Symmetrical Olefin ASA Compounds for Aggressive Liquid Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) compounds are inadequate for sizing paper products that require resistance to aggressive liquids, particularly dairy products and hydrogen peroxide solutions, as they often require co-administration with additional products like alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) or rosin sizes, which complicates the pH adjustment and leads to poor performance and chemical deposition.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the preparation of alkenyl succinic anhydride compounds from the reaction of maleic anhydride with substantially symmetrical C20-C28 internal olefins, such as 11-docosene, which provides enhanced resistance to liquid penetration without the need for additional sizing agents, by heating the olefins and maleic anhydride in an inert atmosphere and removing residual reagents via vacuum distillation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If commercial ASA compounds are used for sizing paper products, then basic hydrophobicity is achieved, but resistance to aggressive liquids (dairy products, hydrogen peroxide) is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the carbon chain length parameter of the olefin from conventional C16-C18 to C20-C28, and specifies symmetrical structure with double bond at specific position (e.g., 11-docosene). This parameter change fundamentally improves the ASA compound's ability to resist aggressive liquids while maintaining single-agent effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a new class of ASA compounds with specific molecular structure (symmetrical olefins C20-C28) that combines the benefits of hydrophobicity and aggressive liquid resistance in a single material, eliminating the need for composite sizing systems with multiple agents.
2Reliability
If additional sizing agents (AKD, rosin) are co-administered with ASA, then liquid resistance is improved, but pH adjustment complexity and chemical deposition increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for additional sizing agents (AKD, rosin) by incorporating their required functionality directly into the ASA compound through extended carbon chain length and symmetrical structure, thereby simplifying the sizing system to a single agent.
Solution Approach 2:
The improved ASA compound performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides hydrophobicity, resists aggressive liquids (dairy products, hydrogen peroxide), and eliminates the need for pH adjustment agents, replacing the complex multi-agent system with a single universal sizing agent.
3Ease of operation
If isomerized olefins are used to produce ASA, then liquid ASA form is achieved, but a complex mixture of olefin isomers is created
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of starting with alpha-olefins and isomerizing them (which creates complex mixtures), the patent inverts the approach by directly using symmetrical internal olefins with the desired structure, thereby achieving liquid ASA form without creating isomer mixtures.
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 resulting ASA compounds demonstrate significantly improved resistance to liquid penetration, including dairy products and hydrogen peroxide, with a 600% improvement in sizing effectiveness compared to traditional commercial ASA products, and provide comparable performance to AKD and rosin sizes without the complexity of dual-agent systems.
Implementation Method 1
the high temperature reaction of maleic anhydride (MA) and a long chain internal olefin
Implementation Method 2
removing residual reagents via vacuum distillation
Data Source
AI summary
A method of sizing paper for use in applications which require resistance to liquids comprising incorporating in the paper a size composition comprising one or more alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) compounds prepared from the reaction of maleic anhydride and one or more substantially symmetrical C20-C28 internal olefins.