Oxygen generating powder composition containing 50 wt% or more of potassium superoxide and method for preparing the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a powder composition for oxygen generation containing 50% by weight or more of potassium superoxide and a method for manufacturing the same. More specifically, the invention relates to a powder composition for oxygen generation containing 50% by weight or more of potassium superoxide and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein storage stability, reaction uniformity, oxygen generation efficiency, and handling safety are improved in a potassium superoxide-based composition that reacts with carbon dioxide and moisture to generate oxygen, and particularly, moisture sensitivity, aggregation problems, and reaction deviations that occur when applying high-content KO2 are effectively controlled.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder composition for oxygen generation containing 50% by weight or more of potassium superoxide and a method for manufacturing the same. More specifically, the invention relates to a powder composition for oxygen generation containing 50% by weight or more of potassium superoxide and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein storage stability, reaction uniformity, oxygen generation efficiency, and handling safety are improved in a potassium superoxide-based composition that reacts with carbon dioxide and moisture to generate oxygen, and particularly, moisture sensitivity, aggregation problems, and reaction deviations that occur when applying high-content KO2 are effectively controlled. Background Technology

[0002] Oxygen generation technology plays a key role in various fields, including ensuring survivability in confined spaces, fire evacuation, emergency rescue, and aviation, diving, and space environments.

[0003] In particular, the technology of generating oxygen through chemical reactions without using compressed oxygen containers has significant advantages in terms of lightweighting and safety.

[0004] Potassium superoxide (KO2) is a representative chemical oxygen-generating substance suitable for this purpose, and it performs the function of generating oxygen by reacting with carbon dioxide and moisture while simultaneously removing CO2.

[0005] For this reason, it has high potential to be used as a respiratory aid in enclosed environments.

[0006] However, KO2 has very high reactivity and is particularly sensitive to moisture, so performance degradation and safety issues may occur during storage and handling.

[0007] Unintentional reactions with moisture in the air can lead not only to a decrease in oxygen generation efficiency but also to heat generation and structural changes.

[0008] In addition, KO2 in powder form is prone to aggregation between particles, which reduces the uniformity of mixing and consequently causes a problem where the reaction is concentrated locally during the reaction.

[0009] This phenomenon impedes the uniformity of oxygen generation and is a major cause of increased performance variation in actual applications.

[0010] Furthermore, as the KO2 content increases, the oxygen generation potential increases, but at the same time, stability and handling problems tend to worsen.

[0011] Therefore, in the case of high-content KO2 compositions, ensuring both stability and performance simultaneously has been recognized as a very difficult technical challenge.

[0012] In conventional technology, the main approach was to ensure stability by lowering the KO2 content or through simple dilution, but this resulted in a problem where the amount of oxygen generated decreased.

[0013] In addition, while some technologies attempted stabilization using additives, the interaction between additives or the control of reactivity were not sufficiently considered, which in some cases actually led to performance degradation.

[0014] In particular, at the actual commercialization stage, filling capacity, securing gas flow paths, long-term storage stability, and structural maintainability are required simultaneously, and composition designs that satisfy these requirements have been very limited.

[0015] Consequently, there has been a continuous need for a technical composition and manufacturing method that simultaneously satisfy oxygen generation efficiency, storage stability, and handling while containing 50% by weight or more of KO2. Prior art literature

[0016] Republic of Korea Registered Patent No. 10-0987370 (October 6, 2010), Oxygen generating cartridge The problem to be solved

[0017] The objective of the present invention is to provide a powder composition for oxygen generation that contains 50% by weight or more of potassium superoxide (KO2) without impairing storage stability and handling properties.

[0018] In addition, another objective of the present invention is to improve the uniformity of the oxygen generation reaction of the oxygen generation powder composition and to minimize reaction deviation.

[0019] In addition, another objective of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a powder composition for oxygen generation that enables stable, controlled oxygen generation in a moisture and carbon dioxide environment. means of solving the problem

[0020] The present invention provides, as a means to achieve the above-mentioned objective, a powder composition for oxygen generation comprising 50% by weight of potassium superoxide (KO2), characterized by being composed of 50-80% by weight of potassium superoxide, 5-30% by weight of a structural stabilizer, 1-15% by weight of a fluidity regulator, and 1-20% by weight of a reaction rate regulator.

[0021] In addition, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a powder composition for oxygen generation containing 50% by weight or more of potassium superoxide, characterized by comprising: a raw material preparation step of preparing potassium superoxide (KO2) and auxiliary components, a structural stabilizer, a fluidity regulator, and a reaction rate regulator, by individually drying the moisture content to 0.1% by weight or less; a pretreatment step of uniformly sieving or grinding the particle size of each prepared raw material; a homogenization step of sequentially introducing the potassium superoxide and each regulator component and mixing for 10 to 60 minutes in a low-moisture and inert gas atmosphere with a relative humidity of 1% or less; and a stabilization step of optimizing inter-particle bonding through milling or surface coating treatment. Effects of the invention

[0022] According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

[0023] First, excellent storage stability can be ensured while containing more than 50% by weight of potassium superoxide.

[0024] Second, oxygen generation efficiency is improved and reaction variation is reduced, enabling a uniform oxygen supply.

[0025] Third, powder aggregation is suppressed, improving fluidity, filling ability, and handling properties.

[0026] Fourth, the reaction rate can be controlled, which prevents localized reaction concentration and enables stable oxygen generation.

[0027] Fifth, it can be implemented in various product forms (packs, cartridges, etc.), offering excellent versatility for application. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0028] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0029] The oxygen-generating powder composition according to the present invention, comprising 50% by weight or more of potassium superoxide, is characterized by solving problems that occur when applying a high amount of potassium superoxide by precisely controlling the interaction between the components of the composition.

[0030] First, the oxygen generating powder composition according to the present invention consists of 50-80% by weight of potassium superoxide (KO2), 5-30% by weight of a structural stabilizer, 1-15% by weight of a fluidity regulator, and 1-20% by weight of a reaction rate regulator.

[0031] In this case, potassium superoxide acts as a key reaction component for oxygen generation, reacting with carbon dioxide and moisture to produce oxygen, and the reaction follows the following mechanism.

[0032]

[0033] Alternatively, in an environment where moisture is present, the following reaction pathways may be included as intermediates.

[0034]

[0035] Subsequently, the generated KOH can react with CO2 to form carbonates.

[0036] Therefore, KO2 can function as an oxygen-generating component capable of simultaneously performing CO2 removal and O2 generation functions.

[0037] The theoretical amount of oxygen generated using such potassium superoxide is calculated as follows.

[0038]

[0039] Therefore, since the present invention contains 50% by weight or more of potassium superoxide, it has a significant oxygen generation potential based on the entire composition, and the theoretical oxygen generation amount according to the weight content is shown in Table 1 below.

[0040]

[0041] Meanwhile, structural stabilizers go beyond the conventional concept of simple diluents or stabilizers and function as key components for simultaneously securing the physical, thermal, and chemical stability of highly reactive KO2 particles.

[0042] These structural stabilizers are composed of one or more combinations selected from magnesium oxide (MgO), magnesium carbonate (MgCO3), alumina (Al2O3), silica-based inorganic powders, and inert inorganic fillers, each performing a different functional role to provide a complex stabilization effect.

[0043] However, in the present invention, as a preferred embodiment, an example in which these are mixed in combination is presented, and the content consists of 20-24 wt% magnesium carbonate (MgCO3), 14-18 wt% alumina (Al2O3), 11-14 wt% silica-based inorganic powder, 11-14 wt% inert inorganic filler, and the remainder magnesium oxide (MgO).

[0044] First, magnesium oxide is a basic oxide that mitigates the local acidic environment that may occur during the KO2 reaction process and acts as a heat buffer to disperse the heat of the reaction.

[0045] In addition, MgO has relatively high thermal conductivity, so it helps to prevent local overheating by uniformly dispersing the heat generated during the reaction.

[0046] In addition, magnesium carbonate has the characteristic of releasing carbon dioxide upon decomposition, which can act as a slow source of CO2 in a KO2 reaction environment and contribute to stabilizing the reaction rate.

[0047] In addition, MgCO3, which has a porous structure, acts as a physical buffer to mitigate inter-particle collisions and aggregation.

[0048] In addition, alumina is a ceramic material with high mechanical strength and chemical stability, and it plays a role in improving structural stability between particles by forming a structural framework within the composition. In particular, α-alumina allows for easy control of particle size, enabling uniform dispersion and effectively suppressing structural collapse during long-term storage.

[0049] In addition, silica-based inorganic powders have a large surface area and excellent moisture absorption control capabilities, and play a role in stabilizing the microenvironment around KO2. In particular, Si-OH groups present on the surface can contribute to mitigating rapid reactions by temporarily adsorbing moisture.

[0050] In addition, barium sulfate (BaSO4) can be used as an inert inorganic filler; it is a material that is chemically very stable and provides high density and excellent dispersibility without participating in reactions.

[0051] This BaSO4 plays a role in controlling structural density by securing interparticle spacing and improving the volumetric stability of the composition.

[0052] On the other hand, the flow control agent inhibits the aggregation of the powder composition and enables uniform mixing and filling.

[0053] The above fluidity regulator may use 1-2 μm precipitated CaCO3 to serve as a spacer for securing inter-particle spacing.

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[0057] On the other hand, the reaction rate regulator is intended to control the reaction of KO2 to maintain stable oxygen generation.

[0058] These reaction rate regulators may utilize fine polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) powder, a microstructure stabilizing component, which forms a fine fibrous network to stabilize the particle structure and suppress structural collapse during the reaction. Additionally, since it is chemically inert, it functions as a structural support without side reactions with KO2.

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[0062] The method for manufacturing such a composition is as follows.

[0063] The manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a raw material preparation step, a pretreatment step, a homogenization step, and a stabilization step, and may include a sorting process during pretreatment, and may also include a packaging step after the stabilization step.

[0064] At this time, the packaging step can be in various ways, such as filling or encapsulation, and may be, for example, powder type, granule type, sheet or fiber carrying type, pack encapsulation type, cartridge type, emergency oxygen generating module type, etc.

[0065] This manufacturing method consists of a precision process for safely and uniformly dispersing highly reactive KO2, and each step is performed chronologically with a focus on moisture control and particle control.

[0066] First, in the raw material preparation stage, it is desirable to prepare KO2 and each component individually and to manage the moisture content of each raw material to 0.1% by weight or less.

[0067] To this end, the raw material is pre-dried in a vacuum dryer or drying oven if necessary, and in particular, KO2 must be handled under an inert atmosphere.

[0068] Next, in the pretreatment step, a sieving or grinding process is performed to make the particle size of each component uniform, and aggregated particles are broken down to enable uniform dispersion.

[0069] In addition, at this time, some components can have their dispersibility improved through surface modification treatment.

[0070] Afterwards, during the homogenization stage, it is desirable to establish a low-moisture environment with a relative humidity of 1% or less, such as a glove box or dry room, and to block the inflow of outside air using an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon.

[0071] In this step, KO2, a structural stabilizer, a flow rate regulator, and a reaction rate regulator are sequentially added and mixed, and low-speed stirring and high-speed dispersion are performed in parallel to ensure a uniform distribution among the particles.

[0072] In this case, the homogenization mixing time can be adjusted within the range of 10 to 60 minutes.

[0073] Then, in the stabilization stage, inter-particle bonding is optimized through low-energy milling or surface coating treatment if necessary, and anti-aggregation and structural stabilization are enhanced.

[0074] Subsequently, a quality verification process may be further included, in which mixing uniformity, particle size distribution, and moisture content are measured to confirm whether the standards are met.

[0075] By manufacturing in this way, the reactivity of KO2 can be stably controlled while ensuring uniformity and reproducibility of the composition, and the process can be implemented as a process suitable for industrial mass production.

[0076] The following describes the embodiments.

[0077] [Example 1]

[0078] An oxygen-generating powder composition containing 250% by weight of KO was prepared by composing as shown in Table 2 below.

[0079]

[0080] [Example 2]

[0081] An oxygen-generating powder composition containing 255% by weight of KO was prepared by composing as shown in Table 3 below.

[0082]

[0083] [Example 3]

[0084] An oxygen-generating powder composition containing 260% by weight of KO was prepared by composing as shown in Table 4 below.

[0085]

[0086] In addition, as shown in Table 5, a powder composition for oxygen generation with a low KO2 content was prepared for comparison.

[0087] [Comparative Example]

[0088]

[0089] Subsequently, after filling the compositions of each example and comparative example with equal mass, the oxygen generation performance was compared in a test system simulating conditions in the presence of carbon dioxide and moisture, and the evaluation criteria were as follows.

[0090] - Oxygen generation per unit mass

[0091] - Initial reaction stability

[0092] - Accumulated oxygen generation amount after a certain period of time

[0093] - Cohesiveness and shape retention of the composition after reaction

[0094] As a result of the test, the results shown in Table 6 below were obtained.

[0095]

[0096] Through this, it was confirmed that Examples 1 to 3 showed a higher theoretical oxygen generation potential compared to Comparative Example 1, and also demonstrated excellent oxygen generation performance in actual evaluation.

[0097] In particular, Example 1 (50 wt%) showed significantly improved oxygen generation compared to the comparative example, while also exhibiting excellent reaction stability, confirming that it is a region with an excellent balance between oxygen generation performance and compositional stability.

[0098] In addition, Examples 2 and 3 showed a higher oxygen generation potential, and it was confirmed that they can be selected as a highly active or highly oxygen-generating composition depending on the application purpose.

[0099] Accordingly, the composition according to the present invention is expected to be applicable to the following products or systems.

[0100] - Emergency oxygen generator pack

[0101] - Breathing assistance cartridge

[0102] - Oxygen assist module for enclosed spaces

[0103] - Oxygen generator for smoke control and evacuation assistance devices

[0104] - Fiber or sheet-supported oxygen generation unit

[0105] - Personal emergency breathing aid

[0106] As explained above, the present invention provides a powder composition for oxygen generation containing 250% by weight or more of KO and a method for manufacturing the same. In particular, it has been confirmed that by specifying a content range in which a theoretical amount of oxygen generation is significantly secured, technical effects can be provided that simultaneously satisfy oxygen generation performance, storage stability, handling, and suitability for application.

[0107] Therefore, the present invention can be usefully utilized in the fields of emergency oxygen generators, breathing assistance devices, and similar applications.

Claims

Claim 1 A powder composition for oxygen generation comprising 50-80 wt% potassium superoxide (KO2), 5-30 wt% structural stabilizer, 1-15 wt% fluidity regulator, and 1-20 wt% reaction rate regulator, wherein the structural stabilizer comprises 20-24 wt% magnesium carbonate (MgCO3), 14-18 wt% α-alumina, 11-14 wt% silica-based inorganic powder, 11-14 wt% barium sulfate (BaSO4), and the remainder magnesium oxide (MgO); wherein the fluidity regulator is precipitable CaCO3 with a thickness of 1-2 μm; and wherein the reaction rate regulator is a fine powder of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which is a microstructure stabilizing component. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 delete Claim 4 delete Claim 5 delete Claim 6 delete Claim 7 delete Claim 8 A method for manufacturing a powder composition for oxygen generation containing 50% by weight or more of potassium superoxide, characterized by comprising: a raw material preparation step of preparing potassium superoxide (KO2) and auxiliary components, a structural stabilizer, a fluidity regulator, and a reaction rate regulator, by individually drying them to a moisture content of 0.1% by weight or less; a pretreatment step of uniformly sieving or grinding the particle size of each prepared raw material; a homogenization step of sequentially adding the potassium superoxide and each regulator component and mixing for 10 to 60 minutes in a low-moisture and inert gas atmosphere with a relative humidity of 1% or less; and a stabilization step of optimizing inter-particle bonding through milling or surface coating treatment. Claim 9 A method for manufacturing an oxygen-generating powder composition containing 50% by weight or more of potassium superoxide, characterized in that, in claim 8, the method further includes a packaging step after the stabilization step, and the powder composition is packaged and sold in a powder form, granule form, porous support form, sheet support form, pack encapsulation form, or cartridge form after the packaging step.

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