Environmentally benign anti-icing or deicing fluids

Abstract

Deicing compositions comprised of hydroxyl-containing organic compounds and/or organic acid salts are disclosed.

1 . A deicing and/or anti-icing composition comprising (a) glycerol and (b) water.  
     
     
         2 . A deicing and anti-icing composition comprising at least 5 percent by weight of (a) plus (b) and consisting essentially of (a) glycerol; and (b) an acid salt selected from the group consisting of a carboxylic acid potassium salt, a hydroxycarboxylic acid potassium salt, a dicarboxylic acid potassium salt, a carbonic acid potassium salt and mixtures thereof; and, optionally, (c) water, and/or (d) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a deicing material selected from the group consisting of glycols, citrate salts, amino acids, amino acid salts, boric acid, boric acid salts, lignin components, gluconic acid salts, monosaccharides, hydrocarbyl aldosides selected from the group consisting of furanosidies, maltosides, maltotriosides, glucopyranosides, non-alkyl glucosides and sorbitol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         3 . A composition as defined in  claim 2  wherein said carboxylic acid potassium salt comprises potassium acetate.  
     
     
         4 . A composition as defined in  claim 2  wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid potassium salt comprises potassium lactate.  
     
     
         5 . A de-icing and/or anti-icing composition comprising at least 5 percent by weight of (a) plus (b) and consisting essentially of (a) a glycol; and (b) an acid salt selected from the group consisting of a C 1 -C 4  carboxylic acid salt, a C 2 -C 4  hydroxycarboxylic acid salt, a C 1 -C 4  dicarboxylic acid salt, a carbonic acid salt and mixtures thereof, and, optionally, (c) water, and/or (d) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a deicing material selected from the group consisting of glycerol, citrate salts, amino acids, amino acid salts, boric acid, boric acid salts, lignin components, gluconic acid salts, monosaccharides, hydrocarbyl aldosides selected from the group consisting of furanosides, maltosides, maltotriosides, glucopyranosides, non-alkyl glucosides and sorbitol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         6 . A composition as defined in  claim 5  wherein said C 1 -C 4  carboxylic acid salt comprises potassium acetate.  
     
     
         7 . A composition as defined in  claim 5  wherein said C 2 -C 4  hydroxycarboxylic acid salt comprises potassium lactate.  
     
     
         8 . A deicing and/or anti-icing composition comprising at least 10 percent by weight of (a) plus (b) and consisting essentially of (a) a glycol; and (b) at least 3 percent by weight of a carbonic acid salt; and, optionally (c) water, and/or (d) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a deicing material selected from the group consisting of glycerol, citrate salts, amino acids, amino acid salts, boric acid, boric acid salts, lignin components, gluconic acid salts, monosaccharides, hydrocarbyl aldosides selected from the group consisting of furanosides, maltosides, maltotriosides, glucopyranosides, non-alkyl glucosides and sorbitol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         9 . A composition as defined in  claim 8  wherein said carbonic acid salt comprises potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         10 . A method of deicing or anti-icing a surface, said method comprising adding to a surface a deicing or ant-icing agent comprising at least 5 percent by weight of (a) plus (b) and consisting essentially of (a) glycerol; and (b) an acid salt selected from the group consisting of a carboxylic acid potassium salt, a hydroxycarboxylic acid potassium salt, a dicarboxylic acid potassium salt, a carbonic acid potassium salt and mixtures thereof; and, optionally, (c) water, and/or (d) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a deicing material selected from the group consisting of citrate salts, amino acids, amino acid salts, boric acid, boric acid salts, lignin components, gluconic acid salts, monosaccharides, hydrocarbyl aldosides selected from the group consisting of furanosides, maltosides, maltotriosides, glucopyranosides, non-alkyl glucosides and sorbitol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         11 . A method as defined in  claim 10  wherein said carboxylic acid potassium salt comprises potassium acetate.  
     
     
         12 . A method as defined in  claim 10  wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid salt comprises potassium lactate.  
     
     
         13 . A method of deicing or anti-icing a surface, said method comprising adding to a surface a deicing or anti-icing agent comprising at least 5 weight percent of (a) plus (b) and consisting essentially of (a) a glycol; and (b) an acid salt selected from the group consisting of a C 1 -C 4  carboxylic acid salt, a C 2 -C 4  hydroxycarboxylic acid salt, a C 1 -C 4  dicarboxylic acid salt, a carbonic acid salt and mixtures thereof; and, optionally, (c) water, and/or (d) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a deicing material selected from the group consisting of glycerol, citrate salts, amino acids, amino acid salts, boric acid, boric acid salts, lignin components, gluconic acid salts, monosaccharides, hydrocarbyl aldosides selected from the group consisting of furanosides, maltosides, maltotriosides, glucopyranosides, non-alkyl glucosides and sorbitol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         14 . A method as defined in  claim 13  wherein said C 1 -C 4  carboxylic acid salt comprises potassium acetate.  
     
     
         15 . A method as defined in  claim 13  wherein said C 2 -C 4  hydroxycarboxylic acid salt comprises potassium lactate or sodium lactate.  
     
     
         16 . A method of deicing and/or anti-icing a surface, said method comprising adding to a surface a deicing and/or anti-icing agent comprising at least 10 percent by weight of (a) plus (b) and consisting essentially of (a) a glycol; and (b) at least 3 percent by weight of a carbonic acid salt; and, optionally, (c) water, and/or (d) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a deicing material selected from the group consisting of glycerol, citrate salts, amino acids, amino acid salts, boric acid, boric acid salts, lignin components, gluconic acid salts, monosaccharides, hydrocarbyl aldosides selected from the group consisting of furanosides, maltosides, maltotriosides, glucopyranosides, non-alkyl glucosides and sorbitol, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         17 . A method as defined in  claim 16  wherein said acid salt comprises a carbonic acid salt.  
     
     
         18 . A method as defined in  claim 16  wherein said carbonic acid salt comprises potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         19 . A method of deicing and/or anti-icing a surface, said method comprising adding to a said surface a deicing and/or anti-icing agent comprising at least 5 percent by weight of (a) plus (b) and consisting essentially of (a) a hydroxyl-containing organic compound selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl aldosides, glycols, monosaccharides, glycerol and mixtures thereof, and (b) a carbonic acid potassium salt; and, optionally, (c) water, and/or (d) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a deicing material selected from the group consisting of citrate salts, amino acids, amino acid salts, boric acid, boric acid salts, lignin components, gluconic acid salts and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         20 . A method as defined in  claim 19  wherein said carbonic acid potassium salt is selected from the group consisting of potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         21 . A deicing and/or anti-icing agent comprising (a) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a hydroxycarboxylic acid salt selected from the group consisting of a salt of lactic acid, a salt of glycolic acid, a salt of gluconic acid, a salt of succinic acid and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         22 . An agent as defined in  claim 21  wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid salt comprises a sodium or potassium salt of lactic acid.  
     
     
         23 . An agent as defined in  claim 21  wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid salt comprises a sodium or potassium salt of glycolic acid.  
     
     
         24 . An agent as defined in  claim 21  wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid salt comprises a sodium or potassium salt of gluconic acid.  
     
     
         25 . An agent as defined in  claim 21  wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid salt or salts are contained in or derived from an industrial or agricultural process stream.  
     
     
         26 . An agent as defined in  claim 25  wherein said agent is prepared by reacting at least a portion of hydroxycarboxylic acids contained in an industrial or agricultural process stream to form hydroxycarboxylic acid salts.  
     
     
         27 . An agent as defined in  claim 21  further comprising (b) a effective freezing point lowering amount of a freezing point lowering compound selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid salts, dicarboxylic acid salts, amino acids, salts of amino acids, lignin components, boric acid, salts of boric acid, glycol, glycerol, hydrocarbyl aldosides, monosaccharides and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         28 . An agent as defined in  claim 27  wherein said component (b) comprises a hydrocarbyl aldoside selected from the group consisting of furanosides, maltosides, maltotriosides, glucopyranosides, non-alkyl glucosides, sorbitol and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         29 . A method of deicing and/or anti-icing a surface, said method comprising treating said surface with a deicing and/or anti-icing agent comprising an effective freezing point lowering amount of a sodium or potassium salt of lactic acid.  
     
     
         30 . A method as defined in  claim 29  wherein said surface comprises an aircraft runway, taxiway or parking area.  
     
     
         31 . A method as defined in  claim 29  wherein said deicing and/or anti-icing agent further comprising an effective freezing point lowering amount of a freezing point lowering compound selected from the group consisting of glycerol, glycol, citrate salts, amino acids, amino acid salts, boric acid, boric acid salts, lignin components, gluconic acid salts, monosaccharides, hydrocarbyl aldosides, carboxylic acid salts, dicarboxylic acid salts, carbonic acid salts and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         32 . A method as defined in  claim 29  wherein said salts of lactic acid are contained in or derived from an industrial and/or agricultural process stream.  
     
     
         33 . A method as defined in  claim 32  wherein said salts of lactic acid are produced by reacting lactic acid contained in or derived from an industrial or agricultural process stream to form hydroxycarboxylic acid salts.  
     
     
         34 . A method for maintaining a liquid in an unfrozen state, said method comprising adding to said liquid an agent comprising (a) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a compound selected from the group consisting of hydroxycarboxylic acid esters, hydrocarbyl aldosides and mixtures thereof, and (b) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a freezing point lowering additive selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid salts, hydroxycarboxylic acid salts, dicarboxylic acid salts, carbonic acid salts, amino acids, amino acid salts, boric acid, boric acid salts, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         35 . A method as defined in  claim 34  wherein said hydrocarbyl aldoside is selected from the group consisting of furanosides, maltosides, maltotriosides, glucopyranosides, non-alkyl glucosides, sorbitol and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         36 . A method for transferring heat said method comprising utilizing a heat transfer fluid prepared by a method comprising an agent comprising (a) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a compound selected from the group consisting of hydroxycarboxylic acid esters, hydrocarbyl aldosides and mixtures thereof, and (b) an effective freezing point lowering amount of a freezing point lowering additive selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid salts, hydroxycarboxylic acid salts, dicarboxylic acid salts, carbonic acid salts, amino acids, amino acid salts, boric acid, boric acid salts, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         37 . A method as defined in  claim 36  wherein said hydrocarbyl aldoside is selected from the group consisting of furanosides, maltosides, maltotriosides, glucopyranosides, non-alkyl glucosides, sorbitol and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         38 . A method for anti-icing particles, said method comprising applying to the particle surfaces an anti-icing agent comprising (a) an effective amount of an anti-icing agent recovered from aircraft or airport runoff, and (b) an effective amount of an anti-icing agent selected from the group comprising a soluble salt, a hydrocarbyl aldoside, a monosaccharide and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         39 . A method as defined in  claim 38  wherein said anti-icing agent recovered from aircraft or airport runoff is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, glycerol, hydrocarbyl aldosides or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         40 . A method as defined in  claim 38  wherein said hydrocarbyl aldoside is selected from the group comprising furanosides, maltosides, maltotriosides, glucopyranosides, non-alkyl glucosides, sorbitol and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         41 . A method as defined in  claim 38  wherein said soluble salt is selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid salts, hydroxycarboxylic acid salts, dicarboxylic acid salts, carbonic acid salts and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         42 . A method as defined in  claim 41  wherein said carboxylic acid salt comprises sodium acetate, potassium acetate or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         43 . A method as defined in  claim 41  wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid salt comprises sodium lactate, potassium lactate or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         44 . A method as defined in  claim 41  wherein said carbonic acid salt is selected from the group comprising sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         45 . A method as defined in  claim 38  wherein said soluble salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and mixtures thereof.