Evaporation-Resistant Coating
AssigneePowdermet, Inc.
InventorsAndrew Sherman, Haixong Tang, Nicholas Farkas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved evaporation barrier that incorporates multifunctional particles to reduce evaporation. The improved evaporation barrier is typically in liquid form. The improved evaporation barrier is formed of a mixture of one or more alkanes and a reflective and/or non-reflective material. The improved evaporation barrier can optionally include a nonvolatile oil in combination with the alkane. The reflective and/or non-reflective material can be optionally surface functionalized. The improved evaporation barrier can optionally include a hydrophobic compound.
Claims44
An evaporation barrier formulated to be added to an aqueous phase so as to inhibit evaporation of the aqueous phase, said evaporation barrier comprising:
- a water-insoluble liquid having a density of less than 1 g/cc;
- and,
- an impermeable solid material, wherein said impermeable solid material is a flake, particle, microballoon, and/or microball, at least 20% of said impermeable solid material remains suspended in said water-insoluble liquid for at least 1 day after being mixed with said water-insoluble liquid.
The evaporation barrier as defined in 1, wherein said impermeable solid material includes one or more non-reflective materials selected from the group consisting of an optically transparent or translucent material such as glass or polymeric flakes, glass, ceramic, or polymeric microballoons and/or microballs, silica, and mica.
27-33. (canceled)
An evaporation barrier formulated to be added to an aqueous phase so as to inhibit evaporation of the aqueous phase so as to block at least 60% of water evaporation from the aqueous phase at a temperature up to about 85° C. where said evaporation barrier forms a continuous film on a top surface of said aqueous phase, said aqueous phase is water, saltwater, brine, or fracking fluid that is located in a pond, tank, retention pond, reservoir, basin, lake, open retention container, or storage container for use in oil and gas operations, said evaporation barrier comprising:
- a water-insoluble liquid having a density of less than 1 g/cc, said water-insoluble liquid has a viscosity of less than 400 cP at 25° C., said water-insoluble liquid includes one or more components selected from the group of hydrocarbons (e.g., alkanes, from C8-C30, including paraffin oils, mineral oils, JP8, fuel oil, heating oil, vegetable oil such as soybean oil, linseed oil, canola oil, or other vegetable oil, etc.), silicones, silicon oil, and mineral oil;
- said hydrocarbons including one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of alkane and hydrocarbon chains of C8-C30, said hydrocarbon chains of C8-C30 including one or more materials selected from the group consisting of paraffin oil, mineral oil, kerosene-based fuel, fuel oil, heating oil, and vegetable oil;
- and,
- an impermeable solid material, said impermeable solid material is a flake, particle, microballoon, and/or microball, said impermeable solid material is at a concentration of 0.5-40 vol. % of said evaporation barrier, at least 20% of said impermeable solid material remains suspended in said water-insoluble liquid for at least one day after being mixed with said water-insoluble liquid.
The evaporation barrier as defined in 34, wherein said impermeable solid material includes a) one or more non-reflective materials selected from the group consisting of an optically transparent or translucent material such as glass or polymeric flakes, glass, ceramic, or polymeric microballoons and/or microballs, silica, and mica, b) one or more materials selected from the group of mica flakes, glass flakes, glass microspheres, ceramic microspheres, polymer flakes, polymer microspheres, calcite, gypsum/selenite, lucite, magnesium carbonate, zeolite, montmotillionite, kaolin, feldspar, polypropylene, polyacytal, and acrylic, c) one or more reflective materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloy, magnesium, magnesium alloy, metallized particle, material coated with a reflective pigment, microballoon, coated microballoon, microball, and coated microball, and/or d) one or more materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum particles, aluminum flakes, aluminum alloy particles, aluminum alloy flakes, magnesium particles, magnesium flakes, and magnesium alloy particles.
The evaporation barrier as defined in 35, wherein said impermeable solid material includes a) one or more non-reflective materials selected from the group consisting of an optically transparent or translucent material such as glass or polymeric flakes, glass, ceramic, or polymeric microballoons and/or microballs, silica, and mica, b) one or more materials selected from the group of mica flakes, glass flakes, glass microspheres, ceramic microspheres, polymer flakes, polymer microspheres, calcite, gypsum/selenite, lucite, magnesium carbonate, zeolite, montmotillionite, kaolin, feldspar, polypropylene, polyacytal, and acrylic, c) one or more reflective materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum, aluminum alloy, magnesium, magnesium alloy, metallized particle, material coated with a reflective pigment, microballoon, coated microballoon, microball, and coated microball, and/or d) one or more materials selected from the group consisting of aluminum particles, aluminum flakes, aluminum alloy particles, aluminum alloy flakes, magnesium particles, magnesium flakes, and magnesium alloy particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.