AU666824B2 - Improved aerosol composition and method of using same - Google Patents

Description

ii 1' 11 1, l 666824

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATI

ON

FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

rrtr o o oa o oo o o oo o ~r a D ~r ooco o~J~r o~oo o Ir r Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: Invention Title: Divisional Application Details: CALLINGTON HAV3N PTY LIMITED NICHOLAS SCHOULAL and BRIAN LONGMORE H. R. HODGKINSON CO.

Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys 26A Alfred Street Milsons Point NSW 2061 "Improved Aerosol Composition and Method of Using Same" Original application No 55160/94 (petty patent No 650,413) dated 15 February 1994 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: THIS INVENTION relates to a composition for application by aerosol, and to a method of using such an aerosol composition.

Use of aerosols is well known in the application and dispersion of sprays to spray actives or active ingredients, such as insecticides, deodorants, disinfectants, air purifiers, degreasers, cleaning compounds, electrical and electronic cleaners, water displacers, and lubricants. These are by way of example only. The present invention relates to an improved composition for use in aerosols and for application and dispersion by means of aerosol applicators.

Up until this time it has been well known to use aerosols to r. apply and disperse compositions in various areas such as homes, factories, enclosed areas, airports and in particular, aircraft. However, one of the main problems with aerosols used up until this time has been that they use chlorofluorocarbons which are ozone depleting. This is particularly disadvantageous in this day and age, and the use of such chloro-fluorocarbons as propellants in aerosols is being strictly monitored and as far as possible reduced by way of i regulation, legislation and the like throughout the world.

Other forms of propellants such as LPG and Butane are also known but are flammable and are thus particularly dangerous.

CO

2 and NO 2 are also known, however due to pressure drop-off during spraying these are not always able to be used.

While these problems arise with aerosols for applications in all areas, specific and particular problems arise with the use of aerosols in aircraft. It should be appreciated that many countries require that aircraft be disinsected before arriving in a certain country or before leaving certain countries, and the only effective way of disinsecting such aircraft is by disinsecting the aircraft in situ. In many cases it is also desired to apply matter within an aircraft, such as deodorisers, air fresheners, disinfectants purifiers IIt and the like. It has been found that one of the most effective ways of applying and dispersing such matter within an aircraft is by aerosol. Thus, problems arise with providing an appropriate composition for use in such aerosol containers, having regard to the problems with chlorofluorocarbons and having regard to the problems with other propellants such as CO 2 and N02.

Strict guidelines are set down by international organisations such as IATA and the World Health Organisation (WHO) for compositions that can be used for disinsecting aircraft.

Further, many national and international government and g regulatory bodies prescribe strict requirements for the pressure of aerosol containers. It should be appreciated that the use of certain propellants which are high pressure propellants can, when used in aerosol containers, exceed certain requirements and parameters, thus resulting in danger. It will be appreciated that such danger especially applies in aircraft, where explosions can be very dangerous 0 20 if not fatal.

The use of certain propellants which are generally speaking considered to be non-ozone depleting propellants have been proposed. For example, one non-ozone depleting propellant '25 which has been suggested for use is HFC 134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoro-ethane), hereinafter referred to as HFC 134a. This propellant has been successful as a propellant, but it is what is considered to be a high pressure propellant. Thus, its use as known and proposed up until this time in certain aerosol compositions results in such aerosol compositions which exceed normal pressure requirements. This can be particularly dangerous for use in aircraft, and known and up until this time proposed uses of compositions including HFC 134a have generally resulted in aerosol products which fail the necessary pressure requirements and specifications for use in aircraft and which also fail the necessary pressure requirements of the specifications of for example the countries concerned, including Australian Standard 2278-1986 entitled "Metal Aerosol Containers". This Standard manifests the requirements of both international and Australian codes of transportation for dangerous goods. Additionally, it manifests the general standards required for metal aerosol container standards that exist throughout the world. As such, there have been real problems with aerosol compositions using HFC 134a as a propellant.

In order to effectively use a non-ozone depleting propellant such as HFC 134a, it is usually necessary that the propellant be used with certain solvents or in some other composition 00, form, so as to allow it to be able to be used within the appropriate pressure parameters.

Certain proposals have been made to use compositions involving the use of the propellant HFC 134a in combination with certain solvents. However, the solvents that have 20 previously been proposed have generally brought about problems in that the amount of solvent required does not meet international or regulatory requirements. Further, many of the solvents proposed bring about additional toxicity and corrosion problems. It should be appreciated that ideally (although not essentially) any such composition can be used within baggage areas of aircraft and within passenger carrying areas of aircraft, as well as within households, factories and other public areas. There is also a problem with many solvents that they have corrosive properties, which bring about real problems with the interior of aircraft and indeed the interior of other installations, buildings and the like. Additionally, such solvents can create problems with Sthe corrosion of electrical or electronic components, wiring, circuit boards and the like.

i C 1 ~p~l -~CCCIC C~IP~I Through further experimentation, we have found that there is a further composition involving the use of a high pressure propellant such as HFC 134a, which provides an effective and straightforward aerosol composition which meets the necessary regulatory requirements and which goes at least some way towards substantially minimising or overcoming the problems associated with aerosol compositions up until this time.

It is an object of this invention to provide a straightforward and efficient composition for application by aerosol.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided a composition comprising a combination of at least HFC 134a 1,1,2-tetrafluoro-ethane) and 141b (C2H 3 C1 2 when used as a propellant in an aerosol composition for use in aircraft.

According to a further aspect of this invention there is provided a composition intended for aerosol application comprising an insecticidal effective amount of at least one insecticide and an aerosol propellant comprising HFC 134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoro-ethane and 141b (C2H3Cl2F).

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a method of disinsecting or deodorising an interior space of an aircraft which comprises the step of releasing into the interior space, an aerosol composition comprising: a) a propellant comprising HFC 134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoro-ethane) and 141b (C 2

H

3 Cl 2

F)

in combination; and b) at least one active ingredient selected from the group consisting of insecticides, perfumes and air fresheners.

The present invention relates to the use of aerosol compositions which minimise problems associated with ozone j /7j fi

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depleting propellants and which have particular advantages in use with an aircraft. It will be appreciated, pressure iirements are always particularly important with aerosol containers, but have particular importance where use in aircraft is concerned. It should be appreciated however that the present invention is in no way limited to use within aircraft and can be used in association with aerosol compositions for all manner of uses, including Ppplying degreasers, cleaning compounds, water displacement agents, lubricants, insecticides and air fresheners. These are however by way of example only. It is however important that the aerosol composition of the present invention meet the 0. necessary WHO and IATA Standards as well as appropriate 0 o standards of local authorities and regulatory bodies and '15 governments within the countries concerned. While in certain forms of the invention the aerosol composition includes active ingredient, it should be appreciated that in certain forms of the invention the composition can be used successfully containing HFC 134a and 141b, without additional active ingredient. For example, it has been found that an aerosol composition including HFC 134a and 141b can be particularly useful as a cleaner or degreaser. For example, i for a cleaner for electrical, electronic, computer, optical and laser applications, or as a degreaser for any particular application. These are by way of example only, but it should be appreciated that the invention relates to an aerosol composition which includes a combination of HFC 134a and 141b without any added active ingredient, as well as to compositions including active ingredient.

As already referred to hereinbefore, one satisfactory nonozone depleting propellant has been found to be HFC 134a (1,1,1,2-tetra-fluoro-ethane). This propellant is however a high pressure propellant and apart from our proposal to use HFC 134a with a solvent in the form of a dibasic ester (as referred to in our co-pending patent application), other 6 i

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proposals for the use of HFC 134a as a propellant in aerosols have been unsatisfactory. As indicated, primarily this is because HFC 134a is a high pressure propellant and proposals put forward up until this time have not met the necessary regulatory requirements, in that the use of proposed solvents and active ingredients, in conjunction with HFC 134a, have resulted in compositions of unacceptable pressure and/or compositions having unacceptable corrosive and toxicity levels. Especially when such compositions have been for use in aircraft, said levels have been unable to meet the requirements of international bodies such as IATA and WHO.

t.

As referred to hereinbefore, further experimentation has 0 00 resulted in our finding a further composition which meets the necessary standards and regulatory requirements, while at the same time meeting the necessary pressure requirements for use in aerosol containers. Thus, we have found that we are able to use the propellant HFC 134a in a composition with a 000 further propellant/solvent in the form of Di chloro-fluoro- 0 20 ethane (C 2

H

3

CL

2 F) 141b (hereinafter referred to as 141b).

This propellant/solvent has been found in experimentation to be particularly successful. It has minimal ozone depleting characteristics and in experimentation has been found to have I very low and acceptable levels of toxicity and is essentially 25 non-corrosive such as to be completely acceptable for use in upre 0 aircraft and other areas. It has also been found that the propellant/solvent 134a has very low flammability which is a substantial advantage.

It has also been found in experimentation that the use of an aerosol composition involving HFC 134a and 141b (with or without active ingredient depending on desired use) results in a composition which generally meets the necessary pressure requirements, and which also has substantially reduced levels of toxicity and corrosiveness, such as to be acceptable for use in aircraft and to be acceptable for use in other areas, particularly where metal surfaces and other surfaces and materials prone to corrosion are present. In particular however the combination of the high pressure propellant 134a and the propellant/solvent 141b reduce the pressure of the high pressure propellant 134a to acceptable levels, in that the propellant/solvent 141b (having minimal ozone depleting characteristics) essentially acts as a co-propellant to reduce the pressure of the composition to acceptable (indeed well within acceptable levels) and also results in a composition of reduced and acceptable levels of toxicity and corrosiveness. This then avoids the use of solvents which have given rise to toxicity and corrosiveness problems, and also allows for a composition which can be used for spraying active ingredient throughout aircraft. This is a particular S0 0..15 advance in that the composition of the present invention can i be used for spraying the cargo areas of aircraft and for spraying the passenger areas of aircraft (where in particular oo higher standards apply in so far as toxicity and corrosiveness are concerned) As hereinbefore referred to, in certain forms of the 00 invention the composition will include one or more active ingredients, such as those referred to by way of example.

There are however certain uses (in particular where the 00°25 composition is to be used for cleaning or degreasing), that the composition will include only HFC 134a and 141b.

We now set out below and refer to various examples of Sformulations involving the present invention.

EXAMPLE 1 A formulation for use as an insecticidal formulation: Permethrin: 2% (by weight) 141b) 134a) 98% (by weight) L~ I I I rsi -r 1 ii EXAMPLE 2 An insecticidal formulation consisting of: Permethrin: 2% (by weight) D'Phenothrin: 2% (by weight) Solvent: 8% (by weight) 141b) 134a) 88% (by weight) EXAMPLE 3 15 An insecticidal composition consisting of: o o D'Phenothrin: 2% (by weight) 141b) '20 134a) 98% (by weight) EXAMPLE 4 An air freshener or purifier composition consisting of: Perfume: 1.00% (by weight) Propylene Glycol: 0.12% (by weight) 134a) 141b) 98.88% (by weight) EXAMPLE A composition for use as electrical, electronic, computer, optical and laser cleaning applications: 134a 141b 80% (by weight) 20% (by weight) EXAMPLE 6 A composition for use as electrical, electronic, computer, optical and laser cleaning applications; ,15 t q' i a 141b 134a 70% (by weight) 30% (by weight) o* 00 o 0 8 EXAMPLE 7 A composition for use as a degreaser: 134a 141b 60% (by weight) 40% (by weight) EXAMPLE 8 A composition for use as a degreaser for any application: Surface accive degreasing agent: 0.1% 15% (by weight) 134a) 141b) 85% 99.9% (by weight) i EXAMPLE 9 A composition for use as a penetrant, lubricant, water displaking agent or rust proofing compound:

S

Surface active agent and/or solvent and/or oil and/or corrosion inhibitor: 0.1% 25% (by weight) 134a) 141b) 75% 99.9% (by weight) ;i 'The above examples are by way of example only, and it should ;15 be appreciated that other uses can be applied to the present invention and other formulations. Further, where percentage amounts (by weight) of combined amounts of 134a and 141b are ,given, the amounts of 134a and 141b within that combined amount (by weight) can vary, depending upon the desired use.

For example, amounts of 141b can increase or decrease *depending upon the desire to increase or decrease the pressure. It should be appreciated however that the examples i given above are by way of example only.

It should be appreciated that in certain of the formulations outlined above, certain solvents may be required. For example, in examplec 2 and 4 above solvents are used. It should be appreciated that these solvents will preferably be knon-toxic and nion-corrosive and well within levels set by L 30 regulatory bodies. By way of example only, such solvents can include EXXOL D-60 D-80 or for example, Isopar. Again however, these are by way of example only. It should be appreciated that modifications and variations may be made to the various formulations, in addition to the provision of other active ingredients, in order to meet the requirements of the user.

as~L1P~rrl:c_~~ i It should be appreciated that one of the real advantages of the present invention however is that to a large extent, the use of a combination of 141b and 134a gives solvency properties to the mixture which would not otherwise be exhibited if the propellant 134a were used on its own. Due to the solvency properties of 141b, the combination of 141b/134a is an ideal aerosol composition. As has already been described earlier in the specification and by way of example, the use of an aerosol composition including 141b/134a without any active ingredient is an ideal aerosol cleaning product for non-residual cleaning and degreasing, in addition to providing a good carrying agent for the inclusion of other active ingredients.

s0 15 It has been found that the aerosol composition of the present invention provides substantial advantages and goes a substantial way towards overcoming the problems that have been occasioned and brought about within the aerosol industry o.

in recent times.

:o As referred to hereinbefore, problems have been occasioned o 0°0with the use of high pressure propellants previously, in that they have not met the necessary regulatory requirements. That Sis, for example, the standards set by The Australian Standard 0 °o:25 No 2278 relating to the pressure allowable in aerosol containers. That is, for use on aircraft or any use. In particular however it will be appreciated that the pressure of such containers in aircraft is of substantial importance.

The present invention has been found to have substantial advantages, in that the compositions arrived at using the present invention have been found to have pressure levels substantially within the upper levels allowed by the appropriate authorities. By way of example only, testing on formulations such as those described hereinafter by way of example only have been found to have a pressure of approximately 800 Kpa. Generally, it is considered that the ~e upper level for such aerosol containers is 1265 Kpa at 55 0

C.

It will be appreciated therefore that the present invention allows for compositions of substantially reduced and very acceptabl pressure levels. It will of course be appreciated that pressure levels can to a large extent depend very much upon the material from which containers are made.

It should be appreciated that modifications and improvements may be made to this invention without departing from the scope thereof, as defined by the appended claims.

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Claims (8)

1. A composition comprising a combination of at least HFC 134a (1,1,1,2- tetrafluoro-ethane) and 141b (C

2 H

3 C12F), when used as a propellant in an aerosol I composition for use in aircraft. j 2. A composition as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one active ingredient selected from the group consisting of insecticides, perfumes and air i fresheners. I 3. A composition intended for aerosol application comprising an insecticidal effective amount of at least one insecticide and an aerosol propellant comprising HFC 134a (1,1,1,2-tetra fluoro-ethane and 141b (C 2 H 3 Cl 2 F).

4. A composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a solvent for at least one of the constituents thereof.

A method of disinsecting or deodorising an interior space of an aircraft which comprises the step of releasing into the interior space, an aerosol composition comprising: i I a) a propellant comprising HFC 134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoro-ethane) and 141b 2 (C 2 H 3 Cl 2 F) in combination; and b) at least one active ingredient selected from the group consisting of insecticides, perfumes and air fresheners.

6. A composition as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the examples.

7. A composition as claimed in claim 3, substantially as hereinbefore described with /r reference to the examples. L-- V

8. A method of disinsecting or deodorising an interior space of an aircraft as claimed in claim 5, substantially as hereinbefore described. Dated this 13th day of December 1995 CALLINGTON HAVEN PTY LIMITED Patent Attorney for th Applicant III i ii 6' 4f ABSTRACT An aerosol composition, characterised in that said composition uses a combination of at least HFC 134a (1,1,1,2- tetra-fluoro-ethane) and 141b (C 2 H 3 CL 2 F) as at least a propellant in said composition, with or without additional active ingredient.