Patent Application
20230407212
There is usually no problem when heated food or even uncooked food gets on a cooktop surface when it is clean up right away. Oftentimes though this is not the typical scenario. Sometimes food, whether it is already burned into the surface or not, is left to be cleaned up for the next day or maybe even some months down the road when the food already burned on to the surface has been repeatedly burned as the cooktop is used for cooking.
Presently, there are a wide variety of products that are recommended for cleaning cooktops. They range from home remedies, such as baking soda and lemon juice to commercial products that range from a single active ingredient, such as isopropyl alcohol, to a mixture of organic chemicals to weak acids like citric acid to something akin to a specially chemically formulated scrub sponge. These products have varying levels of efficacies based on a review of customer comments found on the Internet. One product that seems most effective appears to be the home remedy using baking soda and lemon juice, but it appears to take several applications and is quite labor intensive. The time for removal appears to be in the order of 10 minutes.
Therefore, there exists a need for a reliable product to quickly remove food which had been burned or repeatedly burned over time, such as months, on to the surface of cooktops. The product should be safe to use and price competitive.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,208 rust stain remover by Iron Out, Inc includes a product named Whink, which includes a critical ingredient, fluoroboric acid, produced from a reaction between ammonium bifluoride and boric acid. Other ingredients in the Whink product include oxalic acid, citric acid, a thickener, a surfactant and perfume oil. The thickener is important for the use as a rust stain remover where vertical surfaces such as toilet bowls are involved, but probably not so vital for cooktop surfaces which are typically horizontal. Oxalic acid aids in the removal of rust as it typically complexes with the iron, Fe, of the ferric oxide often found in rust, but may not be necessary as an ingredient for cooktop cleaners.
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,208 does not address the removing or cleaning of chemical compounds in food burned or baked on the cooktop surface. U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,208, includes formulations that would etch glass. In terms of concentration, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,208 by Crist includes ammonium bifluoride of 3.5% by weight for one of its rust stain remover formulations.
One or more embodiments relates to removing stains from glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic surfaces. The glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic surfaces may be found or used in cooktops. Alternatively, one or more embodiments relates to removing stains from cooktops. Stains may include food particles (or food) burned onto the glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic surfaces.
One or more embodiments relates to a modification or a (e.g., different or variant) version of a rust stain remover for removal of food that has been burned and re-burned (e.g., perhaps) continually over months onto surfaces (e.g., surfaces of cooktops made of glass, ceramic, or combination of both materials).
In one or more embodiments include a much lower concentration of the use of ammonium bifluoride to remove stains of burnt food. For example, it was found that a lower concentration of ammonium bifluoride (e.g., less than half the 3.5% ammonium bifluoride concentration by weight used in U.S. Pat. No. 6,297,208) was found to be effective in removing food that had been burned on surface(s) of cooktop(s). In one experiment an embodiment including a concentration of about 0.5% (e.g., with plus or minus 30% tolerance range) of ammonium bifluoride by weight was found to be effective in removing food that has been burned on surface(s) of cooktop(s). Another embodiment including even lower concentration levels of ammonium bifluoride such as about 0.05% (e.g., with plus or minus 30% tolerance range) concentration by weight still showed some effectiveness (e.g., 40% to 60% effective) in removing food that has been burned on a surface of a cooktop (e.g., when compared to the concentrations of 0.5% plus or minus 30% tolerance).
Another embodiment may not require including a thickener. Alternatively, an embodiment may not require including a surfactant.
One or more embodiments includes at least one (e.g., novel) formulation for removal of food that has been burned and re-burned perhaps continually over months onto the surfaces of cooktops made of glass, ceramic, or combination of both materials.
At least one embodiment includes a range of formulations for removal of food burned (or baked) onto surfaces of cooktops. For example, cooktops may include glass, ceramic, or a combination of those materials or chemical composition of thereof, such as silicon dioxide in glass. Burnt food may (or may not) include (e.g., but not limited to) acrylamide. Yet another embodiment provides safe application of a chemical compound such that the surfaces of cooktops, including glass, ceramic, or a combination of those materials or chemical composition of thereof, such as silicon dioxide in glass. A safe application of the chemical compound (e.g., or embodiment) includes the lack of etching on one or more kinds of surfaces, wherein the surface (or surfaces) may include glass, ceramic, and/or silicon dioxide. Yet another embodiment avoids the use (or inclusion) of fluoboric acid, which can etch or cause harm to surfaces, such as surfaces including glass, ceramic, and/or silicon dioxide.
Another embodiment may include a formulation including hydrofluoric acid (e.g., HF) or ammonium bifluoride. For example, a formulation including hydrofluoric acid (e.g., HF) and/or ammonium bifluoride provides for removal of food burnt onto surfaces (e.g., cooktops). Hydrofluoric acid may be combined with water (e.g., in an aqueous solution). Ammonium bifluoride may be combined with water (e.g., in an aqueous solution).
An embodiment may include one or more formulations (e.g., for removal of food burnt onto a surface), which includes heating a single chemical. For example, an embodiment may include one or more formulations wherein at least one of the formulations was heated.
Another embodiment may include one or more formulations (e.g., to provide for removal of food burnt onto a surface) that does not require heating of one or more chemicals (e.g., wherein a formulation includes one or more chemicals) For example, an embodiment may include one or more formulations wherein at least one of the formulations (or all the formulations) was not heated.
One or more embodiments or chemical formulations remove(s) stains in 2 minutes or less. The stains may be present in cooktops, glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic.
Chemical formulations from about 2.5% to about 0.05% HF are effective in rapidly removing, less than two minutes, burned food from cooktop surfaces with 100% efficacy down to approximately 50% at the lower concentrations. The cooktop surfaces could be glass or a combination of glass and ceramic.
Chemical formulations from about 3.0% to about 0.05% ammonium bifluoride, NH4HF2, are effective in rapidly removing, less than two minutes, burned food from cooktop surfaces with (e.g., about) 100% efficacy down to approximately 50% at the lower concentrations. The cooktop surfaces could be glass or a combination of glass and ceramic.
On a by weight basis, based on pH determinations, ammonium bifluoride is more effective than is hydrofluoric acid when used to prepare cleaning formulations.
An embodiment includes a range of formulations for removal of food burned onto the surfaces of cooktops. The surfaces may include any combination in composition of the following: glass, ceramic, glass-ceramic, or silicon dioxide (e.g., in glass). One embodiment (e.g., including a range of formulations) is provided by combining about 1% to 10% by weight of ammonium bifluoride and about 1% to 10% boric acid, typically in about equal molarity; the balance which is water with an amount of less than 4% oxalic acid and/or citric acid, and/or small amounts, less than 0.4% of a thickening agent, surfactant, and/or perfume oil.
Yet another embodiment may include at least one of the following (or an embodiment may include any combination of the following): A) Combining about 1% to 10% by weight of ammonium bifluoride and about 1% to 10% boric acid. B) Water. C) Oxalic acid. D) Citric acid. E) Less than or equal to 0.4% of a thickening agent, surfactant, and/or perfume oil.
Another (e.g., effective) formulation would consist of about 3.0% ammonium bifluoride and about 2.5% boric acid. Yet another (e.g., effective) formulation would include approximately 3.5% ammonium bifluoride and about 3.0% boric acid. Yet another effective formulation would include approximately 6% ammonium bifluoride and about 5.5% boric acid. Another effective formulation would include approximately 9% ammonium bifluoride and about 8.5% boric acid. Some other (e.g., effective) formulations would include an addition of approximately 3.0% oxalic acid. For example, adding approximately 3.0% oxalic acid to any of: 1) A formulation consisting of 3.0% ammonium bifluoride and about 2.5% boric acid. 2) A formulation including approximately 3.5% ammonium bifluoride and about 3.0% boric acid. 3) A formulation including approximately 6% ammonium bifluoride and about 5.5% boric acid. 4) A formulation would include approximately 9% ammonium bifluoride and about 8.5% boric acid.) Also, other effective formulations would include an addition of approximately 1% citric acid to the above (or previously mentioned) various formulations. Because of the slight pungent smell of some of the above (or previously mentioned) formulations perfume oil could be added with the aid of a surfactant at approximately 0.1% to 0.3% level. Another formulation (or embodiment) may include other concentrations and percentages.
For all (or any) of the above formulations (or embodiments) initially, to a heated aqueous solution of ammonium bifluoride is added boric acid to form fluoroboric acid all the while maintaining the temperature from the onset of addition. The temperature could range from approximately 40 to 60 degrees Celsius.
For another embodiment, eventually it was found that ammonium bifluoride (e.g., alone) was sufficient. It was found that 3% by weight ammonium fluoride down to even 0.5% provided (e.g., effective) formulations in removing burnt stains in two minutes or less. At about 0.05% by weight of ammonium fluoride, a resulting formulation appeared to be (e.g., only) about 50% effective. In providing or producing an embodiment or formulation, it did not make any difference whether the ammonium fluoride was added to heated water, such as at 45 degree Celsius, or by adding water at room temperature (e.g., with the ammonium fluoride).
Other inorganic salts of bifluoride should work as well, such as potassium bifluoride and sodium bifluoride, which can be substituted for ammonium fluoride in providing a formulation or in providing an embodiment.
A bifluoride anion may dissociate into hydrofluoric acid (HF), a weak acid, which provides for a potent agent for the removal of the burnt food stains on the surface of the cooktop.
It was found that straight hydrofluoric acid, HF, would work as well. About 2.5% concentration by weight HF in water solution provided an effective formulation (e.g., for cleaning surfaces, which may (or may not) include burnt food). Even at about 0.5% HF concentration the formulation was nearly 100% (or substantially) effective. It was found that HF concentrations as low as 0.05% seem to be effective to some extent, perhaps around 50% efficacy. For example, at lower a concentration of HF it was found to be at least partially effective in cleaning surfaces, which may (or may not) include burnt food.
A 3.0% by weight ammonium bifluoride solution had a pH of (e.g., about) 3.93 and a 2.5% hydrofluoric acid solution had a pH of about 2.59. So, the former formulation (e.g., including 3.0% by weight ammonium bifluoride) is more than 10 times weaker than the latter formulation (e.g., including 2.5% hydrofluoric acid), which could not be accounted by the differences in formula weights of the chemical compounds—a difference of 2.5 times not over 10 times.
Different formulations were prepared with a 600 ml beaker (or container) and in quantities of 300 ml using a temperature controlled hot plate/magnetic stirrer system. It is probably best or preferable to use plastic beakers (or plastic containers) as opposed to glass beakers (or glass containers) etc. as HF can etch glass and be consumed in the process. One or more (or each) of the above examples of effective formulations (e.g., preferably) does not cause etching of the cooktop surface. To assess etching a microscope slide and a small sheet of glass-ceramic were separately immersed in the formulations for 10 minutes and then observed to see (or detect) if any etching had occurred. For a more critical evaluation a microscope may also be employed. Also, the formulations' pHs were measured with a pH meter. Formulations that do not etch glass-ceramic and glass were evaluated as a remover of burned on food on the cooktop surface, which in this case was of the glass-ceramic type.
An embodiment (or formulation) with one or two applications of it will removed all food burned into the surface of a cooktop made of glass, ceramic, or a combination thereof in less than five (5) minutes per burner. The number of applications and time of removal will depend on the potency of the formulations.
Attached is a picture (shown in
Although one or more of the formulations or embodiments is effective as a rust stain remover where inorganics, such as iron, Fe, is present, one or more of the same formulations (and/or one or more other formulations) is effective in removing burned food, which consist (or include) of organics, from glass-ceramic, glass, ceramic cooktop surfaces.
Another embodiment using active ingredients, such as either hydrofluoric acid (HF) or ammonium bifluoride (NH4HF2), can be formulated at an order of 10 times or more lower than those formulations originally used for removing rust stains (e.g. using substantially the same chemicals for removing rust stains but with a lower concentration for different uses, wherein a different use includes removal of food burned onto cooktops).
One embodiment may include:
An embodiment may include:
One embodiment may include:
An embodiment may include:
This disclosure is illustrative and not limiting; further modifications will be apparent to one skilled in the art and are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims and or of the embodiments described.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 17/217,094 filed on Mar. 30, 2021, and claims priority to U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/101,027 filed on Apr. 14, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63101027 | Apr 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17217094 | Mar 2021 | US |
| Child | 18239448 | US |
