EP1108507B1 - Method of solid-liquid extraction applied to cork products - Google Patents

Method of solid-liquid extraction applied to cork products Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP1108507B1
EP1108507B1 EP20000670010 EP00670010A EP1108507B1 EP 1108507 B1 EP1108507 B1 EP 1108507B1 EP 20000670010 EP20000670010 EP 20000670010 EP 00670010 A EP00670010 A EP 00670010A EP 1108507 B1 EP1108507 B1 EP 1108507B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
pressure
cork
recipient
gas
liquid
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 - Lifetime
Application number
EP20000670010
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1108507A3 (en
EP1108507A2 (en
Inventor
José Manuel Leal Ferreira
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.)
AMORIM AND IRMAOS SA
Original Assignee
AMORIM AND IRMAOS SA
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 AMORIM AND IRMAOS SA filed Critical AMORIM AND IRMAOS SA
Publication of EP1108507A2 publication Critical patent/EP1108507A2/en
Publication of EP1108507A3 publication Critical patent/EP1108507A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1108507B1 publication Critical patent/EP1108507B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67B—APPLYING CLOSURE MEMBERS TO BOTTLES JARS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; OPENING CLOSED CONTAINERS
    • B67B1/00—Closing bottles, jars or similar containers by applying stoppers
    • B67B1/03—Pretreatment of stoppers, e.g. cleaning, steaming, heating, impregnating or coating; Applying resilient rings to stoppers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B27—WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL
    • B27K—PROCESSES, APPARATUS OR SELECTION OF SUBSTANCES FOR IMPREGNATING, STAINING, DYEING, BLEACHING OF WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIALS, OR TREATING OF WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIALS WITH PERMEANT LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL TREATMENT OF CORK, CANE, REED, STRAW OR SIMILAR MATERIALS
    • B27K7/00—Chemical or physical treatment of cork
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B27—WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL
    • B27K—PROCESSES, APPARATUS OR SELECTION OF SUBSTANCES FOR IMPREGNATING, STAINING, DYEING, BLEACHING OF WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIALS, OR TREATING OF WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIALS WITH PERMEANT LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL TREATMENT OF CORK, CANE, REED, STRAW OR SIMILAR MATERIALS
    • B27K2240/00—Purpose of the treatment
    • B27K2240/10—Extraction of components naturally occurring in wood, cork, straw, cane or reed

Definitions

  • the invention relates to the decontamination of cork products by means of a solid-liquid extraction method based on the successive application of pressure changes on a liquid surface in which the cork is immersed, which causes cork contraction and expansion, thereby causing the release of contaminants entrapped within the cork.
  • Cork is a natural porous product that contains in its surface, and within it, a variety of contaminants derived from its life experience in the forest which, when in contact with liquids, can cause organoleptic changes in those liquids.
  • thermochemical process for the expansion of cork using a pressurised system where cork is immersed in the presence of some organic solvents, namely methanol, ethanol, formic acid, dichloromethane or chloroform .
  • a relative pressure of up to 10 bar is applied on the surface of the liquid, for 1 to 3600 seconds, using any kind of gas or gas mixture. Then, the gas is released until the recipient pressure reaches the atmospheric pressure again. Thereafter the pressure is reduced by means of an appropriate vacuum pump until a relative pressure of up to -1 bar is reached. After being under this reduced pressure for 1 to 3600 seconds the system is caused to return to the atmospheric pressure.

Description

    1 - OBJECT OF INVENTION
  • The invention relates to the decontamination of cork products by means of a solid-liquid extraction method based on the successive application of pressure changes on a liquid surface in which the cork is immersed, which causes cork contraction and expansion, thereby causing the release of contaminants entrapped within the cork.
    • 2 - STATE OF THE ART
  • Cork is a natural porous product that contains in its surface, and within it, a variety of contaminants derived from its life experience in the forest which, when in contact with liquids, can cause organoleptic changes in those liquids.
  • During the last years, a variety of methods have been developed and applied in an attempt to eliminate said contaminants. The existing methods are based on the immersion of cork in disinfectant baths, alternate with centrifugation steps. Due to the operating conditions, these methods do not eliminate all contaminants, namely those entrapped within the cork, which can, subsequently originate organoleptic changes in the liquids with which the cork product will contact.
  • In 1993 it was patented ( PT 101215 of 1993.03.11 ) a thermochemical process for the expansion of cork using a pressurised system (relative pressure from 9,8 to 29.4 bars) where cork is immersed in the presence of some organic solvents, namely methanol, ethanol, formic acid, dichloromethane or chloroform.
  • Although some features of the above patent are similar to those of the present invention, its subject-matter is different as it aims to achieve cork material expansion which is not related with decontamination.
  • It was found that water is an appropriate liquid to be used in the decontamination process, which constitutes an advantage in view of its availability with a substantial reduction in the final cost of the decontamination process.
    • 3 - DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
  • The applicant has found that this problem of incomplete decontamination of cork products could be solved through an hydrodynamic method through which the cork to be treated is put in an airtight recipient and, subsequently, immersed in water that should be placed at a temperature ranging from 20°C to 200°C.
  • Then, a relative pressure of up to 10 bar is applied on the surface of the liquid, for 1 to 3600 seconds, using any kind of gas or gas mixture. Then, the gas is released until the recipient pressure reaches the atmospheric pressure again. Thereafter the pressure is reduced by means of an appropriate vacuum pump until a relative pressure of up to -1 bar is reached. After being under this reduced pressure for 1 to 3600 seconds the system is caused to return to the atmospheric pressure.
  • These cycles of differential pressure are repeated several times until the desired cork purity is reached. A simple experimentation will set the number of cycles required.
  • Those skilled in the art will understand that changes can be made to the method of the invention, which should be understood, as being encompassed within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (3)

  1. Method of solid-liquid extraction applied to cork products for the decontamination thereof, characterised in that it comprises the following steps:
    a. Putting the cork product in a airtight recipient,
    b. Filling the airtight recipient with water so that the cork product is completely immersed in that liquid,
    c. Applying a relative pressure of up to 10 bar on the liquid surface, for 1 to 3600 seconds, using an appropriate gas,
    d. Releasing the pressurising gas until the pressure within the recipient reaches atmospheric pressure,
    e. Reducing the pressure within the recipient, by means of an appropriate vacuum pump, until a relative pressure of up to -1 bar is reached, during a time period of 1 to 3600 seconds,
    f. Causing the recipient to return to atmospheric pressure.
  2. Method according to the preceding claims characterised in that the gas used to apply pressure on the surface of the decontamination liquid is air, a gas different from air or a gas mixture.
  3. Method according to the preceding claims characterised in that the treatment cycle is repeated up to 100 times.
EP20000670010 1999-11-16 2000-11-13 Method of solid-liquid extraction applied to cork products Expired - Lifetime EP1108507B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PT10237699 1999-11-16
PT10237699A PT102376A (en) 1999-11-16 1999-11-16 SOLID-LIQUID EXTRACTION PROCESS APPLIED TO CORTICAL PRODUCTS

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1108507A2 EP1108507A2 (en) 2001-06-20
EP1108507A3 EP1108507A3 (en) 2003-12-17
EP1108507B1 true EP1108507B1 (en) 2010-11-03

Family

ID=20085904

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20000670010 Expired - Lifetime EP1108507B1 (en) 1999-11-16 2000-11-13 Method of solid-liquid extraction applied to cork products

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1108507B1 (en)
ES (1) ES2355805T3 (en)
PT (2) PT102376A (en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
AU2002953512A0 (en) * 2002-12-13 2003-01-09 Australian High Pressure Processors Pty Ltd High pressure treatment of cork and oak chips
ES2259547B1 (en) * 2005-02-17 2007-06-01 Jose Luis Godoy Varo METHOD FOR DECONTAMINATION OF CORK AND INSTALLATION FOR YOUR PRACTICE.

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR343350A (en) * 1904-05-21 1904-10-01 Emile Adnet Sterilizer for corks, corks and other porous materials
FR384559A (en) * 1906-12-07 1908-04-14 Gruenzweig & Hartmann G. M. B. H. Method and apparatus for heat treatment of cork
GB267733A (en) * 1926-04-23 1927-03-24 David Allan Low Improvements in or relating to epicyclic and the like toothed wheel gearing
US3560251A (en) * 1965-07-19 1971-02-02 Hager Ab Wood treatment method
NO781826L (en) * 1977-05-31 1978-12-01 Forest Prod Util Lab PROCEDURE FOR PRESSURE IMPREGNATION OF WOOD

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1108507A3 (en) 2003-12-17
PT102376A (en) 2001-05-31
EP1108507A2 (en) 2001-06-20
ES2355805T3 (en) 2011-03-31
PT1108507E (en) 2011-02-08

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