Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Processes – Oils – grease – tar – or wax removal – by dissolving
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-26
2002-11-12
Delcotto, Gregory (Department: 1751)
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Processes
Oils, grease, tar, or wax removal, by dissolving
C510S245000, C510S256000, C510S273000, C510S405000, C510S407000, C510S412000, C510S506000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06478880
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to multi-component compositions having utility as cleaners, delivery systems, solvent systems and the like. In particular, the invention relates to a composition including both fluorinated and non-fluorinated components, which can form single phase combinations and permit solubility of highly fluorinated, as well as partially fluorinated, compounds which are ordinarily not soluble in polar or most hydrocarbon solvent materials.
2. Brief Description of Related Technology
In recent years, the use of both chlorinated and chlorofluoro hydrocarbons (“CFCs”) have been substantially lessened due to their deleterious effect on the environment and stringent regulations have been promulgated throughout the world to accelerate their phase-out. Many of these materials are not only toxic but are believed responsible for ozone-depletion. Thus, notwithstanding their usefulness as solvents, strict laws regarding handling, labeling and disposal have been passed to discourage further use. Finding acceptable alternatives to these solvents has been an extremely difficult task, particularly to find solvents or solvent systems which possess a balance of important properties required for many industrial applications such as high chemical stability, non-flammability, low toxicity and low volatile organic solvent (“VOC”) content, and yet which are sufficiently volatile to readily evaporate once applied. In particular, it has been difficult to find solvent systems for highly fluorinated compounds such as perfluorocarbons (“PFCs”) and the like because of their extremely low solubility, if any, in conventional solvent materials such as polar solvents and in most hydrocarbons, including acids and bases.
It is desirable that solvent systems for delivery of a material, such as a highly fluorinated compound, to or cleaning a highly fluorinated compound from a substrate, possess a balance of characteristics in addition to their ability to solubilize or otherwise combine in a compatible way with the material. For example, solvent systems desirably balance non-ozone depleting and non-flammable characteristics with sufficient volatility characteristics to be useful as cleaners or delivery systems. Although many materials possess the ability to act as volatile solvents, most have been too flammable or toxic to serve as suitable replacements for conventional ozone-depleting compounds such as chlorinated hydrocarbons or CFCs. For example, materials such as heptane, acetone, methylethyl ketone, isopropanol, and methanol are excellent solvents for many substances and possess good volatility, i.e., low flash point temperatures and high vapor pressures, but these materials are extremely flammable. Other substances such as isoparaffins and propylene glycol ether are less flammable, but do not exhibit adequate solvent performance properties for materials such as highly fluorinated compounds.
PFCs are essentially non-toxic, non-flammable, and thermally and hydrolytically stable alternatives to CFCs. However, the drawback of PFCs is the inability to form solutions with most substances. Moreover, the cost of PFCs is extremely high and commercially unattractive for most industrial applications. Thus, their suitability as cleaners or as carriers in delivery systems has been largely stilted.
Attempts have been made to combine perfluorinated compounds with solvents to form azeotropic compositions. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,401,429, 5,484,489, 5,594,601, and 5,744,436 disclose azeotropic compositions which include a perfluorinated cycloaminoether and an organic solvent, such as tetrafluorocyclobutane, tetrafluorodichloroethane, cyclopentane, cyclohexane and the like. These compositions are disclosed as being cleaners for electronic printed circuit boards, magnetic media, disk drives, medical articles and the like. The article to be cleaned is generally contacted with the azeotropic composition while the composition is boiling or otherwise agitated. Certain of the azeotropic compositions disclosed were used as vapor degreasing compositions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,514 discloses a non-flammable solvent composition which comprises 40% by volume or more of a non-flammable perfluoro organic compound. The other portion of the composition is a flammable organic compound which is suitable as a degreasing solvent.
A single phase liquid composition comprising 2-20% benzotrifluoride, 5-50% glycol ether, 2-40% alkanol and 7-56% water is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,437. This composition is described as being effective in cleaning hard surfaces, stripping paint, and as a carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,002 discloses a two-part, single-phase cleaning solvent which is a combination of a selected fluorinated compound in amounts of 3 to about 20 weight %, with the remainder being benzotrifluoride. The '002 patent describes this blend as being non-flammable and being a better cleaner than the fluorinated compound itself. The composition can optionally contain up to 15 weight % alkanol from C
1
to C
4
.
Fluorinated oils are not soluble in traditional solvents. Their utility in industry is widespread however, due to their properties of being excellent lubricants under severe chemical conditions and at elevated temperatures. It is well-known that their performance properties are beyond those of most hydrocarbon based lubricants. Whereas elevated temperatures, aggressive chemicals, flammable conditions and airborne contaminants can quickly exceed the performance capabilities of many hydrocarbon lubricants, this is not the case for fluorinated lubricants.
It is desirable to incorporate the advantages of a fluorinated base stock, i.e., a carrier system, with those of fluorinated oils to provide a lubricant composition for applications where temperature, flammability, or other factors exceed the performance of conventional petroleum lubricants. Moreover, it is desirable to find a penetrating lubricant composition that is non-flammable, non-ozone depleting and which can be used in areas where fire hazards may exist.
A common generally acceptable principle in organic chemistry with respect to solvents is stated by Morrison and Boyd in
Organic Chemistry,
page 31, Allyn and Bacon, 3rd ed. (1973). This rule states that for the most part “like dissolves like”. Based on this principle, highly fluorinated oils could be dissolved by highly fluorinated solvents. In fact some perfluorinated oils are known to be soluble in fully or partially fluorinated solvents such as decafluoropeutane and methoxy-nonafluorobutane. However, highly fluorinated solvents are extraordinarily expensive and use of them as the sole solvent would not be commercially feasible. The present invention utilizes the affinity of two different fluorinated components in combination with an alkane to produce a cost-effective solvent system useful with perfluorinated and partially fluorinated oils, as well as other materials.
It is apparent that there is a need for a composition which can serve as a solvent for difficult to dissolve materials, i.e., fluorinated compounds, and which can have a wide range of applications including use as a cleaner or a delivery system for such materials. Moreover, there is a need for a low cost composition which also possesses a balance of characteristics with respect to volatility, low toxicity, non-ozone depleting properties and non-flammability as discussed herein. The present invention provides compositions which meet these and other needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to compositions which comprise a combination of at least three components—the first component including a fluorinated compound; the second component including a fluorinated aromatic compound; and the third component including an alkane. The first and second fluorinated components are intended to be different. This combination of components allows for compositions to be formulated which are useful as cleaners and/or delivery systems as well as solvent systems for a variety of material
Bauman Steven C.
Delcotto Gregory
Henkel Loctite Corporation
Mruk Brian P.
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