GB2520604A

GB2520604A - Water treatment

Info

Publication number: GB2520604A
Application number: GB1416965.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nicholas James Stevenson
Original assignee: BCUK AQUATICS Ltd
Current assignee: BCUK AQUATICS Ltd
Priority date: 2013-09-26
Filing date: 2014-09-25
Publication date: 2015-05-27
Also published as: GB201416965D0; GB201317035D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate sheet for treating aquarium or pond water. The substrate sheet comprises a water-soluble carrier film and a treatment agent. Suitably, the treatment agent is a de-chlorination agent, such as sodium thiosulphate, and/or a redox reducer. The water-soluble film can comprise a strip forming polymer and/or a plasticiser. Examples of suitable strip forming polymers include starch, cellulose or dextrin derivatives, methylcellulose, ethyl-cellulose, hydroxypropyl-cellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) or a combination thereof. The plasticiser can include polyvinyl alcohol, glycerol, propylene glycol, low molecular weight polyethylene glycols, dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, citrate derivatives, triacetin, castor oil or a combination thereof. The water-soluble film can be coated and/or impregnated with the treatment agent. Preferably, the sheet is in unit dose form.

Description

WATER TREATMENT

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to substrate sheets for treating aquarium or pond water. In particular the present invention relates to substrate sheets corn-prising a water-soluble carrier film and a treatment agent.

Background to the Invention

The basic premise of an aquarium (or pond) water conditioner is to re- move chlorine from tap water. The most common de-chlorination agent is sodi-um thiosulfate, however other similar sulphate based reducers or combinations -10 thereof are also used, especially in more advanced water conditions. These compounds are often associated with a rotten egg" sulphur smell.

Being a reducer and chlorine oxidizer, the chemical reaction is essential-ly instant. This allows for addition of water "de-chlorinated" by these products immediately to the aquarium. Alternatively, a water conditioner can be added in is small increments while filling an aquarium via a hose.

Conventional water conditioners however are liquid based and therefore judging the correct dosage can be messy, time consuming and inaccurate. Fur-thermore, storage of such solutions requires considerable space.

There has now been developed an aquarium treatment which overcomes or substantially mitigates the above referenced and/or disadvantages with the

prior art.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a substrate sheet for treating aquarium or pond water, the substrate sheet comprising a wa-ter-soluble carrier film and a treatment agent.

The substrate sheet according to the invention is advantageous because on contact with water, the film dissolves thereby releasing the treatment agent into the surrounding water. The amount of treatment agent released is propor-tional to the size or number of substrate sheets used. As a result the dosing of the treatment agent can be more tightly controlled than by conventional means.

The substrate sheet according to the invention is further advantageous because being formulated as a sheet, it is easier to handle than a solution or powder, takes up less storage space, and has no malodours associated with it.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the aquarium or pond water is preferably the water within or added to a heated or cold water aquarium or pond.

The treatment agent may comprise any agent suitable for addition to aquarium or pond water which is adapted to treat the water itself. The treat- ment agent may also be used in the treatment of the aquatic life within the wa-ter. The treatment agent may also be adapted to treat the hardware associated with aquarium or pond (for example the glass, or the pipes or the pumps etc).

The treatment agent may comprise a conditioning agent, pH agent, redox re-duction agent, fish skin treatment, slime treatment, filter treatment, aquaponics is treatments, hydroponics treatments and/or pump treatments. The treatment agent may provide active ingredients suitable for promoting plant and/or reef growth. Such active ingredients include, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, cal- cium, magnesium, sulphur, boron, copper, iron, chloride, manganese, molyb-denum, strontium, bromine, fluorine, iodine and/or zinc.

Preferably the treatment agent comprises a de-chlorination agent. The de-chlorination agent can comprise any water conditioner or biological agent for treating water which de-chlorinates the water or removes chlorine associated compounds from the water. Preferably the de-chlorination agent comprises so-dium thiosulphate.

In a further embodiment of the invention, preferably the treatment agent comprises a redox reducer.

The water-soluble film can comprise any material which dissolves on contact with water to release the treatment agent, is capable of forming a sheet and is capable of carrying a treatment agent. Preferably the film comprises a strip forming polymer and/or a plasticizer. Examples of suitable strip forming polymers include starch, cellulose or dextrin derivatives, methylcellulose, ethyl- cellulose, hydroxypropyl-cellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylmetbyl- cellulose (HPMC), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) or a combination thereof. Ex- amples of suitable plasticizers include polyvinyl alcohol, glycerol, propylene gly-col, low molecular weight polyethylene glycols, dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, citrate derivatives such as tributyl, triethyl, acetyl citrate, triacetin, or castor oil, or a combination thereof. Preferably the film is coated and/or impregnated with the treatment agent. This ensures effective mix-ing with the water.

In a preferred embodiment, a unit area of the substrate sheet is suitable for treating a unit volume of aquarium or pond water. The sheet can preferably be strip of material with sections torn off/cut off in use depending on the volume of water to be treated. The sheet can also preferably be of a predetermined unit area. Preferably the sheet is in a unit dose form.

In use, the substrate sheets are preferably formulated as described above. Water is preferably added into an aquarium or pond either freshly, anew is or as a top up. Treatment with the sheets is preferably either in situ (i.e. once the water has been added) or can be performed on a volume of water prior to it being added to an aquarium or pond. In either case, preferably the volume of the water added or the resultant volume is calculated or measured. Preferably, the amount/area of substrate sheets to be added to the water is worked out based on the calculated or measured volume of water. Preferably, the substrate sheets are added in a dose dependent manner and allowed to dissolve in the water thereby releasing the treatment agent. In use the sheets according to the invention preferably treat the water.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example only.

Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiment

An example of a preferred embodiment of the invention is described be-low. Hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), glycerol monostearate (GM), poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and sodium thiosulfate pentahydrated (crystalline) in the amounts described below in Table 1 were mixed together. The amounts shown in table 1 were those required to make up 2 Kg of standard base material. The mixing of the above ingredients means that the ingredients, especially the sodi-urn thiosulphate, are distributed evenly within the base material mixture. The base material mixture was then sieved to remove any large particles using a conventional mechanical sieve. The base material mixture was then added to and solubilised within demineralised water. The quantity of water was as re-quired to solubilise the mixture (OS). Once solubilised a sheet film was then cast from the solution using a standard film casting machine. Once the sheet film had set, it was cut into equal sized, regular shaped pieces using a standard cutting machine. Individual pieces of film were packaged for dispatch. Each piece was manufactured and sized to contain between 0.1 and 0.3 grams of so-dium thiosulfate, which was suitable for treating up to 10 litres of water. A flow chart of the manufacturing process is provided in Figure 1. It is to be appreciat-ed that whilst the table below indicates the amounts of the ingredients required to make up 2 kg of material, a greater or lesser amount of standard base mate- is rial may be made up as required, with the same proportions of above ingredi-ents incorporated.

Table 1 -Example ingredient list for making up 2 kg of base material mixture Ingredient Quantity (Kg) 1 Sodium thiosulphate pentahydrate 0.4000 20 2 Poly vinyl alcohol 0.2230 3 Hydroxy methyl cellulose -50 cps 1.0328 4 Glycerol monostearate 0.3442 DMwater OS Total 2.0000 25 In a test of an example substrate sheet according to the invention as manufactured according to the information provided above, a sheet measuring 38mm x 55 mm was produced. This contained between 0.lg and 0.3g of sodi- urn thiosulfate. The chlorine content of 10 litres of tap water was then meas-ured using a litmus total chlorine check (Sensafe Total Chlorine Check) before adding the sheet. A reading of 0.2ppm was obtained on the untreated water.

The sheet was then added to the water and left to dissolve. Once the sheet had completely dissolved, the chlorine content of the water was tested again and a level of O.Uppm was obtained. The conclusion from this study was that the sub- strate sheet according to the invention was effective in reducing and/or eliminat-o ing the chlorine from tap water. The example substrate sheet was therefore useful in de-chlorinating water.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A substrate sheet for treating aquarium or pond water, the sub-strate sheet comprising a water-soluble carrier film and a treatment agent.
2. A substrate sheet according to claim 1, wherein the treatment agent comprises a de-chlorination agent.
3. A substrate according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the treatment agent comprises a redox reducer.
4. A substrate sheet according to any preceding claim, wherein the film comprises a strip forming polymer and/or a plasticizer.
5. A substrate sheet according to any preceding claim, wherein the film is coated and/or impregnated with the treatment agent.
6. A substrate sheet according to any preceding claim, wherein the sheet is in unit dose form.