MX2007010813A - Methods for lubricating the passage of a container along a conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

The passage of a container along a conveyor is lubricated by applying to the container or conveyor a mixture of a water-miscible silicone material and a water-miscible lubricant. The mixture can be applied in relatively low amounts, to provide thin, substantially non-dripping lubricating films. In contrast to dilute aqueous lubricants, the lubricants of the invention provide drier lubrication of the conveyors and containers, a cleaner conveyor line and reduced lubricant usage, thereby reducing waste, cleanup and disposal problems.

Description

DRY LUBRICANT FOR CONTAINER TRANSPORTATION FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to conveyor lubricants and to a method for transporting articles. The invention also relates to conveyor systems and containers totally or partially coated with said lubricating compositions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In commercial container filling or packaging operations, containers typically move through a conveyor system at very high speeds. Typically a concentrated lubricant is diluted with water to form an aqueous diluted lubricant solution (ie dilution ratios of 100: 1 to 500: 1) and typically copious amounts of aqueous diluted lubricant solutions are applied to the conveyor or containers using equipment of aspersion or pumping. These lubricant solutions allow the high speed operation of the conveyor and limit the surface scratches of the containers or labels but also have certain disadvantages. First, dilute aqueous lubricants typically acquire the use of large amounts of water in the conveyor line, which after being discarded or recycled and which causes a REF. : 184931 unduly humid environment near the conveyor line. Second, some aqueous lubricants can promote the growth of microbes. Thirdly, by requiring dilution of the concentrated lubricant dilution, errors can be generated, which generates variations and errors in the concentration of the diluted aqueous lubricant solution. Finally, by requiring water from the plant, variations in the water can have negative side effects on the diluted lubrication solution. For example, alkalinity in water can generate environmental stress fractures in PET bottles. When an aqueous diluted lubricant solution is used, it is typically applied at least half the time the conveyor is operating and is usually applied continuously. When running the dilute aqueous lubricant solution more lubricant is used than necessary and the lubricant concentrate cylinders should be changed more frequently than necessary. In the past, "dry lubricants" have been described as a solution to the disadvantages of dilute aqueous lubricants. Historically, a "dry lubricant" has been referred to a lubricating composition with less than 50% water that has been applied to a container or carrier without dilution. However, this application typically requires - - equipment and special supply nozzles and in particular energized nozzles. Energized nozzles refer to nozzles where the lubricant stream is broken down in a spray of fine droplets by the use of energy, which may include high pressures, compressed air or sonication to supply the lubricant. Silicone materials have been the most popular "dry lubricant". However, silicone is effective primarily in the lubrication of plastics such as PET bottles and has been found to be less effective for lubrication of glass or metal containers, particularly on a metal surface. If a plant is operating with more than one type of container in line, the conveyor lubricant must be changed before a new type of container is run. Alternatively, if a plant is operating with different types of vessels on different lines, the plant needs to have more than one type of conveyor lubricant in stock. Both scenarios consume time and are not efficient for the plant. It is against this background that the present invention has been made.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a silicone lubricant having more than 50% water. The present invention provides, in one aspect, a method for - - lubricating the passage of a container along a conveyor comprising applying a mixture of water miscible silicone material and a water miscible lubricant to at least a portion of the container containing the surface of the conveyor or at least a portion thereof of the surface of the container in contact with the conveyor. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a silicone lubricant having more than 50% water and which is not diluted before being applied to the conveyor or to the surface of the container. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a method for intermittently applying an undiluted lubricant. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a "universal" lubricant that can be used with a variety of container and carrier materials. In some embodiments, the water-miscible lubricant is selected from the group consisting of a fatty acid, a phosphate ester, an amine and an amine derivative so that the composition is effective for lubricating glass and metal containers. In some embodiments, the water-miscible lubricant is a traditional lubricant for glass or metal. The present invention provides several advantages over the prior art. First of all, - - To include water in the concentrate composition, problems related to diluted lubricants can be avoided. For example, the composition can be applied undiluted with standard application equipment (ie, non-energized nozzles). By including a little water, the composition can be applied "pure" or undiluted and this application results in drier lubrication of conveyors and containers, a cleaner and drier conveyor and work area and a use of Reduced lubricant which reduces waste, cleaning and waste problems. In addition, by adding water to the composition and not requiring dilution for its application, the problems of dilution are avoided along with the problems generated by water (ie, microorganisms and environmental stress fractures). The intermittent application of the lubricant composition also has the advantages of a reduced use of lubricant and the consequent cost savings as well as the decrease of the frequency in which the lubricating containers need to be changed. Finally, the present invention has the ability to provide lubrication to a variety of container and conveyor materials which gives the plant the option of running a lubricant several times.

- - DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Definitions For the following defined terms, these definitions will apply unless a different definition is provided in the claims or elsewhere in this specification. All numerical values herein are assumed to be modified by the term "approximately", whether or not explicitly indicated. In general, the term "approximately" refers to a range of numbers that a person skilled in the art would consider equivalent to the aforementioned value (ie, having the same function or result). In many cases, the term "approximately" may include numbers that are rounded to their nearest significant number. The percent by weight, weight percent,% by weight,% in p and the like are synonyms that refer to the concentration of a substance as the weight of the substance divided by the weight of the composition and multiplied by 100. The mention of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers included within that range (for example, 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75, 3, 3.80, 4, and 5). As used in this specification and in the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include a reference to the plural forms unless the content clearly determines it in another sense. Thus, for example, reference to a composition containing "a compound" includes a mixture of two or more compounds. As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term "or" is generally used in the sense to include "and / or" unless the content clearly determines otherwise.

Compositions As previously indicated, the present invention is generally related to a silicone lubricant having more than 50% water. The invention provides a lubricant coating which reduces the coefficient of friction of the coated conveyor parts and the containers and thus facilitates the movement of the containers along a conveyor line. The present invention in one aspect provides a method for lubricating the passage of a container along a conveyor comprising applying a mixture of a water miscible silicone material and a water miscible lubricant to at least a portion of the container in contact with the surface of the conveyor or at least a portion of the conveyor in contact with the surface of the container. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a silicone lubricant having more than 50% water that is not diluted before being applied to a conveyor or a container surface. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a method of applying an intermittently undiluted lubricant. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a "universal" lubricant that can be used with a variety of container and carrier materials. The composition can preferably be applied while the conveyor is at rest or while moving, for example at the normal operating speed of the conveyor. Preferably, the lubricating coating is removable by a water-based cleaning agent, ie, preferably it is sufficiently soluble or dispersible in water so that the coating can be removed from the container or conveyor using conventional aqueous cleaners, without the need for high pressure, abrasion mechanics or use of aggressive cleaning chemicals. The silicone material and the hydrophilic lubricant are "miscible in water" ie they are sufficiently water-soluble or dispersible in water so that when they are added to the water at the desired concentration of use they form a - - solution, emulsion or stable suspension. The desired use concentration will vary according to the particular application on the conveyor or container and according to the type of silicone and hydrophilic lubricant used. A variety of water-miscible silicone materials including silicone emulsions (such as emulsions formed by methyl (dimethyl), higher alkyl and aryl silicones, and functionalized silicones such as chlorosilanes; amino-substituted siloxanes; methoxy, epoxy and vinyl, and silanols Suitable emulsions of silicones include high viscosity polydimethylsiloxane E2175 (a 60% siloxane emulsion commercially available from Lambent Technologies, Inc.), polydimethylsiloxane E2140 (a 35% siloxane emulsion commercially available from Lambent Technologies, Inc.), polydimethylsiloxane with food grade intermediate viscosity E21456 FG (35% siloxane emulsion commercially available from Lambent Technologies, Inc.), HV490 high molecular weight hydroxy-terminated dimethylsilicone (30-60% siloxane emulsion) anionic available from Dow Chemical Corning Corporation), polydimethylsilox annealed SM2135 (a 50% nonionic siloxane emulsion commercially available from GE Silicones) and polydimethylsiloxane SM2167 (a 50% cationic siloxane emulsion commercially available from GE Silicones).

Other water miscible silicone materials include finely divided silicone powders such as the TOSPERARL ™ series (commercially available from Toshiba Silicone Co. Ltd.); and silicone surfactants such as the anionic silicone surfactant SWP30, the nonionic silicone surfactant WAXWS-P, the cationic silicone surfactant QUATQ-400M and the specialty silicone surfactant 703 (all commercially available from Lambent Technologies Inc.). Preferred silicone emulsions typically contain from about 30% by weight to about 70% by weight of water. Non-water miscible silicone materials (eg non-water soluble silicone fluids or silicone powders that are not water dispersible) can also be used in the lubricant if combined with a suitable emulsifier (eg non-ionic emulsifiers), anionic or cationic). For applications involving plastic containers (eg PET beverage bottles), care must be taken to avoid the use of emulsifiers or other surfactants that promote stress fracture in plastic containers. Polydimethylsiloxane emulsions are preferred silicone materials. In the lubricant compositions a variety of water-miscible lubricants, including hydroxy-containing compounds such as polyols (eg - - glycerol and propylene glycol); polyalkylene glycols (for example the CARBO AXMR series of polyethylene and methoxypolyethylene glycols, commercially available from Union Carbide Corp.); linear copolymers of ethylene and propylene oxides (for example the water-soluble ethylene oxide copolymer: propylene oxide UCONMR 50-HB-100, commercially available from Union Carbide Corp.); and sorbitan esters (for example the TWEENMR series 20, 40, 60, 80 and 85 of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleates and the SPA series MR 20, 80, 83 and 85 of sorbitan esters, commercially available from ICI Surfactants). Other suitable water-miscible lubricants include fatty acids, phosphate esters, amines and their derivatives such as amine salts and fatty amines and other commercially available miscible water lubricants which will be familiar to those skilled in the art. It is also possible to use derivatives of the above lubricants (for example partial esters or ethoxylates). For applications involving plastic containers, care must be taken to avoid the use of water-miscible lubricants that can promote stress fracture in the plastic container. Preferably, the water miscible lubricant is a fatty acid, a phosphate ester or an amine or amine derivatives. The example of suitable fatty acid lubricants includes oleic acid, tall oil, fatty acids of 10 to 18 atoms of carbon and coconut oil. Examples of suitable phosphate ester lubricants include polyethylenephenol ether phosphate and those phosphate esters described in U.S. Patents. 6,667,283, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Examples of suitable amine lubricants or amine derivatives include oleyldiaminopropane, cocodiaminopropane, laurylpropyldiamine, dimethyl laurylamine, coco amine PEG, alkyloxy propyldiamine of 12 to 14 carbon atoms and those amine compositions described in US Pat. Nos. 5,182,035 and 5,932,526, both incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. The preferred amounts of the silicone material, the hydrophilic lubricant and water or hydrophilic diluent are about 0.1 to about 10% by weight of the silicone material (excluding any water or other hydrophilic diluent that may be present without the silicone material is, for example , a silicone emulsion), about 0.05 to about 20% by weight of the hydrophilic lubricant and about 70 to about 99.9% by weight of water or hydrophilic diluent. More preferably, the lubricant composition contains about 0.2 to about 8% by weight of the silicone material, about 0.1 to about 15% by weight of the hydrophilic lubricant and - - about 75 to about 99% by weight of water or hydrophilic diluent. More preferably, the lubricant composition contains about 0.5 to about 5% by weight of the silicone material, about 0.2 to about 10% by weight of the hydrophilic lubricant and about 85 to about 99% by weight of water or hydrophilic diluent. The lubricant compositions may contain additional components if desired. For example, the compositions may contain adjuvants such as conventional water-dilutable carrier lubricants (e.g. fatty acid lubricants), antimicrobial agents, dyes, foam inhibitors or foam generators, fracture inhibitors (e.g. PET), viscosity modifiers, film-forming materials, surfactants, antioxidants or antistatic agents. The amounts and types of such additional components will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For applications involving plastic containers, the lubricating compositions preferably have a total alkalinity equivalent to less than about 100 ppm CaC03, more preferably less than about 50 ppm CaC03 and much more preferably less than about 30 ppm CaC03, measured according to Standar Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, eighteenth edition, section 2320, Alkalinity. A variety of conveyor classes or conveyor class can be coated with the lubricant composition. The parts of the conveyor that support or guide or move the containers and are therefore preferably coated with the lubricant composition include strips, chains, ramps, sensors and gradients having elaborate surfaces of fabrics, metals, plastics, composite materials or combinations of these materials. The lubricant composition can also be applied to a wide variety of containers including beverage containers; food containers; containers of household or commercial cleaning products and containers for oils, antifreeze or other industrial fluids. The containers can be made from a wide variety of materials including glass; plastics (for example polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene; polystyrenes; polyesters such as PET and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN); polyamides, polycarbonates and mixtures or copolymers thereof); metals (for example aluminum, tin or steel); papers (for example untreated, treated, waxed or other coated papers); ceramic and laminated materials or composite materials of two or more of these materials (for example - - laminated PET, PEN or mixtures thereof with another plastic material). The containers can have a variety of sizes and shapes including boxes (for example waxed cartons or TETRAPACK ™ boxes), cans, bottles and the like. Although any desired portion of the container may be coated with the lubricant composition, the lubricant composition preferably applonly to parts of the container that will be in contact with the conveyor and other containers. Preferably, the lubricant composition is not applied to portions of the thermoplastic containers that are susceptible to stress fracture. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the lubricant composition is applied to the portion of the crystalline base of a PET container with legs, blow molded (or to one or more portions of the conveyor that will be in contact with the portion of the base) without applying significant amounts of lubricant composition on the base portion of the amorphous center of the container. In addition, the lubricant composition is preferably not applied to portions of a container that can subsequently be held by a user holding the container or, if applied in this manner, preferably removed from said portion prior to transportation and sale of the container. For some of these applications the lubricant composition is preferably applied to the - - conveyor instead of the container, in order to limit the degree to which the container can later become slippery when used in reality. The lubricant composition can be liquid or semi-solid at the time of application. Preferably, the lubricating composition is a liquid having a viscosity which will allow it to be easily pumped and applied to a conveyor or containers and which will facilitate rapid film formation whether the conveyor is in motion or not. The lubricant composition can be formulated so as to present shear thinning or other pseudoplastic behavior, manifested by a higher viscosity (ie, no drip behavior) when at rest, and a much lower viscosity when subjected to shear stresses such as those supplied by pumping, spraying or brushing the lubricant composition. This behavior can be carried out, for example, by including the appropriate types and amounts of thixotropic fillers (for example treated or untreated smoked silicas) or other rheology modifiers in the lubricant composition.

Application Methods The lubricant coating can be applied in a constant or intermittent manner. Preferably, the - - Lubricant coating is applied in an intermittent manner in order to minimize the amount of lubricating composition applied. It has been found that the present invention can be applied intermittently and maintain a low coefficient of friction between applications or avoid a condition known as "drying". Specifically, the present invention can be applied for a period of time and then not applied for at least 15 minutes, at least 30 minutes or at least 120 minutes or more. The period of application may be long enough to disperse the composition on the conveyor belt (i.e., one revolution of the conveyor belt). During the application period, the actual application can be continuous, that is, the lubricant is applied to the entire conveyor, or intermittently. That is, the lubricant is applied in bands and the containers disperse the lubricant around. The lubricant is preferably applied to the conveyor surface at a location that is not populated with packages or containers. For example, it is preferable to apply the lubricant spray upstream of the container flow pack or on the inverted conveyor surface moving under and upstream of the container or package. In some modalities, the time relationship of - - application regarding time without application can be 1:10, 1:30, 1: 180 and 1: 500, where the lubricant maintains a low coefficient of friction between lubricant applications. In some embodiments, the lubricant maintains a coefficient of friction below about 0.2, below about 0.15 and below about 0.12. In some embodiments, a feedback loop can be used to determine at what point the coefficient of friction reaches an unacceptably high level. The feedback cycle may cause a lubricant composition delivery device to be turned on for a certain period of time and then optionally interrupts the supply of the lubricant composition when the coefficient of friction returns to an acceptable level. The lubricating coating thickness is preferably generally maintained in the limit of at least about 0.0001 mm, more preferably about 0.001 to about 2 mm and more preferably about 0.005 to about 0.5 mm. The application of the lubricant composition can be carried out using any suitable technique that - - includes spraying, rubbing, brushing, drip coating, roller coating and other methods for thin film application.

EXAMPLES The invention can be better understood by reviewing the following examples. The examples are for purposes of illustration only and do not limit the scope of the invention. Some of the following examples use the slider lubricity test. The slipper lubricity test is performed by measuring the drag force (friction force) of a heavy cylinder package mounted on a rotating disc moistened with the test sample. The bottom of the cylinder packaging is made of mild steel, glass or PET and the rotating disc is made of stainless steel or delrin (plastic). The disc has a diameter of 20 cm (8 inches) and the rotation speed is typically 30 rpm. The drag force, using an average value, is measured with a solid-state transducer, which is connected to the cylinder by a thin monofilament finishing line. The drag force is monitored with a strip diagram recorder. The coefficient of friction (COF) is calculated by dividing the drag force (F) by the weight of the cylinder packing (W): COF = F /.

- - Three to five milliliters of lubricant sample are applied with a disposable pipette on the rotating track. The typical time for the test lubricant to reach a stable state is approximately 5-10 minutes. During this time, the liquid lubricant film in the track is replenished as needed. The average force for the last 1 minute (after the lubricant has reached a steady state) is used as the final drag force for the "wet" mode. To continue with the test in "dry" mode, the liquid lubricant is not replenished. To the extent that the liquid lubricant film continues to dry over time, the drag force changes in different ways, depending on the type of lubricant. The COF in "dry" mode is determined when the applied liquid film has a dry appearance by visual inspection and is confirmed by gently touching the track. The drying time is approximately 10 to 30 minutes.

Example 1 Example 1 tests, as a control, the ability of a silicone-based "dry lubricant" for PET containers to lubricate glass bottles on a stainless steel conveyor. For this example, the formula is used in table 1.

Table 1 Lubricant formula based on silicone The silicone-based lubricant is tested using the slipper lubricity test. The silicone-based lubricant is tested using a PET cylinder on a Delrin slide and a glass cylinder on a metal slide. Results are shown in table 2.

Table 2 Friction Coefficient of the silicone-based lubricant formula The silicone-based lubricant is effective for lubricating a PET cylinder on a plastic surface and produces acceptable friction coefficients less than 0.2 and specifically 0.129 and 0.131 when running in wet and dry modes, respectively. However, silicone-based lubricant is not effective in lubricating glass on a metal surface and produces coefficients of friction greater than 0.2, and specifically 0.302 and 0.219 when running in wet and dry modes, respectively. This agrees with what has been observed in the field where the formulas of the present invention attempt to function.

Example 2 It has been observed in the field that traditional glass and non-functional metal lubricants do well (ie, do not produce a low acceptable coefficient of friction) when operating in dry mode, that when they are applied for a period of time and then They suspend for a period of time while the containers and packages continue to move along the conveyor surface. Example 2 tests, as a control, the ability of traditional lubricants for glass and metal to operate in a "dry mode". This example utilizes Lubodrive RXMR, a phosphate ester based lubricant, commercially available from Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, MN and Lubodrive TKMR, a fatty amine based lubricant, commercially available from Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, MN. This example tests 0.1% and 10% solutions of Lubodrive RXMR and Lubodrive TKMR in water. Lubodrive RXMR and Lubodrive TKMR they are typically used in 0.1% concentrations. For this example, Lubodrive RXMR and Lubodrive TKMR are tested using the slipper lubricity test using a glass cylinder on a metal slider. The results are shown in table 3.

Table 3 Lubodrive Friction Coefficient TX * 1 and Lubodrive TK1 Table 3 shows that traditional glass lubricants do not work well in a "dry" mode even when the concentration is increased one hundred times with respect to the typical use concentration of 0.1%. Lubodrive RXMR and Lubodrive TKMR produce very acceptable coefficients of friction below 0.15 when used in "wet" mode. However, when applied in the "dry" mode, the coefficient of friction increases above 0.2 in all three cases, and to 0.190 in the fourth case, even when - - the concentration is increased a hundred times with respect to the concentration of typical use. These coefficients of friction are unacceptable in the industry.

EXAMPLE 3 Example 3 tests the fatty acid formula of the present invention in comparison with the silicone control of example 1 and glass lubricants of example 2. Specifically, example 3 tests the impact of adding 1% fatty acid (oleic acid ) to the silicone-based lubricant in Table 1 and when running the lubricant wet and dry. For this example, a neutralized oleic acid premix solution is prepared by adding 100 grams of triethanolamine and 100 grams of oleic acid to 800 grams of deionized water. A lubricant solution is prepared by adding 50 grams of silicone emulsion (E2140 FG, commercially available from Technologies Inc.), 3 grams of polyoxypropylene and polyoxyethylene block copolymer (Pluronic F-108, commercially available from BASF, Mount Olive, NJ), 2 grams of methyl paraben and 100 grams of a neutralized oleic acid premix solution to 845 grams of deionized water. Example 3 is tested using the slipper lubricity test and tested on a PET cylinder on a plastic slider and a glass cylinder on a metal slider. The results are shown in table 4.

Table 4 Coefficient of lubricant friction based on silicone plus oleic acid 1% The mixture of silicone-based lubricant plus 1% oleic acid improves the lubricity of glass on metal of silicone-based lubricant (see table 2 control) wet or dry, while maintaining a good coefficient of friction for PET on a plastic surface when compared with the silicone-based lubricant and traditional glass lubricants (see table 2 and table 3 controls). In all cases, the coefficient of friction for the present invention remains below 0.2.

Ejenplo 4 Example 4 tests a phosphate ester formula of the present invention compared to a lubricant based on the silicone control of Table 1. Specifically, Example 4 tests the impact of adding 1% phosphate ester to the lubricant based in silicone of table 1 and when running the lubricant wet or dry.

- - For this example, a neutralized phosphate ester premix solution is prepared by adding 2 grams of a 50% aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and 10 grams of Rhodafac phosphate ester RA-600 (available from Rhodia, Cranbury, NJ) to 88 grams of deionized water. A lubricant solution is prepared by adding 50 grams of silicone emulsion (E2140 FG, commercially available from Lamnent Technologies Inc.), 3 grams of polyoxypropylene and polyoxyethylene block copolymer (Pluronic F-108, commercially available from BASF, Mount Olive, NJ), 2 grams of methyl paraben and 100 grams of a neutralized phosphate ester premix solution at 845 grams of deionized water. For this example, the slider lubricity test is used and PET is tested on a plastic and glass slider on a metal slider. The results are shown in table 5.

Table 5 Coefficient of lubricant friction based on silicone plus 1% phosphate ester - - The mixture of the silicone-based lubricant with 1% phosphate ester improves the lubricity of glass on metal of the silicone-based lubricant (see table 2 control) and improves the lubricity of PET on the silicone-based lubricant, wet or dry ( see table 2 and table 3 controls). In all cases, the coefficient of friction of the present invention remains below 0.2 at or below a very acceptable coefficient of friction of 0.15.

EXAMPLE 5 Example 5 tests the amine acetate formula of the present invention compared to the silicone-based lubricant in control of Table 1. Specifically, Example 5 tests the impact of adding 1% amine acetate to the lubricant based on silicone. For this example, an acidified fatty acid amine premix solution is prepared by adding 38.6 grams of glacial acetic acid, 75 grams of Duomeen OL (available from Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry LLC, Chicago IL) and 30 grams of Duomeen CD (also available from Akzo Nobel) to 856.4 grams of deionized water. A lubricant solution is prepared by adding 50 grams of silicone emulsion (E2140FG, commercially available from Lambent Technologies Inc.), 3 grams of polyoxypropylene and polyoxyethylene block copolymer (Pluronic F-108 commercially available from BASF, Mount Olive, NJ), 2 grams of methyl paraben and 100 grams of an acidified fatty amine pre-mix solution to 845 grams of deionized water. For this test, the slipper lubricity test is used and tested on a PET cylinder on a plastic slider and a glass cylinder on a metal slider. The results are shown in table 6.

Table 6 Coefficient of lubricant friction based on silicone plus 1% amine acetate The mixture of the silicone-based lubricant with 1% amine acetate improves the lubricity of glass on metal of the silicone-based lubricant (see table 2 control) wet or dry, and there is an improvement in the lubricity of PET of the lubricant based on silicone, (see table 2 and table 3 controls). In all cases, the coefficient of friction of the present invention remains below 0.2.

- - Example 6 Example 6 tests the impact of the intermittent application of lubricant on the coefficient of friction. For this example, an acidified oleyl propylene diamine solution is prepared by adding 10.0 g of Duomeen OL (available from Akzo Nobel Surface Chemistry LLC, Chicago IL) to 90.0 g of deionized water under stirring. The resulting non-homogeneous solution is acidified with glacial acetic acid until the pH is between 6.0 and 7.0 and the solution is clear. A "dry" lubricant solution is prepared by adding 5.0 g of Lambent 2140FG silicone emulsion, 5.0 g of the acidified oleyl propylene diamine solution and 0.5 g of Huntsman Surfonic TDA-9 to 89.5 g of deionized water. The lubricant solution contains 97.5% water, by weight. A conveyor system that uses a stainless steel conveyor belt driven by an 83 mm wide by 6.1 meter long motor is operated at a belt speed of 12 meters / minute. Twenty glass bottles filled with 355 ml (12 ounces) are stacked on an open bottom shelf and allowed to rest on the moving band. The total weight of the shelf and the bottles is 17.0 kg. The shelf is held in position on the band by a wire fixed to a stationary voltage gauge. The force exerted on the calibrator of - - Tension during the operation of the band is recorded using a computer. Lubricant solution is applied to the conveyor manually using a spray bottle for approximately one minute after the entire surface of the conveyor is visibly moist. The minimum coefficient of friction value during the experiment is calculated by dividing the minimum force acting on the strain gauge during the experiment between the weight of the bottles and the shelf and determined to be 0.06. The coefficient of friction of the bottles on the shelf in the same way is determined to be 0.09 to 30 minutes after the spray of lubricant has been applied and from 0.13 to 90 minutes after the spray of the lubricant has been applied. This example shows that a method of spraying a (dry) lubricant composition onto a conveyor rail using a conventional spray bottle for a period slightly longer than one revolution of the belt followed by 90 minutes without supplying any additional lubricant is effective in maintaining a useful level of coefficient of friction less than 0.20. Various modifications and alterations of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. invention and is intended to be within the scope of the following claims: It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to practice said invention, is that which is clear from this description of the invention.

Claims (40)

- - CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property:

1. A method for lubricating the passage of a container along a conveyor, characterized in that it comprises applying an undiluted lubricating composition to at least a portion of the surface of the conveyor in contact with the container or at least a portion of the surface of the container in contact with the conveyor, the lubricant composition comprises: a. from about 0.05 to about 20% by weight of a fatty acid; b. from about 0.1 to about 10% by weight of a water-miscible silicone material; and c. from about 70 to about 99.9% by weight of water.

2. The method of compliance with the claim 1, characterized in that the silicone material comprises a silicone emulsion, finely divided silicone powder or silicone surfactant.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the fatty acid comprises acid oleic, tall oil, coconut oil and mixtures thereof.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the mixture has an equivalent total alkalinity of less than about 100 ppm of CaCO3.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the total alkalinity equivalent is less than about 30 ppm of CaCO3.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the composition maintains a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.2 over the entire period of use.

The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the coefficient of friction is less than about 0.15.

The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the container is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, glass and metal.

9. The method of compliance with the claim 1, characterized in that the composition applies only to those portions of the conveyor that will be in contact with the containers or only those portions of the containers that will be in contact with the conveyor.

10. The method of compliance with the claim I, characterized in that the composition is diluted before applying the lubricant to at least a portion of the surface of the conveyor in contact with the container or at least a portion of the surface of the container in contact with the conveyor.

A method for lubricating the passage of a container along a conveyor, characterized in that it comprises applying an undiluted lubricating composition to at least a portion of the surface of the conveyor in contact with the container or at least a portion of the container. the surface of the container in contact with the conveyor, the lubricant composition comprises: a. from about 0.05 to about 20% by weight of phosphate ester; b. from about 0.1 to about 10% by weight of a water-miscible silicone material; and c. from about 70 to about 99.9% by weight of water.

12. The method in accordance with the claim II, characterized in that the silicone material comprises a silicone emulsion, finely divided silicone powder or silicone surfactant.

The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the phosphate ester comprises ester of polyethylenephenol phosphate.

The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the mixture has a total alkalinity equivalent of less than about 100 ppm of CaCO3.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the total alkalinity equivalent is less than about 30 ppm of CaCO3.

16. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the composition maintains a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.2 over the entire period of use.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the coefficient of friction is less than about 0.15.

18. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the container is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, glass and metal.

19. The method according to the claim 11, characterized in that the composition applies only to those portions of the conveyor that will be in contact with the containers or only those portions of the containers that will be in contact with the conveyor.

20. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the composition is diluted before applying the lubricant to at least a portion of the surface of the conveyor in contact with the container or at least a portion of the surface of the container in contact with the container. the transporter.

21. A method for lubricating the passage of a container along a conveyor, characterized in that it comprises applying an undiluted lubricating composition to at least a portion of the surface of the conveyor in contact with the container or at least a portion of the container. the surface of the container in contact with the conveyor, the lubricant composition is characterized in that it comprises: a. from about 0.05 to about 20% by weight of an amine; b. from about 0.1 to about 10% by weight of a water-miscible silicone material; and c. from about 70 to about

99. 9% by weight of water. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the silicone material comprises a silicone emulsion, finely divided silicone powder or silicone surfactant.

23. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the amine comprises oleyldiaminopropane, coconut diaminopropane, laurylpropyl diamine, dimethyl laurylamine, PEG cocoamine, alkyloxypropyl diamine of 12 to 14 carbon atoms and mixtures thereof.

24. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the mixture has a total alkalinity equivalent of less than about 100 ppm of CaCO3.

25. The method according to claim 24, characterized in that the total alkalinity equivalent is less than about 30 ppm of CaCO3.

26. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the composition maintains a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.2 over the entire period of use.

27. The method according to claim 26, characterized in that the coefficient of friction is less than about 0.15.

28. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the container is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, glass and metal.

29. The method of compliance with the claim - - 21, characterized in that the composition applies only to those portions of the conveyor that will be in contact with the containers or only those portions of the containers that will be in contact with the conveyor.

The method according to claim 21, characterized in that the composition is diluted before applying the lubricant to at least a portion of the surface of the conveyor in contact with the container or at least a portion of the surface of the container in contact with the transporter.

31. A method for lubricating the passage of a container along a conveyor characterized in that it comprises applying an undiluted lubricant composition through non-energized nozzles to at least a portion of the surface of the conveyor in contact with the container or by at least a portion of the surface of the container in contact with the conveyor, the undiluted lubricant composition comprises a mixture of a water-miscible silicone material and a water-miscible lubricant, wherein the lubricant composition is applied for a period of time and suspended for a period of time such that the ratio of application time to time without application is at least 1:10.

32. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that the ratio of application time to time without application is at least 1:30.

33. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that the ratio of application time to time without application is at least 1: 180.

34. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that the ratio of application time to time without application is at least 1: 500.

35. The method of compliance with the claim 31, characterized in that the lubricant composition further comprises at least 50% by weight of water.

36. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that the water-miscible lubricant is selected from the group consisting of a fatty acid, a phosphate ester and an amine, an amine derivative and mixtures thereof.

37. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that the lubricant composition maintains a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.2 over the entire period of use.

38. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that the composition maintains a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.15 over the entire period of use.

39. The method according to claim 31, characterized in that the composition maintains a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.12 over the entire period of use.

40. The method of compliance with the claim 31, characterized in that the composition is diluted before applying the lubricant to at least a portion of the surface of the conveyor in contact with the container or at least a portion of the surface of the container in contact with the conveyor.