Multifunctioning machine and method utilizing a two phase non-aqueous extraction process

• US 20050257812A1
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Luckman, Joel A., Wright, Tremitchell L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,300,468 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/42
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/006 for washing or rinsing only
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/00 Dry-cleaning apparatus or methods using volatile solvents D06F9/00 - D06F41/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/007 Dry cleaning methods
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/08 Associated apparatus for handling and recovering the solvents
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/085 Filtering arrangements; Filter cleaning; Filter-aid powder dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: D06L 1/22 Processes involving successive treatments with aqueous and organic agents

Abstract

A method and apparatus of laundering a fabric load is disclosed including the steps of processing a fabric load in an aqueous-based working fluid, substantially replacing the aqueous-based working fluid with a non-aqueous working fluid of the type which extracts some of the aqueous-based working fluid from the fabric load.

Claims

1. A method of laundering a fabric load comprising:

a. Contacting the fabric load with an aqueous-based working fluid;

b. Processing the fabric load with said aqueous-based working fluid;

c. Substantially replacing said aqueous-based working fluid with a non-aqueous working fluid of the type which extracts some of the aqueous-based working fluid from the fabric load; and

d. Drying the fabric load.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing step comprises adding mechanical energy to provide relative movement between said working fluid and said fabric load whereby the mechanical energy is selected from the following but not limited to:

tumbling, agitating, impelling, nutating, counter-rotating the drum, liquid jets that spray fluids thus moving the fabric, vibrating, oscillating, and combinations thereof.

3. The method claim 1 wherein the non-aqueous working fluid is selected for having one of the following sets of Hansen Solubility Parameters:

a. A polarity greater than 3 and hydrogen bonding less than 9;

b. Hydrogen bonding less than 13 and dispersion from about 14 to about 17; and

c. Hydrogen bonding from 13 to about 19 and dispersion from 14 to 22.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-aqueous working fluid is contacted with the fabric load for a time sufficient to decrease the concentration of aqueous working fluid in contact with the fabric load to less than 50% by weight of the fabric load.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the removed wash liquor is routed to a recovery process.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein removing a substantial portion of said non-aqueous wash liquor comprises centrifugation at a force exceeding 2 G.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein drying the fabric load comprises contacting the fabric load with a drying gas.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of replacing said aqueous-based working fluid further comprises:

a. Substantially replacing some of the aqueous-based working fluid with a first non-aqueous working fluid; and

b. Substantially replacing said first non-aqueous working fluid with a second non-aqueous working fluid in which said first non-aqueous working fluid is miscible.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first non-aqueous working fluid is characterized by having one of the following properties:

a. Having a flash point greater than 140°

F.; and

b. Having a surface tension lower than that of the aqueous working fluid.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said first non-aqueous working fluid is selected from the group consisting of but not limited to:

terpenes, halohydrocarbons, glycol ethers, fluorinated hydrocarbons, polyols, ethers, esters of glycol ethers, esters of fatty acids and other long chain carboxylic acids, fatty alcohols and other long chain alcohols, short-chain alcohols, polar aprotic solvents, siloxanes, hydrofluoroethers, dibasic esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, ionic liquids, glycol ether acetates, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein said first non-aqueous working fluid contacts the fabric load for a time sufficient to decrease the concentration of aqueous wash liquor to less than 50% by weight of the fabric.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the fabric load and working fluid are contained within a wash container having an outer wall and wherein said first non-aqueous wash liquor contacts the fabric load while the wash container is spinning at a force sufficient to move the fabric load toward the wall of the wash container.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said second non-aqueous working fluid has one of the following characteristics:

a. A surface tension lower than that of the aqueous working fluid and first non-aqueous working fluid;

b. A Kauri-Butanol value less than that of the first non-aqueous working fluid; and

c. Being non-flammable.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said second non-aqueous working fluid is further characterized by at least one of the following set of Hansen Solubility Parameters:

a. A polarity greater than about 3 and hydrogen bonding less than 9;

b. Hydrogen bonding less than 13 and dispersion from about 14 to 17; and

c. Hydrogen bonding from about 13 to about 19 and dispersion from about 14 to 22.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said second non-aqueous working fluid is selected from the group consisting of:

perfluorinated hydrocarbons, decafluoropentane, hydrofluoroethers, methoxynonafluorobutane, ethoxynonafluorobutane, HFE-7300, carbon dioxide, ionic liquids, and mixtures thereof.

16. The method of claim 8 wherein drying the fabric load involves contacting the fabric load with a drying gas for a time sufficient to lower the concentration of said second non-aqueous working fluid, said first non-aqueous working fluid and aqueous working fluid to less than 5%.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein said step of replacing said first working fluid with a second working fluid further comprises:

a. Contacting the fabric load with a non-flammable fluid; and

b. Drying the fabric load at elevated temperatures.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the non-flammable working fluid is selected for having a vapor pressure greater than 5 mm Hg.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the non-flammable working fluid is selected from the group consisting of:

perfluorinated hydrocarbons, decafluoropentane, hydrofluoroethers, methoxynonafluorobutane, ethoxynonafluorobutane, HFE-7300, carbon dioxide, water, and mixtures thereof.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the range of elevated temperatures for drying the fabric load is less than 100°

C.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of drying said fabric load comprises:

a. Flowing drying gas into said fabric load;

b. Sensing a non-aqueous working fluid concentration in the wash liquor or the headspace above said fabric load;

c. Sensing an aqueous working fluid concentration in said wash liquor or the headspace above said fabric load, and

d. adding an aqueous fluid until an acceptable hand has been thoroughly brought back to said fabric load.

22. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein said step of sensing non-aqueous working fluid concentration involves at least one of the following techniques:

pressure, turbidity, conductivity, infrared, ultrasonic, shaped electromagnetic fields (SEF), float sensing, laser deflection, petrotape/chemtape, electric field imaging, capacitive, humidity, non-dispersive infrared, solid state, acoustic wave, metal oxide semiconductors, pH, ionic strength, oxidation reduction potential, refractive index, or combinations thereof.

23. The method as defined in claim 21 wherein said step of sensing aqueous working fluid concentration involves at least one of the following techniques:

conductivity, humidity strips, thermisters, infrared, pressure, refractive index, or mixtures thereof.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said step of adding aqueous working fluid comprises utilizing a spraying nozzle, misting nozzle, or exposing the system to the environment.

25. Apparatus for laundering a fabric load comprising:

e. A wash container for containing a fabric load

f. Means for adding an aqueous-based working fluid to said wash container;

g. Means for providing mechanical energy to said wash load in said wash container such as to process said fabric load with said aqueous-based working fluid;

h. Means for replacing said aqueous-based working fluid in said wash container with a non-aqueous working fluid of the type which extracts some of the aqueous-based working fluid from the fabric load; and

i. Means for drying the fabric load.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said means for providing mechanical energy to said fabric load is selected from the following but not limited to:

tumbling, agitating, impelling, nutating, counter-rotating the drum, liquid jets that spray fluids thus moving the fabric, vibrating, oscillating, and combinations thereof.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the non-aqueous working fluid is contacted with the fabric load for a time sufficient to decrease the concentration of aqueous working fluid in contact with the fabric load to less than 50% by weight of the fabric load.

28. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the removed wash liquor is routed to a recovery process.

29. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein removing a substantial portion of said non-aqueous wash liquor extraction comprises centrifugation at a force exceeding 2 G.

30. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein means for drying the fabric load comprises contacting the fabric load with a drying gas.

31. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein said means of replacing said aqueous-based working fluid replaces some of the aqueous-based working fluid with a first non-aqueous working fluid;

and substantially replaces said first non-aqueous working fluid with a second non-aqueous working fluid in which said first non-aqueous working fluid is miscible.