Electrolysis: processes – compositions used therein – and methods – Electrolytic synthesis – Preparing inorganic compound
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-23
2001-06-12
Phasge, Arun S. (Department: 1741)
Electrolysis: processes, compositions used therein, and methods
Electrolytic synthesis
Preparing inorganic compound
C205S741000, C205S742000, C422S066000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06245210
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ice having sterilizing power capable of sterilizing harmful germs, etc., and preventing the increase of them to increase a treatment effect in a medical field and preserve foods and drinks and keep their quality fresh in a food industry by using the ice and a method of manufacturing the ice.
2. Description of the Related Art
As proposed by the inventors of the present invention in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-149, there has been used, as a method of manufacturing ice having sterilizing power which will be used in a medical treatment and food preservation, a method of manufacturing ice by electrolyzing seawater or water containing sodium chloride therein to produce hypochlorous acid as hypohalogenous acid and freezing the water.
However, since seawater (sodium chloride concentration: 3.5%) or water in which sodium chloride is dissolved in an amount of about 0.3-3% is electrolyzed in the above conventional method, sodium chloride of a high concentration remains in the water in which hypochlorous acid is produced and when ice is made by freezing the water, the freezing point of the water is dropped by the remaining sodium chloride and the like. Accordingly, there arises a problem that not only a lower temperature is required to make the ice from the water but also the ice obtained by the above method is liable to melt even if it is used at a low temperature and cannot be used as the ice for a long time because the ice is soft and its freezing point is dropped.
To suppress the drop of the freezing point, the inventors of the present invention tried to produce hypochlorous acid by electrolyzing fresh water such as tap water and the like containing sodium chloride in a low concentration by using a platinum-clad-titanium electrode as an anode and make ice by freezing the water as proposed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 4-28438.
In the method of using the platinum-clad-titanium electrode, however, there is a problem that an efficiency for producing hypohalogenous acid by the electrolysis is low and when the fresh water having a low electric conductivity is used, free residual halogen having a concentration sufficient to obtain sterilizing power cannot be obtained because platinum is exfoliated and the titanium electrode is exposed due to a great increase in a voltage imposed between electrodes.
An object of the present invention made in view of the above problems is to provide ice which has a free residual halogen concentration for obtaining sufficient sterilizing power and sodium chloride remaining therein in a low concentration and can be used for a long time as the ice and a method of manufacturing the ice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, ice having sterilizing power of the present invention has a free residual halogen concentration of 10 ppm or more and a melting point of −0.03° C. or higher.
According to the above feature, an excellent sterilizing capability can be obtained by setting the free residual halogen concentration to 10 ppm or more and it can be made difficult for the ice to melt by setting the melting point to −0.03° C. or higher, whereby the ice can be used in the state of ice for a long time.
It should be noted that the free residual halogen concentration means the total concentration of hypohalogenous acid and hypohalogenous acid ion in the present invention.
A method of manufacturing ice having sterilizing power of the present invention comprises the steps of supplying fresh water containing sodium chloride of a low concentration set to 5-500 ppm and approximately similar to tap water to an electrolyzing passage formed between an anode plate and a cathode plate disposed at a prescribed interval with at least the anode plate composed of a ferrite electrode or a graphite electrode; electrolyzing the fresh water and making it to sterilizing water having a prescribed free residual halogen concentration; and making ice by freezing the sterilizing water.
According to the above feature, since hypohalogenous acid is produced by using fresh water containing sodium chloride having a low concentration of 5-500 ppm, the drop of the freezing point of the sterilizing water obtained by the electrolysis can be suppressed to 0.03° C. or less. Accordingly, not only the sterilizing water can be easily made to ice by being frozen but also the ice is made difficult to melt, whereby the ice can be used in the state of ice for a long time.
Further, since the anode plate is composed of ferrite or graphite, a high efficiency for producing hypohalogenous acid and hypohalogenous acid ion can be obtained even from the fresh water having the low sodium chloride concentration as compared with the conventional platinum-clad titanium electrode. Accordingly, sterilizing water can be provided with a prescribed free residual halogen concentration capable of obtaining a sufficient sterilizing capability. Since the sterilizing water has the high hypohalogenous acid and hypohalogenous acid ion producing efficiency, the throughput of an electrolyzer can be increased by increasing the flow rate of the water passing through the electrolyzing passage and the cost of the sterilizing water can be reduced.
In the method of manufacturing ice having sterilizing power of the present invention, it is preferable that the interval between the anode plate and the cathode plate is within the range of 2-6 mm.
With this arrangement, the ferrite electrode as the anode plate has sufficient durability even if a high voltage of 10 V or more is imposed thereon. Accordingly, the increase of the interval between the electrodes to 2-6 mm permits a high electrolysis processing capability to be obtained as well as prevents the calcium, magnesium, etc. contained in fresh water such as tap water and the like from being eluted and deposited on the cathode plate as hydroxides and clogging between the electrode plates as much as possible.
In the method of manufacturing ice having sterilizing power of the present invention, it is preferable that the method comprises the steps of electrolyzing the fresh water by circulating it through the electrolyzing passage a plurality of times; and discharging the electrolyzed water to the outside when the free residual halogen concentration of the sterilizing water reaches a prescribed set concentration and freezing the sterilizing water.
With this arrangement, the free residual halogen concentration in the sterilizing water can be increased by repeating the electrolysis many times and ice can be effectively produced by discharging the sterilizing water to the outside.
In the method of manufacturing ice having sterilizing power of the present invention, it is preferable that the method comprises the steps of setting a current supplied between the anode plate and the cathode plate to a prescribed value; detecting a voltage produced between the anode plate and the cathode plate at the time and detecting the electric conductivity of the fresh water supplied to the electrolyzing passage based on the voltage; and electrolyzing the fresh water by increasing the set value of the current when the electric conductivity is low.
When the fresh water to be supplied is specifically tap water, the electric conductivity thereof is not constant and varies depending upon seasons and times. Therefore, when the electric conductivity is lowered, a prescribed free residual halogen concentration having a sufficient sterilizing capability may not be obtained even if the current set to the prescribed value is supplied. With this arrangement, however, when the electric conductivity of the fresh water to be supplied is low, sterilizing and rinsing water having a desired free residual halogen concentration can be stably obtained by increasing the prescribed current value to be supplied.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5474662 (1995-12-01), Miyamae
patent: 5476579 (1995-12-01), Choi et al.
patent: 60-056908 (1985-04-01), None
patent: 428438 (1992-05-01), None
patent: 7-154895 (1995-06-0
Fukuzuka Kunihiko
Hanano Yasushi
Nakamura Shin-ichi
Hayes Soloway Hennessey Grossman & Hage PC
Omega Co. Ltd.
Phasge Arun S,.
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