Methods and compositions for vapor suppression
AssigneeNanovapor Inc.
InventorsJames Leonard Rice, Chad James Unrau
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to vapor suppression of liquids through disposing a layer of surfactant onto the surfaces of liquids for surfactants having a density greater than the liquid and regardless of surface tension spreadability issues, and compositions comprising the surfactants in aerosolized form.
Claims51
A method for disposing a surfactant onto a bulk liquid to reduce evaporation of the bulk liquid, the method comprising:
- providing an aerosolized liquid surfactant composition having nano-sized liquid surfactant droplets ranging in size from about one micelle to about 1000 nm;
- depositing the aerosolized liquid surfactant composition onto the surface of the bulk liquid to form a self-assembled layer thereon thereby reducing evaporation of the bulk liquid, wherein the liquid surfactant composition has a bulk density greater than the bulk density of the bulk liquid;
- and
- decreasing the evaporation rate of the bulk liquid.
An aerosolized composition consisting essentially of:
- a non-ionic surfactant having an optionally branched C8 to C100 carbon chain,
- water in a concentration of about 1% w/v to about 50% w/v, and
- a polyglycol,
- wherein the polyglycol is present in a ratio of 10:1 by weight to 1:10 by weight relative to the total weight of surfactant, and wherein the mean droplet size ranges from a single micelle to 1000 nm.
A composition comprising:
- a bulk hydrocarbon liquid;
- a liquid surfactant composition disposed thereon having a thickness of 1 to about 1000 monolayers, the liquid surfactant composition consisting essentially of:
- a non-ionic surfactant having an optionally branched C8 to C100 carbon chain,
- water in a concentration of about 1% w/v to about 50% w/v, and
- a polyglycol, wherein the polyglycol is present in a ratio of 10:1 by weight to 1:10 by weight relative to the total weight of surfactant,
- wherein the liquid surfactant composition has a bulk density greater than a bulk density of the bulk hydrocarbon liquid.
A method for disposing a surfactant onto an evaporating surface to reduce evaporation from the evaporating surface, the method comprising:
- providing an aerosolized liquid surfactant composition having nano-sized droplets;
- depositing the aerosolized liquid surfactant composition onto the surface to form a layer thereon;
- and
- decreasing the evaporation rate from the evaporating surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.