EP2906397B1 - Method and facility for treating cork - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to methods and installations for treating cork.

The world of wine has long used corks to seal wine bottles. This use is mainly because the cork has all the characteristics that one can ask for a wine bottle stopper.

One of the rare disadvantages of cork is the possible presence of chlorinated compounds, such as 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) which can sometimes give a wine which is commonly known as 'taste of corks'. This inconvenience is responsible for the loss of a significant amount of annual wine production, and sometimes significant costs, particularly in the areas of catering and insurance.

Since cork is a natural material, controlling the amount of TCA can be difficult to achieve on a scale compatible with production and bottling for some producers.

US 2008 / 245,132 claims to provide a method by which cork stoppers are tested directly on the bottling line. However, this method requires complex equipment, the cost of which increases with the volume of corks to be treated.

The present invention is intended in particular to provide an improved method of treating cork.

For this purpose, according to the invention, there is provided a cork stopper processing method in which the cork is subjected to electrochemical dehalogenation by electrolysis.

Thanks to these provisions, we not only control the possible presence of compounds that may be contaminants, but we act directly on the cork. with a process that can be easily made compatible with production requirements.

• on fournit une solution comprenant un électrolyte en contact avec le liège, des électrodes en contact avec ladite solution, et un générateur adapté pour appliquer une différence de potentiel entre les électrodes ;
• la solution et la surface des électrodes en contact avec la solution sont prévus dans des matériaux biocompatibles ;
• le procédé présente au moins l'une des caractéristiques suivantes :
  • une électrode est une cathode, et un matériau de surface de cathode est du plomb,
  • une électrode est une anode, et un matériau de surface d'anode est inerte, de préférence graphite,
  • un solvant est un alcool, de préférence éthanol,
  • un électrolyte est un sel présent dans un vin, de préférence un sel de sodium, de préférence encore choisi dans la liste d'acétate de sodium et tartrate de sodium,
  • le liège est en forme de bouchons ;
• on fournit une cuve contenant la solution, et on trempe les électrodes et le liège dans la solution ;
• le procédé comprend au moins l'une des caractéristiques suivantes :
  • on maintient le liège totalement immergé dans la solution,
  • au cours de la déhalogénation, on soustrait une molécule comprise dans les groupes haloanisole et halophénols, de préférence du 2,4,6-trichloroanisole ;
• on mesure une concentration en halogène, et on contrôle la déhalogénation en fonction de ladite concentration ;
• on forme des bouchons de liège.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more of the following may also be used:

• providing a solution comprising an electrolyte in contact with the cork, electrodes in contact with said solution, and a generator adapted to apply a potential difference between the electrodes;
• the solution and the surface of the electrodes in contact with the solution are provided in biocompatible materials;
• the process has at least one of the following characteristics:
  • an electrode is a cathode, and a cathode surface material is lead,
  • an electrode is an anode, and an anode surface material is inert, preferably graphite,
  • a solvent is an alcohol, preferably ethanol,
  • an electrolyte is a salt present in a wine, preferably a sodium salt, more preferably selected from the list of sodium acetate and sodium tartrate,
  • cork is in the form of corks;
• a vessel containing the solution is provided, and the electrodes and the cork are soaked in the solution;
• the method comprises at least one of the following features:
  • we keep the cork totally immersed in the solution,
  • during dehalogenation, a molecule in the haloanisole and halophenol groups, preferably 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, is subtracted;
• a halogen concentration is measured, and the dehalogenation is controlled according to said concentration;
• corks are formed.

According to the other aspect, the invention relates to a bottling process in which such a cork processing method is used, and in which a bottle is closed with one of said plugs.

According to another aspect, the invention relates to an installation comprising a cork supply unit, and an electrochemical station where the cork is subjected to an electrochemical dehalogenation by electrolysis, the installation further comprising a curing station. plugs
the installation further optionally comprising a corking station where a bottle of wine is plugged with a stopper.

In various aspects, corks of other liquids than wine can be treated with this process, including corks of other alcohols such as beer or cider, for example.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of two of its embodiments, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un exemple de station de déhalogénation,
• la figure 2 est une courbe expérimentale issue d'un procédé de contrôle de la quantité de composé chloré,
• les figures 3 et 4 sont des schémas illustratifs de procédés/installations d'embouteillage.

On the drawings:

• the figure 1 is a perspective view of an example of a dehalogenation station,
• the figure 2 is an experimental curve resulting from a method of controlling the amount of chlorinated compound,
• the Figures 3 and 4 are illustrative diagrams of bottling processes / facilities.

In the different figures, the same references designate identical or similar elements.

The figure 1 represents an example of a dehalogenation station 1.

The station 1 comprises for example a tank 2 containing a liquid solution 3 in which are quenched parts 4 to be treated. As examples, two pieces 4 are shown. We can process between one and many rooms simultaneously. A lid or grid 5 is disposed on the surface of the solution, to ensure that the parts 4 are immersed in their entirety.

The electrolytic system comprises solution 3, an anode 6, a cathode 7 and an electric generator 8. The electrical generator 8 is adapted to circulate an electric current in the solution between the anode and the cathode.

Pieces 4 are made of cork. Cork is a natural material obtained from growing trees, such as cork oak. The pieces 4 may also comprise a chlorinated compound, such as for example a haloanisole or a halophenol. Examples of haloanisoles present in cork are, for example, 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), 2,3,4,6-tetrachloroanisole (TeCA), 2,3,4,5,6-pentachloroanisole (PCA), and 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA). Examples of halophenols present in cork are, for example, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP), 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol (TeCP), 2,3,4,5,6-pentachlorophenol (PCP) and 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP).

In the present embodiment, the parts 4 are plugs having shapes adapted to plug bottles, especially bottles of wine. Such a cap may be substantially cylindrical of revolution, as shown. The cylinder has an axis oriented along the axis of the neck of the bottle, and an outer diameter transverse to the upper axis, at rest, the internal diameter of the neck of the bottle. In other variants, the plugs may have shapes more complex, in particular having a frustoconical foot and / or a head made of material with the foot, and wider than this, extending out of the bottle clogged.

Solution 3 comprises a solvent and an electrolyte. The materials of the various elements (in particular solvent, electrolyte, surface of the electrodes, surface of the grid and / or surface of the tank) are intended not to negatively influence the wine. Thus, it will be possible to choose bio-compatible materials, and in particular compatible with wine.

The solvent may for example be an alcohol, for example ethanol.

The electrolyte may for example be a salt present in the future content of the bottles to be closed. For some wines, the electrolyte may thus be a salt present in this wine, such as for example a sodium salt. Thus, an acetate or sodium tartrate are electrolytes likely to be suitable for this application.

The surface materials of the electrodes are preferably inert. Thus, it will be possible to use graphite on the surface of the anode 6. It will be possible to use lead on the cathode surface.

An example of implementation of the method is described in relation to the figure 3 . During a first step 101, (R) cork, for example in raw form, is received at a receiving station. In a second step 102, plugs (F) are formed from the raw cork into a forming station. This step may include any usual step of forming corks from raw cork, such as cork treatments, in particular chemical cork, and cork shaping by any suitable method.

During a third step 103, the plugs formed in a treatment station are dehalogenated. As indicated above in relation to the figure 1 the plugs are immersed as pieces 4 in the solution, these being kept completely immersed by the grid 5. An electric current is generated in the solution using the generator 8, so as to electrolyze the chlorinated compounds of the plugs. This step is carried out for a certain time. Periodically, a control step 104 (C) of the amount of chlorinated compounds is carried out. This step can be implemented by any suitable known means. If necessary, this control step is associated with a predetermined threshold which makes it possible to stop the electrolysis step. This control step is optional.

During the bottling step 105, the full bottle is closed (E) with the treated stopper at a bottling station. Optionally, there may be additional conventional stages of cork treatment before the closure of the bottle, and other conventional stages of bottling.

According to a variant, illustrated on the figure 4 the electrolysis step is not carried out on the already formed plugs. In contrast, the electrochemical dehalogenation step 103 is carried out on parts 4 from which the plugs will be formed during a subsequent forming step 102.

Note that all the above steps are not necessarily implemented by the same person in one place. The various stages can be implemented by different companies, if necessary in different countries.

The figure 2 thus shows an example of control of the amount of chlorinated compounds (in this case TCA) dissolved in a solution during an electrolysis process. The solid curve shows the UV absorbance of the solution as a function of the wavelength at the beginning of the electrolysis (time t ₀ ), and the dashed curve after a predetermined time t ₁ . In this example, an electrolysis bath was synthesized with a tartrate salt (sodium tartrate) dissolved in ethanol to saturation, with addition of TCA 10 ^-4 M. The electrolysis is carried out on graphite electrodes at a constant potential of 50 V. The current was of the order of 240 micro-amperes. The time t ₀ is 0 and the time t ₁ is 62 hours. The absorbance decreased by about 25% (the amount of charge required was 53.6 coulombs).

Claims (10)

1. Method for treating cork stoppers, wherein the cork is subjected to an electrochemical dehalogenation by electrolysis.
2. Method according to claim 1, wherein a solution (3) is provided comprising an electrolyte in contact with the cork, electrodes (6, 7) in contact with said solution, and a generator (8) suitable for applying a difference in potential between the electrodes.
3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the solution and the surface of the electrodes in contact with the solution are provided in biocompatible materials.
4. Method according to claim 2 or 3, having at least one of the following characteristics:

   - one electrode is a cathode, and a cathode surface material is lead,

   - one electrode is an anode, and an anode surface material is inert, preferably graphite,

   - a solvent is an alcohol, preferably ethanol,

   - an electrolyte is a salt present in wine, preferably a sodium salt, preferably selected from the list of sodium acetate and sodium tartrate,

   - the cork is in the form of stoppers.
5. Method according to one of claims 2 to 4, wherein a tank (2) containing the solution is provided, and wherein the electrodes and the cork (4) are immersed in the solution.
6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising at least one of the following characteristics:

   - the cork is kept completely immersed in the solution;

   - during the dehalogenation, a molecule contained in the haloanisole and halophenol groups is removed, preferably 2,4,6-trichloroanisole.
7. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a halogen concentration is measured, and wherein the dehalogenation is controlled according to said concentration.
8. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein cork stoppers are formed.
9. Bottling method wherein a method for treating cork according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is used, and wherein a bottle is sealed with one of said stoppers.
10. Facility comprising a cork supply unit, and an electrochemical station where the cork is subjected to an electrochemical dehalogenation by electrolysis, the facility further comprising a stopper shaping station,
    the facility optionally further comprising a sealing station where a wine bottle is sealed with a stopper.

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