Cleaning Composition for Organic Deposit Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing organic deposits from industrial installations, such as chemical plants and refineries, face challenges including hazardous manual cleaning, high waste production, and the formation of stable emulsions during chemical cleaning, which complicates the separation of oil and water phases.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning composition comprising a salt of the monoconjugate base of an aliphatic phosphate monoester and a salt of the conjugate base of an aliphatic phosphate diester, combined with a hydrocarbon-based solvent system, effectively mobilizes and dissolves organic deposits without forming persistent emulsions, allowing for easy phase separation between hydrocarbon and aqueous phases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If aromatic and/or aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents are used to dissolve and mobilize organic deposits, then cleaning efficiency is improved, but stable emulsions are formed which are problematic to process for separating oil and water phases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the cleaning composition by using specific ratios of aromatic to aliphatic hydrocarbons (0.2:0.8 to 0.8:0.2), combining different types of hydrocarbon solvents to achieve effective deposit removal while preventing stable emulsion formation. This parameter optimization resolves the contradiction between cleaning efficiency and emulsion stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite hydrocarbon solvent system combining aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons in specific proportions, rather than relying on a single solvent type. This composite approach leverages the strengths of both solvent types - aromatic solvents for dissolving polar deposits and aliphatic solvents for non-polar deposits - while the specific ratio prevents stable emulsion formation, thus resolving the technical contradiction.
2Ease of manufacture
If mechanical cleaning methods are used to remove organic deposits, then deposits can be removed from internal surfaces, but facilities must be shut down in advance and personnel access to confined spaces is potentially hazardous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical cleaning methods (such as pigging and manual scraping) with a chemical cleaning system using hydrocarbon solvents. This substitution eliminates the need for facility shutdowns and hazardous personnel entry into confined spaces, as the chemical composition can be circulated through the system to dissolve and mobilize deposits, thereby resolving the contradiction between effective deposit removal and operational safety.
3Productivity
If chemical cleaning methods are used to remove organic deposits, then cleaning can be conducted more safely and rapidly, but large volumes of waste (typically contaminated water) are produced resulting in waste disposal problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compositional parameters by using a hydrocarbon-based solvent system with specific aromatic to aliphatic ratios, which alters the waste characteristics. The hydrocarbon solvents dissolve organic deposits to form oil-based waste rather than water-based waste, which can be more easily separated and disposed of, thus reducing the practical waste disposal problems while maintaining the safety and speed advantages of chemical cleaning.
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 composition enables efficient and safe removal of organic deposits with reduced waste production and lower costs, as it facilitates the separation of oil and water phases, improving cleaning efficiency and safety in industrial settings.
Implementation Method 1
a salt of the monoconjugate base of an aliphatic phosphate monoester and a salt of the conjugate base of an aliphatic phosphate diester, combined with a hydrocarbon-based solvent system, effectively mobilizes and dissolves organic deposits
Implementation Method 2
allowing for easy phase separation between hydrocarbon and aqueous phases
Implementation Method 3
phase separation between a hydrocarbon-based phase and an aqueous phase may occur following a settling period
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a cleaning composition for removing organic deposits. The cleaning composition comprises a salt of the monoconjugate base of an aliphatic phosphate monoester and a salt of the conjugate base of an aliphatic phosphate diester in a hydrocarbon-based solvent system. The cleaning composition has been found to be effective in use together with an aqueous phase in mobilizing or dissolving organic deposits, without forming persistent emulsions, suspensions or the like. Accordingly following its use phase separation between a hydrocarbon-based phase and an aqueous phase occurs following a settling period.