US007138071B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,138,071 B2 Sapienza et al. (45) Date of Patent: *Nov. 21, 2006 (54) ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN ANTI-ICING 4,759,864 A 7, 1988 Van Neste et al. OR DECING FLUIDS 4,869,841 A 9, 1989 Matteodo et al. 4.954,279 A 9, 1990 Ma et al. (76) Inventors: Richard Sapienza, 1 Miller Ave., 4,960,531. A 10, 1990 Connor et al. Shoreham, NY (US) 11786; Axel 5,071,582 A 12, 1991 Conville et al. 5,135,674. A 8/1992 Kuhajek et al. Johnson, 567 Benjamin Rd., North 5,238,592 A 8, 1993 Stankowiak et al. Babylon, NY (US) 11703; William 5.244,600 A 9, 1993 Cuisia et al. Ricks, 1167 Scarlet Ct., Westerville, 5,268,116 A 12/1993 Fusiak et al. OH (US) 43081 5,324.442 A 6/1994 Mathews 5.330,683 A 7, 1994 Sufrin (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 5,350,533 A 9, 1994 Hubred et al. patent is extended or adjusted under 35 5,376,293 A 12/1994 Johnston U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. 5,387,358 A 2f1995 Himmrich et al. 5,387,359 A 2f1995 Himmrich et al. This patent is Subject to a terminal dis- 5,395,658 A 3, 1995 Jaklin claimer 5,435,930 A 7/1995 Chan et al. 5,484,547 A 1/1996 Mendoza 5,531,931 A 7/1996 Koefod (21) Appl. No.: 11/103,753 5,635,101 A 6/1997 Janke et al. 5,639,319 A 6/1997 Daly (22) Filed: Apr. 12, 2005 5,708,068 A 1/1998 Carder et al. 5,709,812 A 1/1998 Janke et al. (65) Prior Publication Data 5,709,813 A 1/1998 Janke et al. 5,718,834 A 2f1998 Pollmann et al. US 2005/0179000 A1 Aug. 18, 2005 5,741,436 A 4, 1998 Gershun et al. O O 5,772,912 A 6/1998 Lockyer et al. Related U.S. Application Data 5,819,776 A 10/1998 Kephart (63) Continuation of application No. 10/341,540, filed on 5,849,356 A 12/1998 Gambino et al. Jan. 13, 2003, now abandoned, which is a continua- 5,853,610 A 12, 1998 Kaes tion-in-part of application No. 09/675,495, filed on 5,876,621 A 3, 1999 Sapienza 5,891.225 A 4/1999 Mishra et al. Sep. 29, 2000, now Pat. No. 6,506,318, which is a 5.904.321 A 5, 1999 Cox et all continuation-in-part of application No. 09/436,811, 5.933.240 A 7, 1999 Johnson et al. filed O Nov. 9, 1999, now Pat. No. 6,129,857, which 5,928.477 A 7/1999 Gammon et al. is a continuation of application No. 09/161,865, filed 5,942.481 A 8/1999 Talley on Sep. 28, 1998, now Pat. No. 5,980,774, which is a 5,965,058 A 10, 1999 Janke et al. continuation-in-part of application No. 08/940,936, 5,980,774 A 11/1999 Sapienza filed on Sep. 30, 1997, now Pat. No. 5,876,621. 5,993,684. A 1 1/1999 Back et al. 6,060,122 A 5, 2000 ROSSmaier (51) Int. Cl. 6,080,330 A 6/2000 Bloomer C09K 3/18 (2006.01) 6,120,651 A 9/2000 Gammon et al. (52) U.S. Cl. ........................................... 252/70; 106/13 (Continued) (58) Field of Classification Search .................. 252/70, 106/13 FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS See application file for complete search history. GB T966.33 6, 1958 (56) References Cited (Continued) U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS OTHER PUBLICATIONS 1,776, 181 A 9, 1930 Collins Sieghart et al., “Potassium Carbonate as an Alternative Deicer: 3,711,409 A 1/1973 Ayres Impact on Soil Properties and Vegetation.”, no date. 3,928,221 A * 12/1975 Slater et al. .................. 252/70 4,108,790 A 8, 1978 Foroulis (Continued) 4,223,129 A 9, 1980 Roth et al. 4.279,768 A 7, 1981 Busch Primary Examiner—Anthony J. Green 4,329,449 A 5, 1982 Roth et al. (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Hedman & Costigan, P.C. 4,426,409 A 1, 1984 Roe 4,448,702 A 5, 1984 Kaes (57) ABSTRACT 4,501,775 A 2f1985 Parks et al. 4,539,122 A 9, 1985 Son et al. Deicing compositions comprised of hydroxyl-containing 4,647,392 A 3, 1987 Darden 4,664,832 A 5/1987 Sandvig et al. organic compounds and/or organic acid salts are disclosed. 4,676,918 A 6, 1987 Toth et al. 4,746,449 A 5, 1988 Peel 10 Claims, No Drawings US 7,138,071 B2 Page 2 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 6,890,451 B1* 5/2005 Sapienza et al. .............. 252/70 6,129,857 A 10/2000 Sapienza FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 6,149,834. A 11/2000 Gallet al. 6,156,226 A 12/2000 Klyosov et al. E. 3. E. 6,156.227 A 12/2000 Koefod JP 62-201566 9, 1987 6,287.480 B1 9/2001 Berglund et al. JP O2-2O2574 8, 1990 6,299,793 B1 10/2001 Hartley et al. WO WO O1/O7532 2, 2001 6,315,919 B1* 11/2001 Sapienza - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 252/70 WO WO O1, 51584 T 2001 6,398.979 B1 6, 2002 Koefod et al. WO WO O1 (64811 9, 2001 6,436,310 B1 8/2002 Hartley et al. 6,440,325 B1 8/2002 Hartley et al. OTHER PUBLICATIONS 6,478,971 B1 ck 11, 2002 Koefod et al. Institute of Forest Ecology University of Agricultural Sciences, 6,506,318 B1 1, 2003 Sapienza et al. .............. 252/70 Peter Jordanstrasse 82, A-1190 Wien, Austria, no date. 6,540,934 B1 4/2003 Sapienza et al. 6,544.434 B1 4/2003 Sapienza et al. * cited by examiner US 7,138,071 B2 1. 2 ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN ANT-CNG plary of deicing fluids that particularly suffer from this type OR DECING FLUIDS of environmental drawback. Thus, any new method of deicing or new deicing composition that can reduce the CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED amount of glycols would solve a long felt need in the art. APPLICATIONS Due to the problems associated with deicing agents as described above, there have been attempts to prepare even This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. more deicing agents. For, example, Kaes, U.S. Pat. No. 10/341,540, filed Jan. 13, 2003, now abandoned which in 4,448,702, discloses the use of a freezing-point lowering turn is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/675, composition and method that calls for the addition of a 495, filed Sep. 29, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,318, 10 water-soluble salt of at least one dicarboxylic acid having at issued Jan. 14, 2003, which in turn is a continuation-in-part least three carbon atoms, such as a sodium, potassium, of application Ser. No. 09/436,811, filed Nov. 9, 1999, now ammonium or organoamine salt of adipic, glutaric, Succinic U.S. Pat. No. 6,129,857, which in turn is a continuation of or malonic acid. application Ser. No. 09/161,865, filed Sep. 28, 1998, now Peel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,449, teaches the preparation of U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,774, issued Nov. 9, 1999, which in turn 15 a deicing agent comprising 12–75% acetate salts, trace-36% is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/940,936, carbonate salts, 1–24% formate salts and 1–32% pseudola filed Sep. 30, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,621, issued ctate salts that is prepared from a pulp mill black liquor by Mar. 2, 1999. fractionating the black liquor into a low molecular weight fraction and concentrating the collected low molecular FIELD OF THE INVENTION weight fraction to produce the deicing agent. U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,531 teaches that small amounts of The present invention relates to deicing fluid composi methyl glucosides, i.e., less than 10%, in combination with tions and methods for deicing Surfaces. More particularly a low amount, i.e., about 2.5%, of potassium carbonate can the present invention relates to deicing fluid compositions be employed as a trigger to conventional salt deicers. The comprising hydroxyl-containing organic compounds and/or 25 certain organic acid salts that are relatively environmentally 531 patent is an improvement patent on U.S. Reissue Pat. benign. No. RE 32,477 that teaches the use of a salt mixture of Sodium and potassium chloride and an amide. Other inor ganic salts are also known to be useful as freezing point BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION lowering agents such as magnesium chloride, potassium 30 Freezing point lowering compositions are in widespread phosphates, sodium phosphates, ammonium phosphates, use for a variety of purposes, especially to reduce the ammonium nitrates, alkaline earth nitrates, magnesium freezing point of an aqueous system so that ice cannot be nitrate, ammonium sulfate, and alkali Sulfates. formed or to melt formed ice. Generally, freezing point Special mention is also made of Sapienza, U.S. Pat. No. lowering compositions depend for their effectiveness upon 35 5,876,621 and Sapienza, U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,774 that dis the molar freezing point lowering effect, the number of ionic close especially useful deicing and anti-icing compositions. species that are made available and the degree to which the Solutions of low freezing point deicing and anti-icing compositions can be dispersed in the liquid phase in which agents typically include brines, ethylene glycol and propy the formation of ice is to be precluded and/or ice is to be lene glycol solutions.