Dry Powder Coating Composition for Reduced Shipping Weight
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional water-based coatings face high transportation costs due to high water content, which increases shipping costs and requires heated vessels to prevent freezing, and they often have long mixing times and heavy product handling, limiting their shelf-life and usability.
Innovation Solution
Developing dry compositions of water-free active ingredients that can be mixed with water at the point of use, including styrene/acrylic acid copolymers and additives like sand and TiO2, which remain free-flowing and can be shipped without freezing concerns, extending shelf-life and improving performance properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If water-based coatings are shipped with water already present in formulations, then products are ready-to-use, but transportation costs increase due to high water content and freezing concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes water from the coating formulation during manufacturing, shipping the dry powder form without water. The water is extracted and separated, allowing the active ingredients to be transported in a concentrated, water-free state. This eliminates the need to pay for transporting water and avoids freezing issues during shipping.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the coating from a water-based liquid/emulsion to a dry powder form. By altering the water content parameter from high (up to 95%) to zero or minimal, the product can be shipped at ambient temperatures without freezing concerns and with reduced transportation costs.
2Ease of operation
If water-based coatings are shipped with water already present, then products are ready-to-use, but mixing times are extended and shelf-life is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary mixing and dispersion of pigments and additives into the dry polymer powder during manufacturing. The dry powder is pre-prepared with all components uniformly distributed in a free-flowing state, so that when water is added at the point of use, the coating is ready for application with minimal additional mixing time.
3Ease of operation
If water content is high in coatings, then products are ready-to-use, but transportation costs increase due to transporting water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes water from the coating formulation during manufacturing, shipping the dry powder form without water. The water is extracted and separated, allowing the active ingredients to be transported in a concentrated, water-free state. This eliminates the need to pay for transporting water and avoids freezing issues during shipping.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the water content parameter from high (up to 95%) to zero or minimal, transforming the product into a dry powder that can be shipped at ambient temperatures without freezing concerns and with reduced transportation costs.
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 dry compositions reduce transportation costs, extend shelf-life, and provide fresher products with improved performance, including increased chemical and abrasion resistance, rapid curing, and ease of application, while allowing for on-site mixing that saves time and resources.
Implementation Method 1
to which powder an end-user combines with water just prior to the material's use, to form an emulsion or mixture
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are methods for using compositions of matter which exist in a powdered, free-flowing form to which water is added preferable just prior to the time of use, to yield flowable liquid compositions which are spreadable, dispersible or sprayable onto various substrates. In some embodiments the free-flowing compositions contain water-soluble styrene/acrylic acid copolymers, and can surprisingly comprise relatively large amounts of water on the order of about 20% or more, while remaining in the form of a free-flowing powder prior to their combination with additional water to yield the spreadable, dispersible or sprayable liquid compositions. By the present disclosure, shelf life concerns are eliminated, as the compositions provided have an essentially indefinite shelf life, and transportation and handling ease are greatly increased over prior art compositions due to less weight by the absence of large relative quantities of water present in prior art compositions.