Title of Invention | A FIBROUS CONTAINER WITH A SWELLABLE POLYMERIC MATERIAL |
---|---|
Abstract | The present invention relates to a fibrous container with a swellable polymeric material comprising a copolymer of acrylic acid, sodium acrylate and acrylamide in a porous macromolecular form, wherein the ingredients are present in the undernoted amounts : i) acrylic acid - between 70 and 85% by wt,, ii) sodium acrylate - between 10 and 25% by wt., iii) acrylamide - between 0.5 and 3% by wt. and iv) water - q.v., the said copolymer being capable of absorbing water or like fluid material in their interstices resulting in a fluid - filled product 300-500 times larger in mass in comparison with the original copolymer. |
Full Text | The present invention relates to a fibrous container with swellable polymeric materials. More particularly this invention pertains to bags, usually jute bags having polymeric lining, containing the swellable inflatable chemical(s), which swells in about 3-5 mins time assuming the shape of a pillow and preventing ingress or egress of water or the like solvent(s). Such inflatable chemical comprises essentially of a copolymer of acrylic acid, an alkalimetal salt of the free acid and a minor amount of acrylamide, with a trace of water. The last named chemical, namely, acrylamide, imparts a few mechanical advantages without materially influencing fluid absortion characteristics. "Copolymers of sodium acrylate and acrylamide have been reported earlier, for instance in US Patent No.5,044,439 dated September 3, 1991 granted to Lawrence M. Cenegy, et al. However, such copolymers were used for inhibiting building of calcarious scale in geothermal wells, i.e. they substantially retarded/prevented formation of CaCO deposits on the well walls. Use of acrylic copolymers for the purpose of obtaining swellable objects has not been known earlier, not has the terpolymer been reported with a molecular weight range of around 300000." In the conventional mode of bolstering or strengthening river banks or embankments, sand bags are used extensively. Such bags have also been used to prevent/stop excess water flow during heavy monsoon or to prevent flood water from breaching the banks. Sand bags also find use in combating the problem of erosion of river banks, particularly where the river tends to change its course, along with boulders and/or large pieces of stone. A modified technique by deploying sandbags in cage-like structure built of corrosion and saline water-resistant polymeric material has recently been used for the purpose of reclaiming land from sea bed. All the above uses of sand bags suffer from two inherent disadvantages - (i) Sand bags incur two-fold costs, namely, cost of bags and cost of sand, and (ii) labour charges for filling sand in bags. When used in strengthening river banks or embankments, reaction of water with jute fiber with time causes the fiber to lose strength and burst, thereby spilling sand into river beds. Such release of sand over a prolonged period of time is likely to result in loss of draft and enhance the possibility of flooding during monsoon of the adjoining areas leading to destruction of crop area and loss of life. The present invention aims at overcoming the disadvantages and shortcomings associated with the use of sand bags mainly for preventing or/and stopping excess water flow. The principal object of this invention is to provide a fibrous container with a swellable polymeric material which sewlls to a mass 300-500 times heavier than the amount initially present after coming in contact with water or like fluid material. A further object of this invention is to provide a container made of natural fiber like jute, or synthetic material like nylon, poly propylene fabric with or without an inner-lining of a material selected from cotton, jute, nylon, polyester and the like fabric. A still, further object of this invention is to provide a container which is a rectangular, square or cylindrical hottow bag or varying capacities. Another object of this invention is to provide a container wherein the swellabie, absorbent polymeric material is either kept as such or in a small paper bag inside the container which swells by coming in contact with water. The foregoing objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention which relates to a fibrous container with a swellable polymeric material comprising a copolymer of acrylic acid, sodium acrylate and acrylamide in a porous macromolecular form, wherein the ingredients are present in the undernoted amounts : i) acrylic acid - between 70 and 85% by wt., ii) sodium acrylate - between 10 and 25% by wt., iii) acrylamide - between 0.5 and 3% by wt. and iv) water - q.v., the said copolymer being capable of absorbing water or like fluid material in their interstices resulting in a fluid - filled product 300-500 times larger in mass in comparison with the original copolymer. As mentioned earlier the containers for holding swellable polymeric material is usually made of porous natural fabric like jute or hemp, the only consideration being that it must allow ingress of fluid material like water to make the polymer swell and there should be excess of fluid material like water. The reaction is quite rapid, and absorption of water and consequent swelling is complete in around 3-5 minutes' time. The swellable absorbent polymeric material used in this invention is a macromolecular copolymer of acrylic acid, sodium acrylate and acrylamide present in an amount of around 95%, balance being around 5% by weight of water. It has been observed that absorbing characteristics of the copolymer are not materially affected even in the absence of acrylamide, in the event of which acrylic acid content may go up to around 90% by weight. The containers are usually jute bags, polypropylene or nylon bags, which may optimally be lined with cotton, jute, nylon, or the like porous fabric, without impeding ingress of water. A small quantity of the swellable, absorbent polymer is kept inside the bag, either in the form of a block or in the form of a strip, and the bag gets inflated to about 300-500 times after absorbing enough water, turning into a hard pillow-like structure. Such inflated bags can be used in river banks, exterior areas of godowns, factories, educational institutions, residential areas, etc., to prevent entry/seepage of storm water, flood water or any other form of water, even from overflowing surface drains. In a nutshell, the swollen bags can effectively be used anywhere for domestic, civil and also industrial purposes, mainly to prevent ingress or egress of water. It can also be used in oil fields, coal mines and the like sites to absorb water quickly. The swellable copolymer of acrylic acid, sodium acrylate and acrylamide is required to be used in small amounts of, say, 400 gms-450 gms, which gets inflated to around 18-20 kg. mass after coming into contact with water within a span of 3 to 5 minutes' time. From these figures it may be seen that the containers with their content are quite light weight, roughly about l/50th of the weight of an equivalent container filled with sand. As the bags with the swellable material contain no particular matter like sand, fly ash, etc., there is hardly any risk of deposition of such swellable materials into the water bodies where they are likely to be used. Moreover, there is no need to use an important construstion material like sand, nor any labour cost is involved in filling the containers with the contents. The swellable copolymer is completely neutral, non-toxic and poses no harm to the aquatic flora and fauna or to the marine lives. In addition, the copolymer is bio-degradable and is eco-friendly. As indicated earlier, apart from being used to bolster the banks of water- bodies like river or lake embankments to prevent flood damage, the subject copolymer of this invention may be effectively used to keep water out of sub-ways, underground facilities like parking lot, roads, highways, bridges, construction sites, etc., by ensuring quick absorption of water. The present invention will be further amplified by means of the following example which is given by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. Example The swellable copolymer formed by interaction between acrylic acid, sodium acrylate and acrylamide following standard synthetic procedure may be structurally represented by the following empirical formula - m, n and p being integers indicative of the molecular weight of the copolymer, for which acrylic acid, acrylamide, sodium or potassium bicarbonate and water are the principal reactive components. In preparing the above copolymer it has been noted that acrylamide serves a dual role as a reaction component and also as a catalyst for the reaction with the sodio-or potassium ester. The optimum molecular weight is around 300000, which retains porosity and interstices for water molecules to be accomodated. The product is mainly transparent in appearance, with the following features, including the dimensions of the containers or bags in which the copolymer is kept for absorption of water and consequent swelling : i) Size - 600mm(l) X 400mm(w) X 80mm(h) - before swelling 550mm(l) X 350mm(w) X 150ram(h) - after swelling ii) Weight - 420g ± 5% - before swelling 20Kg ± 5% - after swelling iii) Time taken for absorption of water followed by swelling - 3 to 5 mins (Water at 20ºC) iv) Particle size of the copolymeric product - 20-60 mesh v) Moisture content - vi} Consistency - jelly-like. vii) pH - 6-8 viii) Decomposition temperature - around 300°C ix) Impact resistance after swelling/inflation - 150 Kg. x) Physical characteristics - Colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, non-inflammable. xi) Shelf life - Around 4 years. Advantages : 1. The material is cost-effective, as it saves both cost of sand and labour cost for filling the bags. 2. It is extremely light weight, and is convenient to distribute or transfer. 3. It requires only a small space for storing. 4. It is completely non-toxic, substantially bio-degradable and eco-friendly. While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without deviating or departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus the disclosure contained herein includes within its ambit the obvious equivalents and substitutes as well. Having described the invention in detail with particular reference to the illustrative examples given above, it will now be more specifically defined by means of claims appended hereafter. We claim : 1. A fibrous container with a swellable polymeric material comprising a copolymer of acrylic acid, sodium acrylate and acrylamide in a porous macromolecular form, wherein the ingredients are present in the undernoted amounts : i) acrylic acid - between 70 and 85% by wt., ii) sodium acryiate - between 10 and 25% by wt., iii) acrylamide - between 0.5 and 3% by wt. and iv) water - q.v., the said copolymer being capable of absorbing water or like fluid material in their interstices resulting in a fluid - filled product 300-500 times larger in mass in comparison with the original copolymer. 2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the ingredients forming said copolymer are present in the following amounts : i) acrylic acid - 75% by wt., ii) sodium acryiate - 20% by wt., iii) acrylamide - 3% by wt. and iv) water - 2% by wt. 3. A container as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the body of the container is made of jute fiber, polypropylene, fabric with or without a inner-lining of a material selected from cotton, jute, nylon, polyester and the like fabric. 4. A container as claimed in Claims 1 and 3, wherein the said container is a rectangular, square or cylindrical hollow bag of various capacities. 5. A container as claimed in Claims 1 to 4, wherein the swellable, absorbent polymeric material is kept either as such or in a small paper bag inside the container which is allowe;d to swell by coming in contact with water. 6. A container as claimed in Claims 1 to 5, wherein around 60 gms of polymeric body is kept inside a bag of 600 X 400 mm size which assumes a pillow-like structure after coming in contact with water. 7. A container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a mass of around 400-420g of said copolymer is placed inside the said container which swells to around 18-20 Kg by absorbing water over a period of 3 to 5 minutes. 8. A fibrous container with a swellable polymeric material, substantially as hereinbefore described with particular reference to the illustrative Example given hereinbefore. The present invention relates to a fibrous container with a swellable polymeric material comprising a copolymer of acrylic acid, sodium acrylate and acrylamide in a porous macromolecular form, wherein the ingredients are present in the undernoted amounts : i) acrylic acid - between 70 and 85% by wt,, ii) sodium acrylate - between 10 and 25% by wt., iii) acrylamide - between 0.5 and 3% by wt. and iv) water - q.v., the said copolymer being capable of absorbing water or like fluid material in their interstices resulting in a fluid - filled product 300-500 times larger in mass in comparison with the original copolymer. |
---|
01359-kol-2006 correspondence others.pdf
01359-kol-2006 description(complete).pdf
01359-kol-2006 power of authority.pdf
01359-kol-2006-correspondence 1.3.pdf
01359-kol-2006-correspondence-1.1.pdf
01359-kol-2006-correspondence-1.2.pdf
1359-KOL-2006-(08-02-2012)-FORM 27.pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-abstract.pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-claims.pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-correspondence.pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-description (complete).pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-examination report.pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-form 1.pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-form 18.pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-form 2.pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-form 3.pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-form 5.pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-reply to examination report.pdf
1359-kol-2006-granted-specification.pdf
1359-KOL-2006-REPLY TO EXAMINATION REPORT 1.1.pdf
1359-KOL-2006-REPLY TO EXAMINATION REPORT.pdf
1359-KOL-2006-REPLY TO EXAMINATION REPORT.tif.tif
1359-KOL-2006_ABSTRACT 1.1.pdf
1359-KOL-2006_CANCEL DOCUMENT.pdf
1359-KOL-2006_CORRESPONDENCE 1.4.pdf
1359-KOL-2006_DESCRIPTION COMPLETE 1.1.pdf
Patent Number | 233748 | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indian Patent Application Number | 1359/KOL/2006 | |||||||||
PG Journal Number | 16/2009 | |||||||||
Publication Date | 17-Apr-2009 | |||||||||
Grant Date | 06-Apr-2009 | |||||||||
Date of Filing | 15-Dec-2006 | |||||||||
Name of Patentee | INDARSEN SHAMLAL PVT. LTD. | |||||||||
Applicant Address | 27, SARAT BOSE ROAD, 2ND FLOOR, KOLKATA | |||||||||
Inventors:
|
||||||||||
PCT International Classification Number | B64 | |||||||||
PCT International Application Number | N/A | |||||||||
PCT International Filing date | ||||||||||
PCT Conventions:
|