Means for Storage, Transport and Biocide Treatment of Liquids, Pastes and Gels

Abstract

The subject matter of the present invention concerns means of storage, transport and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel, characterized in that said means comprises a copper base powder composition, said composition: containing at least 60% by weight of copper, does not contain more than 70% by weight of powder particles whose diameter is less than 45 μm maximum, and is at least partially in contact with said liquid, paste or gel.

Claims

1. Means of storage, transport and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel, characterized in that said means comprises a copper base powder composition, said composition: containing at least 60% by weight of copper, does not contain more than 70% by weight of powder particles whose diameter is less than 45 μm maximum, and is at least partially in contact with said liquid, paste or gel.

2. The means of storage, transport and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel, according to claim 1, characterized in that the copper base powder composition is: immobilized, oxidized, preferably to the heart of the particles, and/or comprises phosphor, preferably in the form of phosphorous copper such as CuP.sub.8.

3. The means of storage, transport and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel, as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the oxidation of copper is greater than 95% by weight of oxidized copper vis-à-vis the total weight of copper and/or that the amount of phosphorus is between 2 and 16%, preferably 8%, by weight vis-à-vis the total weight of the powder composition.

4. The means of storage, transport, supply and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the powder is comprised in a composite comprising a binder and optionally a curing catalyst agent.

5. The means of storage, transport, supply and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel, according to claim 4, characterized in that the binder is an organic polymer selected from polyester, polyurethane, an epoxy polymer, vinyl ester or an inorganic polymer selected from silica, polydimethylsiloxanes, polythiazyles, polysilanes, polygermanes, preferably a silica polymer such as glass.

6. The means of storage, transport, supply and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the composition of copper powder is comprised in a surface coating.

7. The means of storage, transport and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the liquid, paste or gel is organic and/or inorganic, preferably food and/or beverages or intended for pharmaceutical purposes, cosmetic purposes or fuel, preferably selected from crude or refined oil, water, fuel for vehicles such as diesel fuel, kerosene or unleaded fuel.

8. The means of storage, transport and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel, according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means is a pipe or a tube, preferably of a round, oval, square or rectangular section.

9. The means of storage, transport and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel, according to claim 8, characterized in that the pipe is a pipeline.

10. The means of storage, transport and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel according to any one of claims 1 to 7, selected from a tank, a reservoir, a basin, an open or closed container, such as a tank, silo, a ballast, a tray, a washtub, a bowl, a pot, a paste tube, a gel tube, a cream tube, a fuel tank, a bottle, a canteen or a drinking glass.

11. The means of storage, transport and/or biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel according to claim 10, characterized in that said means of transport, supply and/or storage is a tanker vehicle such as a boat, airplane, truck or trailer or is a fuel tank for a vehicle such as a car, airplane, bus, truck or boat.

12. The means of biocide treatment of a liquid, paste or gel, according to claims 1 to 9 characterized in that it comprises a filter comprising: a chamber (1) with at least one entrance (2) and at least one exit (3) for the liquid, paste or gel to be treated to enter and leave said filter; at least one passage way (4) to be in contact with the liquid, paste or gel being passed through the chamber (1), said passage way comprising the copper powder composition.

13. Use of the means of storage, transport and/or biocide treatment according to any one of claims 1 to 12 for reducing the population of microorganisms contained in a liquid, paste or gel, preferably to sterilize said liquid, paste or gel, or to ensure said liquid, paste or gel is sterile.

14. Use of the means of transport of a liquid, paste or gel according to any one of claims 4 to 9, to increase the transport speed of said liquid, paste or gel, as compared to a transport means which does not use such a composite or coating with the same energy expenditure.

15. Use of the means of transport of a liquid, paste or gel according to any one of claims 4 to 9 to reduce the expenditure of energy associated with the flow of said liquid, paste or gel, compared with a transport means which does not use such a coating or composite.

Description

FIGURES

[0080] FIG. 1 represents a filter comprising a chamber (1), one entrance (2) and one exit (3) for the liquid, gel or paste to pass through. The filter also comprises a number of sheets (5) coated with the coating of the present invention: there are thus several passages ways (4) which are in contact with the treated liquid, paste or gel. The flow (6) of liquid, gel or paste thus enters into the chamber (1) through the entrance (2), passes through the narrow passages (4) between the numerous sheets (5) wherein said liquid, gel or paste is in close contact with the coating of the invention, before being evacuated through the exit (3). Advantageously (3) is equal in size or more narrow than (2).

EXAMPLES

[0081] To illustrate the present invention, the following examples were carried out.

[0082] 1. Powder Containing CuP.sub.8

[0083] CuP.sub.8 powder, typically has the following characteristics: Nominal composition (wt %): Cu: 92% and P: 8%; Melting point: 710-750° C.; Density: 8 g/cm.sup.3.

[0084] According to the present invention, the copper-phosphorus alloy containing a percentage of phosphorus between 2 and 16% preferably 8% is introduced into the melting bath. The alloy is then water atomized so that the resulting particle size are between 8 and 150 μm (D50) and the oxygen content is between 0.3 and 5% by weight. [0085] The following powder was obtained:

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 cumulative % retained granularity (ISO4497) cumulative particle percentages percentages sizes per slice retained ≧125 μm 0.0 0.0 ≧106 μm 0.9 0.9  ≧90 μm 4.5 5.4  ≧75 μm 6.6 12.0  ≧63 μm 8.4 20.4  ≧45 μm 20.8 41.2  <45 μm 58.8 58.8 Total 100% 100% (41.2 + 58.8) Obtained density: 2.67 g/cm.sup.3 (ISO3923/2) P % obtained 8.0% by weight

[0086] 2. Powder Oxidized Copper

[0087] The same protocol as for the phosphorus-copper was applied to copper.

[0088] The following powder was obtained:

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 cumulative % retained granularity (ISO4497) cumulative particle sizes percentages percentages particules per slice retained ≧125 μm 0.0 0.0 ≧106 μm 1.0 1.0  ≧75 μm 8.1 9.1  ≧63 μm 7.9 17.0  ≧45 μm 19.2 36.2  <45 μm 63.8 63.8 Total 100% 100% (36.2 + 63.8) Density obtained: 2.88 g/cm3 Oxygen rate “OR %” 0.35% by weight (ISO4491-4)

[0089] Then, the powder obtained is passed through a skelp furnace at a temperature above 500° C. (about 800° C. in this case under controlled atmosphere) which enables to oxidize the copper. An oxidized copper powder with the same particle size as above was obtained with a density of 1.60 g/cm.sup.3, a OR % of 0.08 wt % and a Cu %>99.7% by weight.

[0090] 3. Examples of Composite/Coatings

[0091] The composites are obtained by simply mixing the compounds together (see Table 3). There can be a first step of sand blasting or grinding the surface to be treated (grain 120). If it is a metal surface, it is possible to apply an insulating primer and/or anticorrosion agent, adapted according to the nature of the substrate (ferrous, non-ferrous . . . ). In case of porous surfaces (stone, wood . . . ), it is possible to apply a polyester primer in two layers, if necessary with the sand blasting or grinding (grain 120) between the two. It is possible to apply the composite with a roll or a spray gun (in this case it is necessary to maintain a constant angle of projection on the surface of the composite at around 90° (±20°) for maximum covering). It is strongly advised to respect the curing time of the polyester primer (about 6 hours at 20° C. per layer) so that the thin layer persists over time. It can be then carried to drying with compressed air or by baking at 25° C. for 20 minutes. It is also possible to degrease the surface to be treated. Ideally, the coated substrate is treated in a controlled atmosphere room at 20° C. for 12 hours for effective curing. Once this curing period is complete, the sanding or grinding with a grain of 120 is performed again to remove the excess surface starch and oxides and/or to obtain a smooth metal-like surface, if required.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 examples of obtained composites Composite 1 Composite 2 Composite 3 metal powder CuP.sub.8 Oxidized copper Oxidized copper (powder Example 1) (powder Example 2) (powder Example 2) Binder (mass 84% polyester hybrid Hybrid PoPolyester Vynilester, ready to use fractions 8% acetone 84% commercial Styrene Parafiné 2% 8% acetone 4% dye Styrene Parafiné 2% 4% dye Hardener (mass Methyl Ethyl Methyl Ethyl fractions) Peroxide 2% Peroxide 2% Mass fractions Powder = 1.275 Powder = 1.275 Powder = 1 of powder/ Binder = 1 Binder = 1 Binder = 1.5 (estimated) binder workable Yes Yes Yes suspension coating spray spray spray obtained (possible with a roll) (possible with a roll) (possible with a roll) Setting time 60 minutes 60 minutes 60 minutes Approximate 100-250 microns 100-250 microns 100-250 microns thickness of the (estimated) (estimated) (estimated) resulting coating

[0092] 4. Examples of Biocide Activities and Fluids Movements Enhancement

[0093] The results of laboratory testing showed that the coatings had remarkable biocide properties (see the examples of FR1357099, FR1400766, and PCT EP2014/065498). Moreover, preliminary testing has revealed that the coatings of the present invention demonstrate high biocide properties (including anti-microbial) when exposed to various fluids such as water and several hydrocarbon base fluids (e.g. diesel). In particular, this activity has proven to be anaerobic. Therefore, the coatings of the present invention can be interestingly applied to supply chain elements: transport and storage of refined or crude oil such as in pipes, pipelines, tanks, etc, as the biocide activity should at least limit any bio-corrosion and e.g. stop the formation of sludge of biological origin in means of storage.

[0094] Furthermore, supplementary laboratory testing showed an increase in fluid flow rate over the entire surface covered with the coatings of the invention. Indeed, a substrate made of ordinary plastic was in one case coated with the coating of the invention (composite No 2 in table 3—copper oxidized at 99.9%) and in the other case only with the binder of composite No 2. A drop of fluid was deposited on each substrate at the same level and the two coated substrates were inclined with the same angle in respect to the horizontal (up to roughly 65°) in order to directly compare the speeds of the running down drops of fluids. This direct comparison enabled to establish that the coating of the present invention enabled an increase of speed of 10 to 30% in comparison to the binder alone. This inherent property of the coatings of the present invention (which seems to be linked to the presence of copper) enables to envisage a durable and costless way of saving energy expenditure when applied for means of supplies of various fluids, pastes or even gels.