Aldehyde-Amine Adducts Preventing Solid Formation in Sulfur Scavenging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing processes for preparing aldehyde-amine products, such as formaldehyde-amine adducts, often result in products that form solids or gels when exposed to noxious sulfur species, contain free formaldehyde, and are cost-ineffective, leading to equipment plugging and safety hazards.

Innovation Solution

A novel process involving an amine to formaldehyde ratio of approximately 1:2 in the presence of an alcohol at controlled temperature and time, producing aldehyde-amine adducts that are substantially formaldehyde-free, non-foaming, and have enhanced scavenging activity, with specific gravity used as a quality control metric to ensure reproducibility and effectiveness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional aldehyde-amine adducts are used as sulfur scavengers, then sulfur scavenging function is provided, but solids or gels form upon exposure to noxious sulfur species causing equipment plugging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesolid formationVSAvoidequipment plugging
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using a specific amine-to-aldehyde molar ratio of 1:2 and controlling the reaction in the presence of alcohol to produce adducts with optimized molecular structure that prevent solid formation while maintaining sulfur scavenging capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite chemical structure by reacting amine with aldehyde in a controlled manner to form adducts that combine the sulfur-scavenging properties of conventional adducts with the fluidity characteristics of alcohol-based formulations, preventing plugging while maintaining function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional formaldehyde-amine adducts are used, then sulfur scavenging activity is achieved, but free formaldehyde remains in the product

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveformaldehyde contentVSAvoidformaldehyde-free status
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the reaction parameters by using a specific amine-to-formaldehyde molar ratio of 1:2 and controlling reaction conditions to ensure complete reaction of formaldehyde, eliminating free formaldehyde from the final product while maintaining scavenging activity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses alcohol as an intermediary substance during the reaction process that helps control the reaction pathway and ensures complete incorporation of formaldehyde into the adduct structure, preventing residual free formaldehyde

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If conventional aldehyde-amine adducts are used, then sulfur scavenging function is provided, but cost effectiveness is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescavenging activityVSAvoidcost effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the amine-to-aldehyde ratio to 1:2, which improves scavenging activity per unit cost, and uses readily available alcohol as a solvent to reduce manufacturing costs while enhancing product performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent eliminates the need for expensive post-processing steps to remove solids or free formaldehyde by designing a reaction process that inherently produces a stable, formaldehyde-free product, reducing manufacturing costs

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The process efficiently produces aldehyde-amine adducts with significantly improved scavenging activity, preventing solid formation, reducing equipment plugging, and ensuring safety by eliminating detectable formaldehyde, while being cost-effective and non-foaming.

Implementation Method 1

the reaction of an amine and a source of formaldehyde

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical reaction: Chemical Bonding

Implementation Method 2

The addition of alcohols during the amine-formaldehyde reaction mixtures give rise to alcoholic adducts

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSolvation: Solvation

Data Source

PatentEP2213648B1Aldehyde-amine formulations and method for making and using same
Publication Date: 2013.08.14 CLEARWATER INT LLC
  • EP2213648B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP2213648B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP2213648B1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

A novel method for producing amine-aldehyde sulfur scavenging compositions are disclosed, where the method comprises contacting an amine containing component and a aldehyde containing component in the presence of an alcohol at an amine to aldehyde ratio of between about 0.8 and 0.45 for a reaction time and at a reaction temperatures sufficient to produce an amine-aldehyde adduct product having a specific gravity between about 3% and 7% less than the specific gravity of a mixture of starting materials.