WO2009061308A1 - Procédé et système permettant de préchauffer des revêtements époxy destinés à une application par pulvérisation - Google Patents

Procédé et système permettant de préchauffer des revêtements époxy destinés à une application par pulvérisation Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2009061308A1
WO2009061308A1 PCT/US2007/083564 US2007083564W WO2009061308A1 WO 2009061308 A1 WO2009061308 A1 WO 2009061308A1 US 2007083564 W US2007083564 W US 2007083564W WO 2009061308 A1 WO2009061308 A1 WO 2009061308A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
resin
catalyst
heat transfer
flow
heating
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2007/083564
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Danny Warren
David Allan Smith
Original Assignee
Warren Environmental, Inc.
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 Warren Environmental, Inc. filed Critical Warren Environmental, Inc.
Priority to CA2704860A priority Critical patent/CA2704860C/fr
Priority to PCT/US2007/083564 priority patent/WO2009061308A1/fr
Publication of WO2009061308A1 publication Critical patent/WO2009061308A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D1/00—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials
    • B05D1/34—Applying different liquids or other fluent materials simultaneously
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B9/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour
    • B05B9/002—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour incorporating means for heating or cooling, e.g. the material to be sprayed
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B9/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour
    • B05B9/03—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material
    • B05B9/04—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material with pressurised or compressible container; with pump
    • B05B9/0403—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material with pressurised or compressible container; with pump with pumps for liquids or other fluent material
    • B05B9/0406—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material with pressurised or compressible container; with pump with pumps for liquids or other fluent material with several pumps
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D—PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05D1/00—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials
    • B05D1/02—Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials performed by spraying

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to a system for the spray application of epoxy materials. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a method and system for preheating the various components of epoxy materials prior to their being mixed in order to reduce their viscosity thereby facilitating spray application thereof.
  • epoxy based protective coatings are well known in the art and due to their exceptional durability and structural properties epoxy based protective coatings have gained commercial acceptance as protective and decorative coatings for use on a wide variety of materials.
  • epoxy based protective coatings represent one of the most widely used methods of corrosion control. They are used to provide long term protection of steel, concrete, aluminum and other structures under a broad range of corrosive conditions, extending from atmospheric exposure to full immersion in highly corrosive environments. Further, epoxy coatings are readily available and are easily applied by a variety of methods including spraying, rolling and brushing.
  • the epoxy includes a first base resin matrix and at least a second catalyst or hardener, although other components such as a pigment agent or an aggregate component may also be added. While the two parts remain separate, they remain in liquid form. After the two parts are mixed together, they begin a curing process that is typically triggered by exposure to heat, humidity or a ultra-violet light source, whereby the mixed material quickly begins to solidify.
  • the resin base and the catalyst are typically highly viscous in consistency and when mixed, generally having a paste like consistency.
  • the difficulty found in the prior art is that while epoxy has highly desirable characteristics as a finished coating, the preferred method of application is spray application.
  • spray application When attempting to spray apply an epoxy, two drawbacks are encountered. First, the material cannot be mixed in large batches prior to application because of the short pot life of the material. Accordingly, it must be mixed on an as needed basis immediately prior to spray application. Second, the naturally viscous consistency of the mixed epoxy material is not well suited for spray application. To thin the epoxy to the consistency required for typical prior art spray application, the epoxy must be loaded with a large percent by volume of solvent. Such a solvent typically contains high level of volatile organic compounds (VOC) whose primary function is to lower viscosity thereby providing a consistency suitable for spray application with conventional air, airless and electrostatic spray equipment. The addition of the solvent to the epoxy coating material in turn greatly increases the VOC content of the epoxy coating material and reduces the build thickness of the finished and cured coating.
  • VOC volatile organic compounds
  • the present invention provides for a method and system capable of reducing the viscosity of epoxy materials in preparation of spray application without the need of thinning through the addition of VOC solvents.
  • the component parts of the epoxy material are preheated before they are mixed, thereby achieving a large reduction in the material viscosity without requiring thinning of the material or the addition of solvents.
  • the present invention provides for a dual walled tank structure as a reservoir for containing and preheating the epoxy materials in preparation for mixing and spray application.
  • the inner wall of the tank forms a storage reservoir in which the base resin is stored.
  • the cavity between the inner wall and the outer wall in the dual wall construction provides a water jacket that surrounds the interior tank. Heating elements are provided within the water jacket, which serve to heat the water within the water jacket, which in turn heats the interior tank and the resin stored therein.
  • the water jacket heats the resin to a discharge temperature of approximately between 15O 0 F and 16O 0 F.
  • the water jacket may include in addition to plain water a simple soap or detergent additive that is employed to flush the resin and catalyst lines after the spray application is completed. In the prior art, the lines were traditionally flushed using solvents creating a potentially hazardous condition when applying materials in closed environments.
  • the present invention instead employs a solvent free soap and water mixture thereby making the entire process solvent free.
  • the heating of the resin takes place in two steps.
  • the resin in the tank is initially heated to a temperature that allows the resin to flow, but is well below the evaporation temperature of the various components within the resin. This prevents various chemical components within the base resin from flashing off, thereby changing the chemical composition and characteristics of the resin.
  • a second heating step as the resin is being pumped out of the storage tank it enters a series of heating coils that serve to contain the resin in a closed environment while heating the resin to the desired application temperature. In this manner, even if evaporation does occur, it is fully contained and all of the resin components are transferred intact to the mixing nozzle.
  • the catalyst were heated to the target temperature range using the same method in an open container, some of the components, such as ammonia, that are in the catalyst would evaporate creating problems in the finished product. Since the catalyst cannot be heated in an open chamber another set of coils is provided that resides within the water jacket. The catalyst is passed through these coils before mixing, as will be discussed in detail below, to also preheat the catalyst to the desired temperature range.
  • Yet another set of coils may be provided to facilitate the refilling of the resin tank while the machine is in operation.
  • This coil extends from the exterior of the tank into the resin tank and allows the resin to be preheated before it is deposited into the resin storage tank. This allows the resin tank to be periodically refilled without having to stop the application of the material while waiting for the newly added material in the resin storage tank to preheat.
  • the resin is drawn from the resin storage tank by a resin pump after being heated.
  • the catalyst is push pumped by a second pump through the catalyst heating coil.
  • the resin and catalyst flows are then joined in a third mixing pump that mixes the two parts together and supplies the pressurized epoxy to a spray applicator for application onto the desired surface.
  • the method and system of the present invention therefore provides a two- part epoxy mixture that is preheated and has a viscosity that is sufficiently low for spray application without the need for the addition of solvent.
  • the resulting coating has an improved build and a higher structural value as compared to epoxies that were applied using the prior art systems and methods.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment system for the spray application of epoxy material in accordance with the disclosure of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional vies of the system taken along line 2-2 in Fig. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the method and system of the present invention.
  • Spray application is therefore defined in a manner that is to be distinguished from “flowing” or “extruding” where the material at the point of deposition has a dimension that is about the same a the dimension of the opening. Accordingly, as discussed above, the present invention is directed to a method and system for spray application of high molecular weight polymeric thermal- cure epoxy materials, such as structural epoxy, that handles the material at application temperature and pressure without requiring solvents or the like to reduce viscosity.
  • high molecular weight polymeric thermal- cure epoxy materials such as structural epoxy
  • the system 10 of the present invention includes generally a heating tank 12, means for establishing a flow of epoxy resin 14 through the heating tank 12, means for establishing a flow of catalyst 16 thought the heating tank 12, means for mixing the flow of resin and catalyst nozzle 20 for the spray application of the epoxy mixture onto a substrate surface.
  • the heating tank 12 is the principal element of the system 10 of the present invention.
  • the heating tank 12 is constructed using a double wall construction.
  • the heating tank 12 includes an outer structural wall 22 that encloses the entire assembly and serves to house and contain the required heating elements of the system 10 of the present invention.
  • the outer tank wall 22 may be metallic or formed from a structural polymer such as a reinforced fiberglass or the like. Further, the exterior surface of the outer wall 22 may be insulated to increase the performance and energy efficiency of the overall system 10.
  • Disposed on the interior of the heating tank 12 is an inner wall 24 that is generally placed in spaced relation to the outer wall 22.
  • the inner wall 24 has inner surface 26 and an outer surface 28, wherein the said outer wall 22 and said outer surface 28 of said inner wall 24 cooperate to form a heating jacket 30 therebetween.
  • the inner wall 24 and outer wall 24 cooperate to form a chamber that is suitable to receive and retain a heat transfer medium 32 thereby creating a heating jacket 30.
  • the heat transfer medium 32 is water, although any fluid medium that is known in the art to be suitable for the effective and efficient transfer of heat between objects may be used and still fall within the scope of the present invention.
  • the inner surface 26 of the inner wall 24 is formed in a manner that creates an interior chamber 34, which is surrounded on at least its perimeter by the heating jacket 30.
  • the interior chamber 34 is segregated from the heating jacket 30 and is formed to receive and retain the base resin material 36 therein.
  • the resin 36 within the interior resin chamber 34 is preheated as a result of heat transfer to the interior resin chamber 34 from the heat transfer medium 32 contained in the surrounding heating jacket 30.
  • a means for heating 38 the heat transfer medium 32 is disposed within the heating jacket 30 and is in contact with the heat transfer medium 32.
  • the means for heating 38 the heat transfer medium 32 may include any suitable heating means known in the art.
  • the heating means 38 may be any direct heating means such as an electrical resistance heating coil or a direct-fired fuel burner such as a natural gas, propane or oil fired burner.
  • the heating means 38 may be any known means of indirect heating means.
  • means for heating 38 the heat transfer medium 32 encompasses any known device for imparting heat to the heat transfer medium 32.
  • the heat transfer medium 32 may include in addition to plain water a simple soap or detergent additive that is employed to flush the resin and catalyst conduits 40, 42 lines after the spray application is completed.
  • a simple soap or detergent additive that is employed to flush the resin and catalyst conduits 40, 42 lines after the spray application is completed.
  • the lines were traditionally flushed using solvents creating a potentially hazardous condition when applying materials in closed environments.
  • the present invention instead employs a solvent free soap and water mixture thereby making the entire process solvent free.
  • the heating jacket 30 provides a means by which the heat transfer medium 32 can facilitate a uniform and steady supply of heat to preheat the resin 36 contained in the resin chamber 34.
  • the present invention provides at least a resin heat transfer conduit 40 and a catalyst heat transfer conduit 42, both of which are disposed within said heating jacket 30.
  • the resin heat transfer conduit 40 is formed as a continuous piping conduit that has a an input end 44 in fluid communication with said resin chamber 34 and an output end 46 disposed on the exterior of the outer wall 22 of the heating tank 12.
  • the catalyst heat transfer conduit 42 is formed as a continuous piping conduit that has an input end 48 in fluid communication with a catalyst reservoir 50 and an output end 52 disposed on the exterior of the outer wall 22 of the heating tank 12.
  • the piping conduit that extends between the input end and the output end of both the catalyst and resin heat transfer conduits 42, 40 extends through the heating jacket 30.
  • the piping conduit of both the resin and catalyst heat transfer conduits 40, 42 may be formed in a manner that provides increased surface area in order to facilitate heat transfer from the heating jacket 30 to the interior of the heat transfer conduits 40, 42.
  • the resin and catalyst heat transfer conduits 40, 42 may each be formed as a coil having several loops of piping that all pass through the heating jacket 30.
  • the outer surface of piping conduit may include other surface area enhancements such as ribs or fins .
  • the operational portion of the system of the present invention includes means for establishing a flow of resin 14, means for establishing a flow of catalyst 16 and means for mixing 18 the flow of resin and catalyst in preparation of discharge of the epoxy coating.
  • the means for establishing the flow is preferably a pump.
  • the pump may be any type pump suitable for the transfer of fluid materials.
  • a resin pump 14 is preferably connected to the output end of the resin heat transfer coil 40 thereby drawing resin 36 from the resin chamber 34 and through the resin heat transfer coil 40.
  • the flow of catalyst is established by a catalyst pump 16 that draws the catalyst from a catalyst reservoir 50 and discharges the catalyst into the input end of the catalyst heat transfer conduit 42 thereby pushing the catalyst through the catalyst heat transfer conduit 42.
  • Both the flow of resin 54 and the flow of catalyst 56 are then discharged into a mixing pump 18 where the catalyst and resin are mixed and discharged at an elevated pressure to a spray nozzle 20 for spray application of the mixed, multi-part epoxy. While a particular pumping arrangement is disclosed, anyone skilled in the art can appreciate that repositioning the various pumps by placing them at different locations in the flow paths of the catalyst and resin would still produce a device that would fall within the scope of the present invention.
  • the resin 36 and catalyst are both heated separately before they are mixed.
  • the applicator was faced with a tank full of activated material that has a relatively short pot life before hardening. Further, at the end of the application, any mixed material remaining in the tank was wasted.
  • the present invention provides for the two components to be heated separately and then mixed thereby requiring that only the epoxy material that is needed be mixed.
  • the heating of the resin 36 takes place in two steps.
  • the resin 36 in the resin tank 34 is initially heated to a temperature that allows the resin 36 to reach a lowered viscosity and thereby flow, but is well below the evaporation temperature of the various components within the resin 36. This prevents various chemical components within the base resin 36 from flashing off, thereby changing the chemical composition and characteristics of the resin 36.
  • a second heating step as the resin 36 is being pumped out of the resin tank 34 it enters the resin heat transfer conduit 44 wherein the walls of the piping serve to contain the resin 36 in a closed environment while heating the resin 36 to the desired application temperature of between approximately 15O 0 F and 16O 0 F.
  • the catalyst is passed through the catalyst heat transfer conduit 42 before mixing, to also preheat the catalyst to the desired temperature range.
  • a resin pre-heating coil 58 may also be provided to facilitate the refilling of the resin tank 34 while the system 10 is in operation.
  • the resin preheat coil 58 extends from the exterior of the tank 12 into the resin chamber 34 allows the resin 36 to be preheated before it is deposited into the resin chamber 34. This allows the resin chamber 34 to be periodically refilled without having to stop the application of the material while waiting for the newly added resin 36 in the resin chamber 34 to preheat.
  • Fig. 3 a schematic diagram is provided best illustrates the operational method of the present invention.
  • the present invention provides a method of spray application for a multi-part epoxy material.
  • the steps related to the handling of the base resin 36 including the steps of: providing a heating tank 12 with a resin chamber 34 therein; filling the resin chamber 34 with an epoxy resin 36; preheating the resin 36 within the resin chamber 34 to a first temperature; and drawing said preheated resin 36 from said resin chamber 34 to create a resin flow 54.
  • the steps related to the handling of the catalyst include: providing a catalyst; creating a catalyst flow 56; and preheating said catalyst flow 56 to a second temperature. Once the resin 54 and catalyst 56 flows have been preheated, the catalyst flow 56 and said resin flow 54 are mixed and discharged at an elevated pressure to a spray nozzle 20 for spray application.
  • the method of the present invention may provide for heating the resin 36 material in two steps.
  • the resin 36 in the resin tank 34 is initially heated to a temperature that allows the resin 36 to flow, but is well below the evaporation temperature of the various components within the resin 36. This prevents various chemical components within the base resin 36 from flashing off, thereby changing the chemical composition and characteristics of the resin 36.
  • a second heating step as the resin 36 is being pumped out of the storage tank 34 it enters the resin heat transfer conduit 40 wherein the walls of the piping serve to contain the resin 36 in a closed environment while heating the resin 36 to the desired application temperature of between approximately 15O 0 F and 160°.
  • the disclosure of the present invention provides that the heating tank 12 structure disclosed above with regard to the system 10 is the same device that is employed in the method of the present invention for the purpose of heating the resin 36 and catalyst for each of the various heating steps.
  • the present invention provides a novel method and system for the spray application of epoxy materials that results in a substantial reduction in the viscosity of the material without requiring the addition of VOC solvents. Further, the present invention provides a system for the spray application of epoxy materials that has dramatically increased efficiency with respect to the manner in which materials are handled as well as increased operational up time as compared to the methods and systems known in the prior art. For these reasons, the instant invention is believed to represent a significant advancement in the art, which has substantial commercial merit.

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  • Application Of Or Painting With Fluid Materials (AREA)
  • Nozzles (AREA)

Abstract

Cette invention se rapporte à un procédé et à un système destinés à l'application par pulvérisation de matériaux époxy. Le système comprend une structure de réservoir à paroi double utilisée comme réservoir permettant de renfermer et de préchauffer les matériaux époxy en vue de préparer le mélange et l'application par pulvérisation. Chaque composant du matériau époxy est préchauffé avant le mélange des composants. Après le préchauffage, les composants sont ensuite mélangés ensemble et appliqués par pulvérisation. Le procédé et le système selon l'invention permettent d'obtenir un revêtement époxy appliqué par pulvérisation de haute qualité tout en réduisant l'immobilisation et le nettoyage de l'équipement.
PCT/US2007/083564 2007-11-05 2007-11-05 Procédé et système permettant de préchauffer des revêtements époxy destinés à une application par pulvérisation WO2009061308A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA2704860A CA2704860C (fr) 2007-11-05 2007-11-05 Procede et systeme permettant de prechauffer des revetements epoxy destines a une application par pulverisation
PCT/US2007/083564 WO2009061308A1 (fr) 2007-11-05 2007-11-05 Procédé et système permettant de préchauffer des revêtements époxy destinés à une application par pulvérisation

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/US2007/083564 WO2009061308A1 (fr) 2007-11-05 2007-11-05 Procédé et système permettant de préchauffer des revêtements époxy destinés à une application par pulvérisation

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2009061308A1 true WO2009061308A1 (fr) 2009-05-14

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ID=40626025

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2007/083564 WO2009061308A1 (fr) 2007-11-05 2007-11-05 Procédé et système permettant de préchauffer des revêtements époxy destinés à une application par pulvérisation

Country Status (2)

Country Link
CA (1) CA2704860C (fr)
WO (1) WO2009061308A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3023164A1 (fr) * 2014-11-21 2016-05-25 Warren Environmental Inc. Procédé et système pour revêtements époxyde de préchauffage pour une application par pulvérisation

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3417923A (en) * 1966-11-04 1968-12-24 Ronald E. Carlson Spray gun for applying a two-component mixture
US5645217A (en) * 1994-04-08 1997-07-08 Warren; Daniel Two-part compound spray-application system and method
US5701922A (en) * 1995-12-29 1997-12-30 Dalco Industries, Ltd. Water-based flushing for paints and other coatings
US20050276926A1 (en) * 2004-06-14 2005-12-15 Murray Ginsberg Method for producing an epoxy composition

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3417923A (en) * 1966-11-04 1968-12-24 Ronald E. Carlson Spray gun for applying a two-component mixture
US5645217A (en) * 1994-04-08 1997-07-08 Warren; Daniel Two-part compound spray-application system and method
US5701922A (en) * 1995-12-29 1997-12-30 Dalco Industries, Ltd. Water-based flushing for paints and other coatings
US20050276926A1 (en) * 2004-06-14 2005-12-15 Murray Ginsberg Method for producing an epoxy composition

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3023164A1 (fr) * 2014-11-21 2016-05-25 Warren Environmental Inc. Procédé et système pour revêtements époxyde de préchauffage pour une application par pulvérisation

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA2704860A1 (fr) 2009-05-14
CA2704860C (fr) 2014-07-08

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