Patent Application
20220049110
The present disclosure relates to a composition and to products coated with the composition and, more particularly, to quaternary ammonium ion-based compositions and to products coated with such compositions to form products having antimicrobial treated surfaces.
The recent novel-coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) outbreak has impacted the safety of passengers and crew members flying on aircraft. The safety of such passengers and crew members may be improved by treating surfaces—e.g., lavatory surfaces such as sinks or faucets—with antimicrobial treatments capable of mitigating the presence of the virus on such surfaces. Nano-silver based coatings or surface treatments are widely available and are very effective as antimicrobials as they suppress or inhibit a wide spectrum of bacteria, molds, fungi and viruses. Such coatings, however, are expensive and present significant environmental challenges.
A method of manufacturing a component of an aircraft interior having antimicrobial properties is disclosed. In various embodiments, the method includes applying a reactive quaternary ammonium ion-based compound (“reactive quat”) to an exposed surface of the component.
In various embodiments, the reactive quat comprises a reactive silane group. In various embodiments, the reactive quat comprises an alkyl chain. In various embodiments, the exposed surface comprises a metallic surface. In various embodiments, applying the reactive quat to the exposed surface comprises reacting the reactive silane group with the metallic surface.
In various embodiments, the reactive quat is 1-tetradecanaminium, N,N-dimethyl-N-(3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl)chloride. In various embodiments, the reactive quat is 1-decanaminium, Ndidecyl-N-methyl-N-(3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl)chloride. In various embodiments, the reactive quat is 1-ocatdecananminium, N,N-dimethyl-N-(3-(trihydroxysilyl)propyl)chloride.
In various embodiments, the reactive quat comprises benzophenone. In various embodiments, the reactive quat comprises an alkyl chain. In various embodiments, the exposed surface comprises a plastic surface. In various embodiments, applying the reactive quat to the exposed surface comprises reacting the benzophenone with the plastic surface. In various embodiments, applying the reactive quat to the exposed surface comprises exposing the benzophenone and the plastic surface to an ultraviolet radiation.
A component for an aircraft is disclosed. In various embodiments, the component includes an exposed surface; and an antimicrobial agent applied to the exposed surface, the antimicrobial agent comprising a reactive quat.
In various embodiments, the reactive quat comprises a reactive silane group. In various embodiments, the reactive quat comprises an alkyl chain. In various embodiments, the exposed surface comprises a metallic surface.
In various embodiments, the reactive quat comprises benzophenone. In various embodiments, the reactive quat comprises an alkyl chain. In various embodiments, the exposed surface comprises a plastic surface.
The foregoing features and elements may be combined in any combination, without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated herein otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation of the disclosed embodiments will become more apparent in light of the following description and accompanying drawings.
The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. A more complete understanding of the present disclosure, however, may best be obtained by referring to the following detailed description and claims in connection with the following drawings. While the drawings illustrate various embodiments employing the principles described herein, the drawings do not limit the scope of the claims.
The following detailed description of various embodiments herein makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which show various embodiments by way of illustration. While these various embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the detailed description herein is presented for purposes of illustration only and not of limitation. Furthermore, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than one component or step may include a singular embodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected, or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full or any other possible attachment option. Additionally, any reference to without contact (or similar phrases) may also include reduced contact or minimal contact. It should also be understood that unless specifically stated otherwise, references to “a,” “an” or “the” may include one or more than one and that reference to an item in the singular may also include the item in the plural. Further, all ranges may include upper and lower values and all ranges and ratio limits disclosed herein may be combined.
Reactive quaternary ammonium ion-based compounds (referred to herein as “quats”) have the ability to react and attach themselves to material surfaces and to form films or coatings for long lasting and non-leaching antimicrobial surface treatments. In this disclosure, reactive quats are proposed for antimicrobial treatments or coatings for exposed surfaces within an aircraft—e.g., the surfaces of lavatory sinks or faucets or lavatory toilets, handles or lids or similar surfaces that are subject to exposure to viruses or pathogens transmitted, for example, by human touch or by airborne means. With respect to various embodiments, two representative reactive quats are described—a reactive silane quaternary ammonium ion-based antimicrobial and a benzophenone small molecule antimicrobial (BPAM). Both reactive quats are beneficial for surface treatments or coatings on surfaces within aircraft.
Typical silane quats include the following, which are functionalized with reactive alkoxy silane or hydroxylsilane: (i) 1-octadecanaminium, N,N-dimethyl-N-(3-(trimethoxsil)propyl)chloride; (ii) 1-tetradecanaminium, N,N-dimethyl-N-(3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl)chloride; (iii) 1-decanaminium, Ndidecyl-N-methyl-N-(3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl)chloride; and (iv) 1-ocatdecananminium, N,N-dimethyl-N-(3-(trihydroxysilyl)propyl)chloride. The last of these reactive quats, 1-ocatdecananminium, N,N-dimethyl-N-(3-(trihydroxysilyl)propyl)chloride, may be created in situ by combining the first of the reactive quats, 1-octadecanaminium, N,N-dimethyl-N-(3-(trimethoxsil)propyl)chloride, with water. Its chemical structure is illustrated in
Referring to
Referring now to
Still referring to
The reactive silane group described above with reference to
Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical system. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C. Different cross-hatching is used throughout the figures to denote different parts but not necessarily to denote the same or different materials.
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the detailed description herein, references to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “various embodiments,” etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiments.
Numbers, percentages, or other values stated herein are intended to include that value, and also other values that are about or approximately equal to the stated value, as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art encompassed by various embodiments of the present disclosure. A stated value should therefore be interpreted broadly enough to encompass values that are at least close enough to the stated value to perform a desired function or achieve a desired result. The stated values include at least the variation to be expected in a suitable industrial process, and may include values that are within 10%, within 5%, within 1%, within 0.1%, or within 0.01% of a stated value. Additionally, the terms “substantially,” “about” or “approximately” as used herein represent an amount close to the stated amount that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the term “substantially,” “about” or “approximately” may refer to an amount that is within 10% of, within 5% of, within 1% of, within 0.1% of, and within 0.01% of a stated amount or value.
Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
Finally, it should be understood that any of the above described concepts can be used alone or in combination with any or all of the other above described concepts. Although various embodiments have been disclosed and described, one of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, the description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the principles described or illustrated herein to any precise form. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching.
