 with an open top after which a valve is attached to the container 106 for dispensing the gel once the container 106 is prepared with a suitable propellant known to the art. In the event of the emulsion, :~
7 ~
it is passed through the activated valves 108 of suitable containers 110 know to the art in order to obtain a secondary mixing by the valves 108 and form the emulslon into the post-foaming gel in the containers 110, The G contalners are prepared with a suitablo propellant as known to the art in order to dispense the gel from the containers 110 when the valves 108 are activated.
In a preferred form, with reference to Fig. 2, the apparatus has a pair of cylinders 90 and 112 of the type previously described. The gel or emulsion is passed from the mixer 84 through a conduit 114. The gel or emulsion passes from conduit 114 through a conduit 116 with a manual valve 118 associated with the conduit 116 connected to the container 90. The gel or emulsion also passes from conduit 114 through a conduit 120 with a manual valve 122 associated with the conduit 120 to the cylinder 112. The valves 118 and 122 may be controlled as desired to sequentially fill the cylinders 90 and 112, after which the gel or emulsion is emptied from the cylinders 90 and 112 in a manner as previously dQscribed. As shown, the conduit 120 may have a temperature probe 124 in order to measure the temperature of -~
the gel or emulsion.
A preferred form of the cylinder 90 is shown in -~
Fig. 4, in which like reference numerals designate like parts. In this embodiment, the gel or emulsion G passes through a conduit 126 into the first compartment ga of the cylinder 90, in a manner as previously described, and the ;;
gel or emulsion passes from the cylinder 90 out of a conduit 12~ to fill the containers eor dispensing of the product.
As shown, the apparatus 10 has a high level lower switch 130 and a low level upper switch~ 132 which may be activated by ? ~' 7~
the position of a pin 134 on the piston shaft 96. When the cylinder 90 is sufficiently full of the gel or emulsion G, the switch 130 is activated, and the apparatus, including the pumps, is turned off to prevent the build up of pressure in the apparatus when a maximum quantity of the product ls in the cylinder 90. Normally, the piston 94 of cylinder 90 may be used as a buffer to pass the product from the conduit 126 through the cylinder 90 into the conduit 128 until activation of the switch 132 is discontinued, and passage of the product through the cylinder is thereaEter maintained unle~s the switch 132 is contacted again in which event the filling apparatus downstream from conduit 128 is switched off to prevent 'starvation' of gel or e,ilulsion to the filling apparatus.
The gel base is made in the following manner according to the formulation set forth below:

(1) Add approximately 20~ of the water to a closed mixing ves~el.
(2) Add fatty acid Oo the mixing vessel and then the GMS/color then heat to 80-85 C until all powders are molten.
(3) Add the triethanolamine to the vessel with agitation to form a soap. Cool to 60C. Add the Hydroxyethyl cellulose.
-_ (4) Cool to 40C and add the Hydroxypropyl cellulose.
(5) Add the sorbitol solution, with agitation, to the aqueous soap.
(6) Cool the mixture to 30C, add the perfume with agitation.
The gel base has the following formulation:
BASE %
Palmitic Acid 8.0 - 10.0 Stearic Acid 1.0 - 3.0 Triethanolamine 5.5 - 7.5 Sorbitol - 70~ solution up to 3.0 Hydroxyethyl cellulose 0.1 - 0.4 Hydroxypropyl cellulose0.05 - 0.15 ?. 3 ~ ~ ~ r~
- Glyceryl Monostearate 0.4 - 0.6 Perfume q.s.
Coloring Material q.s.
Water to 100~
The ~inished product has the following formulation:
-~ FINISHED PRODUCT
~ase as above 97.0 - 9~.0 Iso-Pentane 1.5 - 1.8 Iso-Butane 0.5 - 1.2 In accordance with the present invention, the apparatus 10 provides continuous gel manufacture with simultaneous can filling capacity. The pre~ent invention is thus an improvement over batch process ~el manufacture due to reduced production time, and the product can be filled immediately ~within 1-2 minutes) of being formed.
~; The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

" ':.; ,

Claims (14)

1. An apparatus for making a post-foaming gel, comprising:
means for pumping a gel base;
means for measuring the flow rate of the pumped gel base;
means responsive to the measuring means for pumping a foaming agent at a flow rate in a predetermined ratio to the flow rate of the gel base;
means for introducing the foaming agent to the gel base; and means for forming the post-foaming gel or emulsion from the introducing means.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the forming means comprises means for mixing the gel base and foaming agent.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the forming means comprises primary means for mixing the gel base and foaming agent to form the emulsion, and secondary means for mixing the emulsion to form the post-foaming gel.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for controlling the rate of the base pumping means.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 including valve means for preventing the foaming agent from passing to the base pumping means.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for smoothing out the flow pulsation from the base pumping means.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the foaming agent pumping means is variable.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the foaming agent pumping means comprises, a piston, means for driving the piston at a variable rate towards and away from a chamber, first one-way inlet valve means to permit passage of the foaming agent to the chamber and prevent passage of the foaming agent out of the chamber, and second one-way valve means to permit passage of the foaming agent out of the chamber and prevent passage of the foaming agent or gel base into the chamber.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for measuring the flow rate of the foaming agent passing from the foaming agent pumping means.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for bleeding air from the foaming agent.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the bleeding means is located intermediate the foaming agent pumping means and the introducing means.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 including valve means for preventing passage of the foaming agent from the introducing means to the foaming agent pumping means.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for storing the formed gel or emulsion under pressure.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 including means for passing the stored gel or emulsion from the storing means to a container.
CA000585463A 1987-12-10 1988-12-09 Apparatus for making a post-foaming gel Expired - Fee Related CA1330876C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US13122487A 1987-12-10 1987-12-10
US131,224 1987-12-10

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1330876C true CA1330876C (en) 1994-07-26

Family

ID=22448486

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000585463A Expired - Fee Related CA1330876C (en) 1987-12-10 1988-12-09 Apparatus for making a post-foaming gel

Country Status (11)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0324932B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE94088T1 (en)
AU (1) AU617390B2 (en)
CA (1) CA1330876C (en)
DE (1) DE3883959T2 (en)
DK (1) DK687988A (en)
ES (1) ES2043771T3 (en)
FI (1) FI885732A (en)
IE (1) IE62949B1 (en)
NO (1) NO171487C (en)
PT (1) PT89180B (en)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4857241A (en) * 1987-12-10 1989-08-15 Colgate-Palmolive Company Apparatus for making post-foaming gels and method

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3541581A (en) * 1967-11-13 1970-11-17 Johnson & Son Inc S C Package containing a post-foaming gel
US4405489A (en) * 1981-01-15 1983-09-20 Carter-Wallace, Inc. Production of a post-foaming gel and system therefor
FR2555965B1 (en) * 1983-12-01 1986-10-31 Clanet Frank PROCESS FOR FILLING TWO-COMPARTMENT AEROSOL CANS
IT1200859B (en) * 1985-12-06 1989-01-27 Afros Spa EQUIPMENT FOR THE FEEDING AND DOSAGE OF FLUID COMPONENTS, WITH A HIGH PRESSURE MIXING HEAD

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE3883959D1 (en) 1993-10-14
NO885481D0 (en) 1988-12-09
AU2653588A (en) 1989-06-15
DK687988D0 (en) 1988-12-09
NO885481L (en) 1989-06-12
AU617390B2 (en) 1991-11-28
ATE94088T1 (en) 1993-09-15
IE62949B1 (en) 1995-02-20
DK687988A (en) 1989-06-11
DE3883959T2 (en) 1994-01-05
PT89180A (en) 1989-09-14
EP0324932B1 (en) 1993-09-08
EP0324932A1 (en) 1989-07-26
NO171487C (en) 1993-03-24
ES2043771T3 (en) 1994-01-01
FI885732A (en) 1989-06-11
NO171487B (en) 1992-12-14
PT89180B (en) 1994-08-31
IE883674L (en) 1989-06-10
FI885732A0 (en) 1988-12-09

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