Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F5/00—Softening water; Preventing scale; Adding scale preventatives or scale removers to water, e.g. adding sequestering agents
  • C02F5/08—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents
  • C02F5/10—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents using organic substances
  • C02F5/12—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents using organic substances containing nitrogen
  • C02F5/125—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents using organic substances containing nitrogen combined with inorganic substances
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F5/00—Softening water; Preventing scale; Adding scale preventatives or scale removers to water, e.g. adding sequestering agents
  • C02F5/08—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents
  • C02F5/10—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents using organic substances
  • C02F5/12—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents using organic substances containing nitrogen
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F5/00—Softening water; Preventing scale; Adding scale preventatives or scale removers to water, e.g. adding sequestering agents
  • C02F5/08—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents
  • C02F5/10—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents using organic substances
  • C02F5/14—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents using organic substances containing phosphorus
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F5/00—Softening water; Preventing scale; Adding scale preventatives or scale removers to water, e.g. adding sequestering agents
  • C02F5/08—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents
  • C02F5/10—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents using organic substances
  • C02F5/14—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents using organic substances containing phosphorus
  • C02F5/145—Treatment of water with complexing chemicals or other solubilising agents for softening, scale prevention or scale removal, e.g. adding sequestering agents using organic substances containing phosphorus combined with inorganic substances
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K5/00—Heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants; Materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion
  • C09K5/08—Materials not undergoing a change of physical state when used
  • C09K5/10—Liquid materials
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/28—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by sorption
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/28—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by sorption
  • C02F1/281—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by sorption using inorganic sorbents
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/50—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by addition or application of a germicide or by oligodynamic treatment
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/66—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by neutralisation; pH adjustment
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/68—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water
  • C02F1/683—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by addition of specified substances, e.g. trace elements, for ameliorating potable water by addition of complex-forming compounds
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2103/00—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated
  • C02F2103/02—Non-contaminated water, e.g. for industrial water supply
  • C02F2103/023—Water in cooling circuits
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2303/00—Specific treatment goals
  • C02F2303/08—Corrosion inhibition
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2305/00—Use of specific compounds during water treatment
  • C02F2305/04—Surfactants, used as part of a formulation or alone

Definitions

• the disclosed embodiments of the invention relate generally to a chemical formulation, and more specifically, to a coolant treatment formulation that not only treats the problems associated with coolant deficiencies, such as corrosion, scale, and low thermal transfer, but also addresses the root of most of the problems, which is the composition of the water itself.
• prior coolant treatment and cleaning formulations have used harsh, toxic, and environmentally incompatible chemicals such as strong acids and bases, heavy metals, sodium sulfite, ammonia, volatile amines, and other such chemicals. These chemicals are used with little regard to their interactions with each other, to their accumulation within the system, or to their contribution to the problem of scale and sludge formation.
• harsh, toxic, and environmentally incompatible chemicals such as strong acids and bases, heavy metals, sodium sulfite, ammonia, volatile amines, and other such chemicals.
• HVAC heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
• prior formulations are not very compatible with the environment. They consist of concentrated acids that are used for cleaning systems. When a system is cleaned with such an acid, the wastewater has a very low pH, which can cause problems with municipal waste treatment plants. When spilled into a storm sewer or other path to a natural body of water, the low pH waste or raw chemical can have a disastrous effect on fish and other wildlife.
• Prior formulations also utilize concentrated bases that maintain a high pH within a system and counteract the low pH that is present following an acid cleaning.
• the high pH material like the low pH acids, can cause equally disastrous effects on waste treatment plants and the environment.
• Prior formulations also utilize concentrated chemicals such as sodium sulfite, as taught in U.S. Patent No. 4,279,768 (Busch), to remove oxygen from treated water. These chemicals function by reacting with the oxygen to form new compounds. If these concentrated chemicals find their way into a body of water, they create an extremely high chemical oxygen demand in the water, which can lead to the suffocation of fish and other aquatic life.
• Another problem with sodium sulfite use is that when it removes oxygen from water, the sulfite is converted to sulfate. As more oxygen enters the water, more sodium sulfite is added. What has been found in some boilers is a concentrated sludge that is induced by continuous addition of such chemicals. This sludge not only creates problems within the system, but also becomes a contaminant to the environment when not properly disposed of.
• a treatment composition includes an adsorbent that is constituted to adsorb contaminants from water and to expedite the removal of the contaminants from the water by physical means.
• the composition includes one or more of a sequestration agent, a chelation agent, a dispersant, a peptization agent, a deflocculant, an emulsifier, and a buffering agent.
• the formulation may also include an abrasive, a surfactant, a disinfectant, and an agent to enhance visualization of the formulation to detect leaks in the system.
• the composition or formulation can exist in a solid, dissolving form, or it may exist in a liquid form.
• a treatment composition in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, includes a mixture of sequestration agents and chelation agents.
• the sequestration agents and chelation agents also provide a dispersant to hold particulate matter in suspension, a peptization agent to liquefy contaminants, and a deflocculant to cause non- liquid contaminants to become able to flow. It may also include an emulsificant to disburse liquid contaminants, a buffering agent to control the pH of water, and an abrasive agent to aid in removal of contaminants from surfaces in the system.
• the composition includes a surfactant to reduce surface tension, a disinfectant to reduce the amount of viable live contaminants, and a visualization agent to enable the visual detection of leaks in the system.
• the disclosed embodiments of the invention are further directed to a treatment composition that, in one embodiment, comprises an adsorbent that is configured to adsorb contaminants from water and to expedite the removal of the contaminants from the water by physical means, such as a mechanical device.
• the treatment composition can include a sequestration component to reduce the reaction of contaminants, a chelation agent to reduce the reaction of contaminants, a dispersant to hold particulate matter in suspension, a peptization agent to liquefy the contaminants, a deflocculate to cause non-liquid contaminants to become able to flow, an emulsifier to disperse liquid contaminants, and a buffering agent to control the pH of the water.
• an abrasive can be added to aid in the removal of contaminants from surfaces.
• a surfactant can also be used to reduce surface tension.
• a disinfectant can be added to reduce the amount of viable live contaminants.
• a visualization agent can be added to enable the visual detection of leaks from a system utilizing the composition.
• the composition can be in the form of a particulate, flowing form or in a solid, dissolving form, or in a liquid form.
• a chemical formulation for treating coolant deficiencies, such as corrosion, scale, and low thermal transfer, as well as treating the water composition including an adsorbent, an emulsifier, a buffering agent, a dispersant, a deflocculate, a chelation agent, and a peptizing agent, each of which are chosen for a specific task and for the characteristics of having little or no impact on the environment, and for being either a food-type additive approved for use on food preparation surfaces or otherwise generally recognized as safe.
• the individual ingredients beside having their own specific task, are configured, when compounded with each other in the formulation or those elements found in the system being treated, to provide synergistic effects.
• a coolant system that utilizes water as the heat transfer agent, the coolant system comprising a chemical formulation for adding to the water to treat deficiencies in the water, such a corrosion, scale, and low thermal transfer, the formulation comprising an adsorbent, an emulsifier, a buffering agent, a dispersant, a deflocculate, a chelation agent, and a peptizing agent chosen for a specific task and for the characteristics of having little or no impact on the environment.
• the constituents are chosen to also be a food-type additive or approved for use on food preparation surfaces or generally recognized as safe for human consumption. Ideally, all the constituents, beside having their own specific task, are chosen so that when compounded with each other in the formulation or those elements found in the system being treated, also provide synergistic effects.
• the coolant treatment formulation is safe, environmentally compatible, and provides an effective means of cleaning and treating systems such as HVAC and boiler type systems as well as pipe-based systems for transportation of water and water based fluids.
• the formulation will work in conjunction with a metal's natural protective surfaces to allow the healing of corroded or otherwise compromised areas of the metal's surfaces, that will work in conjunction with metal's natural protective surfaces to produce a protective surface that is more durable than the natural protective surface alone, and that will aid in stopping corrosion before it starts.
• the formulation is constituted to remove scale that is present on wetted surfaces, to condition the raw water that is utilized in a coolant or other working fluid so as to render the resultant mixture less conducive to precipitation of scale forming contaminants, to allow a portion of the spent coolant treatment formulation, along with entrapped, entrained, sequestered, or chelated contaminants to be removed from the system via filtration means, and to reduce the volume of chemical utilized to treat and maintain a system, thus reducing costs, manpower requirements, and the impact on waste treatment facilities and the environment.
• Figure 1 is a table setting forth an 8.20 pH buffering formulation
• Figure 2 is a preferred embodiment of active ingredients for HVAC systems.
• the disclosed embodiments of the invention provide a treatment formulation that is, among other things, optimized for the treatment of water and the system in which the water is used or transported.
• Such systems could, among others, consist of HVAC systems, piping for potable and non-potable water, heat exchange systems such as those used in industrial and commercial processes and in heating and cooling applications for use in systems such as internal combustion engines.
• Each of the ingredients in the treatment formulation is chosen for its ability to perform a specific task or tasks, for its ability to synergistically react with another ingredient within the treatment formulation or with some component of the system being treated, for its minimal or no impact on the environment, and for being safe to use, handle, transport, and store. It is to be understood that while the treatment formulation is suitable for use in almost any type of system where water derived scale, corrosion, or other factors can be a problem, the formulation of the present invention will be described as it applies to an HVAC system.
• the functions that the treatment formulation performs include removing already existing scale from the system's wetted surfaces; repairing and improving the metallic wetted components' natural protective oxide layers; physically removing, or rendering nonfunctional the contaminants within the water utilized or worked upon by the system, which precipitate out to form scale on wetted surfaces; buffering the pH of the water so as to provide the optimum level of base and acid conditions for promoting scale free and corrosion free metallic wetted surfaces; and eliminating and preventing re-growth of microbial contaminants, and as a carrier for a leak detecting dye.
• the first function that takes place as soon as the formulation enters the system's water is that the mineral contaminants within the water are adsorbed, sequestered, or chelated.
• an adsorbent such as a Zeolite that is tailored for adsorbing the scale-forming minerals
• sequestering and chelating agents such as sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), potassium tripolyphosphate, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, citric acid, tetrasodium ethylene diamine tetracetic acid (EDTA) and sodium nitrilotriacetate (NTA), that again are selected for their ability to sequester and chelate the scale-forming minerals.
• STPP sodium tripolyphosphate
• EDTA tetrasodium ethylene diamine tetracetic acid
• NDA sodium nitrilotriacetate
• the ingredients performing the needed functions are not limited to those listed above. While the adsorbed minerals can be physically removed from the water through a filtration step that effectively captures and subsequently physically removes the non-dissolved adsorbent along with the adsorbed minerals, the sequestered and chelated minerals remain in the water, but are effectively prevented from affecting the saturation level of the minerals in the water, substantially preventing their precipitation, and creating a condition in the water which makes the water, in essence, deprived of the minerals that in turn makes the water an aggressive solvent for non-dissolved minerals or scale.
• Removing existing scale is enhanced by the second function, which is wetting the scaled surface with a suitable surfactant.
• the mineral solvating water becomes aggressive towards the scale itself, effectively re-dissolving it back into the water.
• the minerals are sequestered, chelated, or adsorbed by the respective agents.
• the formulation addresses this problem through its function as an enhancer of the metal's natural protective oxide layer.
• This function can be accomplished through silica, and other mineral rich ingredients and poly and orthophosphates.
• the silica has the ability to combine with the natural protective oxide layer on the wetted metallic surfaces, and actually become an integral part of an enhanced composite protective layer that is less permeable, more durable, and more resistant to erosion than the original oxide layer.
• the enhanced layer is micro-thin and will not noticeably contribute to the thermal resistance of the water to metal interface.
• the silica works with both ferrous and non- ferrous metals, it works best with the non-ferrous.
• the polyphosphates tend to work best with ferrous metals.
• the polyphosphates function as cationic corrosion inhibitors for ferrous metals. As the polyphosphates age, they tend to revert to orthophosphates.
• Orthophosphates function as anodic corrosion inhibitors for ferrous metals, combining with the ferrous oxide natural protective film to seal cracks and voids in the film, and thus effectively sealing the water off from the base metal.
• a mixture of poly and orthophosphates, or all orthophosphates may be utilized.
• the silicates, polyphosphates, and surfactants utilized in the formulation have inherent abilities to deflocculate, peptize, and disperse contaminants that may have formed the precipitates and sludge. This allows the contaminants in the sludge to be filtered out as they flow through the system filtration components.
• the preferred surfactant is of the quaternary, microbiocide, low foaming type surfactant, which is approved for use in food preparation areas and is suitable for control of mold, fungus, bacteria, virus, and algae.
• the preferred embodiment of the treatment formulation for use in HVAC systems, and when added to the water of the HVAC system, is as shown in the Preferred Embodiment for HVAC Systems Table of Figure 2.
• the treatment formulation is such that it can be formulated as either a dry form, such as powder, granular, or solid; or it can be a liquid, gel or paste.
• Table 2 shows the ratio of weight of ingredients to the total volume of water to be treated in the system (expressed in milligrams of each ingredient per liter of water to be treated). In this case, all of the constituents are dry, but the same would apply to liquid form.
• the treatment formulation as described herein may be modified, with either none, more, or less of one or more of the ingredients, such as no adsorbent, or with additional active or inactive ingredients, such as an indicator dye to aid in leak detection.
• An abrasive compound to gently abrade scale or other contaminants that are adhered to surfaces may be used for applications where there is a need to reduce or eliminate scale from either metallic or non- metallic surfaces, and to protect the surfaces from corrosive attack.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
• Thermal Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Materials Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Preventing Corrosion Or Incrustation Of Metals (AREA)
• Detergent Compositions (AREA)
• Water Treatment By Sorption (AREA)
• Cleaning And De-Greasing Of Metallic Materials By Chemical Methods (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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• 2002
  • 2002-11-06 CA CA2465838A patent/CA2465838C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-11-06 WO PCT/US2002/035530 patent/WO2003040046A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2002-11-06 EP EP02784399A patent/EP1451114A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2002-11-06 JP JP2003542098A patent/JP2005508248A/ja active Pending
  • 2002-11-06 AU AU2002348177A patent/AU2002348177A2/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2002-11-06 US US10/494,802 patent/US7125830B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-11-06 MX MXPA04004314A patent/MXPA04004314A/es not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (6)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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