Water treatment

• US 20110094972A1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: John Hill, Joseph A. King
• Inventors: Hill, John, King, Joseph A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,187,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/754
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 2300/00 Combinations or mixtures of active ingredients covered by classes A01N27/00 - A01N65/48 with other active or formulation relevant ingredients, e.g. specific carrier materials or surfactants, covered by classes A01N25/00 - A01N65/48
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 25/34 Shaped forms, e.g. sheets, not provided for in any other sub-group of this main group
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 43/50 1,3-Diazoles; Hydrogenated 1,3-diazoles
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 59/16 Heavy metals; Compounds thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/50 by addition or application of a germicide or by oligodynamic treatment C02F1/4606, C02F1/467, C02F1/76 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/505 by oligodynamic treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/688 Devices in which the water progressively dissolves a solid compound
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/76 with halogens or compounds of halogens C02F1/4674 takes precedence

Abstract

A sanitizing agent for maintaining a biocidal effective bacteria count in a body of water comprising a metal ion donor for donating a metal ion and a compound containing a hydantoin ring with the combination of the compound containing the hydantoin ring with the metal ion donor enhancing the effectiveness of the sanitizing agent to enable the sanitizing agent to maintain a biocidal effective bacteria count in the body of water.

Claims

1. A sanitizing agent for maintaining a biocidal effective bacteria count in a body of water containing a halogen comprising:

a metal ion donor for donating a metal ion donor wherein the halogen and the metal ion donor in combination normally maintain a first bacteria ineffective count in the body of water; and

a compound containing a hydantoin ring with the combination of the compound containing the hydantoin ring with the halogen and the metal ion donor enhancing the effectiveness of the sanitizing agent to enable the sanitizing agent to maintain a biocidal effective bacteria count which is less than the first bacteria ineffective count generated by the halogen and the metal ion donor.

2. The sanitizing agent of claim 1 wherein the sanitizing agent is either a liquid, a solid, a powder, a plurality of granules or a mixture thereof and the solid is a tablet for placing in the body of water.

3. The sanitizing agent of claim 2 wherein the sanitizing agent is a layered tablet wherein the source of metal ions comprises a layer containing a source of silver ions with the layer of the source of silver ions either encapsulating an exterior surface of the layered tablet or forming an intermediate layer having an exposed end to provide a gradual release of silver ions.

4. The sanitizing agent of claim 1 wherein the metal ion donor comprises a silver ion donor and the biocidal effective bacteria count comprises an at least a 6.0 log reduction in microorganism numbers within 0.5 minutes for E. coli and an at least a 6.0 log reduction in microorganism numbers within 2.0 minutes for E. Faecium in the body water which may be recreational water or nonrecreational water.

5. The sanitizing agent of claim 1 wherein the sanitizing agent is either granules or pellets and the source of silver metal ions is either a metallic silver, a metal silver alloy or silver chloride or mixtures thereof and the compound containing the hydantoin ring is selected from the group consisting of DMH, BCDMH, and AgDMH.

6. The sanitizing agent of claim 1 wherein the sanitizing agent comprises a stand-alone disinfectant pellet for use in killing and controlling microorganisms in body of recreational or nonrecreational water including a carrier having an exterior surface with a water penetrable, adhesive forming a water penetrable matrix on the exterior surface of said carrier and the source of metal ions is dispersed within said adhesive water penetrable matrix.

7. The sanitizing agent of claim 1 including a carrier for the sanitizing agent wherein the carrier comprises either a dispenser for holding the sanitizing agent therein or a member for adhering a sanitizing agent thereon.

8. A sanitizing agent for maintaining a biocidal effective bacteria count in a body of water comprising:

a solid having a metal ion donor for donating a metal ion; and

a compound containing a hydantoin ring with the combination of the compound containing the hydantoin ring with the metal ion donor enhancing the effectiveness of the sanitizing agent to enable the sanitizing agent to maintain a biocidal effective bacteria count in the body of water.

10. The sanitizing agent of claim 8 wherein the solid is in granular or tablet form with the source of metal ions and the compound containing the hydantoin ring is either in an intermixed condition or structurally isolated from each other.

9. The sanitizing agent of claim 9 wherein the compound containing the hydantoin ring when contacted by water containing silver ions from the metal ion donor forms a complex with the silver ions to enhance a kill of microorganisms in a body of water by increasing the availability of silver ions in the body of water.

11. A method for maintaining a body of water in a sanitized condition wherein a halogen level in a body of water is maintained at a level below a normally ineffective biocidal level of halogen in the body of water comprising;

introducing a source of metal ions into the body of water wherein the halogen level in combination with the source of metal ions is selected so as to be insufficient to sanitize the body of water; and

introducing a biocidal ineffective compound having a hydantoin ring therein into the body of water to increase the level of metal ions whereby the combination of the halogen and the metal ions sanitize the body of water.

12. The method of claim 11 of insufficiently sanitizing the body of water with a source of metal ions and a source of chlorine, wherein the chlorine level in combination with the source of metal ions which comprises a source of silver ions and the source of chlorine wherein a combination thereof is unable to bring the level of microorganism in the body of water to an at least a 6.0 log reduction in microorganism numbers within 0.5 minutes for E. coli and at least a 6.0 log reduction in microorganism numbers within 2.0 minutes for E. Faecium in the body of recreational water;

and

the introducing of the biocidal ineffective compound having a hydantoin ring therein into the body of water brings the level of microorganism in the body of water to an at least a 6.0 log reduction in microorganism numbers within 0.5 minutes for E. coli and at least a 6.0 log reduction in microorganism numbers within 2.0 minutes for E. Faecium in the body of water.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein adding the biocidal ineffective compound comprises adding an unhalogenated compound containing a hydantoin ring or a halogenated compound in either tablet, pellet or granular form or combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein sanitizing to maintain a biocidal effective level of bacteria by adding a compound containing a hydantoin ring to a sanitizing agent containing a metal ion donor and a halogen.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein introducing the biocidal ineffective compound generates a level of free silver at least 20 ppb and a level of a compound containing a hydantoin ring of at least 10 ppm while maintaining the level of free chorine of at least 0.2 ppm in the body of water.

16. The method of safeguarding a body of water from an inadvertent halogen deficiency when the body of water is sanitized with a source of metal ions and a halogen comprising:

adding a compound containing a hydantoin ring to the body of water wherein the compound containing the hydantoin ring is added to enhance the biocidal effectiveness of by increasing the available metal ions in the body of water.

17. The method of maintaining a body of water suitable for recreational use wherein the chlorine level is maintained in a range between 0.1 ppm and 0.5 ppm, which is insufficient to render the water suitable for recreational use, by adding to the body of water a source of silver ions and a compound containing a hydantoin ring to render the water suitable for recreational use while maintaining the chlorine level between 0.1 ppm and 0.5 ppm.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the compound containing the hydantoin ring is a tablet containing DMH.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the compound containing a hydantoin ring is a solid that is either a tablet, a pellet, a plurality of granules or a mixture thereof.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the tablet comprises a source of silver ions in a layer of the tablet with at least a portion of the layer having an exposed surface for contact in the body of water.

21. A method for maintaining a body of water in a sanitized condition by placing a solid in tablet or granular form in the body of water with the solid comprising a source of metal ions and a compound having a hydantoin ring wherein the release of the both the metal ions and the compound containing the hydantoin ring from the solid increases the level of metal ions to a level greater than if only the source of metal ions were present.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the source of silver ions comprises a source of silver ions and the compound containing the hydantoin ring and the source of silver ions are separate.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the source of silver ions comprises a source of silver ions and the compound containing the hydantoin ring lacks any independent biocidal properties.