Method for using a softened acidic water source

• US 10,183,288 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2018
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Inventors: Everson, Terrence P., Wen, Li, Tan, Lylien, Voss, Peter, Toetschinger, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Chester T
• Application Number:
  US15/948,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20180222774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/241 the dishes moving in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4217 Fittings for water supply, e.g. valves or plumbing means to connect to cold or warm water lines, aquastops
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4229 Water softening arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 39/05 in the strongly acidic form
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 39/07 in the weakly acidic form
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 39/08 Use of material as cation exchangers; Treatment of material for improving the cation exchange properties
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 39/19 obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 39/20 obtained by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 47/15 for obtaining a solution having a fixed pH
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 49/06 containing cationic exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 49/53 for cationic exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 49/75 of water softeners
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/04 Cleaning involving contact with liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/14 Removing waste, e.g. labels, from cleaning liquid; Regenerating cleaning liquidstreatment of water in general C02F
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/42 by ion-exchange ion-exchange in general B01J
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2001/425 using cation exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/00 Controlling or monitoring parameters in water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/005 Processes using a programmable logic controller [PLC]
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/06 pH
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/16 Regeneration of sorbents, filters
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/007 : Arrangements of water softeners

Abstract

Methods and systems for acid regeneration of ion exchange resins are disclosed. Acid resins designed for use in a variety of cleaning application using a water source use a treated, softened, acidic water source according to the invention. Various methods of using the softened acidic water generated by acid regenerate-able ion exchange resins are disclosed to beneficially reduce spotting, filming and scale buildup on treated surfaces, reduce and/or eliminate the need for polymers, threshold reagents and/or rinse aids, and using protons generated in the acidic water effluent for triggering events useful in various cleaning applications.

Claims

1. A method for using a softened acidic water source comprising:

contacting an article or surface in need of cleaning with a treated water source having a desired water specification, wherein said water specification is a softened, acidic water having a total dissolved solids (TDS) of less than about 200 ppm, a hardness level of less than about 2 grains, and a pH less than about 6, wherein said treated water source is generated by treating a hard water source with at least one ion exchange resin, wherein the ion exchange resin generates a treated water source by exchanging protons on said resin for dissolved cations including water hardness ions and total dissolved solids in said water source, and wherein said ion exchange resin is regenerated using an acid salt regenerant.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising combining said treated water source with a detergent or other cleaning composition to form a use solution for contacting said article or surface.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the treated water source reduces the total detergent consumption of a cleaning application and/or reduces the use of polymers and threshold agents in said detergent, and wherein the use of said treated water source improves cleaning efficacy as measured by a reduction in spotting and filming and/or preventing scale build up on articles and surfaces in comparison to cleaning with detergents without the treated water source.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said regenerant is a combination of from about 10 wt-% to about 50 wt-% urea sulfate and from about 50 wt-% to about 90 wt-% alkali metal salt.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said regenerant is one or move of sodium chloride, urea sulphate, urea, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, nitric acid, citric acid, acetic acid, methane sulfonic acid or combinations thereof.