Conveyor lubricant composition

Abstract

To provide a lubricant composition for a conveyor, that supplies a lubricant for conveying containers onto the conveyor, suppresses foaming that occurs during operation of the conveyor, has excellent lubricity especially for a stainless steel conveyor, and that can be safely used together with a chlorine-based oxide.SOLUTION: A lubricating composition for a conveyor that can be safely used together with a chlorine-based oxide comprises (A) an anionic surfactant, (B) an alkylamine, (C) an alkaline agent, and (D) water, wherein a mass ratio of the anionic surfactant as a component (A) to the alkylamine as a component (B) is (A):(B)=1:0.07 to 1.33, and a liquid has a pH of 7.5 or higher.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition of a lubricant for a conveyor used for transporting various containers such as bottles and cans, and particularly to a lubricant composition capable of adding a chlorine-based compound, which is characterized by excellent foam suppression of bubbles generated when supplying a lubricant for transporting containers with excellent lubricity onto a conveyor.

Background Art

[0002] In the process of filling foods such as milk, beer, wine, soft drinks, etc., drugs, cosmetics, etc. into bottles and cans, as a means of transporting bottles and cans, a conveyor in which a large number of plates are connected endlessly in the transport direction is widely used.

[0003] These conveyors are usually continuously operated by automatic control. Therefore, even if the flow of containers on the conveyor stops, only the conveyor continues to operate continuously. In this case, friction occurs between the container and the surface of the conveyor plate, causing inconveniences such as tipping bottles or damaging the containers, so it is necessary to reduce this friction. On the other hand, in order to directly place the containers carried from the washing machine onto the flow of the conveyor, an appropriate static frictional force is required on the surface of the conveyor plate.

[0004] As lubricants that satisfy the above requirements, conventionally, lubricants mainly composed of higher fatty acid soaps and alkali salts of alkyl phosphate esters have been used as lubricating bases that provide good lubricity regardless of the material such as stainless steel conveyors and resin conveyors. An aqueous solution obtained by diluting a composition containing these 100 to 400 times with water has been used as a lubricant by applying it to the surface of the conveyor plate. [[ID=2】]

[0005] However, although these lubricant compositions mainly composed of higher fatty acid soaps and alkali salts of alkyl phosphate esters are excellent in lubricity, it is known that a large amount of bubbles may be generated on the conveyor surface during the transportation of bottles and cans.

[0006] When bubbles form on the conveyor surface in this way, they can adhere to bottles and cans. In particular, with bottles, it is customary to inspect empty bottles and full bottles using inspection machines to check for damage, improper cleaning, and insufficient contents. If bubbles adhere to the bottles, these inspection machines may mistakenly detect them as damage or dirt. In addition, some products have product labels attached to the bottom of the bottle, and when such bottles are transported, bubbles generated by the use of lubricants can adhere to the labels, damaging them.

[0007] Furthermore, while many manufacturing facilities that produce and fill food and beverages use products containing cationic surfactants for microbial control, a drawback is that prolonged use can cause bacteria on conveyor surfaces, pipe nozzles, or drain pans to develop resistance to the cationic surfactants.

[0008] To address the problems caused by such lubricants, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5248133 discloses a conveyor lubricant composition characterized by containing, as component (A), a nonionic surfactant produced by adding ethylene oxide and propylene oxide to a monovalent organic hydroxy compound having 10 to 20 hydrocarbon groups; as component (B), water; and as component (C), 0.03 to 0.45% by mass of organopolysiloxane, wherein the degree of polymerization of the polyoxyalkylene group contained in the nonionic surfactant of component (A) is 3 to 30, and the content of the oxyethylene group in the polyoxyalkylene group is 50 to 95 mol%. (See Patent Document 1)

[0009] Furthermore, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6438316 discloses a lubricant composition for belt conveyors, characterized in that (A) is a nonionic surfactant produced by adding ethylene oxide and propylene oxide to an aliphatic alcohol having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, and (B) is water, wherein the degree of polymerization of the polyoxyalkylene groups contained in the nonionic surfactant of component (A) is 40 to 100 moles, and the content of oxyethylene groups in the polyoxyalkylene groups is 80 to 95 moles. (See Patent Document 2)

[0010] Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6501596 discloses a lubricant composition for belt conveyors, characterized in that it contains (A) a guanidine-based disinfectant, (B) a benzisothiazoline-based disinfectant, (C) a nonionic surfactant, (D) water, and (E) an amphoteric surfactant, the mass ratio of component (A) to component (B) is (A) / (B) = 0.05 to 400, the mass ratio of component (A) to component (C) is (A) / (C) = 0.01 to 20, and the mass ratio of component (A) to component (E) is (A) / (E) = 0.05 to 5, and the pH is 4 to 7. (See Patent Document 3)

[0011] Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5368085 discloses a conveyor lubricant composition comprising (A) alkyl alkoxylated phosphate ester, (B) amine acetate, and (C) alkyl polyglycoside surfactant. (See Patent Document 4) [Prior art documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5248133 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6438316 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6501596 [Patent Document 4] Patent No. 5368085

[0013] However, while the lubricant compositions described in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3 have an anti-foaming effect, they do not contain anionic surfactants, and therefore have the problem of not providing sufficient lubrication for use on stainless steel conveyors, especially for transporting glass bottles in beer bottle manufacturing plants.

[0014] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 describes an acidic lubricant containing anionic surfactants. In factories that maintain a high level of hygiene and add chlorine-based compounds with high disinfecting effects against various bacterial species to the lubricant diluent, acidic lubricants pose a safety challenge because they may generate chlorine gas. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0015] The objective is to provide a conveyor lubricant composition that exhibits excellent lubricity and foam suppression properties for stainless steel conveyors, and does not generate chlorine gas when using chlorine-based compounds, as well as a method for providing lubrication to a belt conveyor using this lubricant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] The inventors conducted diligent research to solve the above problems and discovered that a conveyor lubricant composition containing an anionic surfactant as component (A), an alkylamine as component (B), an alkaline agent as component (C), and water as component (D), with a specific mass ratio of component (B) to component (A), allows for the addition of chlorine-based compounds when the pH is 7.5 or higher, exhibits excellent lubricity, and suppresses foaming, thus completing the present invention.

[0017] In other words, the present invention is a conveyor lubricant composition characterized by containing the following general formulas (A) to (D): [1](A) Anionic surfactant represented by the following general formula (1), [ka] (However, in general formula (1), R is a C3-C20 alkyl or alkenyl group, n is an integer from 0 to 4, q is an integer from 1 to 4, m is an integer from 1 to 2, M is hydrogen or an alkali metal, AO is one or more selected from propylene oxide and butylene oxide, and EO is ethylene oxide.) and C12-C18 saturated or unsaturated fatty acids and their salts. (B) Component is alkylamine (C) Alkali agent (D) A conveyor lubricant composition characterized by containing water, having a mass ratio of component (A) to component (B) of (A) / (B) = 0.07 to 1.33, and containing an alkali agent as component (C) with a liquid property having a pH of 7.5 or higher.

[0018] [2] The lubricant composition according to [1], further containing a solubilizer as component (E). [3] The solubilizer of component (E) is an aromatic sulfonic acid (such as xylene sulfonic acid, cumene sulfonic acid, toluene sulfonic acid, etc.) and its salts, benzoic acid and its salts, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, hexylene glycol, isoprene glycol, glycerin, 1,3 - butylene glycol, 1,4 - butylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, alkyl polyglycoside, etc., which can solubilize alkylamine and obtain an antifoaming effect. The conveyor lubricant composition according to [1] is characterized by containing at least one selected from the group. [4] The conveyor lubricant composition is characterized in that the composition can be used in combination with a chlorine - based compound for the purpose of sterilization effect as needed.

[0019] [5] The method of using the conveyor lubricant composition is as follows: The above lubricant composition may be used as a stock solution, or a lubricant diluted 50 to 1000 times with water or hot water is sprayed or applied from a nozzle provided above the conveyor and used for the conveyance movement of containers.

Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, there is provided a conveyor lubricant composition that supplies a lubricant, has an antifoaming effect on the bubbles generated during the operation of the conveyor, is excellent in lubricity, and can also be used by adding a chlorine - based compound to the lubricant dilution due to its alkaline liquid property.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] The present invention relates to a lubricant composition for a belt conveyor, which contains (A) an anionic surfactant, (B) an alkylamine as a component, (C) an alkali agent, and (D) water as a component, and has a liquid property with a pH of 7.5 or higher.

[0022] Examples of the anionic surfactant as the component (A) used in the present invention include at least one selected from the group consisting of fatty acids and alkyl phosphate esters.

[0023] Examples of the fatty acid and its salt as the component (A) include saturated or unsaturated fatty acids having 12 to 18 carbon atoms and their salts, and specifically, tall oil fatty acid, oleic acid, coconut oil fatty acid, etc. can be mentioned.

[0024] The alkyl phosphate ester and its salt as the component (A) are represented by the following general formula (1).

Chemical formula

[0025] The alkylamine as the component (B) is an aliphatic alkyldiamine such as oleyl propylenediamine, coconut propylenediamine, tallow-propylenediamine, lauryl propylenediamine, soybean propylenediamine, etc. from the viewpoints of formulation and foam suppression properties. Among them, the use of one or more of N-oleyl-1,3-diaminopropane and N-lauryl-1,3-diaminopropane is preferred.

[0026] The mass ratio of the anionic surfactant (component A) to the alkylamine (component B) that provides an anti-foaming effect is (A):(B) = 1:0.07 or higher, and more preferably 1:0.1 or higher.

[0027] The amount of component (B) can be blended in a ratio of (A):(B) = 1:1.33 or less. Blending more of component (B) than the anionic surfactant does not change the anti-foaming effect and increases the amount of solubilizer required, so (A):(B) = 1:1 or less is preferred, and 1:0.5 or less is more preferred in terms of stability during dilution.

[0028] The amount of alkaline agent in component (C) should be adjusted so that the pH is 7.5 or higher, depending on the amount of anionic surfactant in component (A) and any acidic raw material. Although excessive addition does not affect lubricity or foaming properties, a pH of 10 or lower is preferable from a safety standpoint during use.

[0029] The alkaline agent of component (C) is not particularly limited and includes, for example, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, monoethanolamine, triethanolamine, methylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, methylethanolamine, dimethylethanolamine, methyldiethanolamine, ethylethanolamine, diethylethanolamine, and ethyldiethanolamine. One of these may be used, or two or more may be used in combination. Among these, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, monoethanolamine, and triethanolamine are preferred.

[0030] (D) The water can be tap water, soft water, pure water, distilled water, ion-exchanged water, purified water, etc., and from an economic standpoint, tap water, soft water, or ion-exchanged water is preferred.

[0031] The solubilizer in component (E) has the effect of solubilizing and further stabilizing the alkylamine in component (B). Examples of solubilizers include aromatic sulfonic acids (xylene sulfonic acid, cumene sulfonic acid, toluene sulfonic acid) and their salts, benzoic acid and its salts, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, hexylene glycol, isoprene glycol, glycerin, 1,3-butylene glycol, 1,4-butylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, polyoxyalkylene alkyl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers, polyalkyl glycosides, etc., among which xylene sulfonic acid and sodium xylene sulfonate are preferred from the standpoint of economy. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The solubilizer is blended in the range of 2 to 20% by mass. Furthermore, considering cost, 2 to 15% by mass is preferred.

[0032] Examples of chlorine compounds added to and used in the composition of the present invention include chlorites such as sodium chlorite, perchlorates such as sodium hypochlorite, and chlorinated cyanurates such as sodium dichloroisocyanurate. Among these, sodium hypochlorite is preferred from the viewpoint of economy.

[0033] The conveyor lubricant composition of the present invention may further contain, as optional components, a disinfectant, an antifoaming agent, and a chelating agent, if necessary.

[0034] Furthermore, the conveyor lubricant composition of the present invention is used as a lubricant diluent by diluting it with water or hot water 50 to 1000 times, to the extent that the desired effect is not lost during use. The lubricant diluent may be diluted to the desired concentration at the time of use, or a solution diluted to an appropriate concentration may be prepared in advance and then further diluted to the desired concentration at the time of use. Alternatively, each component of the conveyor lubricant composition may be diluted individually and mixed at the time of use.

[0035] Furthermore, in order to provide a disinfecting effect, a hypochlorite-based disinfectant, which is a commonly used chlorine-based compound, can be diluted to an effective chlorine concentration of 10-100 ppm at the time of use and mixed immediately before use, or each can be added to the conveyor simultaneously. The diluted lubricant solution in this way can be sprayed continuously or intermittently from a nozzle via a pump or the like at a rate of approximately 10-200 ml / min, preferably 30-100 ml / min, onto the conveyor, or applied with a brush or the like.

[0036] The conveyor lubricant composition and method of use of the present invention can be used in bottle transport using conveyors in beverage factories and beer factories, and is particularly suitable as a lubricant when transporting glass bottles on stainless steel conveyors. [Examples]

[0037] The following describes examples along with comparative examples. The present invention is not limited to these examples. The numerical values ​​for each composition in each table represent the purity of each component, and the unit is mass%.

[0038] 1. Foam control [Test Method] A 200-fold dilution of each test cleaning agent composition was prepared with pure water, and a 100-inch diameter 28mm diameter sample was prepared. The volume up to the top of the bubble was measured using the scale on the colorimetric tube. (TIFF0007882497000003.tif7166) [Evaluation Criteria] The file was named TIFF0007882497000004.tif17114, and ○ and △ were judged as practical.

[0039] 2. Lubricity Test The lubricity of the lubricant compositions of the present invention was evaluated as follows for Examples 1 to 22 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6. Examples 1 to 22 and Comparative Examples 1 to 6 were diluted 50 to 1000 times before testing.

[0040] [Test Method] Test containers were placed on a stainless steel conveyor plate, and then the lubricant composition of the present invention was supplied to the conveyor plate at a rate of 12 ml / min. The coefficient of friction (μ) after 10 minutes was measured to evaluate the lubricity of each container. The conveyor speed of the test conveyor was set to 40 cm / second, and the test container was one large beer bottle. The coefficient of friction (μ) was calculated using the following formula. Coefficient of friction (μ) = Tensile resistance (g) / Total weight of test container (g) [Evaluation Criteria] ○: Less than 0.13 △: 0.13 or higher and less than 0.14 ×: 0.14 or higher Based on this, ○ and △ were judged to be practical.

[0041] 3. Prescription [Test Method] Each test cleaning agent composition was placed in a 100 ml glass screw-top container and left to stand at room temperature for one week before its appearance was observed. [Evaluation Criteria] ○: Maintains transparency and stability. △: No sedimentation or separation is observed, but turbidity occurs. ×: Precipitation or separation may occur. Based on this, ○ was judged to be practical.

[0042] 4. Disinfection Test Regarding the conveyor lubricant composition of the present invention, the formulations of Examples 1 to 6 shown in Table 1 below were diluted 400 times with deionized water, and a predetermined aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution, prepared in advance to achieve the effective chlorine concentration (30 ppm to 90 ppm) shown in Table 1, was added immediately before mixing and subjected to testing. The formulations of Comparative Examples 1 to 6 were subjected to testing without the addition of sodium hypochlorite.

[0043] [Test Method] The antibacterial properties of the lubricant compositions were tested using the suspension method and evaluated according to the following criteria. [Test strain] Initial bacterial count of Pseudomonas erginosa: 7.5 × 10⁶ 7 cfu / ml [Contact time / temperature] 10 minutes / 20℃ [Dilution water to use] Ion-exchanged water. [Evaluation Criteria] The disinfecting properties were evaluated based on the reduction in bacterial count after contact with the conveyor lubricant composition, according to the following evaluation criteria. ○: Log reduction of 5 or more indicates a decrease in bacterial count. △: Bacterial count reduction with a Log reduction of 2 to less than 5 ×: Bacterial count reduction with less than 2 log reduction Therefore, we determined that it was practical for advanced disinfection management.

[0044] (A) component • Anionic surfactant 1 Polyoxyalkylene (PO1 mol, EO1 mol) lauryl ether phosphate In general formula (1), R=C12, n=1, q=1, m=1, and M=hydrogen. (Pure content 83% or more) • Anionic surfactant 2 Polyoxyalkylene (EO2 molar) lauryl ether phosphate In general formula (1), R=C12, n=0, q=2, m=1, and M=hydrogen. Product name: "Phosphanol ML220" (manufactured by Toho Chemical Co., Ltd., active ingredient content 85% or more) • Anionic surfactant 3 Polyoxyalkylene (PO2 molars, EO2 molars) lauryl ether phosphate In general formula (1), R=C10, n=2, q=2, m=1, and M=hydrogen. (Pure content 83% or more), prototype • Anionic surfactant 4 Polyoxyalkylene (PO1 mol, EO1 mol) lauryl ether phosphate In general formula (1), R = C12 - C14, n = 1, q = 1, m = 1, and M = hydrogen. (Pure content 83% or more), prototype • Anionic surfactant 5 Coconut fatty acids Product name: "Coconut Fatty Acid" (Manufactured by Miyoshi Oil & Fat Co., Ltd., 100% active ingredient) • Anionic surfactant 6 Tall oil fatty acids Product name: "Hartol FA-1" (Harima Chemicals, 100% active ingredient)

[0045] (B) Component • Alkylamine 1 N-coco-1,3-propylenediamine Product name: "Dinolam C" (manufactured by CECA, contains over 90% active ingredients) • Alkylamine 2 N-oleyl-1,3-propylenediamine Product name: "Dinolam O" (manufactured by CECA, contains over 90% active ingredients)

[0046] (C) Component • Monoethanolamine Product name: "Monoethanolamine 90" (manufactured by Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd., active ingredient 90%) Sodium hydroxide Product name: "Liquid Caustic Soda 48%" (manufactured by Tokuyama Corporation, active ingredient 48%)

[0047] (D) Component • Ion-exchanged water

[0048] (E) Component • Solubilizer 1 Sodium metaxylenesulfonate Product name: Teikatox N1140 (manufactured by Teika, 40% active ingredient) • Solubilizer 2 Sodium cumenesulfonate Product name: Teikatox N5040 (manufactured by Teika, 40% active ingredient) • Solubilizer 3 Propylene glycol Product name: Propylene Glycol (manufactured by AGC, 100% active ingredient) • Solubilizer 4 Hexylene glycol Product name: Hexylene glycol (manufactured by Arkema, 100% active ingredient) • Solubilizer 5 Polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether Product name: "Nonion HT-510" (manufactured by Nippon Oil & Fats Co., Ltd., 100% active ingredient) • Solubilizer 6 Polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene lauryl ether Product name: Adecatol LB-83 (manufactured by Adeca, 100% active ingredient) • Solubilizer 7 Polyoxyethylene alkyl ether Product name: "HA-9M" (manufactured by Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd., 100% active ingredient) • Solubilizer 8 Sodium benzoate Product name: Sodium benzoate (manufactured by Fushimi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 100% active ingredient) • Solubilizer 9 alkyl polyglycoside Product name: "AG6202" (manufactured by Lion Corporation, active ingredient 65%)

[0049] [Optional ingredients] • Chelating agent: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (100% active ingredient) [For verification purposes] • Acetic acid (50% active ingredient)

[0050] [Table 1] [Table 2] [Table 3] [Table 4] [Table 5]

[0051] From the evaluation results in Tables 1 to 5 above, it can be seen that all of Examples 1 to 22 exhibit excellent formulation properties at room temperature and demonstrate effectiveness in terms of foam suppression and lubrication performance. Furthermore, because they are alkaline, there is no need to worry about the generation of chlorine gas, and sodium hypochlorite can be safely added to provide a disinfecting effect.

[0052] In contrast, Comparative Examples 1-3 show that sufficient lubrication performance is not achieved when an anionic surfactant is not included. Comparative Examples 4 and 5 show good lubrication, but the anti-foaming effect is not achieved because the alkylamine is insufficient. Furthermore, Comparative Example 6, which does not contain a solubilizer, separates, indicating that the formulation is unstable.

[0053] Based on the above results, the conveyor lubricant compositions of Examples 1 to 22 were determined to be excellent conveyor lubricants that exhibit superior lubrication and anti-foaming properties, and that, being alkaline, can provide a disinfecting effect when used in combination with chlorine-based compounds.

Claims

1. (A) Anionic surfactant represented by the following general formula (1) (B) At least one aliphatic alkyldiamine selected from the group consisting of oleylpropylenediamine, coconut propylenediamine, talopropylenediamine, laurylpropylenediamine, soybean propylenediamine, N-oleyl-1,3-diaminopropane, and N-lauryl-1,3-diaminopropane. (C) Alkaline agent (D) Water A conveyor lubricant composition characterized by containing the above, wherein the mass ratio of the anionic surfactant of component (A) to the aliphatic alkyldiamine of component (B) is (A):(B) = 1:0.07 to 1:1.33, and the liquid pH is 7.5 or higher. 【Chemistry 1】

2. The conveyor lubricant composition according to claim 1, wherein the alkaline agent of component (C) is at least one selected from the group consisting of alkali metal hydroxides, monoethanolamine, and triethanolamine.

3. The conveyor lubricant composition according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized by containing (E) a solubilizer.

4. The conveyor lubricant composition according to claim 3, characterized in that the solubilizer of component (E) is at least one selected from the group consisting of aromatic sulfonic acid (xylene sulfonic acid, cumene sulfonic acid, toluene sulfonic acid) and its salts, benzoic acid and its salts, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, hexylene glycol, isoprene glycol, glycerin, 1,3-butylene glycol, 1,4-butylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether, and alkyl polyglycoside.

5. The conveyor lubricant composition according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the composition can be used in combination with a chlorine-based compound for the purpose of disinfection.

6. A conveyor lubricant composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is diluted 50 to 1000 times with water or hot water and applied to the surface of a conveyor used for transporting containers by spraying it using a spray nozzle, or by continuously or intermittently supplying it using a nozzle.

7. A conveyor lubricant composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein an aqueous solution of a chlorine-based compound is prepared in advance, and the aqueous solution is diluted to an effective chlorine concentration of 10 to 100 ppm and used in combination.

8. A conveyor lubricant composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is diluted with a pre-prepared aqueous solution of a chlorine-based compound at a concentration of 10 to 100 ppm and used as a lubricating diluent.

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