Methods and apparatus for laundering with aqueous and non-aqueous working fluid

Abstract

A method and apparatus for laundering including the steps of adding a wash liquor including an aqueous working fluid to a fabric load, processing the fabric load with the wash liquor to treat the fabric load, measuring the concentration of at least one non-aqueous fluid in the wash liquor, maintaining the concentration of the non-aqueous fluid below a predetermined acceptable level, and disposing of the wash liquor are disclosed as well as novel fluid plumbing for a laundering device using wash liquors including non-aqueous fluids.

1 . A method of laundering a fabric load comprising the steps of: 
 a. Adding a first wash liquor to a fabric load wherein the first wash liquor includes an aqueous working fluid;    b. Optionally, adding wash additives to said wash liquor    c. Processing the fabric load with said first wash liquor to treat the fabric load resulting in a second wash liquor;    d. Measuring the concentration of at least one non-aqueous fluid in said second wash liquor;    e. If concentration of non-aqueous fluid exceeds a predetermined acceptable level, then process the second wash liquor to reduce the concentration to below the predetermined acceptable level to create a third and fourth wash liquors; and    f. Disposing of said third and fourth wash liquors.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the aqueous working fluid is characterized by having hansen solubility parameters (expressed in dynes/cm) with one of the following properties: 
 a. A polarity greater than 6; and    b. Hydrogen bonding greater than 15.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said processing step comprises adding mechanical energy to provide relative movement between said wash liquor and said fabric load whereby the mechanical energy is selected from the following: tumbling, agitating, impelling, nutating, counter-rotating the drum, liquid jets that spray fluids thus moving the fabric, vibration, oscillation, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising prior to said reducing step, the steps of removing a substantial portion of said wash liquor from said fabric load by one of the following: centrifugation, liquid extraction, capillarity, the application of a vacuum, the application of forced heated drying gas, the application of pressurized drying gas, simply allowing gravity to draw the wash liquor from the fabric load, the application of moisture absorbing materials, the addition of a drying gas, the addition of heated drying gas, heated extraction, addition of pressure, direct compression, indirect compression, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said at least one non-aqueous fluid is selected from: terpenes, halohydrocarbons, glycol ethers, polyols, ethers, esters of glycol ethers, esters of fatty acids and other long chain carboxylic acids, fatty alcohols and other long chain alcohols, short-chain alcohols, polar aprotic solvents, siloxanes, hydrofluoroethers, dibasic esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, glycol ether acetates, ionic liquids, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       6 . the method of  claim 5  wherein the non-aqueous fluid is further selected from the group consisting of, but not limited to: decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, dodecamethylpentasiloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, decamethyltetrasiloxane, dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether, dipropylene glycol n-propyl ether, dipropylene glycol tertiary-butyl ether, propylene glycol n-butyl ether, propylene glycol n-propyl ether, tripropylene methyl ether, methoxynonafluorobutane, ethoxynonafluorobutane, hfe-7300, carbon dioxide, i-propyl myristate, soy clear methyl esters, ethyl hexyl lactate, and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       7 . the method of  claim 1  wherein said step of determining the concentration of at least one non-aqueous fluid is selected from the following techniques: pressure, turbidity, conductivity, humidity, infrared, ultrasonic, shaped electromagnetic fields, float sensing, laser deflection, petrotape/chemtape, electric field imaging, capacitive, non-dispersive infrared, solid state, acoustic wave, metal oxide semiconductors, refractive index, ph, ionic strength, oxidation reduction potential, and mixtures thereof.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said predetermined acceptable level of non-aqueous working fluid is 2% per liter of wash liquor.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of directing the at least one non-aqueous fluid through a recovery process which includes at least one filter.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of disposing of said wash liquor(s) is selected from directing the wash liquor(s) to a drain and directing the wash liquor(s) to a filter.  
   
   
       11 . An apparatus for laundering fabrics comprising: 
 a. A chamber for receiving fabric to be laundered as well as working fluids;    b. An aqueous working fluid source;    c. A non-aqueous working fluid source;    d. Single plumbed conduit lines wherethrough an aqueous, non-aqueous working fluid, and/or mixtures thereof move; and    e. A means for separating said aqueous and non-aqueous working fluids.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the aqueous working fluid source is a traditional water supply line from the residence.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein there are more than one non-aqueous working fluid sources.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the non-aqueous working fluids can be selected from the group including but not limited to: terpenes, halohydrocarbons, glycol ethers, polyols, ethers, esters of glycol ethers, esters of fatty acids and other long chain carboxylic acids, fatty alcohols and other long chain alcohols, short-chain alcohols, polar aprotic solvents, siloxanes, hydrofluoroethers, dibasic esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, ionic liquids, glycol ether acetates, or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the single plumbed conduit lines are compatible with the aqueous and non-aqueous working fluids.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the single plumbed conduit lines include a device for cleaning out a substantial portion of remaining working fluids to prevent substantial cross-contamination.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the single plumbed conduit lines may contain a pair of coaxial lines within the conduit line.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein a means for separating includes at least one filter.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein a means for separating further includes a means for collecting contaminants for disposal.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 18  wherein after separating said non-aqueous working fluid, the non-aqueous working fluid is returned to the non-aqueous working fluid source.