Allied Chemical Corporation

Other

Alan B Gancy

Rustom P Poncha

Christian A Wamser

Theodore J Jenczewski

Robert L Sturtevant

Bela I Karsay

Chester J Kaminski

Robert Edward Durling

Fluid-filled, flexible-walled chambers in a variety of shapes are embraceably fitted with elastic loops or girths whereby the overall resiliency and cushioning ability of the chambers is improved. The expanded versatility of the resilient chambers makes possible improved designs of airbed and waterbed mattresses, and of toys, sports and safety equipment. A method for controlling and improving the impact between automobile safety airbags and auto passengers is made possible through the incorporation of elastic girths in the design of the airbag.

Fluid-filled flexible-walled chambers having improved resiliency, and

Apparatus and method for controlling outward movement of flexible walls defining an enclosed chamber of a device inflatable by air or other compressible fluid, the outward movement occurring in response to application of an external force over portions of a flexible wall to decrease the volume and increase the internal pressure of the chamber. Spring-like couplings, preferably in the form of elastic members such as 'rubber bands,' are attached at spaced points to portions of the flexible, relatively moveable walls inside and/or outside the chamber. The couplings are so attached as to be expanded or stretched by relative movement of the flexible wall portions as the external force is applied, whereby the members exert a force resiliently opposing movement of the flexible walls in response to the increase in internal pressure caused by application of the external force. In a practical application, the enclosed chamber is an air mattress and the controlled movement of the flexible walls advantageously affects the tactile response of a user to the body-supporting upper wall of the mattress. The spring-like couplings may form one or more portions of the flexible walls of the chamber.

Inflatable devices with flexible walls having spring-like couplings

Apparatus and method for controlling outward movement of flexible walls defining an enclosed chamber of a device inflatable by air or other compressible fluid, the outward movement occurring in response to application of an external force over portions of a flexible wall to decrease the volume and increase the internal pressure of the chamber. Spring-like couplings, preferably in the form of elastic members such as 'rubber bands,' are attached at spaced points to portions of the flexible, relatively moveable walls inside and/or outside the chamber. The couplings are so attached as to be expanded or stretched by relative movement of the flexible wall portions as the external force is applied, whereby the members exert a force resiliently opposing movement of the flexible walls in response to the increase in internal pressure caused by application of the external force. In a practical application, the enclosed chamber is an air mattress and the controlled movement of the flexible walls advantageously affects the tactile response of a user to the body-supporting upper wall of the mattress.

Springlike couplings of flexible walls of inflatable body supports

Superior quality magnesium calcium acetate (hydrate) granules of industrial grade are produced from a concentrated aqueous solution of magnesium acetate containing limited amounts of calcium acetate. The hot solution, or process liquor, is carefully pH-adjusted prior to further processing, and may be slightly acidified with excess acetic acid to offset downstream hydrolysis during the granulation/drying stage. Process liquor hydrolysis is avoided by maintaining liquor temperature and residence time within prescribed limits. Process liquor may be optionally clarified of mineral insolubles deriving from raw material, and of excess, unwanted calcium acetate solids prior to further processing. From such clarified liquor a purer, technical grade magnesium acetate (hydrate) granular product is derived. Hot process liquor may be passed through a short residence time heating zone prior to granulation/drying in order to provide additional sensible heat going to the granulation/drying operation. At the short residence times prescribed, hydrolysis of process liquor is avoided. A key feature of the invention is the relatively low energy requirement, due to the low process liquor drying requirement. Such a low net water loss requirement is due to the unusually high concentrations of process liquor achievable, and to the production of a stable tetrahydrate of magnesium acetate product. Product granules of the present invention, free of unreacted ore, and of hydrolysis product, show much improved rates of ice-melting, and are elatively less corrosive to metals.

Process for the manufacture of magnesium calcium acetate

Finely divided ore blends containing chemically active magnesium oxide and calcium oxide are physically combined with a critical amount of water prior to reaction with acetic acid. Intermediate products range in physical consistency from putty-like masses to viscous liquors, depending upon the relative fraction of magnesium oxide in the ore feed. Intermediate products freeze to form hydrates of magnesium calcium acetate, the freeze times being dependent upon a number of chemical and physical parameters. Product drying requirements range from minimal drying to none at all, depending upon the magnesium fraction in the products. Products are non-friable and have excellent crush strength, and are suitable for storage, shipping and application in chemical deicing as well as other end use applications where crude low-cost materials are called for. A unique situation centers around the composition corresponding to the magnesium mol fraction of 0.8. This material requires no drying and exhibits an extraordinary high crush strength. Additionally, as much as 75% by weight of traction agent (sand) can be successfully incorporated into this material without the aid of chemical binders.

Magnesium calcium acetate products, and process for their manufacture

Several novel means are presented of chemically combining calcium/magnesium acetate with calcium chloride to form a series of calcium magnesium acetate-chloride triple-salts. The low-cost processes are carried out using minimal proportions of water, and no co-products or by-products are formed. Products are optionally pelletized for use as roadway deicing agents. By adjusting the relative amount of chloride input, products can be tailored to adequately perform a given deicing or freezing-point depression task with a minimum of environmental pollution by chloride. All product variations are non-deliquescent. In the preferred embodiment, lime is reacted with concentrated acetic acid to form calcium/magnesium acetate. To the acetate is added an aqueous calcium chloride solution. The concentration of water in the reaction batch is critical to the attainment of complete chemical combination to form a flowable solid product.

Low-energy process for the manufacture of calcium/magnesium

Finely divided lime, at any degree of slaking, is introduced in a steady stream into an agitated reactor designed to produce pellets or aggregates. Concentrated acetic acid is simultaneously introduced in a steady stream at a rate equal to the chemical combining rate required to produce calcium magnesium acetate. Water content of the reaction stream is critical; the mol ratio of water, including water of neutralization, to the calcium magnesium acetate product must fall in the range 3.3-7.0 in order to form the desired pellets and to avoid sticking, caking, and dust emanation from the reactor. Product pellets are drawn off in a stream from the reactor and dried for use as a non-polluting roadway and walkway deicer. Traction agent is optionally incorporated into the deicer pellets by introducing a steady stream of traction agent to the reactor simultaneous with raw materials introduction. Magnesium-to-calcium ratios greater than one are achieved by blending dolime with magnesium-rich ore.

Continuous process for the manufacture of calcium magnesium acetate

A reduced pollutant-containing salt mixture and method of making same is provided wherein a salt mixture partially comprised of calcium acetate and partially comprised of at least one other pollutant salt is produced by mixing a pollutant salt-containing solution and a calcium acetate-containing solution and converting said mixture into a solid salt containing both the pollutant salt and the nonpollutant calcium acetate. A process option involves chemically reacting calcium chloride and calcium acetate in a calcium chloride-to-calcium acetate mole ratio in the range from 0 to 1 to produce a non-deliquescent salt. A further process option includes mixing either dry calcium chloride or dry sodium chloride with dry calcium acetate to obtain a reduced pollutant-containing salt mixture.

Nonpolluting salts and method of making same

A process for the manufacture of calcium acetate pellets suitable for surface deicing, which comprises slow addition of water to dried calcium acetate or to calcium acetate freshly prepared from reaction of hydrated or unslaked lime with concentrated acetic acid, in an agitated vessel designed to produce pellets. Pellets are dried to a critical residual water level to avoid their embrittlement. The relative amount of water used in the pelletizing process is highly critical, and depends upon the source of calcium acetate as well as the amount of magnesium ion in the pellet formulation.

Coarse-particle calcium/magnesium acetate suitable for roadway and

A process of making a calcium acetate-containing solution having a pH value at room temperature between about 7 and about 8 is provided comprising reacting acetic acid with a carbonate compound, adding calcined limestone, and optionally finishing off the acid-base reaction with an amount of an alkali metal hydroxide comprising from about 2% to about 5% of the total stoichiometric complement to the amount of acetic acid. Further process options which may be used in the preparation of deicing agents include adding coarse limestone to the above-prepared calcium acetate-containing solution in amounts up to 10% by weight and converting the solution into solid flakes. The calcium acetate salt product can be mixed with an inert solid material having good anti-slip properties.

Process of making calcium acetate deicing agents and product

A process of reacting aqueous acetic acid and crushed raw limestone in such a way as to produce a mixture of calcium acetate, calcium acid-acetate, and unreacted raw limestone devoid of undesirable fine limestone. Such a product is useful in winter highway treatment, where the environmentally safe soluble acetates function to depress the freezing point of water, and the limestone acts as a roadway traction agent. When as much as 3 mols of acetic acid per mol of active calcium carbonate in limestone are used, all the limestone is consumed, with virtually 100% yield of calcium acid-acetate.

Novel road and highway deicer and traction agent, and process for its

A variable density fluid is provided comprising a multiplicity of polymer micro-particles or polymer microfilaments added to a suspending liquid. By varying the density, shape, size, and material of construction of the added micro-particles or microfilaments, the physical properties of the composite liquid suspension, such as density, viscosity and compressibility, are controllable. In one specific embodiment, the polymer micro-particles can be used to selectively remove a liquid from a mixture of liquids, such as oil from sea water for example.

Controlled density hydraulic fluids

A process of making a calcium acetate-containing solution having a pH value at room temperature between about 7 and about 8 is provided comprising reacting acetic acid with a carbonate compound, adding calcined limestone, and optionally finishing off the acid-base reaction with an amount of an alkali metal hydroxide comprising from about 2% to about 5% of the total stoichiometric complement to the amount of acetic acid. Further process options which may be used in the preparation of deicing agents include adding coarse limestone to the above-prepared calcium acetate-containing solution in amounts up to 10% by weight and converting the solution into solid flakes.

Process of making calcium acetate deicing agents

Chemical formulations containing calcium oxide, or unslaked calcined limestone, and a chemical deicing agent. The formulations liberate heat upon contacting ice or snow and materially assist the normal deicing function. Deicer options include calcium acetate, sodium acetate, magnesium acetate, and potassium acetate and sodium chloride (salt). The magnesium acetate containing formulation represents a special case in which the ultimate products formed are magnesium hydroxide and calcium acetate, both relatively harmless to the environment.

Water-activated exothermic chemical deicing formulations

A process of making different grades of calcium magnesium acetate deicing agents, having substantially uniform but different calcium-to-magnesium mole ratios, from limestone having varying proportions of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, is provided wherein limestone containing calcium and magnesium carbonates is finely divided, mixed with water to form an aqueous suspension of limestone, vigorously agitated and reacted with excess acetic acid. The reaction is completed by adding to the reaction batch about 30% of the molar equivalent of calcined finely divided limestone base to produce a calcium magnesium acetate salt solution having a calcium-to-magnesium mole ratio much greater than one. The insolubles from this first reaction are removed, calcined and reacted with acetic acid in a second reaction to produce a calcium magnesium acetate salt solution having a calcium-to-magnesium mole ratio substantially equal to one.

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Syracuse, NY, United States of America

Alan B Gancy