Solvent compositions for removing petroleum residue from a substrate and methods of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11001789-B2
Application number	US-201715782704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2017
Priority date	Mar 2, 2004
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

A method of cleaning highway and road construction equipment is disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of cleaning highway and road construction equipment comprising:
placing equipment on a perforated grid;
spraying a biodegradable solvent composition with a spray gun under pressure on a residue containing equipment thereby forming an aqueous sludge, wherein the solvent composition has a pH of about 7 ;
filtering the aqueous sludge through the perforated grid and thus separating insoluble contaminates;
subjecting the filtered aqueous sludge to a compressed gas and thereby separating the solvent composition from the residue; and
preparing the solvent composition for recycling or disposal,
wherein the solvent composition comprises:
40-60 weight % of an aromatic ester selected from the group consisting of: methyl benzoic acid ester, ethyl benzoic acid ester, n-propyl benzoic acid ester, isobutyl benzoic acid ester, n-butyl benzoic acid ester, tert-butyl benzoic acid ester, isomers of pentyl benzoic acid ester, isopropyl benzoic acid ester, and combinations thereof;
about 30-60 weight % of a biodiesel;
about 0-10 weight % of diethylene glycol ether;
about 0-20 weight % of a cyclic terpene or terpenoid; and
a corrosion inhibitor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent composition comprises from 40% to about 50% by weight of the aromatic ester.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aromatic ester is isopropyl benzoic acid ester present in an amount of 50 weight %, wherein the biodiesel is present in an amount of about 40 weight %, and wherein the diethylene glycol ether is diethylene glycol monobutyl ether present in an amount of about 10 weight %.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a nonionic surfactant in an amount of about 0 - 20 weight %.

5. A method of cleaning highway and road construction equipment comprising:
placing equipment on a perforated grid;
spraying a biodegradable solvent composition with a spray gun under pressure on a residue; containing equipment thereby forming an aqueous sludge, wherein the solvent composition has a pH of about 7;
filtering the aqueous sludge through the perforated grid and thus separating insoluble contaminates;
subjecting the filtered aqueous sludge to a compressed gas and thereby separating the solvent composition from the residue; and
preparing the solvent composition for recycling or disposal,
wherein the solvent composition comprises:
10-60 weight % of an alkylated benzoic acid ester selected from the group consisting of: methyl benzoic acid ester, ethyl benzoic acid ester, n-propyl benzoic acid ester, isobutyl benzoic acid ester, n-butyl benzoic acid ester, tent-butyl benzoic acid ester, isomers of pentyl benzoic acid ester, isopropyl benzoic acid ester, and combinations thereof;
about 40-70 weight % of a biodiesel;
about 0-15 weight % of diethylene glycol monobutyl ether or an aqueous solution thereof;
about 0-10 weight % d-limonene;
about 0-1 weight % of an odor-masking agent;
about 0-20 weight % ethoxylated Castor oil; and
a corrosion inhibitor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the alkylated benzoic acid ester is present in an amount of 40-60 weight %.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the biodiesel is present in an amount of about 50-60 weight %.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the odor-masking agent is present in an amount of about 0.1-1 weight %.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the odor-masking agent comprises a fragrance.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the ethoxylated Castor oil is present in an amount of about 0.4-20 weight % or about 0.8-20 weight %.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the composition is non-toxic, biodegradable, and contains trace amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) acceptable to the limits set forth in EPA Method 8260B Volatile Organic Compounds by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS).

12. The method of claim 5 , wherein the composition contains trace amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) acceptable to the limits set forth in EPA Method 8260B Volatile Organic Compounds by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS), has a flash point greater than 60° C., is non-corrosive to a substrate, and has a pH of about 7.

13. A method of cleaning highway and road construction equipment comprising:
placing equipment on a perforated grid;
spraying a biodegradable solvent composition with a spray gun under pressure on a residue containing equipment thereby forming an aqueous sludge, wherein the solvent composition has a pH of about 7;
filtering the aqueous sludge through the perforated grid and thus separating insoluble contaminates;
subjecting the filtered aqueous sludge to a compressed gas and thereby separating the solvent composition from the residue; and
preparing the solvent composition for recycling or disposal,
wherein the solvent composition comprises:
10-60 weight % of an isopropyl benzoic acid ester;
about 30-60 weight % of a biodiesel;
about 0-15 weight % of a diethylene glycol ether or an aqueous solution thereof;
about 0-10 weight % of a cyclic terpene or terpenoid;
about 0-1 weight % of an odor-masking agent;
about 0-20 weight % of a nonionic surfactant; and
a corrosion inhibitor,

wherein the composition is at least as efficient as diesel fuel for removing petroleum residue from a substrate, has a flash point of at least 60 ° C., and comprises no trace amounts of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) above the limits disclosed in Method 8260 B of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Assignees

• Troxler Electronic Lab Inc
• Crude Spill Cleaning Co Inc

Inventors

• Troxler Robert Ernest
• Zaki Nael Naguib

Classifications

• B08B3/028

  Spray guns · CPC title

• B08B3/022

  Cleaning travelling work (B08B3/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B08B3/08

  the liquid having chemical or dissolving effect · CPC title

• C11D1/74

  Carboxylates or sulfonates {esters} of polyoxyalkylene glycols · CPC title

• C11D3/28

  Heterocyclic compounds containing nitrogen in the ring · CPC title