Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Processes – Including regeneration – purification – recovery or separation...
Patent
1992-07-10
1993-09-28
Morris, Theodore
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Processes
Including regeneration, purification, recovery or separation...
134 26, 134 40, 427327, 427353, B08B 300, B08B 308
Patent
active
052483436
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the cleaning of metal surfaces and to the preparation of metal surfaces for subsequent application of protective and decorative coatings or other finishes. This invention specifically relates to the cleaning of lubricants and coolants from metal containers used in the manufacturing of such containers and to the recycling of cleaning agents, lubricants and coolants and water used in such manufacturing process.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In various industries it is necessary to clean oils from the surfaces of metal prior to decorating such surfaces with paint, ink or various other protective or decorative coatings. For example, in the manufacture of metal containers, such as beverage containers, metal blanks are stamped and then formed by drawing and ironing into a desired container configuration, and finally decorated. During the forming process, lubricants and coolants are deposited on the metal surfaces. Residual quantities of lubricants and coolants must be removed from the surface of the metal prior to printing, overcoating, internal coating or other decorating or detailing of the cleaned metal surface.
Currently, the industry uses cleaning agents consisting of either relatively strong acid or caustic solutions. Primarily strong acid solutions consisting of hydrofluoric, sulfuric, phosphoric, nitric, and similar acids are used. For example, U.S. Pat. Re. No. 32,661 to Binns discloses a method of cleaning aluminum using an acidic aqueous cleaning solution having a pH less than 2. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,135 to King discloses a composition and process for cleaning aluminum using a low temperature aqueous acidic solution with a pH of less than 2.
While the use of acidic and caustic solutions to clean metal is effective to remove oils, the use of such solutions presents multiple problems in the treatment of used cleaning and rinse solutions, and has negative effects on the appearance and integrity of such metal when it is used, for example, in the manufacture of containers. The acidic and caustic cleaning agents currently in use in container manufacturing operations etch and pit the metal surfaces being cleaned, thereby diminishing the strength of the metal, often making such containers unusable. During drawing and ironing procedures for the manufacture of aluminum beverage containers, manganese-iron particles in the aluminum may create pin holes and gouges in the containers. Acidic and caustic cleaning agents deepen such holes and gouges and often result in containers deemed unusable "pinhole leakers."
The etching and pitting of metal surfaces caused by use of an acid and caustic wash cleaning agent increases the roughness of the metal surface and consequently reduces the reflectivity of the metal surface. Reduced reflectivity in turn results in reduced color enhancement of inks applied to the metal surface. The reduced reflectivity and reduced color enhancement are aesthetic detractors and, therefore, metal surfaces cleaned with acidic or caustic washes are not as pleasing in appearance to the ultimate consumer. Such aesthetic detraction applies not only to aluminum beverage containers, but also to a myriad of other products in the marketplace, including, for example, finished metal surfaces for cars, trucks and airplanes, face plates for calculators and computers, etc.
Metal containers cleaned with an acidic or caustic wash require more ink, overcoat and inner coat because the etches and pits resulting from such washes result in a greater surface area to be covered. Reduction in the etching and pitting on a container's surface would result in the use of less ink, overcoat or inner coat and, therefore, in a significant cost savings.
The use of acidic or caustic washes also creates ionization points on a metal's surface. These ionization points form electrical attractions to polar molecules, such as water. Typically, after cleaning of a metal surface with an acidic or caustic wash, the metal surface is rinsed with water and then dried. Because ri
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Hamilton C. Richard
Marsh Ralph Z.
Thompson Russ
Chaudhry Saeed T.
Golden Technologies Company, Inc.
Morris Theodore
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