WO2006126220A1

WO2006126220A1 - New ski waxes

Info

Publication number: WO2006126220A1
Application number: PCT/IT2005/000305
Authority: WO
Inventors: Antonio Albuzio
Original assignee: Sport Performer S.R.L.; Mazzonetto, Giovanni
Priority date: 2005-05-27
Filing date: 2005-05-27
Publication date: 2006-11-30

Abstract

Novel ski waxes containing essentially from 50 to 100% by weight of octoxynol and/or its analogs and from 0 to 50% by weight of ethylene glycol and/or its analogs are described. These ski waxes allow a technical performance, in terms of ease of sliding movement, which is comparable, if not superior to that of traditional ski waxes. Moreover they ensure a skiing fluidity which remains constant with variation in the temperature and/or consistency of the snow; they have a greater resistance; they are liquid at room temperature, do not stain and are biodegradable.

Description

TITLE

New ski waxes

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to novel ski waxes containing octoxynol and/or it analogs, optionally in combination with ethylene glycol and/or its analogs.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Ski waxes are compositions used in both the competitive and the amateur skiing sector, in order to increase the sliding properties of the ski or the snowboard; they are applied onto the base of the equipment where they perform three essential functions:

- they eliminate the roughness and irregularities on the base so as to make it perfectly smooth and therefore less subject to the resistance due to mechanical friction;

- they lower the surface tension so that there is less adhesion to the snow-covered surface due to the lower interfacial energy between the two surfaces; they act as a lubricant . which is situated between the base and the snow-covered surface.

The ski waxes which are currently commercially available mainly consist of paraffins, substituted to a greater or lesser degree by fluorohydrocarbons or mixtures thereof; these paraffins are, for example, The abovementioned ski waxes, however, have a series of drawbacks and disadvantages which may limit substantially the area and/or the methods of use thereof:

- they are not biodegradable and, in any case, not eco-friendly, with the result that, in many countries, they are being eliminated from the list of acceptable substances;

- they must be applied in the hot state, with a consequent increase in the application time and the need to use specialised equipment;

- they stain and have a limited duration.

There therefore exists the need for a ski wax which does not have the abovementioned disadvantages. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It has now been discovered, and this forms the main subject of the present invention, that compounds of formula I or mixtures thereof:

in which R is a linear or branched Ci-C₂o-alkyl radical; Ri is a linear or branched Ci-Cs-alkylene radical; R², R³, R⁴ and R⁵, identical or different from each other, are H or a linear or branched Ci-Cj-alkyl radical; n is between 1 and 150; may be used as ski waxes or for the preparation of ski waxes on their own and/or in combination with other compounds.

According to one aspect of the invention R², R³, R⁴ ed R⁵ are H.

According to a further aspect of the invention, R is a C₄-Ci_O-alkyl radical, preferably 1,1,3,3- tetrame^'thylbutyl .

According to a further aspect of the invention R¹ is a C2-C₄-alkylene radical, preferably ethylene.

According to a further aspect of the invention n is between 1 and 100, preferably between 1 and 100, even more preferably between 5 and 15, and possibly between 9 and 10.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the compound of formula I is α- [4-(l, 1,3,3, - tetramethylbutyl) phenyl] -ω-hydroxypoly (oxy-1, 2- ethanediyl) , better known by the name of octoxynol (CAS Registry Number: 9002-93-1) , and currently marketed" by Rhone-Poulenc as Igepal Ca™ and Igepal CA-630™, by Union Carbide as Polytergent G™, by Rohm & Haas as Triton X™ and Triton X-100™, by Continental Chem. as Conco NIX-100™ and by Onyx as Neutronyx 605™.

As mentioned above, the compound of formula I may be used on its own or in combination with other components; these, in turn, my be selected from among the normal constituents of ski waxes (such as, for example, paraffins and fluorohydrocarbon compounds) such as, for example, those described in US 4,529,826, US 4,836,944, US 5,114,482, US 5,202,041, US 5,423,994 and US 6,284,715, which are incorporated herein as reference sources.

Moreover, among the possible components which can be used in combination with the compound of formula I, mention must be made of alkylene glycols, such as, for example, alkylene glycol and ethylene glycol. In particular, the abovementioned glycols have the function of ensuring the fluidity and hence ease of application of the ski wax, at lower temperatures.

Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention to provide a ski wax essentially containing, and preferably consisting of, from 50 to 100% by weight of a compound of formula I or mixtures thereof (where R, R¹, R², R³, R⁴, R⁵ and n have the meanings given above) and from 0 to 50% by weight of an alkylene glycol, with respect to the weight of the ski wax. Possibly, the compound of formula I will be present in a quantity of between 55 and 95% by weight, preferably between 70 and 80%, while the alkalyene glycol will be present in a quantity of between 10 and 40% by weight, preferably between 20 and 30%; in the most preferred embodiment of the invention, the compound of formula I is present in a quantity of about 75% by weight and the alkylene glycol is present in a quantity of about 25% by weight.

It has in fact been surprisingly found that the ski wax according to the present invention, although it is based on the use of a compound which is perfectly bio-degradable, such as precisely the compound of formula I, and in particular octoxynol, allows a technical performance to be achieved, in terms of ease of sliding movement of the ski and snowboard, which is comparable, if not superior, to that of traditional non bio-degradable ski waxes based on paraffins and/or fluorohydrocarbons .

In practical terms, moreover, the ski wax according to the present invention results in advantages which are entirely unexpected.

It serves in fact many functions, in that it allows a fluid skiing movement which remains constant with a variation in the temperature and/or the consistency of the snow; both the amateur skier and the semi-competitive skier will therefore not need to change the type of ski wax and/or equipment depending on whether they have to ski on icy snow rather than on fresh snow.

The ski wax moreover has a greater resistance than the ski waxes known in the art; the tests carried out by the inventors have in fact shown that, once applied to the base, this ski wax allows the same skiing fluidity to be maintained for more than 150 km, this distance, for an amateur skier, corresponding approximately to the distance covered during the course of a so-called "white week", i.e. week's skiing holiday.

Moreover, since the compounds of formula I, in particular octoxynol, are liquids which are viscous at room temperature, namely at a temperature of about 20- 25° C, the ski wax according to the present invention may be applied onto the base with ease, without having to undergo a preheating step. For this reason, it may be manufactured and distributed in ready-to-use containers, such as those ^■ of the "roll-on" type commonly used for cosmetic deodorants and shoe polish.

This ease of application therefore means that the amateur skier does not have to bother with professional persons for preparation of the skis, except for repair of the base or the edges of the skis, with obvious savings in terms of cost and time. Moreover, the presence of alkylene glycol in the percentage amounts indicated above means that the viscous liquid state of the ski wax may also be maintained at temperatures lower than 0°, this making it easy to carry and apply the ski wax onto the equipment also directly on the ski slopes .

Finally, unlike the ski waxes known in the art, the ski wax according to the present invention does not stain, this being an advantage which does not regard further comment.

For the purposes of the present invention, the term "essentially containing" is understood as meaning that the ski wax, in addition to alkyelene glycol, paraffins and/or fluorohydrocarbons, may contain minimum amounts (preferably not greater than 10% by weight of the ski wax) of excipients, adjuvants, dyes and/or conservation agents.

Claims

1. Use, as a ski wax, of a compound of formula I

or mixtures thereof, in which R is a linear or branched Ci-C₂o-alkyl radical; R¹ is a linear or branched Ci-Cs-alkylene radical; R², R³, R⁴ and R⁵, identical or different from each other, are H or a linear or branched Ci-C₄-alkyl radical; n is between 1 and 150.

2. Use according to Claim 1, in which R², R³, R⁴ ed R⁵ are H.

3. Use according to one of the preceding claims, in which R is a Cj-Cio-alkyl radical.

4. Use according to Claim 3, in which R is 1 , 1, 3, 3-tetramethylbutyl .

5. Use according to one of the preceding claims, in which R¹ is a C₂~C₄-alkylene radical.

6. Use according to Claim 5, in which R¹ is ethylene .

7. Use according to one of the preceding claims, in which n is between 1 and 100, preferably between 1 and 100, and even more preferably between 5 and 15.

8. Use according to Claim 7, in which n is 10.

9. Use according to one of the preceding claims, in which the compound of formula 1 is octoxynol.

10. Use according to one of the preceding claims, in which the compound of formula I is used in combination with at least an alkylene glycol.

11. Use according to Claim 10, in which said alkylene glycol is ethylene glycol.

12. Use according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the compound of formula I is used in combination with paraffins, fluorohydrocarbons or mixtures thereof.

13. A ski wax essentially containing from 50 to 100% by weight of a compound of formula I

or mixtures thereof, , in which R is a linear or branched Ci-C₂o-alkyl radical; R¹ is a linear or branched Ci-Cs-alkylene radical; R², R³, R⁴ and R⁵, identical or different from each other, are H or a linear or branched Ci-C₄-alkyl radical; n is between 1 and 150; and from 0 to 50% by weight of an alkylene glycol, with respect to the weight of the ski wax.

14. A ski wax according to Claim 13, in which the compound of formula I is present in a quantity of between 55 and 95% by weight, preferably between 70 and 80%.

15. A ski wax according to one of the preceding claims, in which the alkylene glycol is present in a quantity of between 10 and 40% by weight, preferably between 20 and 30%.

16. A ski wax according to Claim 13, in which the compound of formula I is present in a quantity of between 75% by weight and the alkylene glycol is present in a quantity of about 25% by weight.

17. A ski wax according to one of the preceding claims, in which R², R³, R⁴ and R⁵ are H.

18. A ski wax according to one of the preceding claims, in which R is a Cj-Cio-alkyl radical.

19. A ski wax according to Claim 18, in which R is 1,1,3, 3-tetramethylbutyl .

20. A ski wax according to one of the preceding claims, in which R¹ is a C₂-C₄-alkylene radical.

21. A ski wax according to Claim 20, in which R¹ is ethylene.

22. A ski wax according to one of the preceding claims, in which n is between 1 and 100, preferably between 1 and 100, even more preferably between 5 and 15.

23. A ski wax according to Claim 22, in which n is 10.

24. A ski wax according to one of the preceding claims, in which the compound of formula I is octoxynol .

25. A ski wax according to one of the preceding claims, in which said alkylene glycol is ethylene glycol .

26. A ski wax according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it contains paraffins, fluorohydrocarbons or mixtures thereof.