U.S. patent application number 15/334105 was filed with the patent office on 2017-02-09 for composition for treatment of ballast water.
The applicant listed for this patent is Nippon Soda Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Yoshinori Kamatsuchi, Takao Miyakoshi.
Application Number | 20170036932 15/334105 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44059679 |
Filed Date | 2017-02-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170036932 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kamatsuchi; Yoshinori ; et
al. |
February 9, 2017 |
COMPOSITION FOR TREATMENT OF BALLAST WATER
Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for reduce treating
ballast water which has been subjected to a biocidal treatment with
a chlorine-based oxidizing agent or an oxygen-based oxidizing
agent, by using a tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite.
Inventors: |
Kamatsuchi; Yoshinori;
(Niigata-ken, JP) ; Miyakoshi; Takao;
(Niigata-ken, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Nippon Soda Co., Ltd. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
44059679 |
Appl. No.: |
15/334105 |
Filed: |
October 25, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13509711 |
May 14, 2012 |
9505640 |
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PCT/JP2010/070509 |
Nov 17, 2010 |
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15334105 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C02F 2303/185 20130101;
C02F 1/686 20130101; C02F 2103/008 20130101; C02F 2303/04 20130101;
C02F 1/4674 20130101; C02F 2305/00 20130101; C02F 1/76 20130101;
C02F 1/688 20130101; C02F 1/70 20130101 |
International
Class: |
C02F 1/70 20060101
C02F001/70; C02F 1/467 20060101 C02F001/467; C02F 1/68 20060101
C02F001/68 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 19, 2009 |
JP |
2009-264208 |
Claims
1. A reduction treatment method for treating ballast water which
has been subjected to a biocidal treatment with a chlorine-based
oxidizing agent or an oxygen-based oxidizing agent, the method
comprising using a tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite.
2. The reduction treatment method for treating ballast water
according to claim 1, further comprising bringing the ballast water
which has been subjected to the biocidal treatment into contact
with the tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite.
3. . The reduction treatment method for treating ballast water
according to claim 1, further comprising dissolving or suspending
the tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite in water, and adding the
resulting aqueous solution or suspension to the ballast water which
has been subjected to the biocidal treatment.
4. The reduction treatment method for treating ballast water
according to claim 1, further comprising filling a container with
the tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite, and allowing the ballast
water which has been subjected to the biocidal treatment to pass
through an inner cavity of the container, thereby bringing it into
contact with the tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite.
5. The reduction treatment method for treating ballast water
according to claim 1, wherein the ballast water which has been
subjected to the biocidal treatment with the chlorine-based
oxidizing agent is obtained by electrolysis of a ballast water.
6-11. (canceled)
12. The reduction treatment method for treating ballast water
according to claim 1, wherein the tablet or pellet of sodium
sulfite comprises sodium sulfite and sodium chloride as an
excipient, and a weight ratio of sodium sulfite to sodium chloride
is from 40/60 to 60/40.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a safer and simpler
reduction treatment method for ballast water.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] Ballast water means seawater carried as a weight for
securing a draught to stabilize a ship, mainly when the ship is
loaded with no cargo. When the ship is loaded with cargo, the cargo
itself acts as a weight to stabilize a hull of the ship. However,
when it is unloaded, the hull of the ship floats to decrease
stability. Accordingly, a substantial amount of seawater is carried
in a ballast tank after discharge of the cargo.
[0003] When the seawater is introduced into the ships as the
ballast water for the ships, aquatic organisms are also introduced
together. The aquatic organisms introduced are transported to
distant regions with navigation of the ships. Then, the organisms
are poured out to places different from their original habitat due
to discharge of the ballast water. There is a possibility that the
alien organisms thus poured out take root and bleed in the places
different from their original habitat to cause disruption of
ecosystem in such sea areas, damage to economic activities such as
the fisheries industry, coast pollution and the like (see
Non-Patent Document 1).
[0004] From such situations, it has been proposed to kill the alien
organisms by adding biocidal agents such as sodium hypochlorite,
aldehydes and alkynes to the ballast water introduced into the
ships, as described in Patent Documents 1 to 3. However, when the
ballast water to which the biocidal agents have been added is
discharged in large amounts, there is a possibility that native
organisms in the sea areas to which the water has been discharged
are killed. Accordingly, it has been proposed to render the ballast
water harmless by adding reducing agents such as sodium sulfite and
hydrogen or neutralizing agents such as amines, amino acids and
amino alcohols thereto, before or at the time when the ballast
water to which the biocidal agents have been added is
discharged.
Related Art
PATENT DOCUMENTS
[0005] Patent Document 1: US 2003/0029811
[0006] Patent Document 2: JP-T-2005-506179
[0007] Patent Document 3: US 2003/121464
NON-PATENT DOCUMENT
[0008] Non-Patent Document 1: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure,
Transport and Tourism, Policy Bureau, Ocean Policy Division, "The
efforts of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
over the International Convention for the Control and Management of
Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments", Nippon Suisan Gakkaishi 73
(6), 1150-1154 (2007)
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Problems that the Invention is to Solve
[0009] By the way, sodium sulfite is a white powder which is
difficult to be tableted. In the work of adding the sodium sulfite
powder to the ballast water, the powder goes up in the air.
Accordingly, it is inhaled, adheres to the skin, or gets in the eye
in some cases, which causes a concern about an influence thereof on
human health.
[0010] An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a
safer and simpler reduction treatment method for ballast water.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0011] In order to attain the above-mentioned object, the present
inventors have made intensive studies. As a result, it has been
found that a reduction treatment of ballast water can be performed
more safely and simply by press molding white powdered sodium
sulfite together with sodium chloride or the like as an excipient
to form a tablet or pellet, and bringing the tablet or pellet into
contact with the ballast water which has been subjected to a
biocidal treatment.
[0012] The present invention has been completed by further studied
based on this finding.
[0013] That is, the present invention provides a method for reduce
treating ballast water which has been subjected to a biocidal
treatment with a chlorine-based oxidizing agent or an oxygen-based
oxidizing agent, by using a tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite.
[0014] In the method for reduce treating ballast water according to
the present invention, it is preferred to comprise bringing the
ballast water which has been subjected to the biocidal treatment
into contact with the tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite.
[0015] In the method for reduce treating ballast water according to
the present invention, it is also preferred to comprise dissolving
or suspending the tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite in water, and
adding the resulting aqueous solution or suspension to the ballast
water which has been subjected to the biocidal treatment.
[0016] In the method for reduce treating ballast water according to
the present invention, it is also preferred to comprise filling a
container with the tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite, and allowing
the ballast water which has been subjected to the biocidal
treatment to pass through an inner cavity of the container, thereby
bringing it into contact with the tablet or pellet of sodium
sulfite.
[0017] In the method for reduce treating ballast water according to
the present invention, it is preferred that the ballast water which
has been subjected to the biocidal treatment with the
chlorine-based oxidizing agent is one obtained by electrolysis of a
ballast water.
[0018] The present invention also provides a tablet or pellet
comprising sodium sulfite and an excipient.
[0019] In the tablet or pellet according to the present invention,
it is preferred that the excipient comprises sodium chloride.
[0020] In the tablet or pellet according to the present invention,
it is preferred that the excipient is substantially composed of
sodium chloride.
[0021] In the tablet or pellet according to the present invention,
it is preferred that a weight ratio of sodium sulfite to the
excipient is from 40/60 to 60/40.
[0022] The tablet or pellet according to the present invention is
preferably a tablet or pellet obtained by press molding a mixture
of sodium sulfite and the excipient, in which tableting pressure at
the time of press molding is from 5 to 50 MPa.
[0023] The tablet or pellet according to the present invention is
preferably a tablet or pellet obtained by press molding a mixture
of sodium sulfite and the excipient, in which tableting pressure at
the time of press molding is from 10 to 30 MPa.
Advantages of the Invention
[0024] According to the reduction treatment method according to the
present invention, in the work of adding a reducing agent to
ballast water after subjected to a biocidal treatment with a
chlorine-based substance, an oxygen-based oxidizing agent or the
like, it rarely occurs that sodium sulfite is inhaled, adheres to
the skin or gets in the eye, and the influence of concern on health
is reduced. Further, the reduction treatment can be simply
performed by filling the tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite in a
container, and allowing the ballast water after subjected to the
biocidal treatment with the chlorine-based substance, the
oxygen-based oxidizing agent or the like to pass through it.
[0025] Sodium sulfite is a powder which is difficult to be
tableted, so that it is difficult to be tablet-molded alone. In
particular, it is difficult to be molded into a large-sized tablet.
The tablet or pellet according to the present invention is obtained
by press molding white powdered sodium sulfite which is difficult
to be tableted, together with sodium chloride or the like.
According to the present invention, a large-sized tablet or pellet
containing sodium sulfite can be formed. Further, even when the
ballast water to which the tablet or pellet according to the
present invention has been added is discharged in sea areas in
large amounts, the influence thereof on the environment is low. It
is therefore safe.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 is a view showing one example of a state where
seawater is poured into a ballast tank in unloading cargo from a
ship.
[0027] FIG. 2 is a view showing one example of a state where
seawater is discharged from a ballast tank in loading cargo on a
ship.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a view showing another example of a state where
seawater is discharged from a ballast tank in loading cargo on a
ship.
[0029] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between a
tableting pressure and a braking strength in Example 3.
MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0030] The method according to the present invention is a method of
reduce treating ballast water which has been subjected to a
biocidal treatment with a chlorine-based oxidizing agent, an
oxygen-based oxidizing agent or the like, by using a tablet or
pellet of sodium sulfite.
[0031] Examples of the chlorine-based oxidizing agents used in the
biocidal treatment include agents including chloric acids such as
hypochlorous acid, chlorous acid and perchloric acid, and
water-soluble salts thereof; ones prepared by introducing chlorine
gas into a sodium hydroxide solution and the like; and hypochlorous
acid derivatives obtained by electrolyzing seawater.
[0032] Examples of the oxygen-based oxidizing agents include ozone,
hydrogen peroxide, and percarbonates and persulfates which are
dissolved in water to generate hydrogen peroxide.
[0033] Further, ballast water is directly electrolyzed to produce
sodium hypochlorite in the ballast water, thereby being able to
obtain a biocidal effect equivalent to that of the case where a
sodium hypochlorite-containing oxidizing agent is added to the
ballast water. The ballast water which has been subjected to the
biocidal treatment with the chlorine-based oxidizing agent in the
present invention is meant to contain such one obtained by the
electrolysis.
[0034] Incidentally, hydrogen generated as a by-product by the
electrolysis of seawater is allowed to be absorbed and stored by a
hydrogen storing alloy or the like, and this hydrogen can be
utilized in electric power generation and the like. Further, the
electricity used for the electrolysis can be generated by solar
power generation or the like. Energy efficiency is significantly
increased by using the system in which the electric power
generation, the ballast water treatment by the electrolysis and the
hydrogen storing are combined like this.
[0035] The tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite can be obtained by
mixing sodium sulfite and an excipient, and press molding the
resulting mixture.
[0036] As the excipient, there can be used lactose, starch,
dextrin, saccharose, cellulose, and the like. In the present
invention, sodium chloride having no possibility of marine
pollution is preferred. The excipient may be used either alone or
as a mixture of two or more thereof When two or more thereof are
used as a mixture, it is preferred that the excipient contains
sodium chloride, and it is more preferred that the excipient is
substantially composed of sodium chloride. Incidentally, in this
specification, "the excipient is substantially composed of sodium
chloride" means that the excipient does not contain components
other than sodium chloride to such an extent that they have an
influence on the effects of the present invention.
[0037] Mixing of sodium sulfite and the excipient can be performed
by a known method. Although the weight ratio of sodium sulfite to
the excipient is not particularly limited, it is usually from 20/80
to 95/5, preferably from 30/70 to 80/20, and more preferably from
40/60 to 60/40, in terms of the mass ratio of sodium
sulfite/excipient. When the amount of the excipient is too small,
it tends to become difficult to mold the tablet or pellet. On the
other hand, when the amount of the excipient is too large, a
reduction effect to the amount of tablet or pellet which comes into
contact with the ballast water tends to decrease.
[0038] A known tableting apparatus can be used for the press
molding. Although the tableting pressure is not particularly
limited, it is usually from 5 to 50 MPa, and preferably from 10 to
30 MPa, in gauge pressure. When the tableting pressure is within
this range, the tablet or pellet is not collapsed during storage,
and when it comes into contact with the ballast water, an
appropriate amount thereof comes to be dissolved.
[0039] The tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite is not particularly
limited by their shape. For example, there are a disk shape, a
rectangular parallelepiped shape, a cylindrical shape and the like.
The size thereof is also not particularly limited. For example, the
cylindrical tablet may have a diameter of 50 to 70 mm and a height
of 25 to 35 mm.
[0040] In the present invention, the reduction treatment can be
performed, for example, by bringing the ballast water which has
been subjected to the biocidal treatment into contact with the
tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite, or by dissolving or suspending
the tablet or pellet of sodium sulfite in water and adding the
resulting aqueous solution or suspension to the ballast water which
has been subjected to the biocidal treatment.
[0041] Although the amount of sodium sulfite used in the reduction
treatment is not particularly limited, it can be appropriately
selected depending on the amount of the chlorine-based oxidizing
agent remaining in the ballast water. Usually, the amount of sodium
sulfite added is adjusted preferably to 1.7 to 3 times, and more
preferably to twice, based on the effective concentration of
remaining chlorine.
[0042] In the case where the ballast water which has been subjected
to the biocidal treatment is brought into contact with the tablet
or pellet of sodium sulfite, the ballast water may be brought into
contact with the tablet or pellet by adding the tablet or pellet
thereto. However, in the present invention, a method of allowing
the ballast water to pass through a container filled with the
tablet or pellet, thereby bringing it into contact therewith is
preferred.
[0043] The method for allowing the ballast water to pass through
the container is not particularly limited. For example, in the
container having at least two openings, the ballast water may be
allowed to flow in through one opening and discharged from the
other opening; or in the container having one opening, the ballast
water may be allowed to flow in through the opening, and discharged
after the ballast water has been filled. In the present invention,
the former method is effective and preferred.
[0044] The structure of the container is not particularly limited.
Examples thereof include packed towers or packed tanks used in
chemical industries and the like; and agent dissolvers described in
JP-T-4-500171, JP-T-6-501418, JP-B-59-13890, JP-A-8-155465 and the
like.
[0045] FIG. 1 is a view showing a state where seawater is poured
into a ballast tank in unloading cargo from a ship.
[0046] In unloading cargo, in order to stabilize the ship, seawater
is introduced as a weight from the ocean through a filter 2 by
means of a ballast pump 3 to store it in a ballast tank 1. At this
time, in order to kill organisms concealed in the seawater
introduced, a sodium hypochlorite-containing oxidizing agent is
in-line blended thereto by means of an oxidizing agent pump 4.
Incidentally, the sodium hypochlorite-containing oxidizing agent
can be produced by electrolysis of seawater. Further, instead of
in-line blending the sodium hypochlorite-containing oxidizing agent
by the pump 4, sodium hypochlorite can also be produced in the
ballast water by directly electrolyzing the ballast water.
[0047] FIGS. 2 and 3 are each a view showing a state where seawater
is discharged from a ballast tank in loading cargo on a ship.
[0048] In loading cargo, the cargo acts as a weight, so that the
ballast water becomes unnecessary. The ballast water is discharged
from the ballast tank 1 by using the ballast pump 3.
[0049] At this time, in FIG. 2, a liquid in which the tablet or
pellet of sodium sulfite is dissolved or suspended is in-line
blended with the ballast water from an agent tank 6 for storing the
liquid, by using a reducing agent pump 8, and that is discharged to
the ocean. In FIG. 3, the ballast water is allowed to flow in a
bottom portion of a tower 7 filled with the tablet or pellet 5 of
sodium sulfite, thereby bringing the ballast water into contact
with the tablet or pellet 5, and discharged from a top portion of
the tower to the ocean.
[0050] In this way, the alien organisms in the ballast water are
killed in unloading cargo, and the oxidizing agent in the ballast
water is subjected to the reduction treatment in loading cargo,
whereby native organisms in places where the ballast water is
discharged can be prevented from being killed.
EXAMPLES
[0051] The present invention will be described more specifically
below showing examples. Incidentally, the scope of the present
invention should not be construed as being limited by these
examples.
Example 1
[0052] Into a container fixing type mixer, 60 parts by weight of a
white powder of anhydrous sodium sulfite and 40 parts by weight of
sodium chloride were charged and stirred with a stirring blade to
thoroughly mix them. The resulting mixture was tableted by a
pelletizer at a tableting pressure of 25 MPa to obtain cylindrical
pellets having a diameter of 50 mm and a length of 30 mm. The
breaking strength was 960 N.
Comparative Example
[0053] It was attempted to tablet 100 parts by weight of a white
powder of anhydrous sodium sulfite with the pelletizer by the same
technique as in Example 1. However, the powder was not sufficiently
solidified, and only brittle lumps having a breaking strength of
150 N or less were obtained.
Example 2
[0054] A mixture A containing 100 parts by weight of a white powder
of anhydrous sodium sulfite, a mixture B containing 90 parts by
weight of a white powder of anhydrous sodium sulfite and 10 parts
by weight of sodium chloride, a mixture C containing 80 parts by
weight of a white powder of anhydrous sodium sulfite and 20 parts
by weight of sodium chloride, a mixture D containing 70 parts by
weight of a white powder of anhydrous sodium sulfite and 30 parts
by weight of sodium chloride, a mixture E containing 60 parts by
weight of a white powder of anhydrous sodium sulfite and 40 parts
by weight of sodium chloride, and a mixture F containing 50 parts
by weight of a white powder of anhydrous sodium sulfite and 50
parts by weight of sodium chloride were each prepared. The mixtures
A to F were tableted by a pelletizer at a tableting pressure of 25
MPa to obtain cylindrical solids having a diameter of 50 mm and a
length of 30 mm. The results of observation of tableted states of
the resulting solids are shown in Table 1.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Mixture Mixture Mixture Mixture Mixture
Mixture A B C D E F Sodium 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% Sulfite Common
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Salt Tableted B B B B A A State B: Brittle
lumps were obtained. A: Tablets with strength were obtained.
Example 3
[0055] Into a container fixing type mixer, 50 parts by weight of a
white powder of anhydrous sodium sulfite and 50 parts by weight of
sodium chloride were charged, and stirred with a stirring blade to
thoroughly mix them. The resulting mixture was tableted by a
pelletizer (manufactured by Machina Co., Ltd.) at tableting
pressures of 4 MPa, 5 MPa, 25 MPa, and 30 MPa to obtain cylindrical
pellets a to d having a diameter of 50 mm and a length of 30 mm.
The tableting pressure as described herein means the hydraulic
gauge pressure of the above-mentioned tableting machine. The
breaking strength (N) of the resulting pellets a to d was measured
by SJ-50 (manufactured by Marubishi Science Machine Manufacturing
Co., Ltd.). The results thereof are shown in Table 2.
[0056] Incidentally, the breaking strength (N) is shown as maximum
force at the time when the tablet put between flat plates is broken
by compression. Further, the relationship between the tableting
pressure and the breaking strength is shown in FIG. 4.
[0057] Incidentally, when the breaking strength (N) becomes about
300 N or less, the tablet is easily broken by hand, resulting in
being unsuitable for practical use.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Pellet a Pellet b Pellet c Pellet d
Tableting 4 5 25 30 Pressure (MPa) Breaking 263 327 1080 1283
Strength (N)
[0058] Although the present invention has been described in detail
with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to
those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
invention.
[0059] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No.
2009-264208, filed on Nov. 19, 2009, the content of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
* * * * *