Vapor phase siloxane dry cleaning process

Details Vapor phase siloxane dry cleaning process Vapor phase siloxane dry cleaning process

2001-03-21

2003-08-26

Boyer, Charles (Department: 1751)

Bleaching and dyeing; fluid treatment and chemical modification

Cleaning or laundering

Dry cleaning

C510S276000, C510S285000, C510S466000, C008S149200

Reexamination Certificate

active

06610108

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention is directed to a dry cleaning process, more specifically, to a siloxane vapor phase based process, for use in dry cleaning.
BACKGROUND
Current dry cleaning technology uses perchloroethylene (“PERC”) or petroleum-based materials as the cleaning solvent. PERC suffers from toxicity and odor issues. The petroleum-based products are not as effective as PERC in cleaning garments.
Cyclic siloxanes have been reported as spot cleaning solutions, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,930, and as dry cleaning fluids in dry cleaning machines, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,007. Other patents disclose the use of silicone soaps in petroleum solvents, see JP 09299687, and the use of silicone surfactants in super critical carbon dioxide solutions has been reported, see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,705 and Chem. Mark. Rep., Dec. 15, 1997, 252(24), p. 15. Non-volatile silicone oils have also been used as the cleaning solvent requiring removal by a second washing with perfluoroalkane to remove the silicone oil, see JP 06327888.
Numerous other patents have issued in which siloxanes or organomodified silicones have been present as addenda in PERC or petroleum based dry cleaning solvents, see, for example, WO 9401510; U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,853; U.S. Pat. No. 4,005,231; U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,258.
There is a continued interest in decreasing the need for large quantities of solvents used in dry cleaning processes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The process of the present invention is directed to a cleaning process, comprising the use of a volatile cyclic, linear or branched siloxane in the vapor phase for the cleaning of articles.
Further, the present invention provides for a process for cleaning soiled articles of manufacture comprising:
a) contacting the soiled article of manufacture with a vapor phase silicone compound;
b) allowing the vapor phase silicone compound in contact with the soiled article of manufacture to condense to the liquid phase becoming thereby a condensed silicone liquid; and
c) draining the condensed silicone liquid away from the article of manufacture whereby the soiled article of manufacture is cleaned.
In another embodiment the present invention provides for a process for cleaning soiled garments comprising:
a) contacting the soiled garment with a vapor phase silicone compound;
b) allowing the vapor phase silicone compound in contact with the soiled garment to condense to the liquid phase becoming thereby a condensed silicone liquid; and
c) draining the condensed silicone liquid away from the garment whereby the soiled garment is cleaned.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The compounds useful in the practice of the present invention may be linear, branched or cyclic volatile siloxane compounds. In general those siloxanes that are volatile and suitable for use in the practice of the present invention are those siloxanes that are volatile at room temperature, i.e. about 25° C. Volatility is a quantitative measurement at a given temperature and thus broadly defined involves a partial pressure or vapor pressure, i.e. a pressure below 760 mm Hg, at a given temperature. Broadly, volatile siloxanes are those siloxanes that have a vapor pressure or partial pressure (as used herein the two terms are interchangeable) above 0.01 mm Hg at a temperature of 20° C.
Compounds suitable as the linear or branched, volatile siloxane solvent of the present invention are those containing a polysiloxane structure that includes from 2 to 20 silicon atoms. Preferably, the linear or branched, volatile siloxanes are relatively volatile materials, having, for example, a boiling of below about 300° C. point at a pressure of 760 millimeters of mercury (“mm Hg”).
In one embodiment, the linear or branched, volatile siloxane comprises one or more compounds of the structural formula (I):
M
2+y+2z
D
x
T
y
Q
z
  (I)
wherein:
M is R
1
3
SiO
1/2
;
D is R
2
R
3
SiO
2/2
;
T is R
4
SiO
3/2
;
and Q is SiO
4/2
R
1
, R
2
, R
3
and R
4
are each independently a monovalent hydrocarbon radical having from one to forty carbon atoms; and
x and y are each integers, wherein 0≦x≦10 and 0≦y≦10 and 0≦z≦10.
Suitable monovalent hydrocarbon groups include linear hydrocarbon radicals, branched hydrocarbon radicals, monovalent alicyclic hydrocarbon radicals, monovalent and aromatic or fluoro containing hydrocarbon radicals. Preferred monovalent hydrocarbon radicals are monovalent alkyl radicals, monovalent aryl radicals and monovalent aralkyl radicals.
As used herein, the term “(C
1
-C
6
)alkyl” means a linear or branched alkyl group containing from 1 to 6 carbons per group, such as, for example, methyl, ethyl, propyl, iso-propyl, n-butyl, iso-butyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, pentyl, hexyl, preferably methyl.
As used herein, the term “aryl” means a monovalent unsaturated hydrocarbon ring system containing one or more aromatic or fluoro containing rings per group, which may optionally be substituted on the one or more aromatic or fluoro containing rings, preferably with one or more (C
1
-C
6
)alkyl groups and which, in the case of two or more rings, may be fused rings, including, for example, phenyl, 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl, 2-isopropylmethylphenyl, 1-pentalenyl, naphthyl, anthryl, preferably phenyl.
As used herein, the term “aralkyl” means an aryl derivative of an alkyl group, preferably a (C
2
-C
6
)alkyl group, wherein the alkyl portion of the aryl derivative may, optionally, be interrupted by an oxygen atom, such as, for example, phenylethyl, phenylpropyl, 2-(1-naphthyl)ethyl, preferably phenylpropyl, phenyoxypropyl, biphenyloxypropyl.
In another embodiment, the monovalent hydrocarbon radical is a monovalent (C
1
-C
6
)alkyl radical, most preferably, methyl.
In another embodiment, the linear or branched, volatile siloxane comprises one or more of, hexamethyldisiloxane, octamethyltrisiloxane, decamethyltetrasiloxane, dodecamethylpentasiloxane, tetradecamethylhexasiloxane or hexadecamethylheptasiloxane or methyltris(trimethylsiloxy)silane. In a more highly preferred embodiment, the linear or branched, volatile siloxane of the present invention comprises octamethyltrisiloxane, decamethyltetrasiloxane, or dodecamethylpentasiloxane or methyltris(trimethylsiloxy)silane. In a highly preferred embodiment, the siloxane component of the composition of the present invention consists essentially of decamethyltetrasiloxane.
Suitable linear or branched volatile siloxanes are made by known methods, such as, for example, hydrolysis and condensation of one or more of tetrachlorosilane, methyltrichlorosilane, dimethyldichlorosilane, trimethylchlorosilane, or by isolation of the desired fraction of an equilibrate mixture of hexamethyldisiloxane and octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane or the like and are commercially available.
Compounds suitable as the cyclic siloxane component of the present invention are those containing an oligomeric or polysiloxane ring structure that includes from 2 to 20 silicon atoms in the ring. Preferably, the linear, branched and cyclic siloxanes are relatively volatile materials, having, for example, a boiling point of below about 300° C. at a pressure of 760 millimeters of mercury (“mm Hg”). Thus for the purposes of defining a volatile siloxane compound useful in the practice of the process of the present invention a volatile siloxane, whether linear branched or cyclic has a vapor pressure ranging from 0.01 to 760 mm Hg at a temperature ranging from about 10° C. to about 300° C.
In another embodiment, the cyclic siloxane comprises one or more compounds of the structural formula (II):
R
5
, R
6
, R
7
and R
8
are each independently a monovalent hydrocarbon group having from one to forty carbon atoms; and
a and b are each integers wherein 0≦a≦10 and 0≦b≦10, provided that 3≦(a+b)≦10.
In yet another embodiment, the cyclic siloxane comprises one or more of, octamethylcydotetrasiloxane, decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane, tetradecamethylcycloheptasiloxane. In a more highly preferred embodiment, the cyclic siloxane of the present inve

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