Titanium dioxide containing peroxo titanium complex and methods of manufacturing and application of the same

Abstract

A surface coating composition may include titanium dioxide optionally combined with copper oxide to permanently bind to any surface to create a long lasting, self-cleaning, deodorizing, and antimicrobial surface, and preparation method thereof. A method of continuous flow process to create anatase TiO2 crystals with particle sizes ranging from about 0.1 nm to about 200 nm, or further ranging from about 0.1 nm to about 20 nm in size.

1 . An aqueous surface coating suspension comprising peroxo titanic acid, peroxo-modified titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and copper oxide nanoparticles, wherein the titanium dioxide and copper oxide nanoparticles each independently have a particle size from about 0.1 to about 200 nm. 
     
     
         2 . The aqueous surface coating suspension of  claim 1  wherein the titanium dioxide and copper oxide nanoparticles each independently have a particle size from about 0.1 to about 20 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The aqueous surface coating suspension of  claim 1  having a pH from about 5.5 to about 9.0. 
     
     
         4 . The aqueous surface coating suspension of  claim 1  wherein the copper oxide is present at about 0.01% to about 5% by weight of the titanium dioxide. 
     
     
         5 . The aqueous surface coating suspension of  claim 1  wherein the copper oxide nanoparticles are supported by the titanium dioxide nanoparticles. 
     
     
         6 . A continuous flow method for producing an aqueous titanium dioxide surface coating suspension, comprising the steps of:
 a. providing a main aqueous stream having a halide-containing titanium precursor and a soluble hydroxide of a cation;   b. separating the cation of the soluble hydroxide and halide ions from the main aqueous stream using a separator, wherein the main aqueous stream exiting the separator contains titanium hydroxide solids;   c. cooling the main aqueous stream exiting the separator and containing titanium hydrate solids to between about 1 to about 40° C.;   d. mixing the cooled main aqueous stream containing titanium hydroxide solids with hydrogen peroxide to produce peroxo titanic acid (PTA) in the main aqueous stream;   e. passing the main aqueous stream containing PTA through a heating unit and increasing the temperature to about 105-300° C., wherein the heating converts at least a portion of the PTA to a peroxo-modified anatase sol (PA); and   f. cooling the main aqueous stream exiting the heating unit to below 70° C. to obtain the aqueous titanium dioxide surface coating suspension.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein step (a.) comprises the sequential steps of:
 i. providing a first aqueous feed stream having a halide-containing titanium precursor, and a parallel second aqueous feed stream having a soluble hydroxide of a cation; 
 ii. adding the first aqueous feed stream to a main aqueous stream in a first actively cooled mixing chamber to create a dilution of the titanium precursor of about 1 to about 17%; 
 iii. combining the second aqueous feed stream with the main aqueous stream exiting the first actively cooled mixing chamber in a second actively cooled mixing chamber such that the resulting aqueous stream has a pH value of about 5.5 to about 9.0. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the soluble hydroxide of a cation is ammonium hydroxide and wherein step (b.) comprises separating NH 4   +  and halide ions from the main aqueous stream exiting the second actively cooled mixing chamber using at least one separator selected from the group consisting of a cooled modified 3-phase centrifugal separator with added counterflow, an electrolysis separation system, a filter membrane type separator with cross-flow H 2 O rinsing separation unit, and combinations thereof, wherein the separating creates an aqueous waste stream having NH 4   +  and halide ions that is disposed of, and wherein the main aqueous stream exiting the separator contains titanium hydroxide solids. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the mixing of step (d.) is performed in an actively cooled mixing chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6  comprising the further step of pressurizing the main aqueous stream after step (d) and prior to step (e), wherein the pressurizing is accomplished by a positive displacement compressor to increase the pressure of the main aqueous stream to a pressure of about 2 to about 12 bars. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising the step of mixing a copper-based liquid with the obtained aqueous titanium dioxide surface coating suspension to obtain a coating composition having titanium dioxide and copper oxide. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the copper oxide is present at about 0.01% to about 5% by weight of titanium dioxide. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the halide-containing titanium precursor is titanium tetrachloride and wherein the halide ions separated in step (b.) are Cl −  ions. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the peroxo-modified anatase sol comprises peroxo-modified titanium dioxide nanoparticles with a particle size from about 0.1 to about 20 nm and wherein the cooling step (f) is performed within 200 seconds of the heating step (e). 
     
     
         15 . A method of producing a titanium dioxide coating on a surface comprising:
 applying an aqueous surface coating suspension to a surface, said suspension comprising peroxo titanic acid and peroxo-modified titanium dioxide nanoparticles, wherein the titanium dioxide nanoparticles have a particle size from about 0.1 to about 200 nm; and   curing the applied suspension to obtain a surface coating.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the aqueous surface coating suspension further comprises copper oxide nanoparticles having a particle size from about 0.1 to about 200 nm. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising first applying one or more layers of peroxo titanic acid to the surface prior to the application of the aqueous surface coating suspension and prior to curing. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the applying is performed by a procedure selected from the group consisting of spraying, dipping, pouring, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the curing is performed by a procedure selected from the group consisting of drying at ambient conditions, heating, irradiating with UV light, irradiating with visible light, irradiating with IR light, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the curing is performed by heating performed at a temperature ranging from about 100 to about 250° C. for up to 24 hours. 
     
     
         21 - 30 . (canceled)