Method and system for on-line blending of foaming agent with foam modifier for addition to cementitious slurries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020239366-A1
Application number	US-202016846716-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 13, 2020
Priority date	Oct 1, 2015
Publication date	Jul 30, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and system for blending a foam modifier with foaming agent on-line, e.g., as may be particularly useful for gypsum or cement slurries. The foam modifier comprises a fatty alcohol that is added to a gypsum or cement slurry that includes foaming agent, such as an alkyl sulfate surfactant. The fatty alcohol can be a C6-C16 fatty alcohol in some embodiments. The use of such a foam modifier can be used, for example, to stabilize the foam, reduce waste of foaming agent, improve void size control in the final product, and improve the gypsum board manufacturing process.

First claim

1 .- 13 . (canceled)

14 . A system for forming a foam, the system comprising:
(a) a foam generator; (b) an air supply conduit for introducing air into the foam generator; (c) a flow metering system configured to introduce a first amount of a foaming agent, a second amount of a second foaming agent, and a third amount of a fatty alcohol, irrespective of order, directly or indirectly into the foam generator; (d) a controller which communicates with the flow metering system to selectively change the relative amounts of first foaming agent, second foaming agent, and fatty alcohol that are introduced directly or indirectly into the foam generator.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the fatty alcohol is a C 6 -C 20 fatty alcohol.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the fatty alcohol is octanol, nonanol, decanol, undecanol, dodecanol, or any combination thereof.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the foaming agent comprises an alkyl sulfate surfactant.

18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first foaming agent is a stable soap and the second foaming agent is an unstable soap.

19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the flow metering system comprises at least one pump operatively associated with valves for controlling flow of each of the first foaming agent, second foaming agent, and fatty alcohol into a blended stream conduit in fluid communication with the foam generator.

20 . A system for forming a foam, the system comprising:
(a) a flow metering system comprising at least one pump operatively associated with one or more valve for controlling flow of a first foaming agent, a second foaming agent, and fatty alcohol into a blended stream conduit, irrespective of order; (b) a controller which communicates with the flow metering system to selectively change the relative amounts of first foaming agent, second foaming agent, and fatty alcohol that are introduced into the blended stream conduit; (c) a foam generator in fluid communication with the blended stream conduit; and (d) an air supply conduit for introducing air into the foam generator.

Assignees

• United States Gypsum Co

Inventors

• Vilinska Annamaria
• Li Alfred C
• Song Weixin D

Classifications

• B01F23/291

  for obtaining foams or aerosols · CPC title

• B01F35/831

  using one or more pump or other dispensing mechanisms for feeding the flows in predetermined proportion, e.g. one of the pumps being driven by one of the flows (B01F35/832 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01F25/3122

  the material flowing at a supersonic velocity thereby creating shock waves · CPC title

• B32B13/08

  of paper or cardboard · CPC title

• B32B13/14

  next to a fibrous or filamentary layer · CPC title