Hydrotropic additive for process water used to condition and stabilize soils and other base materials used in construction

Abstract

Hydrotropic wetting agents enhance the activity of water for earthy materials by lowering surface tension to promote surface-to-surface contact, to neutralize the electric double layer, to destroy protective colloids, to neutralize other charged particles, and to bind water to the materials, thus, significantly reducing the evaporation rate and, concomitantly, reducing the amount of water that must be applied and the energy and time used to prepare the material. A wetting agent suitable for the present invention includes an alkylphenol ethoxylate (APE) and a polyglycol, such as, for example, glycerin or propylene glycol (when toxicity is not an issue), and an antifoaming agent, such as for example, a polysiloxane polymer. These chemicals combined in the concentration ranges of the present invention produce wetting agent / hydrotropic formulations that may be used to provide the advantages of the present invention.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 435,854, filed Dec. 20, 2002, titled WETTING AGENT / MOISTURE CONTROL FORMULATION, which is hereby incorporated by referenceBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] It is known in the construction arts that water must be applied to base materials and / or soils when preparing foundations for buildings, roads, and similar construction projects. Often, especially during hot, dry weather, materials require substantial amounts of water to adsorb and absorb sufficient moisture for compaction to specified densities. Sorbed moisture levels specified for a given project depend upon the nature of the base material and the degree of compaction needed to make a stable base, whereas the amount of water applied to achieve the required amount sorbed depends on the rate at which liquid migrates through pore spaces among particles, the rate at which water penetrates into particles, an...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] In accordance with the present invention, water used to prepare a roadbed, building or other foundation, or for soil stabilization is mixed with a hydrotropic wetting agent having desired properties. The hydrotropic wetting agent enhances the activity of water for earthy materials by lowering surface tension to promote surface-to-surface contact, to neutralize the electric double layer, to destroy protective colloids, to neutralize other charged particles, and to bind water to the materials, thus, significantly reducing the evaporation rate and, concomitantly, reducing the amount of water that must be applied and the energy and time used to prepare the material. A wetting agent suitable for the present invention includes an alkylphenol ethoxylate (APE), such as, for example Tergitol, and a polyglycol, such as, for example, glycerin or propylene glycol (when toxicity is not an issue), and an antifoaming agent, such as for example, a polysiloxane polymer. These chemicals combined in the concentration ranges of the present invention produce wetting agent / hydrotropic formulations that may be used to provide the advantages of the present invention.

Problems solved by technology

Costs of water, as well as the equipment and labor costs for distributing the water are significant.