Process for extracting liquid from a fabric

Abstract

A process extracts liquid from a fabric having a first content of liquid through the use of a mechanical extraction means and penetration of a surfactant monolayer created at the air-liquid interface of the first liquid contained in the fabric by a surfactant penetrant.

1 . A process of extracting liquid from a fabric having a first content of liquid, comprising: 
 creating a surfactant monolayer at an air-liquid interface of the liquid in the fabric, wherein the surfactant monolayer has a first surface tension;    penetrating the surfactant monolayer with a surfactant penetrant to reduce the surface tension at the air-liquid interface for a period of time;    subjecting the fabric to mechanical extraction during the period of time to reduce the liquid content of the fabric to a second liquid content.    
   
   
       2 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant monolayer comprises a surfactant selected from the group consisting of: anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant monolayer comprises hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide.  
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant penetrant comprises a surfactant selected from the group consisting of: anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, nonionic surfactants and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant penetrant comprises sodium tetradecyl sulfate.  
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the surfactant penetrant is delivered through a solution which has a concentration of from about 0.1 mM to about 50 mM sodium tetradecyl sulfate, and the amount of the surfactant penetrant delivered is from about 0.1 mmol to about 5 mmol for each m 2  of the total liquid surface area in the fabric.  
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 5 , wherein the surfactant penetrant is delivered through a solution which has a concentration of about 4 mM sodium tetradecyl sulfate, and the amount of the surfactant penetrant delivered is about 3.3 mmol for each m 2  of the total liquid surface area in the fabric.  
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant monolayer comprises dioctyldecyldimethylammonium bromide and sodium tetradecyl sulfate.  
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein the molecular ratio of the sodium tetradecyl sulfate to the dioctyldecyldimethylammonium bromide in the surfactant monolayer ranges from about 1:10 to about 1:3.  
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant monolayer is oppositely charged from the surfactant penetrant.  
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 1 , wherein the surfactant monolayer comprises two or more surfactants.  
   
   
       12 . A process of extracting liquid from a fabric having a first content of liquid, comprising: 
 creating a surfactant monolayer at an air-liquid interface of the liquid in the fabric, wherein the surfactant monolayer has a first surface tension;    penetrating the surfactant monolayer with a surfactant penetrant to reduce the surface tension at the air-liquid interface for a period of time;    subjecting the fabric to mechanical extraction during the period of time to reduce the liquid content of the fabric to a second liquid content;    wherein the surfactant monolayer comprises sodium tetradecyl sulfate and dioctyldecyldimethylammonium bromide in a molecular ratio of from about 1:10 to about 1:3; and    wherein the surfactant penetrant is delivered through a solution which comprises about 1 mM to about 5 mM sodium tetradecyl sulfate, and the amount of the surfactant penetrant delivered is from 0.1 mmol to about 5 mmol for each m 2  of the total liquid surface area in the fabric.    
   
   
       13 . A process of removing liquid from a surface having a first amount of liquid, comprising: 
 creating a surfactant monolayer at an air-liquid interface of the liquid on the surface, wherein the surfactant monolayer has a first surface tension and is free of fluorosurfacants or silicone surfactants;    penetrating the surfactant monolayer with a surfactant penetrant free of fluorosurfacants or silicone surfactants to reduce the first surface tension at the air-liquid interface for a period of time; and    subjecting the surface to mechanical extraction during the period of time to reduce the first amount of liquid to a second amount of liquid.    
   
   
       14 . A process of reducing the surface tension of a liquid, comprising: 
 creating a surfactant monolayer at an air-liquid interface of the liquid, wherein the surfactant monolayer has a first surface tension and is free of fluorosurfacants or silicone surfactants; and    penetrating the surfactant monolayer with a surfactant penetrant free of fluorosurfacants or silicone surfactants to reduce the first surface tension to about 1 mN/m to about 17.5 mN/m at the air-liquid interface for a period of time.