Azeotrope-like Solvent Blends for Vapor Degreasing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solvent blends for industrial cleaning, particularly in the electronics and metal-working industries, face challenges in maintaining non-flammability and high cleaning power while minimizing global warming potential and ozone depletion, with existing azeotrope-like compositions often showing significant fractionation during distillation, affecting safety and efficiency in vapor degreasing operations.
Innovation Solution
A solvent composition comprising trans-dichloroethylene, heptafluorocyclopentane, and 1-chloro-2,3,3-trifluoropropene, with optional surfactants and cosolvents, that exhibits azeotrope-like behavior, maintaining non-flammability and high cleaning power, and minimizing fractionation during distillation, thus ensuring safe and efficient operation in vapor degreasing processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the concentration of high KB value components (TDCE) is increased to maximize cleaning power, then the cleaning power (KB value) is improved, but the flammability of the solvent blend worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite solvent system combining TDCE (for high cleaning power) with fluorinated components (for non-flammability) and azeotrope-forming components (for stability). This composite approach allows the blend to achieve high KB values while maintaining non-flammability through the fluorinated components and preventing fractionation through azeotrope formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes the concentration parameters of each component to achieve the desired balance. Specifically, it controls the ratio of TDCE to fluorinated components and includes azeotrope-forming components at concentrations that prevent significant fractionation during distillation, thereby maintaining both high cleaning power and non-flammability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a solvent blend is designed to be non-flammable by adding fluorinated components, then flammability is improved, but the cleaning power (KB value) worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite blend where fluorinated components (providing non-flammability) are combined with high-KB components like TDCE and azeotrope-forming components. This composite structure allows the non-flammable vapor required for safety while the TDCE and other high-KB components maintain effective cleaning performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Different components serve different local functions: fluorinated components specifically address flammability in the vapor phase, while TDCE and other high-KB components specifically address cleaning power in the liquid phase. This functional differentiation allows optimization of each property without compromising the other.
3Stability of the object's composition
If an azeotrope-like blend is used to prevent fractionation during distillation, then composition stability is improved, but the complexity of formulation worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces azeotrope-forming components as intermediaries that mediate between the high-KB components and fluorinated components. These intermediaries form azeotropes that prevent fractionation during distillation, ensuring composition stability. While this adds formulation complexity, it enables the simultaneous achievement of high cleaning power, non-flammability, and stability.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If existing azeotrope-like compositions are used, then non-flammability and azeotrope behavior are improved, but significant fractionation during distillation worsens operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent develops an improved composite azeotrope-like blend that combines fluorinated components (for non-flammability) with specifically selected azeotrope-forming components in optimized ratios. This composite formulation achieves better resistance to fractionation during distillation compared to existing blends, thereby improving operational efficiency in vapor degreasing operations while maintaining non-flammability.
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 solvent composition effectively maintains non-flammability and high cleaning power, with minimal fractionation during distillation, ensuring safe and efficient cleaning operations while reducing environmental impact by minimizing global warming potential.
Implementation Method 1
the cleaning solvent compositions are non-flammable and azeotrope-like, and are composed of non-ozone-depleting, low global warming potential ingredients... exhibiting azeotrope-like behavior and maintaining non-flammability and high cleaning power, and minimizing fractionation during distillation
Data Source
AI summary
Cleaning solvent compositions comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting solely of, trans-dichloroethylene, 1-chloro-2,3,3-trifluoropropene and 1,1,2,2,3,3,4-heptafluorocyclopentane, and, optionally, one or both of surfactants and cosolvents, have utility as non-flammable, low-global warming potential, azeotrope-like cleaning fluids and carrier fluids for lubricants and the like. A method for cleaning articles of soiling substances comprises contacting the articles with the solvent composition by any suitable means such as a spray delivered by a propellant gas, or by contact with liquid and/or vapor solvent compositions, as in a conventional vapor degreaser apparatus, and removing the composition from the articles.