U.S. patent application number 11/883190 was filed with the patent office on 2008-06-26 for drain system.
Invention is credited to John S. Brinkman, Nicolo Flor, Richard H. Hall, John Christopher Polis.
Application Number | 20080152430 11/883190 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36777950 |
Filed Date | 2008-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080152430 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Flor; Nicolo ; et
al. |
June 26, 2008 |
Drain System
Abstract
Target organic substance can be contained, filtered, absorbed
and/or used to shut down flow, and water drained off, with a system
having a first, fluid-permeable, hollow housing member; a second,
fluid-permeable, hollow housing member disposed inside the first
member; and, disposed between the first and second members, a
fluid-filtering/absorbing material. A fluid can pass through the
first and second members and the fluid-filtering/absorbing
material, and have the target organic substance, which may be found
with the fluid, filtered and/or absorbed by the
fluid-filtering/absorbing material.
Inventors: |
Flor; Nicolo; (Oakville,
CA) ; Polis; John Christopher; (St. Catharines,
CA) ; Brinkman; John S.; (London, CA) ; Hall;
Richard H.; (Midland, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Christopher John Rudy
209 Huron Ave., Ste. 8
Port Huron
MI
48060
US
|
Family ID: |
36777950 |
Appl. No.: |
11/883190 |
Filed: |
February 3, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
February 3, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US06/03788 |
371 Date: |
July 27, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60650314 |
Feb 4, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
405/45 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01J 20/267 20130101;
B01J 20/261 20130101; C02F 2103/001 20130101; C02F 1/285 20130101;
C02F 2101/32 20130101; E03F 5/0404 20130101; B01D 17/10 20130101;
B01D 17/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
405/45 |
International
Class: |
E02B 11/00 20060101
E02B011/00 |
Claims
1. A system for containing, filtering, absorbing organics, draining
off water and/or shutting down flow of a target organic substance,
which comprises: a first, fluid-permeable, hollow housing member; a
second, fluid-permeable, hollow housing member disposed inside said
first member; and a fluid-filtering and/or absorbing material
disposed between said first and second members, such that a fluid
can pass through said first and second members and the
fluid-filtering/absorbing material, and have the target organic
substance, which may be found with the fluid, be filtered and/or
absorbed by the fluid-filtering and/or absorbing material.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said material includes water
insoluble, particulate polymer particles which can imbibe the
target organic substance.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein said first and second members are
in forms of tubes; a first nonporous cap is disposed about first
ends of said tubes; and a second nonporous cap is disposed about
second, opposing ends of said tubes and has an opening for
communication of a throughput with respect to the hollow volume of
said second member tube.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein said first and second member
tubes are made of a porous plastic.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein said porous plastic has pores
about from 90 microns to 130 microns.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein said porous plastic is HDPE.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein said first and second member
tubes have about 0.125-inch (3.175-mm) thicknesses to their walls,
and an outer protective mesh is employed about said first member
tube.
8. The system of claim 2, wherein holes or slots are provided in
walls of at least one of said first and second members, and filter
fabric 32 is provided to keep said material from passing through
the holes or slots.
9. A method for containing, filtering, absorbing organics, draining
off water and/or shutting down flow of a target organic substance,
which comprises: providing a system, which includes: a first,
fluid-permeable, hollow housing member; a second, fluid-permeable,
hollow housing member disposed inside said first member; and a
fluid-filtering and/or absorbing material disposed between said
first and second members, such that a fluid can pass through said
first and second members and the fluid-filtering/absorbing
material, and have the target organic substance, which may be found
with the fluid, be filtered and/or absorbed by the fluid-filtering
and/or absorbing material; and installing the system such that it
can receive an input of a fluid that may contain the target organic
substance.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein an opening for communication of
a throughput is provided such that said fluid would be communicated
to the hollow volume of said second member, and flow of said fluid
would pass through said material and said first member; said
material includes water insoluble, particulate polymer particles
which can imbibe the target organic substance; and said fluid would
include water.
11. The method of claim 10, which operates as a drain, and wherein
the target organic substance includes at least one substance that
is a class "1" or class "2" organic chemical or mixture.
12. The method of claim 10, which operates as a drain, and wherein
the target organic substance includes at least one of #2 diesel
fuel; #1 or #2 fuel oils; kerosene; Jet A-1, JP-4, JP-5, JP-8 or
JP-8-100 jet fuels; VM&P naphtha; gasoline; xylene; toluene;
benzene; pentane; hexane; heptane; octane, nonane, decane; motor
oil; a transformer oil; trichloroethylene, dichlorobenzene;
styrene; methylmethacrylate; butyl acrylate; acrylonitrile; acrylic
acid; an isocyanate; and an alcohol.
Description
[0001] This claims priority benefits of United States of America
(U.S.) provisional patent application No. 60/650,314 filed on Feb.
4, 2005 A.D. For the US, the same is claimed under Patent
Cooperation Treaty and/or Title 35 United States Code, particularly
under sections 119(e), 120, 363 and/or 365. Where applicable, as in
the US, the complete specification of the '314 application is
incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] I. Field and Purview
[0003] In general, the invention concerns a system that contains
material to filter and/or absorb materials such as various
hazardous and nonhazardous liquid organic chemicals or organic
mixtures, and it can concern methods of making and using the
system. In a particular embodiment, it can be a shut off pipe
system that employs imbibing polymer particles as well as other
filtration units or materials. It can further be a particle or
supporting matrix, which is coated or impregnated with an imbibing
polymer.
[0004] II. Art and Problems
[0005] Organic chemical/mixture leaks and spills can be
problematic. Often such leaks or spills occur on or about paved
areas such as filling stations, parking lots, industrial slabs, and
so forth. Runoff from rain or other form of introduced water such
as from a spigot, fire suppression, and so forth can carry the
leaked or spilled organic substance to a sewer and/or to the
ground, and engender an overburden of or contamination by the
organic substance. In particular, diesel fuel; kerosene; jet fuel;
and gasoline, motor oil, some grades of transformer oil, as well as
stored solvents; aliphatic, aromatic, halogenated (especially
chlorinated and brominated) compounds are examples and types of
substances that may be of special concern, in addition to many
other organic liquids.
[0006] A number of solutions to such problems have been proposed,
and, among these, most highly effective and desirable absorbent
products are provided through Imbibitive Technologies Corp.
Compare, U.S. design Pat. Nos. 400,973 to Hall et al., 400,974 to
Hall et al., 403,059 to Flor et al., 403,060 to Flor et al.,
403,418 to Brinkman et al., 415,831 to Hall et al., 419,652 to Hall
et al., 428,108 to Flor et al., and 441,067 to Flor et al., and
International publication No. WO 01/98757 by Imbibitive
Technologies Corp. See also, U.S. utility Pat. Nos. 3,750,688 to
Hall et al., and 4,302,337 to Larson et al.
[0007] As good as such products are, they are not in all occasions
the most suitable. The layout of certain real estate sometimes
makes it difficult if not impossible to install a deep drain, and
in other cases, a sewer system is not available. In some cases,
existing structures or equipment can hinder installation of such
products. Certain customers, too, although desiring the elegance
and effectiveness of such products, find their higher cost
burdensome, to notably include the deeper retrofit and extensively
engineered construction operations.
[0008] Also, portable or stationary berms defining containment
areas for vehicular parking, fueling and loading can present runoff
problems. When hydrocarbon based fuels or lubricants such as diesel
or jet fuel, gasoline, or motor oil are in the runoff to be
contained, they float on top of the water. Overflow can result,
during which time such floating organic materials are released.
[0009] Other areas of concern exist, the problems of which are
evident to those skilled in the art. These include treatment of
waste water with diesel or jet fuel, gasoline or oil present such
as in runoff from streets, highways, parking lots, factory floors,
and so forth; and organic chemical storage tank water draw off such
as tanks for diesel or jet fuel, gasoline, and so forth, where
water condenses inside the tank and is drawn off, or water blocks
are used to separate different products in one pipe line.
[0010] It would be desirable to improve upon the art, and
ameliorate or overcome problems remaining in it.
A FULL DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In general, the present invention provides a system for
containing, filtering, absorbing organics, draining off water
and/or shutting down flow of a target organic substance, which
comprises: [0012] a first, fluid-permeable, hollow housing member;
[0013] a second, fluid-permeable, hollow housing member disposed
inside said first member; and [0014] a fluid-filtering and/or
absorbing material disposed between said first and second members,
such that a fluid can pass through said first and second members
and the fluid-filtering/absorbing material, and have the target
organic substance, which may be found with the fluid, be filtered
and/or absorbed by the fluid-filtering and/or absorbing
material.
[0015] The invention is useful in environmental conservation.
[0016] Significantly, by the invention, the art is advanced in
kind, and problems are ameliorated if not overcome. A most
effective alternative is provided for helping to control wayward
contaminants serving as target organic substance(s) such as diesel
fuel; jet fuel; kerosene; gasoline, motor oil; and most transformer
oil; as well as stored solvents such as aliphatic, aromatic,
halogenated (especially chlorinated and brominated) compounds such
as, for example, toluene, styrene, methyl and ethyl styrene,
xylene, ethylene bromide, chloroform, trichloroethylene,
dichlorobenzene, and so forth and the like, in addition to many
other organic target liquids and various dissolved, suspended or
otherwise carried target organic substances. Also, especially with
proper particulate material, the system can absorb a broad range of
target organic solvents and liquids of various solubility
parameters. Installation of the system can be effected on or close
to the surface of the ground, and can find especially desirable
utility as a part of a drain in connection with electric
substations; filling stations; garages; railroad yards; airports;
portable berms, to include inflated berms; and so forth. In
addition, site remediation in particular may be conducted with the
system in the practice of the invention, and particularly effective
draining of condensed and incidental water from storage tanks
holding organic substances can be carried out.
[0017] Numerous further advantages attend the invention.
[0018] The drawings form part of the specification hereof. With
respect to the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale,
the following is briefly noted:
[0019] FIG. 1 is a side plan view of an embodiment of a system of
the invention, embodied as a drain system, and showing an inside to
outside flow pattern.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective plan view of the system of FIG. 1,
but showing an outside to inside flow pattern.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a side plan view of another embodiment hereof.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment
hereof in which a centering device and an outer conduit are
employed.
[0023] FIG. 5 is a side plan view of another embodiment hereof in
which an outer protective mesh material is provided, and the drain
system has its filtering component outside a target containment
area.
[0024] FIG. 6 is a side plan view of another embodiment hereof in
which an outer protective mesh material is provided, and the drain
system has its filtering component inside a target containment
area.
[0025] FIGS. 7 and 8 are views of a drain system of the invention
embodied as a shut-off pipe system as from FIGS. 5 and/or 6.
[0026] FIG. 9 is a side view of another embodiment of a drain
system of the invention, having a housing made of corrugated
plastic pipe akin to or being plastic drain tile.
[0027] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional plan view of another embodiment
of the invention in which the drain system housing is made of a
flexible plastic web, for example, heat sealed to make a hose type
arrangement.
[0028] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a bent or flexible drain system of
the invention.
[0029] FIG. 12 is a plan view of runoff water treatment with the
system of the invention.
[0030] FIG. 13 is a plan view of organic chemical storage tank for
which condensed and/or incident water can be drawn off with the
system of the invention.
[0031] FIG. 14 is a generally exploded and partially cut-away view
of a preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0032] FIG. 15 is a sectional view in detail of a drain cartridge
of the invention such as found in FIG. 14.
[0033] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a system of the invention
in operation, which includes a cartridge as found in FIG. 14.
[0034] The invention can be further understood by the detail that
follows, which may be read in view of the drawings. Such is to be
taken in an illustrative and not necessarily limiting sense.
[0035] With respect to the drawings, system 100, which may be
embodied as a drain or as another shut-off or filter element,
includes first housing member 10, which has fluid-permeable wall 11
and hollow volume 12. First nonporous cap 15 may close an end, and
second nonporous cap 15' may secure an opposing end and may contain
an opening for communication of a throughput fluid. Sealing caulk
15C or other glue may be employed to secure and/or contain members
and materials. Fixture 15F, for example, a 2-inch (5.08-cm)
diameter pipe with female threads, may be secured to the opening of
the second cap 15' for attachment to plumbing for a drain.
Flow-distributing material 19 may be provided to help distribute
water flow more evenly. Disposed inside the member 10 is second
housing member 20, which has fluid-permeable wall 21 and hollow
throughput 22. Fluid-filtering/absorbing material 30 is disposed
between the members 10, 20. See, FIG. 1 et seq.
[0036] Preferably, the walls 11, 21 are made of a porous plastic
material such as of a rigid, open-cell structure, which has small
pores suitable for permitting the passage of fluid, for example,
water that may carry organic materials as well, and restraining the
fluid-filtering absorbing material 30 from entering into such pores
and/or passing through the walls 11, 21. These may include
materials made of a porous polyolefin, for example, a porous
polyethylene (PE), a porous polypropylene (PP), and numerous
others. A porous, high density PE (HDPE) is preferred. Among its
other advantages, HDPE may be incinerated after use, if such action
is environmentally appropriate. Porous plastic materials may
include those selected from materials having pores with nominal
pore sizes about from five to two hundred microns with the pores
distributed at about from twenty to one thousand pores per square
centimeter, to include materials having nominal pore sizes about
from ten to one hundred fifty microns with the pores distributed at
about from twenty-five to one thousand pores per square centimeter,
which may include, for example, a PE with nominal pore sizes of
15-45 microns, 50-90 microns, and 90-130 microns; and a PP with
nominal pore sizes of 90-130 microns, and 130-175 microns. A porous
HDPE, say, with nominal pore sizes of 90-130 microns, is
beneficially employed. A macroreticular polyurethane having pores,
say, of 5-100 microns, making use of depth filtering, may be
employed. Lower and upper values for any recited range may be
selected independently at each occurrence from other upper and
lower values, and numerical values may be considered as approximate
or precise. Also, a PE/PP copolymer, polyvinyldifluoride (PVDF),
polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyester such as
polyethylenterephthalate (PET), vinyl acetate such as ethyl vinyl
acetate (EVA), nylon-6 and nylon-66 may be employed as the porous
plastic, as may be various others. The porous plastic may be
reinforced with fiber such as glass, kevlar, nylon, PET, cellulose
or string such as in a core with outer sheath construction, e.g.,
PET/PE, PET/PET. Many of such porous plastics are commercially
available. For example, the outer housing 10 can be a 3-inch
(76.2-mm) outside diameter porous HDPE pipe with a 0.3-inch
(7.62-mm) thickness to its wall 11, and a nominal pore size of
90-130 microns; and the inner housing 20 can be a 1-inch (25.4-mm)
outside diameter porous HDPE pipe with a 0.125-inch (3.175-mm)
thickness to its wall 21, and a nominal pore size of 50-90 microns.
A POREX (Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off., i.e., R) (Porex
Corporation) pipe of HDPE as the outer housing 10 with an outside
diameter of 4 9/16 inches (11.6 cm) and 1/8-inch (3.2-mm) thickness
to its wall 11 having a nominal pore size of 90-130 microns may be
beneficially employed in conjunction with a POREX.RTM. pipe of HDPE
as the inner housing 20 with an outside diameter of 1 11/16 inches
(42.9 mm) and 1/8-inch (3.2-mm) thickness to its wall 21 also
having a nominal pore size of 90-130 microns. Any suitable length
may be provided. Thus, for example, a system with the 3-inch
(7.62-cm) and 1-inch (2.54-cm) pipes and IMBIBER BEADS.RTM. can be
about from half a foot (15.2 cm) to ten feet (3.05 m), which
includes a length about from nine inches (22.9 cm) to five feet
(1.52 m), say, which can be provided in 1-foot (30.5-cm), 2-foot
(61-cm), and 3-foot (91.4-cm) lengths; and, beneficially, a system
with the POREX (R) HDPE pipes with outside diameters of 4 9/16 and
1 11/16 inches (116 and 42.9 mm) can be about from a fourth of a
foot (7.62 cm) to ten feet (3.05 m), which of course includes about
from six inches (15.2 cm) or three-fourths of a foot (22.9 cm) to
to five feet (1.52 m), say, which can be provided in 4-inch (10.2
cm), 6-inch (15.2-cm), 10-inch (25.4-cm), 12-inch 30.5-cm) and
24-inch (61-cm) lengths. And so, any suitable diameter or other
cross sectional shape, thickness, pore size, length, and material
can be employed for the housings 10, 20. Note, FIG. 1 et seq.
[0037] The optional flow-distributing material 19 may be an
aggregate, say, sand, gravel, glass or plastic beads, and/or it may
be a coil, say, of metal or plastic. The material 19 can be inert.
See, FIG. 4.
[0038] As an alternative to such pores, holes or slots 31 may be
provided in the walls 11, 21. Filter fabric 32, which may be in a
form of a sock or a simple wrapping, may be provided to keep the
fluid-filtering/absorbing material 30 between the outer and inner
members 10, 20 and to keep the material 30 from passing through the
holes or slots 31. Such a fabric 32 may be present around the
outside of a foraminous or slotted outer member 20, or even around
the outside of a porous plastic or other material serving as the
outer member 20, and, again, the fabric 32 may be in a form of a
sock or a simple wrapping. Tie 32T may be employed to hold a sock
32. Note, FIGS. 5, 6 and 9.
[0039] Housing centering element 33 may be provided between the
inner and outer members 10, 20. Preferably, the element 33, which
may take the form of an inert spacer, does not impede flow of the
liquid flowing through the material 30. Thus, with the location of
the inner member 10 substantially if not nearly completely
equalized inside the outer member 20, the spacing between the
members 10, 20 can remain constant so as to provide for a uniform
amount or thickness of the material 30. And so, flow and shut-off
characteristics can be stabilized and made more dependably uniform.
In addition, not only can the invention benefit with employment of
rigid members 10, 20 such as in the form of tubular pipe, but also
bent and/or flexible members 10, 20 can be employed with more
dependable effect. See, FIGS. 4, 11 and 15.
[0040] An outer protective covering may be employed such as outer
protective mesh 34, for example, of HDPE, or such as outer conduit
35. A mesh 34 of HDPE helps hold a porous HDPE pipe wall 11 rigid;
it helps control outward expansion of a drain cartridge of the
system 100 when it contains imbibing beads 30 which swell on
absorbing a target organic substance; and it provides protection to
the member 10 and its wall 11 and so forth should accidental
dropping to the ground occur. The outer conduit 35 may be present
to help regulate flow and so forth. See, FIGS. 3, 4 and 14-16.
[0041] A system 100 can be assembled readily. For example, in a
cartridge drain element the caulk 15C may be employed to secure one
or more of the members 10, 20 in place, say, in relation to the
caps 15, 15', and to contain particles of the material 30 in place
after they have been introduced in their place, as illustrated in
FIG. 15. Such a caulk or a glue may be employed to hold members 10,
20, caps 15, 15', fixture 15F, and mesh 34 in place where they come
into contact with one another.
[0042] The fluid-filtering/absorbing material 30 may be any
suitable substance. This may include sand, diatomaceous earth
granules, clay granules, activated charcoal, organic adsorbents or
absorbents, and so forth and the like. Although not preferred, such
a material 19, 30 may be in a form of a gelling agent. A mixture of
such substances may be employed.
[0043] Preferably, the fluid-filtering/absorbing material 30 is an
absorbent. Beneficially, the absorbent is or contains water
insoluble, particulate polymer particles which imbibe liquid
organic substances. As described in Hall et al., U.S. Pat. No.
3,750,688, on contact with the organic target substance, the
absorbent may swell as it is absorbed or imbibed. A coating on a
particulate material such as described in Larson et al., U.S. Pat.
No. 4,302,337, may be employed. Other products that serve as the
material 30 may be employed. It may not be critical to employ a
cross-linked polymer that swells but does not dissolve. However,
cross-linked organic liquid-imbibing polymers are preferred,
especially to prevent a material 30 only thickened with absorbed
target substance from being forced into an outlet tube and perhaps
compromising the effectiveness of the system. A wide variety of
polymeric materials are employed with benefit. Such polymers
include polymers of styrenes and substituted styrenes; copolymers
of vinyl chloride including a copolymer of vinyl chloride and
comonomers such as vinyl acetate, vinylidene chloride,
acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, acrylates, methacrylates, and so
forth and the like; and acrylic polymers such as polymers of
methylmethacrylate, ethyl acrylate, and so forth and the like.
Particularly advantageous materials which respond to a wide variety
of organic liquids are the polymers of styrene such as polystyrene
and copolymers of styrene and divinylbenzene containing up to ten
weight percent divinylbenzene. For general use with aliphatic and
aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, and so forth and
the like, alkylstyrene polymers and copolymers are of particular
benefit. When considered for drain or other shut off systems which
employ the imbibing/absorbing polymers, such crosslinked
alkylstyrene polymers swell very rapidly on contact with aliphatic
and/or aromatic hydrocarbons. Generally, the more rapid the
swelling of the polymer, the more rapid is the shut off when the
organic liquid contaminant or other target is contacted.
Alkylstyrene polymers usually show substantial swelling in less
than a minute when in contact with organic liquids. Cross-linked
polymers of styrenes, notably tertiary-alkylstyrenes, are used to
advantage as the imbibing agent. Those alkylstyrenes which can be
used to prepare these imbibing polymers have alkyl groups having
one to twenty, especially four to twelve, carbon atoms, examples of
which include methylstyrene; ethylstyrene; dimethylstyrene;
p-tert-butyl, m-tert-butyl, sec-butyl, and/or iso-alkyl styrenes
such as of butylstyrene; amlystyrene; hexylstyrene; octylstyrene to
include 2-ethyl-hexylstyrene, iso-octylstyrene and
di-t-butylstyrene; dodecylstyrene; octadecylstyrene; and
eiscosylstyrene. Further, cross-linked copolymers of such
alkylstyrenes as aforementioned and an alkyl ester derived from a
one to twenty-four carbon alcohol and acrylic or methacrylic acid
or mixture thereof. Suitable monomers which can be employed as
comonomers with the alkylstyrene include such materials as
vinylnaphthalene, styrene, alpha-methylstyrene, methylstyrene,
m-ethylstyrene, ring-substituted alpha-methylstyrenes,
halostyrenes, arylstyrenes and alkarylstyrenes, methacrylic esters,
acrylic esters, and cyclohexyl and isobornyl esters of acrylic and
methacrylic acids; esters and half esters of fumaric, maleic,
itaconic acids; vinyl biphenyls, alkyl vinyl ethers, alkyl vinyl
ketones, alpha-olefins, iso-olefins, butadiene, isoprene,
dimethylbutadiene, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, and so forth
and the like. A slight amount of cross-linking agent can be
contained in the polymer, say, in the range about from 0.01 to two
percent by weight. A highly efficient imbibition of organic liquid
contaminants occurs when the level of cross-linking agent is less
than about one percent by weight since this permits the polymers to
swell easily and imbibe a substantial volume of the organic
material. When organic liquid-contaminated water is percolated
through a packed column or bed of only polymer particles, up to two
percent cross-linking agent is satisfactory. Suitable cross-linking
agents include polyethylenically unsaturated compounds such as
divinylbenzene, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate,
diisopropenylbenzene, diisopropenyldiphenyl, diallylmaleate,
diallylphthalate, allylacrylates, allymethacrylates,
allylfumarates, allylitaconates, alkyd resin type cross-linking
agents, polybutadiene or polyisoprene polymers, cyclooctadiene,
methylene norbornylenes, divinyl phthalates, vinyl
isopropenylbenzene, divinyl biphenyl, as well as any other di- or
poly-functional compounds known to be of use as a cross-linking
agent in polymeric vinyl addition polymer compositions. If there is
too much cross-linking agent, the imbibition takes an unreasonably
long time, or the polymer is unable to imbibe a sufficient quantity
of the organic liquid, and interstitial spaces in the bed are not
completely closed. If the imbibitional polymer contains none or too
little cross-linking agent, then it may well eventually dissolve or
partially dissolve to a loose gel in the organic material
resulting, for example, in a non-discrete, non-particulate mass of
polymer-thickened organic liquid, which, as alluded to above, could
be undesirably forced through an opening with sufficient pressure.
However, for many applications where closure of a line is quickly
noticeable, uncrosslinked material may be satisfactory under
minimal pressure conditions. The imbibing polymers may be prepared
by any suitable technique. For instance, suspension, emulsion,
ionic or mass polymerization may be employed. Generally, as is well
known in the art, the method of preparation is selected to provide
imbibing polymer in the most convenient form for any particular
application. A latex polymer such as described in Larson et al.,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,302,337, or other polymer may be employed as the
organic liquid imbibant to be coated or used to impregnate an
adsorbent particulate type of particle. Most beneficially, the
absorbent 30 is an IMBIBER BEADS.RTM. type of particle, which is
made of lightly crosslinked alkylstyrene copolymer, and thus is
hydrophobic and oleophilic in general, and appears to the naked eye
as a powder, having a particle size distribution of about from
forty to four hundred microns, for example, as available from
Imbibitive Technologies Corp. Suitable sand and/or clay may be
employed as an example of a filter/filler 19, 30 with the IMBIBER
BEADS.RTM. particles, but preferably is less than about fifty, to
include less than about thirty, percent by volume of unswelled
IMBIBER BEADS.RTM. particles, if not essentially or even entirely
absent for shut off capability with absorbent particles swollen
with imbibed organic material.
[0044] Thus, the fluid can pass through the first and second
members 10, 20 and the material 30. The fluid may have target
organic substance (organic target) for being filtered and/or
absorbed by the material 30. Flow may be from outside to inside
(e.g., FIGS. 2, 6 and 9) or inside to outside (e.g., FIGS. 1, 3-5,
12, 13, 15 and 16). The flow is preferably inside to outside
because this provides a dramatically greater flow rate over outside
to inside flow. The system 100 configured advantageously with an
outer filter 33, outer protective mesh 34 and/or conduit 35, may be
employed in lots, contaminated outdoor fields or drain fields,
industrial buildings, parking decks and berms, vacuum trucks, and
so forth; and the latter in conjunction with water wells, and
pumped or higher head pressure applications such as vacuum trucks,
and so forth. With the employment of a swelling absorbent such as
the IMBIBER BEADS.RTM. particles, passive shut off of containment
basin 40, for example, made of concrete or clay, when the particles
30 have imbibed a full share of organic contaminant is provided.
Automatic or manual valve 41 may be provided also, which can be
employed to special benefit when changing a full system 100 with a
fresh system 100. Compare, FIGS. 1, 5-8, 12, 13 and 16. A
containment basin 40 may include trough 49, for example, about two
inches (5.08 cm) deep, say, in a concrete bottom to the basin 40,
so as to provide better water drainage. See, e.g., FIG. 2.
[0045] Also in the practice of the invention, the organic target
may present in runoff, for example, from surface 50, which may be a
hard, generally impervious surface such as a paved street, highway,
parking lot, factory floor, aircraft wing test floor, and so forth,
or it may be present at or below the surface 50 such as in an
unpaved road, railroad bed, agricultural field, industrial acreage,
and so forth. In such cases, the system 100 can include the first
and second members 10, 20 and the material 30, through which the
runoff passes when draining occurs, and the target is removed
advantageously by absorption. Thus with the invention, for example,
storm runoff pollution can be controlled; oleaginous industrial or
test overflow can be checked; and site remediation conducted.
Compare, FIG. 12.
[0046] Also in the practice of the invention, the target organic
substance may be stored in tank 60 as a desirable organic chemical
or mixture. In the course of its storage, withdrawal and
replenishment, dissolved or otherwise carried liquid water and
water vapor enter the inside of the tank, and such water coalesces
or condenses. Typically, the organic target floats on the coalesced
or condensed water in the tank, and in operation of the system 100
the coalesced or condensed water is drawn off periodically through
valve 61 that can be in communication with the first and second
members 10, 20 and the material 30 through which the coalesced or
condensed water passes. If too much water is drawn off, the
desirable organic chemical, as the target organic substance, passes
through the material 30, particularly if it is a swellable,
imbibing polymer such as in particulate form; it is absorbed or
imbibed; and it causes such a material 30 to swell and block off
flow of the target organic substance from the tank 60. See, FIG.
13.
[0047] Advantageously, the fluid carrying the target is
aqueous.
[0048] As the target, this organic substance can include a variety
of substances, to include oleaginous liquids, organic fuels, other
hydrocarbons and substituted hydrocarbons including halogenated
hydrocarbons, such as those mentioned previously herein, singly or
in mixtures. Class "1" and class "2" organic chemicals and mixtures
are advantageously imbibed. For example, the target organic
material may include #2 diesel fuel; #1 and #2 fuel oils; kerosene;
jet fuel such as Jet A-1, JP-4, JP-5, JP-8, JP-8-100; VM&P
naphtha; gasoline; xylene; toluene; benzene; pentane; hexane;
heptane; octane; nonane; decane; and so forth. The target organic
substance can be motor oil and most transformer oils, as well as
trichloroethylene, dichlorobenzene, styrene, methylmethacrylate,
butyl acrylate, and so forth. In addition, with compatible
sorbents, the target organic substance can effectively be
acrylonitrile, acrylic acid, isocyanates, alcohols, and so
forth.
[0049] Accordingly, the present invention can concern a system that
contains material to filter and/or absorb materials such as various
hazardous and nonhazardous organic liquids. In a particular
embodiment, it can be a shut-off pipe system that employs imbibing
polymer particles as well as other filtration units or materials,
or a polymer-impregnated or coated particle alone or on a
supporting matrix. It can be embodied as or with a drain or other
system.
[0050] The present invention is thus provided. Various feature(s),
part(s), step(s), subcombination(s) and/or combination(s) can be
employed with or without reference to other feature(s), part(s),
step(s), subcombination(s) and/or combination(s) in the practice of
the invention, and numerous adaptations and modifications can be
effected within its spirit, the literal claim scope of which is
particularly pointed out as follows:
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