Pigmented Decontamination Gel Visibility
Solution Overview
Problem
Current decontamination gels struggle to provide clear visibility of applied wet gel and dry residues on surfaces, especially in emergency situations with reduced visibility or when worn with NRBC Coveralls, leading to difficulties in ensuring complete coverage and drying of the gel.
Innovation Solution
A pigmented decontamination gel containing mineral pigments, such as micronized iron oxides, which provides better visibility of the gel on surfaces and its dry residues without altering the gel's physico-chemical properties, allowing for effective decontamination and easy identification of treated areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If decontamination gel is applied on surfaces, then decontamination effectiveness is improved, but visibility of the gel and dry residues is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by incorporating pigments into the decontamination gel formulation. The gel contains colorants that provide distinct visual contrast between the applied wet gel and the underlying surface, as well as between wet gel and dried residues. This allows operators to easily detect gel application coverage and identify areas requiring reapplication, while maintaining full decontamination effectiveness through the active biocidal ingredients.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If mineral pigments are added to enhance visibility, then visibility of gel and residues is improved, but gel formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials by formulating the gel as a multi-component system that integrates pigments, biocidal agents, gelling agents, and solvents into a single homogeneous formulation. The pigment particles are dispersed throughout the gel matrix, creating a composite material that simultaneously provides decontamination functionality and visual detection capabilities without requiring separate application steps or additional equipment.
3Reliability
If gel is applied to ensure complete coverage, then decontamination coverage is improved, but time to apply and monitor drying increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through visual indicators provided by the pigmented gel formulation. As the gel dries, the pigment concentration becomes more apparent, providing real-time visual feedback to operators about the drying progress and coverage uniformity. This eliminates the need for separate monitoring steps or waiting periods, as operators can immediately assess whether complete coverage has been achieved and when drying is complete, thereby reducing total processing time while ensuring thorough decontamination.
Data Source
AI summary
A decontamination gel is provided consisting of a colloidal solution comprising 0.1% to 30% by mass, preferably 0.1% to 25% by mass, still more preferably from 5% to 25% by mass, even more preferably 8% to 20% by mass, based on the mass of the gel, of at least one inorganic viscosifying agent; 0.1 to 10 mol/L of gel, preferably 0.5 to 10 mol/L of gel, still more preferably 1 to 10 mol/L of gel of at least one active decontamination agent; 0.01% to 10% by mass, preferably 0.1% to 5% by mass based on the mass of the gel of at least one mineral pigment; optionally, 0.1% to 2% by mass based on the mass of the gel, of at least one surfactant; optionally, 0.05% to 5% by mass, preferably 0.05% to 2% by mass, based on the mass of the gel, of at least one super-absorbent polymer; and the balance of solvent.