Method for creating and applying liquid-container barrier coating

Abstract

A method utilizing a spray instrumentality for spray-applying to a target surface in a target zone a defined, composite-material layer which is to play a role in defeating a liquid leak from a puncture wound created in the wall of a container holding liquid of a particular character. The method includes the steps of (a) initiating a flow toward the spray instrumentality of liquid elastomeric body-forming material, (b) at a selectable point downstream from where such initiating takes place, introducing a flow of plural, bead-like, liquid-imbiber elements which are relevant to the mentioned particular-character liquid, (c) in a user-chooseable manner in relation to the introducing step, merging the two flows, and (d) following such merging, applying the merged flows to a target surface, thus to create the desired, defined composite-material layer which takes the form of a body of elastomeric material containing a distribution of liquid-imbiber elements.

1 . A method utilizing a spray instrumentality for spray-applying to a target surface in a target zone a defined, composite-material layer which is to play a role in defeating a liquid leak from a puncture wound created in the wall of a container holding liquid of a particular character, said method comprising 
 initiating a flow toward the mentioned spray instrumentality of liquid elastomeric body-forming material,    at a selectable point, within a range of selectable points, downstream from where said initiating takes place, introducing a flow of plural, bead-like, liquid-imbiber elements which are relevant to the mentioned particular-character liquid,    in a user-chooseable manner in relation to said introducing, merging the two flows, and    following said merging, applying the merged flows to a target surface thus to create the desired, defined composite-material layer, which layer takes the form of a body of elastomeric material containing a distribution of the mentioned liquid-imbiber elements.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said merging is performed upstream from the utilized spray instrumentality.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the mentioned elastomeric material takes the form of two precursor elastomeric materials, said initiating involves producing a respective sub-flow of material for each of these two precursor materials, and which further comprises blending of such two sub-flows.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said merging occurs upstream from where said blending takes place.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said merging takes place with respect to one only of the mentioned, two sub-flows of elastomeric precursor materials.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said merging occurs substantially simultaneously with said blending.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said merging occurs downstream from where said blending takes place.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said merging occurs upstream from the mentioned spray instrumentality.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein said merging occurs at the location of the mentioned spray instrumentality.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the mentioned spray instrumentality includes two spray devices, one for elastomeric material, and the other for liquid-imbiber elements, and said merging occurs downstream from the mentioned two spray devices.  
   
   
       11 . A method utilizing a spray instrumentality for spray-applying to a target surface in a target zone a defined, composite-material layer which is to play a role in defeating a liquid leak from a puncture wound which has occurred in the wall of a container holding a liquid of a particular character, said method comprising 
 initiating a flow toward the mentioned spray instrumentality of liquid elastomeric body-forming material,    at a selectable point, within a range of selectable points, downstream from where said initiating takes place, introducing a flow of plural, bead-like, liquid-imbiber elements which are relevant to the mentioned particular-character liquid,    in a user-choosable manner in relation to said introducing, merging the two flows,    following said merging, applying the merged flows to the target surface, thus to create the desired, defined composite-material layer, which layer takes the form of a body of elastomeric material containing a distribution of liquid-imbiber elements, and    in relation to said merging and said applying, offering a user the option, regarding where merging takes place, to vary the time between the time of said merging and the time of said applying.