Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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hFtOCBS.S FOIEt lPR~IDI1CING A i3R'~" CILANtyI~AR ~R.UI~tlCT
Baeka7eound of the Invention
The present invention relates to praduc°.in~ sodium acetate polymer
emulsion
complexes and more particularly to producing such complexes in which the
integx°ity
of the polymer emulsion is maintained during the process so that a dry
granular
product is obtained, yet the emulsion has retained its original waErr
relationship.
As is well known, polymer emul$ions have many useful farms.
Ganventionally, they are produced in liquid form and are applied to a
particular use
in liquid form that are diluted to provide the desired concentcatlon far the
particular
. , applioatian. The storing, transporting and handling of Iiduid emulsions is
obviously
more complicated and difficult than were the emulsion in a solid form. Also,
liquid
emulsions are susceptible to freeze/thaw instability.
Sodium acetate is known for use in controlling acidity and as a dilutant,
i.e. in dyestuff blends. Sodium acetate has also been used by the present
inventor in
a prior art process with dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid to produoe sodium
lodecyl
benzene sulforsate as' a dry detergent in granular form, but such prior art
praCess
involved a reaction of the sodium acetate and the dddecyl benzene sulfonic
said
such that the dodeayl benzene sulfonie acid ryas changed chemically to sodium
dodecyl
benzene sulfonate and the process also involved a highly effervescent
re~etiori that
was difficult to control,
Sumaaar,~ of the Invention
In contrast to the above~dESCribed prior act, it has been discovered by
the present invention that a dry granular complex of sodium acetate trihydrate
can
be produced by reacting sodium carbonate and acetic .acid in the presence of a
polymer emulsion where the polymer is inert with respect to the sodium
carbonate
and acetic said such that the product retains the water of hydration sauraed
from
the emulsion while maintaining the integrity of the polymer in the resultant
product.
It is believed that the water in the emulsion is appropriated by the reaction
into
the resultant produot without affecting the water/polymer relationship.
According to the present invention, the process involves prawblendiri~ of
the ingredients of the sodium acetate trihyrlrate molecule with polymer
emulsions,
with the radium acetate using the water from the emulsion to cau$e the
relation
to take pleas and resulting in a dry product which in fact contains the
palymerie
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pa°oduat whose water based properties remain intact. This new praaess
allows complex
polymeric products, such as silicone emulsions, to be compounded into granular
products previously incompatible with the aqueous polymeric emulsions due to
their
water content. rn addition to silicone emulsions, this process has application
to
acrylic emulsions, surfactant solutions and polyvinylpyrrolidone solutions.
Ueseri~tion of the preferred J~mbodiment
' ,~ According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, dry
sodium carbonate is reacted with acetic acid and a polymer emulsion according
to
the following equation:
Na2COg * 2HAe + C51~20 ~ ~'olymer Emulsion? ~
2ENaAe ~ 3H20 ~ Polymer Emulsion Complex? ~ ,C02
The polymer is inert with respect to the sodium carbonate and acetic acid so
as to
maintain the integrity of the polymer during ttte reaction. Preferably, the
process
is performed at a mole ratio of acetic acid to the water content of the
polymer
emulsion that is two moles .of acetic acid to five moles of water. Also,
preferably,
the polymer emulsiat: is a high solids, non-erosslinklng, polymer emulsion. In
the
preferred embodiment, the polymer emulsion is selected from the group of
silicone
emulsions, acrylic emulsions, surfactant solutions, and polyvinylpyrrolidone
solutions.
The process is applicable to materials, such as sodium acetate, having water
of
hydration and would have no appliea,tion to materials that do not have water
of
hydration. '
The reaction is sufgieiently exothermic to create heat to dry the product.
The process of the present invention has been practiced according to the
following examples:
~xam,~i~ f
Using a silicone defoamer emulsion by Union Carbide known as Defoamer
S,A,G~30, 26.4 grams of dry sodium oarbanat~ was reaoted~wlth 30.B grams of
aoetia .
acid in the presence of a preblended mixture of 13.0 grams of water and 30.0
grams
of 1)efoamer SAQ-30. 'fhe reaction mixture was stirred, for appraxlmately 1.0
hour
to yield X9.2 grams of a product representing Defoamer SAG~30 In a more dilute
,.. ,. ,
but completely ,dry form.
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E~campio II
Using a sili4one emulsion by Uniort Carbide known as I~E-458 H~, 2~.4
grams of dry sodium carbonate and 30.5 grams of acetic acid were reacted in
the
presence of a preblended mi~;ture of 3b.0 grams of LF-4a8 HS and 13.0 grams of
water°. The reaction mixture was stirred for approximately 1.0 hour to
yield 80.0
grams of a dry powdered form of LET458 H~ which was more dilute in
concentration
. than the original form of the product LE-458 HS.
E~campl~ ~
Using a 3096 solution of polyvinylpyz~rolidone, 28.4 grams of dry sodium
carbonate was reacted with 30.~ grams of acetic acid in the presence of 30.0
grams
of a 3096 polyvinylpyrrolidone solution. This reaction mixture was stirred for
approximately L0 hour to yield ?8.0 grams of a dry, more dilute
polyvinyipycrolidone.
It wiil therefore be readily understood by those persons s~iiied in the act
that the present . invention is susceptiblE; of a broad utiiity and
appiication. Many
embodiments and adaptations of the present Invention other than those hecein
described, as wall as many variations, modifieatioras and equivaient
arrangements wili
be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the
foregoing ;
deseriptian thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the
present
invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has beam described ~hecein
in
detail in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that
this
disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is
made
merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the
invention.
The foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed t~ limit the
pr~.sent
invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations,
variations,
modifications rind equivalent arrangements, the present invention being
limited only
~by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.
When used in the foilowing claims, the term polymer. emulsion is intended
to have a broad meaning encompassing not only polymer emulsions in a strict
sense,
but also materials, such as surfactant solutions and polyvinylpyrrolidane
solutions,
that have simiiar oharaeteristics in terms of the application of the process
of the
present invention.
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