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Apparatuses, methods and articles made therefrom include the use of an on-site and on-demand gas generator for preparation of sulfonating gas to be mixed with dry air to treat surfaces of polymeric materials. The apparatuses and methods may be utilized by placing numerous articles into a container a

Apparatuses, methods and articles made therefrom include the use of an on-site and on-demand gas generator for preparation of sulfonating gas to be mixed with dry air to treat surfaces of polymeric materials. The apparatuses and methods may be utilized by placing numerous articles into a container and sulfonating all of the articles at once in a batch process, or there may be a multiple injection port gas delivery system for the production of numerous articles of enclosed vessels with the sulfonation treatment on the interior surface of the vessel.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for sulfonating the surface of an article with a sulfonating gas to modify and treat the surface, comprising:an enclosable container for receiving the article therein, said container being capable of being substantially air tight to contain substantially all the sulfonating gas;a gas

1. An apparatus for sulfonating the surface of an article with a sulfonating gas to modify and treat the surface, comprising:an enclosable container for receiving the article therein, said container being capable of being substantially air tight to contain substantially all the sulfonating gas;a gas inlet for introducing the sulfonating gas into the enclosable container;an on-site and on-demand catalytically oxidizing gas generator in communication with the enclosable container through the gas inlet, said ass generator including a catalytic converter to oxidatively generate a sulfur-containing gas from a chemical feed stock selected from the group consisting of raw sulfur, processed sulfur, sulfur dioxide, liquid sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid and mixtures thereof to produce the sulfur-containing gas at a predetermined concentration;a source of dry air for mixing with the sulfur-containing gas to form the sulfonating gas;a means for exhausting the sulfonating gas from the enclosed container after the treatment has been effected;a means for neutralizing the sulfonated treated surface, including a source of a neutralizing agent selected from the group consisting of ammonia, calcium, aluminum and any positively charged ion-containing fluid and solutions and mixtures thereof, and a means for removing the neutralizing agent after it has neutralized the sulfonated article; anda pump for pumping the sulfonating gas into the enclosable container,whereby some of the sulfur in the sulfonating gas is consumed to form the treatment layer on the surface of the article. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sulfonating gas includes sulfur trioxide and dry air. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an in-line heater to heat the dry air for the production of hot, dry air to be combined with the sulfur-containing gas made by the gas generator to form a hot sulfonating gas mixture. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a gas carrier from the exhaust means to the gas inlet so that the exhaust sulfonating gas may be recycled and re-used. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the recycling gas carrier is in line with the gas generator so that the sulfur content of the sulfonating gas may be rejuvenated to a concentration of a level from about 1% to about 20% by volume of the sulfonating gas. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said gas generator includes a vanadium catalytic converter for the on-site production of sulfur-containing gas from a sulfur-containing compound selected from the group consisting of raw sulfur, processed sulfur, sulfur dioxide, liquid sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid and mixtures thereof. 7. An apparatus for sulfonating an enclosed vessel with a sulfonating gas to modify and effect a treatment on the interior surface of the vessel, comprising:at least one inlet to be inserted into the enclosed vessel for injecting sulfonating gas into the vessel, said inlet including a means for effecting a substantially airtight seal before the gas is injected into the vessel;a gas manifold having at least one gas carrier connected to the at least one inlet;an on-site and on-demand catalytically oxidizing gas generator in communication with the enclosable container through the gas inlet, said gas generator including a catalytic converter to oxidatively generate a sulfur-containing gas from a chemical feed stock selected from the group consisting of raw sulfur, processed sulfur, sulfur dioxide, liquid sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid and mixtures thereof to produce the sulfur-containing gas at a predetermined concentration;a source of dry air to be mixed with the sulfur-containing gas to form the sulfonating gas;a means for exhausting the sulfonating gas from within the enclosed vessel;a means for neutralizing the treated interior surface of the vessel, including a means for introducing a neutralizing agent into the interior of the vessel, said neutralizing agent being selected from the group consisting of ammonia, calcium, aluminum, and any positively charged ion-containing fluid and solutions and mixtures thereof, such that the enclosed vessel has been neutralized; anda pump for pumping the sulfonating gas through the injection inlets into the enclosed vessel,whereby the interior surface of the enclosed vessel has a treatment imparted thereon by consuming some of the sulfur in the sulfonating gas to form a treated layer. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said gas generator includes a vanadium catalytic converter for the on-site production of sulfur-containing gas from a sulfur-containing compound selected from the group consisting of raw sulfur, processed sulfur, sulfur dioxide, liquid sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid and mixtures thereof. 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the vessel includes vessels made of a polymeric material. 10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the vessel includes a plastic automotive gasoline tank. 11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one inlet includes an injection nozzle adapted for mating with the enclosure of the enclosed vessel to effect an airtight seal. 12. An apparatus for applying a sulfonating treatment or surface modification onto the surface of polymeric articles, comprising:a catalytic converter gas generator for the on-site production of a sulfur-containing gas from a sulfur-containing compound feedstock selected from the group consisting of raw sulfur, processed sulfur, sulfur dioxide, liquid sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid and mixtures thereof, said on-site production of the sulfur-containing gas also being adapted to replenish the sulfur mole percentage concentration in the spent sulfur-containing gas to a level of between about 1% to about 20%, based upon the volume of the sulfur-containing gas being generated;a multi-port sulfonating gas delivery system having individual ports for connecting to a plurality of individual polymeric articles for introducing a sulfonating gas onto the surface of individual polymeric articles such that a treatment layer is formed on the surface of the article, said sulfonating gas being comprised of dry air and the sulfur-containing gas, said dry air being at an elevated temperature of between about 15° C. and 70° C., whereby some of the sulfur in the sulfur-containing gas is consumed to form the treatment layer;a manifold means for containing and transporting the sulfonating gas between the multiple ports of the gas delivery system so that the unused sulfonating gas can be recycled and delivered to additional polymeric articles for more of the elemental sulfur to be consumed by forming a the treatment layer on more of the articles;a pump for supplying the sulfonating gas to the gas delivery system and exhausting the sulfonating gas via the manifold;a means for introducing a neutralizing agent onto the surface of the polymeric articles, said neutralizing agent being selected from the group consisting of ammonia, calcium, aluminum and any positively charged ion-containing fluid and mixtures and solutions thereof; andwhereby an effective concentration of sulfur-containing compound is present in the sulfonating gas and may be reused and recycled for sulfonating additional articles. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the catalytic converter is made of vanadium. 14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least one inlet for insertion into a polymeric article, said at least one inlet including substantially airtight injection nozzles.