Compositions – Preservative agents – Anti-oxidants or chemical change inhibitants
Patent
1997-11-20
1999-09-21
McAvoy, Ellen M.
Compositions
Preservative agents
Anti-oxidants or chemical change inhibitants
25240061, C09K 1532
Patent
active
059550040
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention refers to an inert magnesium, with a meerschaum base, and to compositions containing the said support, particularly to preserve materials perishable in an ambient environment. It also refers to procedures for preparing this support and the said composition, as well as the use of the same, particularly for the preservation of perishable materials.
Meerschaum is a natural silicate of hydrated magnesium that belongs to the clay group. The particle structure of this material makes it an inert porous support with a specific surface advantageous for the absorption and adsorption of other products.
For example, the application of inert supports is known in compositions that are used in premises for the preservation of perishable materials, and intended to eliminate volatile compounds produced by the said materials, without any direct contact between these compositions and the perishable materials (see for example patent EP-A-0071533).
The use of meerschaum has already been foreseen as a particularly appropriate inert support for this end. In specification EP-B-0255461, a reactive adsorbent product has been described to preserve vegetable products, which includes a support based on meerschaum, impregnated with an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate which can be presented in the form of pellets, cakes, extruded items or rechargeable cartridges for filters. This adsorbent product is intended principally to eliminate ethylene given off by vegetable products by oxidation with the aid of the potassium permanganate supported by the meerschaum, and that of desorbing in a CO.sub.2 medium released by the degradation of ethylene. Meerschaum is used in its natural form for impregnation.
Patent EP-A-0515764 describes a composition to control the ripening process in fruit and analogous materials, formed by a meerschaum base and, as oxidating substances, potassium permanganate and sodium peryodate. The composition is presented in the form of extruded products with a diameter of 2 to 3 mm and a length of 3 to 5 mm.
The properties and structure of the meerschaum are extensively described in patent EP-A-0515764. From this document it can be seen in particular that attempts have been made to increase the absorption properties of this support by prior treatment. Such treatments consist of increasing the volume of the meerschaum pores, for example by thorough drying at a temperature of around 100 to 300.degree. C., preferably 200.degree. C. Regarding this, treatments have also been foreseen with acids such as HCl, HNO.sub.3 and acetic acid, as well as treatments using mechanical shearing. In this patent application, in order to increase the absorbent power of the meerschaum, the dispersion of the same is foreseen by shearing and impregnation of the meerschaum thus treated, with potassium permanganate and sodium peryodate in the presence of acetic acid.
The intent of the present invention is to prepare an inert magnesic support with a meerschaum base with obviously increased absorbent power.
According to the invention, a meerschaum base magnesic support is planned, with a larger volume of pores due to the sequestering of an important part of its magnesium ions through an appropriate complexing agent. This complexing agent for Mg ion elimination is most appropriately ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or one of its salts, in particular its disodium salt.
The appropriately used complexing agent forms very stable complexes with various diatomic cations, particularly Mg.sup.++. This is why EDTA is used preferably as a sequestering agent. The latter is a chelating ligand that has 6 donor atoms in its structure and consequently forms very stable compounds, allowing a large quantity of Mg ions to be removed from the structure of the meerschaum, thus leaving free the openings of the intercrystalline channels in the same, which greatly enhances its absorbent powers.
The invention also has as its object a composition to preserve perishable materials in an environment, with this composition having a meerschaum b
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Database WPI, Week 7916, Derwent Publications, Ltd., AN 79-30323B & JP 54-031099.
Database WPI, Week 7916, Derwent Publications, Ltd., AN 79-30844B & JP 54-033503.
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