Title: Method and composition for neutralizing static electricity

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Claims: What is claimed is:

1. A process for imparting an electrical charge to an atmosphere, said process comprising contacting said atmosphere with an aqueous solution by spraying said aqueous solution into said atmosphere, wherein said aqueous solution consists essentially of:

(A) about 0.5 to about 20 ppm of at least one quaternary ammonium compound of the formula ##STR5## wherein (1) each of the R-groups is the same and is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.3 to C.sub.8 substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic or cyclic groups; or

(2) one or two of the R-groups are independently selected from C.sub.8 to C.sub.18 substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic or cyclic groups and the remaining R-groups are independently selected from substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1 to C.sub.2 groups; X is an inorganic anion; n equals 1, 2 or 3; said quaternary ammonium compound being soluble in water to an extent of at least about 0.5 ppm at about 20.degree. C.; and

(B) about 0.5 to about 50 ppm of at least one surfactant capable of being dissolved in water having a surface tension against air of about 72.75 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. to thereby form a surfactant solution having a surface tension against air of about 38 to about 60 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. when said surfactant solution contains about 0.0005 to about 0.1 weight percent of said surfactant; and said surfactant and said quaternary ammonium compound are in a weight ratio of surfactant:quaternary ammonium compound of about 1:1 to about 10:1, and

wherein the resulting treated atmosphere is capable of simultaneously neutralizing positive and negative static electrical charges on objects with which said treated atmosphere comes in contact.

2. Process according to claim 1 in which each of said R-groups is a branched or straight chain aliphatic group.

3. Process according to claim 1 wherein each of said R-groups is an unsubstituted aliphatic group.

4. Process according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said R-groups is an unsaturated alkyl group.

5. Process according to claim 1 in which at least one of said R-groups is substituted by at least one member selected from the group consisting of ##STR6## groups and in which said quaternary ammonium compound is capable of forming micelles in aqueous solution.

6. Process according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said R-groups is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group.

7. Process according to claim 1 wherein each of said R-groups is a C.sub.4 H.sub.9 --group and X is bromide.

8. Process according to claim 7 wherein each of the R-groups is identical.

9. Process according to claim 1 in which X is a chloride, fluoride, bromide, iodide, sulfate, nitrate or phosphate ion.

10. Process according to claim 1 in which said surfactant is selected from the group consisting of

(a) a nonionic surfactant having an HLB number of 6.6,

(b) a nonionic surfactant having an HLB number of 3.0,

(c) an amphoteric caprylic dicarboxylate imidazoline derivative surfactant,

(d) a nonionic modified oxyethylated straight chain alcohol surfactant, and

(e) an anionic sodium sulfonate.

11. Process according to claim 1 in which said weight ratio of surfactant to quaternary ammonium compound is about 5:1.

12. A composition comprising an aqueous solution consisting essentially of:

(A) about 0.5 to about 20 ppm of at least one quaternary ammonium compound of the formula: ##STR7## wherein (1) each of the R-groups is the same and is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.3 to C.sub.8 substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic or cyclic groups; or

(2) one or two of the R-groups are independently selected from C.sub.8 to C.sub.18 substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic or cyclic groups and the remaining R-groups are independently selected from substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1 to C.sub.2 groups;

X is an inorganic anion; n equals 1, 2 or 3; said quaternary ammonium compound being soluble in water to an extent of at least about 0.5 ppm at about 20.degree. C.; and

(B) about 0.5 to about 50 ppm of at least one surfactant capable of being dissolved in water having a surface tension against air of about 72.75 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. to thereby form a surfactant solution having a surface tension against air of about 38 to about 60 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. when said surfactant solution contains about 0.0005 to about 0.1 weight percent of said surfactant; and said surfactant and said quaternary ammonium compound are in a weight ratio of surfactant:quaternary ammonium compound of about 1:1 to about 10:1, and

wherein said aqueous solution is capable of being sprayed into a first atmosphere to form a second atmosphere capable of simultaneously neutralizing positive and negative static electrical charges on objects in contact with said second atmosphere.

13. Composition according to claim 12 in which each of said R-groups is a branched or straight chain aliphatic group.

14. Composition according to claim 12 wherein each of said R-groups is an unsubstituted aliphatic group.

15. Composition according to claim 12 wherein at least one of said R-groups is an unsaturated alkyl group.

16. Composition according to claim 12 in which at least one of said R-groups is substituted by at least one member selected from the group consisting of ##STR8## groups, and in which said quaternary ammonium compound is capable of forming micelles in aqueous solution.

17. Composition according to claim 12 wherein at least one of said R-groups is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group.

18. Composition according to claim 12 wherein each of said R-groups is a C.sub.4 H.sub.9 -group and X is bromide.

19. Composition according to claim 18 wherein each of the R-groups is identical.

20. Composition according to claim 12 in which X is a chloride, fluoride, bromide, iodide, sulfate, nitrate or phosphate ion.

21. Composition according to claim 12 wherein said surfactant is selected from the group consisting of

(a) a nonionic surfactant having an HLB number of 6.6,

(b) a nonionic surfactant having an HLB number of 3.0,

(c) an amphoteric caprylic dicarboxylate imidazoline derivative surfactant,

(d) a nonionic modified oxyethylated straight chain alcohol surfactant, and

(e) an anionic sodium sulfonate.

22. Composition according to claim 12 in which said surfactant is comprised of a mixture of

(a) an amphoteric caprylic dicarboxylate imidazoline derivative surfactant, and

(b) a nonionic modified oxyethylated straight chain alcohol surfactant.

23. Composition according to claim 12 in which said weight ratio of surfactant to quaternary ammonium compound is about 5:1.

24. A process for simultaneously neutralizing positive and negative static electric charges on objects, said process comprising contacting a gaseous atmosphere with an aqueous solution by spraying said aqueous solution into said gaseous atmosphere, wherein said aqueous solution consists essentially of:

(A) about 0.5 to about 20 ppm of at least one quaternary ammonium compound of the formula ##STR9## wherein (1) each of the R-groups is the same and is selected from the group consisting of C.sub.3 to C.sub.8 substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic or cyclic groups; or

(2) one or two of the R-groups are independently selected from C.sub.8 to C.sub.18 substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic or cyclic groups and the remaining R-groups are independently selected from substituted or unsubstituted C.sub.1 or C.sub.2 groups;

X is an inorganic anion; n equals 1, 2 or 3; said quaternary ammonium compound being soluble in water to an extent of at least about 0.5 ppm at about 20.degree. C; and

(B) about 0.5 to about 50 ppm of at least one surfactant capable of being dissolved in water having a surface tension against air of about 72.75 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. to thereby form a surfactant solution having a surface tension against air of about 38 to about 60 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. when said surfactant solution contains about 0.0005 to about 0.1 weight percent of said surfactant; and said surfactant and said quaternary ammonium compound are in a weight ratio of surfactant:quaternary ammonium compound of about 1:1 to about 10:1; wherein said surfactant consists essentially of a mixture of

(a) an amphoteric caprylic discarboxylate imidazoline derivative surfactant, and

(b) a nonionic modified oxyethylated straight chain alcohol surfactant; and wherein the resulting treated atmosphere is capable of simultaneously neutralizing positive and negative static electric charges on objects with which said treated atmosphere comes in contact.

25. A composition for controlling positive and negative static electric charges on objects, said composition consisting essentially of an aqueous solution of:

(A) about 0.5 to about 20 ppm tetrabutyl ammonium bromide, and

(B) about 0.5 to about 50 ppm of at least one surfactant capable of being dissolved in water having a surface tension against air of about 72.75 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. to thereby form a surfactant solution having a surface tension against air of about 38 to about 60 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. when said surfactant solution contains about 0.0005 to about 0.1 weight percent of said surfactant; and wherein said surfactant and said quaternary ammonium compound are in a weight ratio of surfactant:quaternary ammonium compound of about 1:1 to about 10:1; and wherein said surfactant is comprised of a mixture of

(a) an amphoteric caprylic dicarboxylate imidazoline derivative surfactant, and

(b) a nonionic modified oxyethylated straight chain alcohol surfactant; and

wherein said aqueous solution is capable of being sprayed into a first atmosphere to form a second atmosphere capable of simultaneously neutralizing positive and negative static electric charges on objects in contact with said second atmosphere.

26. A process for simultaneously neutralizing positive and negative static electric charges on objects, said process comprising

I. contacting an atmosphere with an aqueous solution by spraying said aqueous solution into said atmosphere, wherein said aqueous solution consists essentially of:

(A) about 0.5 to about 20 ppm of tetrabutyl ammonium bromide; and

(B) about 0.5 to about 50 ppm of at least one surfactant capable of being dissolved in water having a surface tension against air of about 72.75 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. to thereby form a surfactant solution having a surface tension against air of about 38 to about 60 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. when said surfactant solution contains about 0.0005 to about 0.1 weight percent of said surfactant; and said surfactant and said quaternary ammonium compound are in a weight ratio of surfactant:quaternary ammonium compound of about 1:1 to about 10:1, and

Ii. contacting objects having positive and negative static electric charges thereon with the resulting treated atmosphere from step I,

wherein the said treated atmosphere is capable of simultaneously neutralizing positive and negative static electric charges on said objects.

27. A process for imparting an electrical charge to an atmosphere, said process comprising contacting said atmosphere with an aqueous solution by spraying said aqueous solution into said atmosphere, wherein said aqueous solution consists essentially of:

(A) about 0.5 to about 20 ppm of tetrabutyl ammonium bromide; and

(B) about 0.5 to about 50 ppm of at least one surfactant capable of being dissolved in water having a surface tension against air of about 72.75 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. to thereby form a surfactant solution having a surface tension against air of about 38 to about 60 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. when said surfactant solution contains about 0.0005 to about 0.1 weight percent of said surfactant; and said surfactant and said quaternary ammonium compound are in a weight ratio of surfactant:quaternary ammonium compound of about 1:1 to about 10:1; wherein said surfactant is selected from the group consisting of

(1) a sodium methyl naphthalene sulfonate surfactant, and

(2) a polyoxyethylene compound terminated at each end of the molecule by hydrophilic polyoxyethylene groups, wherein sad polyoxyethylene compound has an HLB number of 6.6 and comprises a reaction product formed by condensing propylene oxide with propylene glycol; and

wherein the resulting treated atmosphere is capable of simultaneously neutralizing positive and negative static electrical charges on objects with which said treated atmosphere comes in contact.

28. A composition comprising an aqueous solution consisting essentially of:

(A) about 0.5 to about 20 ppm tetrabutyl ammonium bromide; and

(B) about 0.5 to about 50 ppm of at least one surfactant capable of being dissolved in water having a surface tension against air of about 72.75 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. to thereby form a surfactant solution having a surface tension against air of about 38 to about 60 dynes/cm at 20.degree. C. when said surfactant solution contains about 0.0005 to about 0.1 weight percent of said surfactant; and said surfactant and said quaternary ammonium compound are in a weight ratio of surfactant:quaternary ammonium compound of about 1:1 to about 10:1, wherein said surfactant is selected from the group consisting of

(1) a sodium methyl naphthalene sulfonate surfactant, and

(2) a polyoxyethylene compound terminated at each end of the molecule by hydrophilic polyoxyethylene groups, wherein said polyoxyethylene compound has an HLB number of 6.6 and comprises a reaction product formed by condensing propylene oxide with propylene glycol; and

wherein said aqueous solution is capable of being sprayed into a first atmosphere to form a second atmosphere capable of simultaneously neutralizing positive and negative static electrical charges on objects in contact with said second atmosphere.
Other info:

Inventors: Friedman, Jr., Lester A. (Atlanta, GA, US)
Faulkner, James D. (Atlanta, GA, US)
King, Jr., Allen D. (Athens, GA, US)

Application Number: 832862
Filing Date: 1977-09-13
Publication_date: 1979-05-01
Assignee: Lester Laboratories, Inc. (Atlanta, GA)
Primary Class(es): 516/6 252/8.81, 516/169, 516/174, 516/914, 516/915, 516/DIG7
Other Classes:
US Patent Ref:

3892669	Jul, 1975	Rapisarda et al.	252/547.
3924157	Dec, 1975	Peters et al.	361/225.
3939080	Feb, 1976	Martin	252/1.
3951879	Apr, 1976	Wixon	252/547.
3959155	May, 1976	Montgomery et al.	252/547.

Other Refs:
Primary Examiner: Padgett, Benjamin R.
Assistant Examiner: Parr, E. Suzanne
Attorney: Beveridge, DeGrandi, Kline and Lunsford