Environmentally benign anti-icing or deicing fluids employing industrial streams comprising hydroxycarboxylic acid salts and/or other effective deicing/anti-icing agents

Abstract

The present invention provides novel deicing and anti-icing compositions and methods based on by-produce of off-specification materials from biodegradable and renewable sources and which also can be used in a variety of other services.

1 . A deicing and/or anti-icing composition for application to solids or liquids, said composition comprising: 
 (i) a stream comprising soluble organic acid salts and/or esters of acids selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, glycolic acid, citric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid and mixtures thereof produced during the course of a fermentation process selected from the group of: fermentation of sugars and/or starches to produce acids selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, glycolic acid, citric acid, gluconic acid, succinic acid and mixtures thereof; and fermentation processes yielding cornsteep water or cheese whey, said salts and/or esters being formed by reaction with organic acids produced by said fermentation process, which reaction comprises neutralization with an alkali selected from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and mixtures thereof, or reaction with organic acids contained in an effluent from said fermentation process, which reaction comprises esterification by alcoholysis or ester exchange;    (ii) streams comprising biodegradable, soluble organic acid salts and/or esters comprising or produced from monomers, intermediates and/or polymers contained in or derived from waste streams derived from polymerization processes selected from the group consisting of processes for production of polylactates, polysuccinates, PTT, polycaprolactone, lignin-based biodegradable polymers, soy and other protein based polymers, polymers based on synthetic genes and biodegradable polymers from soy beans,    (iii) streams comprising polyhydroxy compounds selected from the group consisting of streams from corn syrup conversion processes and fermentation processes for production of diols during the course of a fermentation and/or enzyme catalyzed reaction process, or    (iv) mixtures of two or more of i, ii and iii and; optionally,    (v) water.    
   
   
       2 . (canceled)  
   
   
       3 . (canceled)  
   
   
       4 . (canceled)  
   
   
       5 . A composition as defined in  claim 1  wherein the salts or esters of streams (i) further are concentrated.  
   
   
       6 . A composition as defined in  claim 5  wherein said concentration comprises a process selected from the group consisting of extraction, absorption, membrane separation, crystallization, evaporation and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       7 . (canceled)  
   
   
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       9 . (canceled)  
   
   
       10 . A composition as defined in  claim 1  wherein said composition further comprises an effective freezing point lowering amount of an additive comprising (a) a hydroxyl-containing organic compound selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl aldosides; hydrogenation products of sugars, monosaccharides, maltodextrins and sucrose; glycols; monosaccharides and mixtures thereof, and/or (b) an acid salt selected from the group consisting of a carbonic acid salt, a carboxylic acid salt, a hydroxycarboxylic acid salt, a dicarboxylic acid salt and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       11 . A composition as defined in  claim 10  wherein said additive is present in an amount ranging from about 0.5 to about 95 weight percent based on the weight of the composition and additive combined.  
   
   
       12 . A composition as defined in  claim 10  wherein said hydrocarbyl aldoside comprises an alkyl aldoside.  
   
   
       13 . A composition as defined in  claim 12  wherein said alkyl aldoside is selected from the group consisting of alkyl glucosides, alkyl furanosides, alkyl maltosides, alkyl maltotriosides, alkylglucopyranosides and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       14 . A composition as defined in  claim 10  wherein said hydrocarbyl aldoside comprises a disaccharide, a polysaccharide or mixtures therof.  
   
   
       15 . A composition as defined in  claim 10  wherien said hydrogenation product of sugars comprises sorbitol, maltitol, xylitol, mannitol or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       16 . A composition as defined in  claim 10  wherein said glycols comprise ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol or mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       17 . A composition as defined in  claim 10  wherein said glycols are recovered from airport aircraft deicing/anti-icing operations.  
   
   
       18 . A composition as defined in  claim 10  wherein said monosaccharide is selected from the group consisting of glucose, fructose and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       19 . A composition as defined in  claim 10  wherein said carboxylic acid salt is selected from the group consisting of potassium or sodium salts of formats, acetates, propionates, butyrates and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       20 . A composition as defined in  claim 10  wherein said hydroxycarboxylic acid salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium and potassium salts of lactic acid, gluconic acid and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       21 . A composition as defined in  claim 10  wherein said dicarboxylic acid salt is selected from the group consisting of oxalates, malonates, succinates, glutarates, adipates, maleates, fumarates and mixtures of any of the foregoing.  
   
   
       22 . A composition as defined in  claim 10  wherein said carbonic acid salt is selected from the group consisting of potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and mixtures of any of the foregoing  
   
   
       23 . A composition as defined in  claim 1  wherein said composition further is combined with an effective freezing point reducing amount of an industrial or agricultural process stream.  
   
   
       24 . A composition as defined in  claim 23  wherein said industrial or agricultural process stream is selected from the group of grain stillage, wood stillage, grain steepwaters, products of agricultural or milk fermentation processes, cheese whey, cane or beet sugar extraction processes and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       25 . A composition as defined in  claim 1  wherein said composition further is combined with an effective freezing point reducing amount of an organic component selected from the group consisting of ethyl lactate, glycerol lactate, glycerin carbonate, pipecolic acid and its esters, citrate salts and esters, amino acids, amino acid salts, lignin components, boric acid, boric acid salts, sodium citrate, lysine glutamate, sodium pyrrolidone carboxylate, sodium glucoheptonate, lignin sulfonate and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       26 . A composition as defined in  claim 1  wherein said composition further is combined with an effective freezing point reducing amount of an inorganic salt.  
   
   
       27 . A composition as defined in  claim 26  wherein said inorganic salt is selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium phosphates, sodium phosphates, ammonium phosphates, ammonium nitrates, alkaline earth nitrates, magnesium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, alkali sulfates and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       28 . A method of deicing and/or anti-icing a surface, said method comprising applying to said surface a composition as defined in  claim 1 .  
   
   
       29 . A method as in  claim 28  wherein said surface is selected from the group consisting of pedestrian walkways, vehicular roadways, highways, bridges and parking facilities, aircraft surfaces comprising wings, fuselage or tail surfaces, airport runways or taxiways, decks or superstructure of ships, weather exposed industrial equipment, exposed construction sites, surfaces of particles selected from the group consisting of coal, ores, sand and gravel.  
   
   
       30 . A method as in  claim 29  wherein said industrial equipment is selected from the group consisting of conveyor systems; storage facilities, support systems and lines for transmission of electric power or electronic signals; exposed machinery and exposed processing equipment.  
   
   
       31 . (canceled)  
   
   
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       35 . (canceled)  
   
   
       36 . (canceled)  
   
   
       37 . (canceled)  
   
   
       38 . A method for deicing and/or anti-icing comprising applying a composition as defined in  claim 1  in a solid format.  
   
   
       39 . A method as in  claim 38  wherein said solid format comprises said composition absorbed or adsorbed onto an inert solid or binder.  
   
   
       40 . A method as in  claim 39  wherein said inert solid or binder is selected from the group consisting of cinders, sand, sawdust, gravel and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       41 . A method as in  claim 39  wherein said solid format comprises said deicing or anti-icing composition absorbed or adsorbed onto a solid deicing material.  
   
   
       42 . A method as in  claim 41  wherein said solid deicing material is selected from the group consisting of sugars, maltodextrins, inorganic salts, organic salts and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       43 . A method as in  claim 42  wherein said inorganic salts are selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, trona and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       44 . A method as in  claim 42  wherein said organic salts are selected from the group consisting of sodium or potassium salts of formic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, calcium magnesium acetate and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       45 . A method as in  claim 39  wherein the solid format is achieved by processing said composition employing a procedure for converting a liquid to a solid.  
   
   
       46 . A method as in  claim 45  wherein said procedure is selected from the group consisting of pelletizing, prilling, flaking, macerating and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       47 . A method as defined in  claim 1  further comprising a corrosion inhibitor.  
   
   
       48 . A composition as defined in  claim 47  wherein said corrosion inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of inhibitors comprising salts of gluconic acid, inhibitors comprising monocarboxylic acid salts and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       49 . A composition as defined in  claim 1  further comprising materials to provide traction for vehicular traffic.  
   
   
       50 . A composition as in  claim 49  wherein said solid materials are selected from the group consisting of sand, gravel, abrasives, salt and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       51 . A method for preventing frost damage to vegetation, said method comprising applying a composition as in  claim 1  to said vegetation.  
   
   
       52 . A method as in  claim 51  wherein said vegetation comprises pre-harvest fruits and vegetables, buds of fruit trees, recreational surfaces or golf greens.  
   
   
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