Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The present invention relates to an improved
packet of material for absorbing, and treating a immobilizing
liquid after the liquid comes in contact therewith.
sy way of background, the liquid absorbing and
immobilizing character of sodium polyacrylate is known. A
small amount of this material will absorb and immobilize a
relatively large quantity of an aqueous solution by forming
a gel-like material when it reacts therewith. In copending
Canadian applications Serial No. 536,908, filed May 12, 1987
and Serial No. 538,922 filed June 5, 1987, a packet is
disclosed which contains sodium polyacrylate in a degradable
starch paper envelope. When the aqueous solution comes into
contact with the envelope, it degrades it, and the sodium
polyacrylate absorbs and immobilizes the solution. The
packet is generally packaged within a box on the outside
of a container of liquid, and if the container breaks,
the envelope of the packet dissolves and the material
therein absorbs and immobilizes the liquid, thereby preventing a
mess which would otherwise be made. However, the sodium
polyacrylate functioned only to absorb and immobilize the
aqueous solution, it did not specifically treat the solution to
prevent other detrimental effects. In this respect, the aqueous
solution could have had bacteria, fungi, microbes, viruses, etc.
therein which were not treated and incapacitated during the
absorbing and immobilizing action.
It is the object of the present invention to provide
an improved packet containing material for not only absorbing
and immobilizing liquids with which it may come into contact but
also for chemically treating such liquid to neutralize any
organisms or odors therein. Other objects and attendant
-
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advantages of the present invention readily will be perceived
hereafter.
The present invention relates to a packet for
absorbing and immobilizing a liquid comprising an envelope which
is degradable in said liquid, a first material in said envelope
for absorbing and immobilizing said liquid, and a second
material confined in said envelope for additionally treating
said liquid which is absorbed and immobilized to nullify a
specific undesirable quality thereof.
The present invention also relates to an outer
container having an inner container with liquid from which said
liquid can leak, an absorbent packet located between said inner
and outer containers for absorbing and immobilizing said liquid
within said outer container in the event of leakage of said
liquid from said inner container comprising an envelope which is
degradable in said liquid, a first material in said envelope for
absorbing and immobillzing said liquid, and a second material
confined in said envelope for additionally treating said liquid
which is absorbed and immobilized to nullify a specific
undesirable quality thereof.
The various aspects of the present invention will be
more fully understood when the following portions of the
specification are read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the absorbent packet
of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially
along line 2-2 of FIG. l;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken
subtantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 with the dot matrix
portion shown in disproportionate enlargement;
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FIG. 3A is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken
substantially along line 3A-3A of FIG. 3,
FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary plan view
of the material of the envelope;
FIG. 4A is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the
material which comprises the envelope;
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view, partially in cross
section, showing an inner container of liquid located within an
outer container with the degradable packet of absorbing and
immobilizing material located therebetween while the inner
container is intact; and
FIG. 6 is a view similar t~ FIG. 5 but showing a
rupture in the inner container and the liquid which leaked
therefrom solidified after the degrading of the packet envelope.
The packet 10 for absorbing and immobilizing a
liquid includes an envelope 11 of material which is degradable
in the liquid, a liquid absorbing and immobilizing material 12
contained within envelope 11, and a material for chemically
treating the liquid to neutralize or nullify any specific
undesirable characteristic or quality thereof. The envelope 11
is formed of sheet material which is heat-sealed at end seams 13
and along a central seam 14. Preferably the sheet material from
which envelope 11 is made includes a degradable starch paper 15
having a polyvinyl acetate uniform discontinuous coating 17 in a
dot matrix pattern over its entire surface. The dot matrix
pattern may have as many as 1,000 spaced dots per square inch,
or any other suitable amount, with the spaces on the paper
between the dots being uncoated. Alternatively, the envelope
may be of the type disclosed in copending application Serial No.
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863,722, filed ~lay 16, 1986, now Patent No. 4,7~9,600, or it may
be of any other suitable form.
I~hen the envelope 11 is fabricated, the starch paper
15 is the outer layer and the dot matrix pattern of polyvinyl
acetate is the inner layer. It is the polyvinyl acetate coating
portions of envelope 11, when placed face-to-face which permits
the seams 13 and 14 to be formed by heat-sealing, as depicted in
FIG. 3A. While a dot matrix pattern has been disclosed in which
the dots appear in the form of circles, it will be appreciated
that any other suitable uniform discontinuous pattern is accept-
able, provided it permits the starch paper to be adequately
sealed. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that while seams 13
and 14 are formed by lapping the inner layer in face-to-face
relationship, the seams, such as 14, may also be formed by
lapping an inner surface to an outer surface.
In the present instance the degradable outer layer 15
of envelope 11 is a starch paper which is degradable in water
and other liquids. A starch paper which has been used success-
fully is known under the trademark DISSOLVO and is a product of
Gilbreth International Corporation, and it is obtainable in
grades No. 2845 and No. 2800. It is a composition which
includes between about 80-82% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and
about 18% wood pulp fiber and other trace materials such as
calcium carbonate and titanium dioxide. However, the envelope
may be of any other liquid-degradable material. The dot matrix
pattern, or any other suitable discontinuous pattern, permits
liquid, which may not otherwise be able to dissolve the material
of coating 17, to completely degrade envelope 11 because there
are uncoated spaces 18 between the dots of the coating 17
~304Sti~3
through which the liquid can pass. However, the special advan-
tage of the dot matrix pattern is that the dots are extremely
small so that even if they do not dissolve, the degraded
envelope will be practically entirely disintegrated, whereas if
the discontinuous pattern consisted of large areas of coating,
complete disintegration might not be obtained even though the
envelope itself was degraded.
The liquid absorbing and immobilizing material 12
is preferably sodium polyacrylate having the formula
(C3H3O2Na)n. It is obtainable under the trademark WATER
LOCK J-550 from Grain Processing Corporation. This material is
a free-flowing powder having the ability to absorb or immobilize
large volumes of aqueous solutions including dilute alkalis,
dilute acids and body fluids. The material 12 will absorb and
immobilize 650 milliliters of water per gram of material or 75
milliliters of 1% sodium chloride solution per gram of material.
The material 12 will perform the foregoing absorbing and
immobilizing in about 25 seconds and added to this is the time
which is required for the envelope 11 to degrade which is about
another 30 seconds. Thus, when the packet 10 is immersed in
liquids of the foregoing type, the absorbing and immobilizing
process will take approximately one minute. Other liquid
absorbing and immobilizing materials which may be used are by
way of example and not of limitation a material known under the
trademark LABSORB made by Lab Safety Supply Co.; a material
known under the trademark SORBASET made by Conmark, Inc.; and
vermiculite.
In accordance with the present invention, the packet
10 preferably contains a second material for neutralizing or
nullifying any undesirable or detrimental characteristic of the
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liquid which is being ahsorbed and immobilized. This second
material, which may be mixed in a suitable amount with the
immobilizing material, may be biocide, fungicide, antimicrobial,
bacteriostat, sanitizer, disinfectant, scent or deodorizer or a
combination thereof. Thus, the material may be used, by way of
example and not of limitation, for absorbing immobilizing and
neutralizing spilled blood samples, urine, or other body fluids.
It may also be used to neutralize or destroy bacteria or fungi
in other liquids or to prevent growth of bacteria or fungi in
; 10 liquids which may serve as a host therefor. In short, it is
contemplated that by the addition of a suitable material of the
foregoing type to the immobilizing material, any desired effect
can be obtained for treating the liquid which is spilled in any
desired manner.
By way of example and not of limitation, the
following biocides can be mixed with the liquid absorbing and
immobilizing material in any desired proportion. Such biocides
may be sodium hypochlorite or calcium hypochlorite, a material
known under the trademark HTH~ manufactured by Olin; poly
(hexamethylene biquanide hydrochloride), which is known under
the trademark BAQUACIL~ manufactured by ICI Americas, Inc.;
chlorinated isocyanurates, known under the trademark PACE~
manufactured by Olin, or known under the trademark SUN~
manufactured by ~onsanto; l-(3-chlorallyl)-3,5,7 triaza
l-azoniaadamantane chloride, known under the trademark DO~ICIDE
75 manufactured by Dow Chemical; 1,2 dibromo - 2,4 dicyano-
butane, known under the trademark TEKTAMER 38 manuactured by
Calgon Corporation; methlene dithiocyanate, known under the
trademark STAUFFER N-948, manufactured by Stauffer Chemical;
2,2-dibromo-3-nitrilopropionamide, known under the trademark
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DBNPA manufactured by Dow Chemical U.S.A.; 5-chloro-2-methyl-
4~isothiazolin-3-one, known under the trademark KATHON WT
manufactured by Rohm and Haas Company; methylene dithiocyanate,
known under the trademark STAUEFER N-948 manufactured by
Stauffer Chemical Company; glutaraldehyde, known under the
trademark UCARCIDE 250 manufactured by Union Carbide;
5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazoline-3-one, known under the
trademark KATHON WT, manufactured by Rohm and Haas Company;
3,4,4'-trichlorocarbanilide ~triclocarban), known under the
trademark PREVENTOL OC-3034 manufactured by Mobay Chemical
Corporation; 3,4,4'-trichlorocarbanilide, known under the
trademark TCC manufactured by Monsanto Company; and
2,4,4'-trichloro2'-hydroxy-diphenyl ether, known under the
trademarks IRGASAN 300 and DP TRICLOSAN manufactured by
Ciba-Geigy Corporation.
The second material which may be mixed with the
liquid absorber and immobilizing material may be a fungicide
such as 2,4,5,6-tetrachloroisophthalonitrile, known under the
trademark CHLOROTHALONILNOPCOCIDE N96 manufactured by Diamond
Shamrock Corporation; 2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, known
under the trademark SKANE M-8, manufactured by Rohm and Haas
Company; 3-iodo-3-propynyl butyl, known under the trademark
POLYPHASE AF-l, manufactured by Troy Chemical Corporation; and
N-(trichloromethylthio) phthalimide, known under the trademark
TROYSAN ANTI-MILDEW O, rnanufactured by Troy Chemical
Corporation.
The second material which may be mixed with the
liquid absorber and immobilizing material may also be an
antimicrobial such as chlorohexidinegludconate, known under the
trademark CHG and manufactured by Lonza, or other suitable
antimicrobials.
~3(7~St~8
The second material which may be mixed with the
liquid absorber and immobilizing material may also be a
bacteriostat such as 3,4,4'-trichlorocarbanilide (trichlor-
carbon) manufactured by Monsanto or Mobay; trichloroisocyanuric
acid known under the trademark ACL~90 manufactured by Monsanto;
or sodium dichloroisocyanurate (dihydrate) known under the
trademarks CDB~ or CLEARON manufactured by Olin.
The second material which may be mixed with the
liquid absorber and immobilizing material may also be a
sanitizer or disinfectant such as quaternary ammonium compound
known under the trademark BARDAC~ and manufactured by Lonza;
o-phenylphenol manufactured by DuBois Chemical; o-benzl-p-
chlorphenol manufactured by Economics Laboratories, Inc.; or
iodofors manufactured by GAF Corporation.
The second material which may be mixed with the
liquid absorber and immobilizing material may also be a scent or
a fragrance such as known under the various trade names GREEN,
FLORAL, ALDE~YDIC, CHYPRE NOTE, ORIENTAL, LEATHER AND TOBACCO,
FO~GERE, CITRUS and PINE.
All of the foregoing second materials have been given
by way of example and not of limitation. It will be appreciated
that any desired second material or combinations thereof may be
included within the packet for effecting a specific function or
functions.
In FIGS. 5 and 6, one mode of operation of packet 10
is disclosed. In this instance, packet 10 is inserted into
outer container 19, which may be of any suitable material, such
as paper, cardboard, wood or plastic, and it is located outside
of inner frangible container 20 which may be of any suitable
material, such as glass, ceramic or plastic. Inner container 20
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includes a cap 21 which holds the liquid 22 sealed within inner
container 20. While packet 10 is shown located between the
sides of containers 19 and 20, it is preferable that it be
located between the bottom 23 of inner container 20 and the
bottom 24 of outer container 19 so that if there is leakage, the
envelope 11 will start to degrade at the earliest possible time.
While outer container 19 is shown in cross section in FIGS. 5
and 6, it will be appreciated that it completely surrounds inner
container 20 to the extent that it will tend to capture any
liquid which leaks from the inner container.
If for any reason inner container 20 should rupture,
as by a crack 25 (FIG. 6) so that liquid 22 will flow there-
through, the envelope 11 of packet 10 will start to degrade upon
contact with the liquid. After it has dearaded sufficiently,
the material 12 will react with the liquid to absorb and
immobilize it by forming a gel-like substance 27. In addition,
the second material will treat the liquid to neutralize or
nullify any particular characteristic thereof. In FIG. 6, the
formation of the gel will act as a seal so that it will plug the
crack 25, thereby causing a part of liquid 22 to be retained in
its liquid form within container 20. If the container 20
broke to a greater extent, that is, more than a crack, so that
all of the liquid 22 tended to flow therefrom, the entire amount
of liquid would be formed into a gel-like substance, such as 27,
provided that the outer container 19 could retain the liquid
therein for a sufficient time for the envelope 11 to degrade and
for the solidification to occur. In this respect, it is
preferable that the outer container 19 be sufficiently leak-
resistant so that the foregoing could occur.
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It will be appreciated that the amount of material 12
which is required within envelope 11 for any particular
situation will depend on the volume of inner container 20, that
is, envelope 11 should contain enough material 12 to completely
absorb and immobilize the entire amount of liquid.
While the material of envelope 11 has been shown as
including a uniform continuous dot matrix coating 17 on its
entire surface, it will be appreciated that in certain
circumstances this dot matrix coating for effecting heat-sealing
need be applied to only select portions of -the material 15
which are to be sealed to each other. Furthermore, while the
discontinuoùs coating 17 has been described as polyvinyl
acetate, it will be appreciated that it can comprise any other
material which will adhere to starch paper and which lends
itself to heat-sealing or to other types of sealing during the
formation of envelope 11.
While the present disclosure has been directed
specially to an absorbing and immobilizing material which reacts
with and treats aqueous solutions for undesirable characteris-
tics, it will be appreciated that the principles of the presentinvention include the use of absorbing and immobilizing
materials which operate with other liquids and the envelope may
comprise materials other than starch paper which will degrade in
such other solutions.
While a specific example has been shown in FIGS. 5
and 6, it will be appreciated that packets, such as 10, may be
placed in contiguous relationship to a liquid-containing
container which may not be enclosed within an outer container,
to absorb and immobilize leaks therefrom, provided that leaking
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liquid can be restrained for a sufficient time for solidifi-
cation to occur.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention
have been disclosed, it will be appreciated that it is not
limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope
of the following claims.
~'
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