Title of Invention

APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONDITIONING SCALE ON A METAL SURFACE

Abstract

APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONDITIONING SCALE ON A METAL SURFACE ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A composition and apparatus and method of using the composition for aqueous spray descaling1/1/2006 or conditioning of scale or oxide on metal surfaces, especially stainless steel strip or the like, in one embodiment, although it can be used to descale or condition oxide or scale on other work pieces such as metal bar, or even discrete objects. An aqueous solution having a base composition of an alkali metal hydroxide, such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or a mixture of alkali metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide is used. The aqueous solution may contain certain additives to improve the descaling performance of the salt. In one embodiment, the solution is used to condition the scale or surface oxide on a strip of stainless steel. The strip of steel is at a temperature between the melting point of the alkali metal hydroxide in anhydrous form and a temperature at which the Leidenfrost effect appears. One or more nozzles is provided to spray the solution, and the heated strip is passed by the nozzle or nozzles where the solution is sprayed on the surface or surfaces of the strip that have the scale or oxide. The invention also includes the apparatus and control thereof for the spraying of the solution.

Full Text

FORM 2 The Patents Act, 1970 (39 of 1970) 1. "APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONDITIONING SCALE ON A METAL SURFACE" 2(a) KOLENE CORPORATION (b) 12890 Westwood Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48223, United States of America (c) United States of America The following specification describes the nature of this invention.and the manner in which it is to be performed. KOMO-531WCT WE CLAIM: 1. An apparatus for conditioning scale on the surface of a metal object, wherein a mechanism moves the metal object first past a cooling mechanism and then past at least one nozzle adapted to spray droplets of an aqueous caustic solution contained in at least one reservoir, wherein the improvement is characterised by: a temperature-sensing device positioned adjacent said cooling mechanism to sense the temperature of the surface of said metal object prior to the metal object passing said at least one nozzle; and a control mechanism to control said cooling mechanism responsive to the sensed temperature of the surface of said metal object, said control mechanism configured to control the cooling device to cool the surface of the metal object to a temperature above the melting point of the composition contained in the aqueous solution and below the temperature at which the Leidenfrost effect appears. 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein there is at least a second reservoir for a fluid communicating with said at least one nozzle and with said control mechanism. 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein there is at least a second nozzle adapted to spray droplets of a solution communicating with said reservoir, and with said control mechanism. 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the control mechanism includes flow control devices to control the flow individually from each reservoir to said nozzle. 5. The apparatus as defined in claim I wherein the mechanism for moving the metal object is configured to move a metal strip, and said metal object is a metal strip. 6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein there is at least one nozzle disposed on each side of said strip. 7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising an acid pickling station, and wherein the mechanism for moving the metal object is configured to the move the object through the acid pickling station after moving the object past the at least one nozzle. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 further characterized by a surface coverage analyzer adjacent said at least one nozzle. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein there is a speed sensing device to sense the speed of said metal object, and said control device is configured to vary the flow of said aqueous caustic solution responsive to the sensed speed of the metal object. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein: a) the metal object has a composition and dimensions; and - b) the control mechanism flow control devices control said flow responsive to at least one of the group consisting of the composition and the dimensions of said metal object The apparatus of claim 9, wherein: -a)—the metal object has a composition and dimensions; and b) the control mechanism flow control devices control said flow responsive to at least one of the group consisting of the composition and the dimensions of said metal object. 12. The apparatus of claim 5 further comprising a surface condition analyzer in communication with said control mechanism and positioned to measure a degree of surface conditioning of said metal strip after said strip has been engaged by the spray droplets, wherein the control mechanism is further configured to control a flow rate of said aqueous caustic solution through said at least one nozzle responsive to the degree of surface conditioning measured by the surface analyzer. 13. The apparatus of Claim 1 further comprising a heating mechanism disposed to heat the surface of the metal object prior to the metal object passing said temperature-sensing device to a temperature above the melting point of the composition contained in the aqueous solution. 14. A method of treating scale on the surface of a metal object with an aqueous solution comprised of an alkali metal hydroxide or mixture of alkali metal hydroxides, wherein the improvement is characterised by the steps of: a) controlling the temperature of the surface of the metal object to a temperature above the melting point of the alkali metal hydroxide or hydroxides in anhydrous form and where conditioning occurs, and below the temperature at which the Leidenfrost effect appears; and b) thereafter spraying said solution on the surface of the metal object. 15. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the solution contains sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide or a mixture thereof. 16. The method as defined in claim 14, further comprising the step of acid pickling the metal object after spraying the metal object with said solution. 17. The method of claim 14 wherein the concentration of the solution is between about 15% and 65% solids by weight. 18. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the solution concentration is between about 35% and 45% solids by weight. 19. The method as defined is claim 14 wherein the concentration of the solution is about 40% solids by weight. 20. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the temperature of the surface of the metal object is at least about 232 °C (450°F), and does not exceed about 371 °C (700°F), as measured by a contact thermocouple. 21. The method as defined in claim 17 wherein the temperature of the surface of the metal object is at least about 232 °C (450°F) and does not exceed about 316 °C (600°F), as measured by a contact thermocouple. 22. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the metal object is stainless steel strip. 23. The method of claim 14 wherein the solution contains an effective amount of an additive selected from the group of alkali metal carbonates, alkali metal chlorates, alkali metal nitrates, alkali metal permanganates, and mixtures thereof. 24. The method of claim 23 wherein the additive is an alkali metal permanganate. 25. The method of claim 15 wherein aqueous solution is comprised of a eutectic mixture of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. 26. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of spraying said solution on the surface of the metal object is performed in an oxidizing atmosphere. 27. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of: a) providing a composition and dimensions for the metal object; and b) controlling the amount of the solution sprayed on the surface of the metal object; wherein the step of controlling the amount of the solution sprayed is responsive to at least one of the composition and the dimensions of the metal object. 28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of analyzing the sprayed metal object surface to measure the degree of surface scale conditioning; and wherein the step of controlling the amount of the solution sprayed is further responsive to the step of analyzing said sprayed metal object surface. 29. An apparatus for conditioning scale on the surface of a metal object having a surface temperature, wherein a driving mechanism moves the metal object first past a heating mechanism and a cooling mechanism and then past at least one nozzle adapted to spray droplets of an aqueous caustic solution comprising at least one salt having a melting point and contained in at least one first reservoir, wherein the improvement is characterised by: a second reservoir containing a second liquid solution and communicating with said at least one nozzle, wherein the at least one nozzle is adapted to spray an atomized mist of a treatment mixture of said aqueous caustic solution and said second liquid solution and thereby cause the treatment mixture to engage the surface of the metal object, said treatment mixture having a concentration of the aqueous caustic solution and a concentration of the second liquid solution; a control mechanism in communication with said at least one nozzle, the control mechanism configured to control the flow rate of said treatment mixture through said at least one nozzle as an atomized mist engaging said metal object surface; and a temperature-sensing device in communication with said control mechanism and positioned to sense the surface temperature of said metal object prior to the metal object passing said at least one nozzle; wherein the control mechanism is configured to direct the cooling mechanism responsive to the temperature-sensing device to decrease the surfece temperature of said metal object prior to the metal object surfece engaging said atomized treatment mist to a temperature above said salt melting point and below the temperature at which the Leidenfrost effect appears on said metal object surface. 30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the atomized treatment mixture mist engages the surface of the metal object in an oxidizing atmosphere. 31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a surface analyzer in communication with said control mechanism and positioned to measure a degree of surface conditioning of said metal object surface after said surface has been engaged by said atomized treatment mist, wherein the control mechanism is further configured to control the flow rate of said treatment mixture through said at least one nozzle responsive to the degree of surface conditioning measured by the surface analyzer. 32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising a speed sensing device in communication with said control mechanism and positioned to measure the rate at which said metal object surface passes said at least one nozzle, wherein the control mechanism is further configured to control the flow rate of said treatment mixture through said at least one nozzle responsive to the speed sensing device. 33. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising: a flow monitor in series with the at least one nozzle configured to monitor the flow of the treatment mixture through said nozzle, said monitor communicating with the control mechanism; and at least a second nozzle in communication with said control mechanism and said first and second reservoirs and adapted to spray an atomized mist of a treatment mixture of said aqueous caustic solution and said second liquid solution and thereby cause the treatment mixture to engage the surface of the metal object; wherein said control mechanism operates said second nozzle responsive to said flow monitor. 34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the control mechanism is furthered configured to operate said second nozzle responsive to the degree of surface conditioning measured by the surface analyzer. 35. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the metal object has a composition, and wherein the control mechanism is further configured to vary the concentration of said first aqueous caustic solution and vary the concentration of the second liquid solution within said treatment mixture responsive to the composition of said metal object. 36 The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the metal object has a composition and dimensions, and wherein the control mechanism is further configured to vary the concentration of said first aqueous caustic solution and vary the concentration of the second liquid solution within said treatment mixture responsive to at least one of the group consisting of the composition of said metal object, the dimensions of said metal object, and the degree of surface conditioning measured by the surface analyzer.

Documents:

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in-pct-2002-00993-mum-abstract(7-3-2004).doc

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-abstract(7-3-2004).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-cancelled pages(7-3-2002).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-claims(granted)-(7-3-2004).doc

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-claims(granted)-(7-3-2004).pdf

IN-PCT-2002-00993-MUM-CORRESPONDENCE(10-3-2010).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-correspondence(25-10-2004).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-drawing(7-3-2004).pdf

IN-PCT-2002-00993-MUM-FORM 15(10-3-2010).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-form 19(23-7-2003).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-form 1a(22-7-2002).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-form 2(granted)-(7-3-2004).doc

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-form 2(granted)-(7-3-2004).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-form 26(22-7-2002).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-form 3(7-3-2004).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-form 5(7-3-2004).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-form-pct-ipea-409(7-3-2002).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-form-pct-isa-210(7-3-2002).pdf

IN-PCT-2002-00993-MUM-PETITION UNDER RULE 137(10-3-2010).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-petition under rule 137(7-4-2004).pdf

in-pct-2002-00993-mum-petition under rule 138(7-3-2004).pdf