Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Composite – Of epoxy ether
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-02
2003-04-29
Dawson, Robert (Department: 1712)
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Composite
Of epoxy ether
C428S413000, C428S423100, C428S447000, C428S457000, C428S480000, C428S523000, C428S537100, C428S411100, C106S014050, C523S122000, C424S078090
Reexamination Certificate
active
06555228
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a stenoprophiluric media and methods of making and using the same. More specifically, the invention relates to a stenoprophiluric media which comprises at least one bio-limiting agent. The stenoprophiliuric media limits the number and kinds of organisms attached to or associated with the media. The stenoprophiluric media provides for the formation of a micro-habitat(s).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Chemical corrosion, such as hydrolysis and biological corrosion and bio-fouling are naturally occurring processes which have been both a benefit and a problem for man for centuries. Fortunately, microbes breakdown organic matter and decompose everything from banana peels to large mammals. Bio-deterioration, however, may also decompose our national treasures and monuments. In aquatic environments, microbes also may attack and break down substrates and inorganic materials using them as sources of food and necessary critical nutrients. Bio-fouling occurs when creatures excrete enzymes which can for example digest such things as bridges and concrete waterways. Sometimes this may occur in concert with or dependent from simple chemical corrosion from sea water or other environmental effects, such as hydrolysis. At the same time, bio-fouling is also characterized by attachment of organisms, both plant or animal, to structures and hulls and building biomass which may block flow in pipes, (such as the organisms which blocked water cooling pipies in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster) or create tremendous weight imbalances on deep water structures.
For 4000 years, man has tried various means to manage and reduce the degradative effects of organism attachment (fouling), corrosion and consumption of man-made structures and vessels in marine, freshwater, and hydrophytic aquatic environments. Early Egyptians clad their vessels with copper. Centuries later mercury compounds were smeared on boats and nets to extend their useful life. In the energy limited days of the 1970's, extremely effective toxins were used to eliminate any fouling. Fouling can increase drag on ships and raise operating cost by as much as 40%.
Over the last 30 years, international concern for the environment has placed all previous toxic release methods of controlling corrosion and fouling in very bad light. These toxic coatings, while eliminating one problem, create another one, e.g., the introduction of toxins to waterways. Toxins, used to prevent bio-fouling and corrosion, have part per trillion toxicity and have eradicated life forms in harbors and estuaries in many internationally navigable ports in industrial countries. Their toxicity has resulted in outright bans of their use.
Attempts have been made to reduce and moderate the toxicity concentration in coatings. Simple anti-corrosive coatings, especially those without toxins, have very short service lives. They are quickly attacked and are often consumed by organisms and natural corrosion. Thus only toxic repellents were developed.
Two methods of delivering toxins in coating systems have prevailed; 1) soluble coatings and 2) insoluble coatings. These coatings have lead to irregular and uncontrolled discharge of toxins. Thus, concern for the environment has perceptively stymied all known toxic approaches to provide safe and cost effective management of man-made surfaces in both aquatic and hydrophytic environments. Further, the assumption for decades has been that all biological growth on a substrate is undesirable because it inevitably leads to succession of species to the undesired types of organisms, like barnacles in salt water and zebra mussels in freshwater.
In insoluble coatings, the leaching of toxins from the coating is the rate control mechanism. This system has very limited duration and efficacy of service life. In soluble coatings, the coating dissolves in water with the uncontrolled release of contained toxins being accelerated by movement of the vessel. Over 90% of the toxin of the soluble coating is released to the environment which affects non-targeted biological species. This release usually leads to negative ecological effects. To date the assumption has been that anti-fouling and anti-corrosion control can only be achieved through toxic means to the exclusion of any and all biomass.
While chemical corrosion of metal, concrete, and wood structures by the environment or habitat is well understood, it must also be realized that biodegradation is a mechanism of gaining access to or managing the release of nutrients of a substance as a food source for growth and reproduction of organisms. Available nutrients, both in terms of presence and availability is a significant limiting criteria in the success or failure of any organism. For instance, copper is an important essential nutrient, yet copper carbonate is insoluble in most aquatic and biological systems. Therefore, while copper is present, it is unavailable for use.
The combination of organism(s), nutrient(s), and agents in a given environment form a sub-habitat. A sub-habitat, often defined as a micro-habitat, may be created when these conditions create a unique set of properties for a sustained period of time. A specific example of natural micro-habitats is the slime found on fish. The slime prevents infections and controls the interface between the organism (fish) and the environment. In the case of mammals, cows maintain a five bacteria consort of microbial slime in their digestive system which facilitates the digestion of cellulose. Unique “micro-habitats” may be formed where functionality of a unique set of nutrient, bio-limiting agents, and relationships provide conditions that support the organism or consort of organisms in a sustained manner which are different than the host habitat. Micro-habitats often develop the ability to limit ingress and egress of nutrients, water, waste, and biological incursions by other organisms.
Understanding the field of biodegradation has been clouded for years due to the lack of recognition of the differences and influences created by the host habitat. Both the patent and popular literature discuss the biodegradation processes, critical parameters influencing the rate of degradation and outcomes of biodegradation, as well as information on how to influence or direct those outcomes. Often, the fact that a host habitat can greatly influence the bio-degradative system being studied, and may lead an unaware reader to incorrect conclusions, is not clearly provided. Biodegradation in aqueous environments is much different than in water-limited land based environments. Water is omnipresent, nutrients including oxygen are in greater supply, and the water media provides a greater opportunity for microbial presence. “Biomimicry” was made topical in 1997 with the publication of a book by Jannine M. Benyus with a subtitle “Innovation Inspired by Nature”. The aim of the book is to focus attention on natural systems which solve complex problems. Many examples and novel applications have been studied which relate mimicry to corrosion, invasion, fouling, and deterioration. Pine trees when physically injured by storm or other incident exude a sap like substance which hardens, preventing loss of water, and keeping insects from invading the tree. The sap degrades without leaving a trace after sufficient tree growth and recovery over several months. In another example, a cow creates a slime layer in its intestine to protect it (the intestinal wall) from many complex and highly corrosive and degradative reactions required to decompose cellulose for digestion and extraction of the nutrients. This matrix has been described as a “slime city” where a biomass related to five distinctly different bacteria form a polysaccharide complex system which forms channels and pathways. The members of the consortium are very diverse in that one organism tolerates methane (a product of the decomposition) while another organism (close to the intestinal wall) can not survive in the presence of methane. Yet in this very thin layer these organisms
Dawson Robert
Feely Michael J
Grant Stephen L.
Hahn Loeser + Parks LLP
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