Methods of producing a gas

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods of producing a gas, the methods comprising dynamically mixing dry particles comprising a precursor and dry particles comprising a proton-generating species for an amount of time to produce the gas and wherein the gas is produced at a rate that is controlled by controlling the rate at which the dry particles comprising the precursor and the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are dynamically mixed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of producing a gas, the method comprising:
 dynamically mixing dry particles comprising a precursor and dry particles comprising a proton-generating species for an amount of time to produce the gas;   wherein the gas is produced at a rate that is controlled by controlling the rate at which the dry particles comprising the precursor and the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are dynamically mixed during the amount of time, the rate at which the dry particles comprising the precursor and the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are dynamically mixed being the mixing rate;   wherein the dry precursor particles comprise a chlorine dioxide precursor and the gas comprises chlorine dioxide; the dry precursor particles comprise a carbon dioxide precursor and the gas comprises carbon dioxide; or a combination thereof; and   wherein when the gas is chlorine dioxide 80% or more of the precursor is converted to the gas.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas is chlorine dioxide. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the chlorine dioxide precursor comprises a chlorine dioxide-producing compound selected from the group consisting of a metal chlorite, a metal chlorate, chloric acid, hypochlorous acid, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas is carbon dioxide and from 1% to 75% of the precursor is converted to the gas. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the carbon dioxide precursor comprises a carbon-containing compound selected from the group consisting of carbonates, bicarbonates, sesquicarbonates, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the dry particles comprising the precursor further comprise a porous carrier selected from the group consisting of zeolite crystals, silica, pumice, diatomaceous earth, bentonite, and clay, and the precursor is impregnated in the porous carrier;   the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species further comprise a porous carrier selected from the group consisting of zeolite crystals, silica, pumice, diatomaceous earth, bentonite, and clay, and the proton-generating species is impregnated in the porous carrier; or   a combination thereof.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dry particles comprising the precursor include from 1% to 50% by weight of the precursor, wherein the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species include from 1% to 50% by weight of the proton-generating species, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the proton-generating species comprises an organic acid and/or an inorganic acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, propionic acid, sulfuric acid, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the proton-generating species comprises a metal salt selected from the group consisting of ferric chloride, ferric sulfate, CaCl 2 , ZnSO 4 , ZnCl 2 , CoSO 4 , CoCl 2 , MnSO 4 , MnCl 2 , CuSO 4 , CuCl 2 , MgSO 4 , sodium acetate, sodium citrate, sodium sulfate, sodium bisulfate, hydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dry particles comprising the precursor and dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are dynamically mixed in a mixer selected from the group consisting of a tumbler, a vibratory mixer, a rotary mixer, a marinator mixer, and a stirrer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dry particles comprising the precursor and dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are dynamically mixed in a mixer selected from the group consisting of a tumbler, a rotary mixer, a marinator mixer, and a stirrer, and wherein the mixing rate is from 1 revolution per day (RPD) to 100 revolutions per minute (RPM). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dry particles comprising the precursor and dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are dynamically mixed in a vibratory mixer and the mixing rate is from 1 Hertz (Hz) to 20 kilohertz (kHz). 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dry particles comprising the precursor and dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are dynamically mixed for a first amount of time at a first mixing rate, after which the dry particles comprising the precursor and dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are dynamically mixed for a second amount of time at a second mixing rate, the second mixing rate being different than the first mixing rate. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of time the dry particles comprising the precursor and the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are dynamically mixed is from 1 minute to 24 hours. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dynamically mixing the dry particles comprising the precursor and the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species comprises:
 providing a first portion of the dry particles comprising the precursor and the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species;   dynamically mixing the first portion of the dry particles comprising the precursor and the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species to form a mixture,   providing a second portion of the dry particles comprising the precursor; and   dynamically mixing the second portion of the dry particles comprising the precursor and the mixture.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein dynamically mixing the dry particles comprising the precursor and the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species comprises:
 providing the dry particles comprising the precursor and a first portion of the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species;   dynamically mixing the dry particles comprising the precursor and the first portion of the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species to form a mixture,   providing a second portion of the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species; and   dynamically mixing the second portion of the dry particles comprising the proton generating species and the mixture.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dry particles comprising the precursor are provided continuously over the amount of time that the dry particles comprising the precursor and dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are dynamically mixed. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are provided continuously over the amount of time that the dry particles comprising the precursor and dry particles comprising the proton-generating species are dynamically mixed. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising milling, crushing, abrading, or a combination thereof the dry particles comprising the precursor and dry particles comprising the proton-generating species. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising dynamically mixing an abrasive particle, a deliquescent, a desiccant, or a combination thereof with the dry particles comprising the precursor and dry particles comprising the proton-generating species.