CHEMICAL COMPOSITION FOR INCREASING DENSITY OF LIQUIDS

Abstract

A chemical composition for increasing density of liquids such as water for sports, bathing, leisure and/or rehabilitation uses includes in weight percentage: potassium citrate, between 1.2% and 63%; sodium citrate, between 1.5% and 66%; potassium chloride, between 2.2% and 97%; potassium ascorbate, between 5.1% and 94%; and sodium benzoate, between 1.03% and 22%. The components are water-soluble salts, environmentally friendly, which are common food additives, what makes them safety for humans. The composition can be added to water of swimming pools, ponds, tanks, rafts, bathtubs or artificial beaches, where it increases density, increasing floatability and facilitating the practice of sports, swimming, bathing or other leisure activities. It also helps to prevent development of microorganisms or other polluting substances and to diminish freezing point of the water where it has been added.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A chemical composition for increasing density of a liquid comprising: in weight percentage: potassium citrate, in a percentage comprised between 1.2% and 63%; sodium citrate, in a percentage comprised between 1.5% and 66%; potassium chloride, in a percentage comprised between 2.2% and 97%; potassium ascorbate, in a percentage comprised between 5.1% and 94%; and sodium benzoate, in a percentage comprised between 1.03% and 22%.

16. The chemical composition according to claim 15, wherein, in weight percentage, potassium citrate in a weight percentage is selected from the group of 10%, 25%, 30 and 50%.

17. The chemical composition according to claim 15, wherein, in weight percentage, sodium citrate in a weight percentage is selected from the group of 10%, 25%, 30% and 50%.

18. The chemical composition according to claim 15, wherein, in weight percentage, potassium chloride in a weight percentage is selected from the group of 10%, 25%, 30% and 50%.

19. The chemical composition according to claim 15, where, the composition comprises: in weight percentage: potassium citrate, in a percentage of 50%; sodium citrate, in a percentage of 10%; potassium chloride, in a percentage of 30%; potassium ascorbate, in a percentage of 7%; and sodium benzoate, in a percentage of 3%.

20. The chemical composition according to claim 15, wherein the liquid is water.

21. The chemical composition according to claim 20, where the liquid is water for sporting, swimming, bathing, or leisure activities or for rehabilitation baths.

22. A method of using a chemical composition for increasing density of a liquid comprising: in weight percentage: potassium citrate, in a percentage comprised between 1.2% and 63%; sodium citrate, in a percentage comprised between 1.5% and 66%; potassium chloride, in a percentage comprised between 2.2% and 97%; potassium ascorbate, in a percentage comprised between 5.1% and 94%; and sodium benzoate, in a percentage comprised between 1.03% and 22%. the method of using the chemical composition comprises: sporting, swimming, bathing, or leisure activities or for rehabilitation bathing.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the liquid is water.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the liquid is in a swimming pool, pond, tank, bathtub, raft, artificial beach, or rehabilitation pool.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the water is used for sporting, swimming, bathing, or leisure activities or for rehabilitation bathing.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the chemical composition is used for preventing growth of microorganisms.

27. A method for preventing freezing of water or freezing an aqueous solution in a swimming pool, pond, tank, bathtub, raft, artificial beach or rehabilitation pool which is at a temperature below 1 degrees centigrade, the method comprising the step of: adding a chemical composition to the water or aqueous solution, wherein the chemical composition comprises: in weight percentage: potassium citrate, in a percentage comprised between 1.2% and 63%; sodium citrate, in a percentage comprised between 1.5% and 66%; potassium chloride, in a percentage comprised between 2.2% and 97%; potassium ascorbate, in a percentage comprised between 5.1% and 94%; and sodium benzoate, in a percentage comprised between 1.03% and 22%.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the water or aqueous solution is at a temperature equal to or below 10 degrees centigrade.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention arises as a solution to the problems derived from the compositions of the state of the art. It is, therefore, a new formula with a composition that has proven to be particularly effective in increasing the density of liquids, especially water, without entailing the harmful, corrosive and oxidizing or unwanted effects of other products (such as risks of gelation or formation of a paste, risks for the environment or too high density which makes difficult people's movements) and comprising components already used as authorized food additives, cosmetic ingredients and/or medicament ingredients which would not make expectable harmful effects due to accidental ingestion.

[0015] Thus, the present invention relates to a new composition intended to increase density of a liquid, characterized in that it comprises, in weight percent: [0016] potassium citrate, in a percentage comprised between 1.2% and 63%; [0017] sodium citrate, in a percentage comprised between 1.5% and 66%; [0018] potassium chloride, in a percentage comprised between 2.2% and 97%; [0019] potassium ascorbate, in a percentage comprised between 5.1% and 94%; [0020] sodium benzoate, in a percentage comprised between 1.03% and 22%.

[0021] Preferably, the liquid is water or an aqueous solution. More preferably, the liquid is water intended to be used for sports, bathing, swimming, recreation or leisure uses, or for rehabilitation baths.

[0022] The composition comprises components that are not particularly expensive, so that the addition to the composition to a liquid, particularly water or an aqueous solution, is an easy and economical way of increasing density of the liquid, especially water or aqueous solutions, particularly those for sporting, bathing or swimming uses, including bathing in rehabilitation pools or bathtubs where injured or aged people perform physical rehabilitation exercise to improve or accelerate recovery.

[0023] All components of the composition object of the invention have the additional advantage of being environmentally friendly. Besides, they are components that do not present any type of toxicity in small quantities; they are not corrosive or oxidizing either. Moreover, some of them are compounds that are in the list of food additives approved for use in foods in the European Union (Regulation (EU) No 1333/2008, what is an indication of safety when used in water for bathing and/or sport uses. Some of them, additionally, are compounds or salts of compounds that appear in reactions of or take part in the metabolism of human beings, animals and/or plants and which are present in plants traditionally consumed by human beings or, even, which are included in cosmetics and/or medicaments.

[0024] For instance, citrate is the ionized form of citric acid, one of the compounds that appear in the tricarboxylic acid metabolic pathway, the three-stage process by which living cells break down organic fuel molecules, in the presence of oxygen, to obtain the energy they need to grow and divide. Citric acid is present in many fruits, especially in citrus fruits such as orange, lemon and mandarin.

[0025] Potassium citrate (E-332 in the EU list of authorized food additives) is used to regulate acidity; for instance, it is used in many soft drinks as a buffering agent. Medicinally, it may be used to control kidney stones derived from uric acid or cystine and it is employed as a non-irritating diuretic. It exhibits a density of 1980 kg/m.sup.3 at 25 C. As indicated above, it can be present in the composition of the present invention in a weight percentage of 1.2%-63%. Preferably, it is present in a percentage selected from the group of 10%, 25%, 30% or 50% w/w (weight percent with regard to the total weight of the composition). It is particularly preferred that the percentage is 50% w/w.

[0026] Sodium citrate (E-331 in the EU list of authorized food additives) is also used to regulate acidity in foods and drinks. It is also used in cosmetics for pH regulation. Medicinally, it may be used as alkalinizing agent to neutralize excess acid in the blood and urine, for the treatment of metabolic acidosis and chronic kidney disease. It exhibits a density of 1700 kg/m.sup.3 at 25 C. As indicated above, it can be present in the composition of the present invention in a weight percentage of 1.5%-66%. Preferably, it is present in a percentage selected from the group of 10%, 25%, 30% or 50% w/w (weight percent with regard to the total weight of the composition). It is particularly preferred that the percentage is 10% w/w.

[0027] Potassium chloride is a natural occurring salt that is present, among others, in sea water. It is one of the leadings salts that is being used in food as a viable sodium chloride replacement. It is used as flavour enhancer, flavouring agent, nutrient supplement, pH control agent, stabilizer and thickener. It has been recognized as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, having no limitation for its use in food manufacturing but those marked by the levels necessary to obtain its intended effect in a product. Considered vital in the human body, it is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, being administered to treat low blood potassium, both orally and intravenously. It exhibits a density of 1980 kg/m.sup.3 at 25 C. As indicated above, it can be present in the composition of the present invention in a weight percentage of 1.5%-66%. Preferably, it is present in a percentage selected from the group of 10%, 25%, 30% or 50% w/w (weight percent with regard to the total weight of the composition). It is particularly preferred that the percentage is 30% w/w.

[0028] The presence of potassium chloride in the composition, in particular, means an additional advantage because it allows to use the composition to prevent freezing of the liquid (preferably, water or an aqueous solution) to which it is added, when the temperature is below 1 degree centigrade, even (and preferably) when the temperature is equal to or below 10 degrees centigrade.

[0029] Ascorbate is the ionized form of ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid, in turn, is a compound which exits as two isomeric (enantiomeric) forms, L and D. The L-isomer occurs naturally in many foods and is one form of vitamin C, a compound essential for humans and animals because it is a coenzyme with antioxidant activity involved in numerous metabolic reactions which helps to prevent certain diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, common cold, age-related muscular degeneration and cataract. It is used as a food additive (E-300) and cosmetic ingredient due to its antioxidant properties.

[0030] The potassium salt of ascorbic acid, potassium ascorbate, also exhibits a strong antioxidant activity and antitumoral properties.

[0031] Sodium benzoate is a natural preservative used in food industry (E-211 in the EU list of authorized food additives) and cosmetics, mainly for its antifungal properties. Its presence in the composition of the present invention contributes to prevent the presence of microorganisms.

[0032] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, compatible with all the previous ones, the composition is characterized in that it contains, in weight percent: [0033] potassium citrate, in a percentage of 50%; [0034] sodium citrate, in a percentage of 10%; [0035] potassium chloride, in a percentage of 30%; [0036] potassium ascorbate, in a percentage of 7%; [0037] sodium benzoate, in a percentage of 3%.

[0038] The composition of the invention, in any of its embodiment, can be added to water within a broad range of concentrations which can vary from 1 g/cm.sup.3 to saturation.

[0039] It is also an object of the invention the use of the composition of the invention, or the use of a liquid (preferably water) characterized by comprising the composition object of the invention, for sports, bathing, swimming and/or leisure activities or for rehabilitation baths or pools. Being a liquid (water) for such purposes, a possible embodiment of that object of the invention is that the liquid is in a swimming pool, pond, tank, bathtub, raft, artificial beach or rehabilitation pool, or any other type of reservoir where a person can introduce a part of the body or the whole body. When the liquid is water, it is characterized by having a density greater than 1 g/l at room temperature (25 C.). Preferably, the use of the composition of the invention, specifically, will be for increasing density of a liquid which is water for sporting, swimming, bathing and/or leisure activities or for rehabilitation bathing; additionally, the composition can be used for preventing growth of microorganisms in the liquid (water).

[0040] As used in the present application, the term water is intended to encompass not only pure water, but it must be understood in its broad common meaning which refers to the liquid that descends from the clouds as rain, forms streams, lakes and seas, whose main component is water but which also includes, naturally or due to human activity, salts and other compounds dissolved or suspended in it and, usually, also viruses and microscopical living beings. The term chemically modified water of the invention or chemically modified water object of the invention refers specifically to water to which a composition of the invention has been added, so that it can be said that it comprises the composition object of the invention.

[0041] Among the numerous applications of the composition, the following can be mentioned, without being limited to:

[0042] The chemically modified water object of the invention is for all types of applications in sports use, bathing in pools, rafts. A particularly relevant application, especially in the case of the preferred embodiment of the invention, is the sports use and for bathing in pools or water ponds or artificial beaches for bathing. Also relevant is the use in rehabilitation baths and pools, where injured, or aged, people can move easily and carry out physical exercises to facilitate their recovery (particularly, recovery from muscular or bone lesions or degeneration) or maintain fitness but where movement results less painful.

[0043] Therefore, the applications of the new composition are numerous, which means an important advantage with respect to other formulations described in the state of the art. As previously mentioned, unlike other compositions known to increase the density of water, the present formulation does not present any type of effect harmful to people's health.

[0044] Likewise, as a consequence of the presence of salts in the chemically modified water, it is possible to avoid growth and/or development of microorganisms or other polluting substances in it, a property that is favoured by the presence of sodium benzoate, as explained above. This means an additional advantage since, in this way, it will not be necessary to use decontaminating chemical substances in large quantities, which often cause contamination of water.

[0045] Due to its composition, particularly thanks to the presence of potassium chloride, the chemically modified water comprising the composition of the invention is ideal for withstanding low temperatures without freezing below minus 1 degrees centigrade (Celsius), preferably 10 degrees centigrade (Celsius). Thus, it can be considered that another aspect of the present invention is a procedure for preventing freezing of water and/or an aqueous solution in a swimming pool, pond, bathtub, raft, artificial beach or rehabilitation pool which is at a temperature below 1 degrees centigrade, preferably at a temperature equal to or below 10 degrees centigrade, wherein a composition of the invention is added to the water and/or aqueous solution.

EXAMPLE

[0046] With the aim of testing the advantages of the formulation object of the invention, an assay was carried out for which a formulation in accordance with the particularly preferred composition disclosed in the previous section was added. Specifically, a formulation was prepared that was characterized by containing, in weight percentage: [0047] potassium citrate, in a percentage of 50%; [0048] sodium citrate, in a percentage of 10%; [0049] potassium chloride, in a percentage of 30%; [0050] potassium ascorbate, in a percentage of 7%; [0051] sodium benzoate, in a percentage of 3%.

[0052] This formulation was added to a volume of 1 litre of water. Next, the salts were mixed at room temperature, subjecting the mixture to stirring until obtaining a homogeneous mixture. Freezing was not observed at low temperatures below minus 1 to 10 degrees centigrade.

[0053] Subsequently, a buoyancy test was carried out by introducing a heavy object into the chemically modified water, which floated on the surface of the water, thus demonstrating the density of the modified water with the composition object of the invention.