PRODUCTION OF POLYURETHANE POLYOL BLENDS

FIELD OF INVENTION

This disclosure relates to a method, a device, a system, and a storage medium for creating an integrated process for in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the polyurethane industry, where liquid raw materials are used, a main part of the raw materials is delivered to customers (“Customers”) mixed ready. These ready mixes, which may be, e.g., polyol blends, (“Products”) are prepared in dedicated manufacturing sites by specialized system houses (“Vendors”) which own valuable confidential intellectual property (IP) related to the production methods as well as mixing recipes for Products. Customers generally utilize these Products to produce end user goods, that may not be related to the polyurethane industry. Hence, Customers have to invest resources and working capital to the supply chain of Products, which are not usually related to their core business.

SUMMARY

The deficiency is solved by a computer-implemented method for in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends, the method comprising steps of: a) receiving, at a device for in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends, a first request from a user for a production of a polyurethane polyol blend; b) sending, by the device, a first signal to a blockchain storage, the signal containing the first request for the production of the polyurethane polyol blend and an ID of the device or of a user of the device; c) receiving, at the device, a second signal from the blockchain storage, the second signal containing an encrypted recipe for the production of the polyurethane polyol blend; d) decrypting, at the device, the recipe using a private key of the device, and storing a decrypted recipe in a memory of the device; e) sending, by the device to a process equipment for the production of polyurethane polyol blends, signals for the production of the polyurethane polyol blend according to the recipe; and f) sending, by the device, a third signal to the blockchain storage, containing information on a volume of production.

Advantages include in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends at the site of the Customer while keeping the production recipe confidential. The current process control, digital data registration and storage technologies, enable to carry out an important part of the mixing in Customer premises while protecting valuable Vendor secret IP’s through encryption and blockchain technologies. The digital technologies also enable the digital signing and registration of vital production data as well as key agreements between a Vendor and a Customer to initiate and execute an undisputable commercial relationship between them.

The deficiency is further solved by the device, system, and storage medium of claims 7-9.

FIGURES

In the following, embodiments of the invention are described with respect to the figures, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a system 1 for the in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 depicts a method 400 for the in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fig. 1 shows a system 1 for the in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends according to an embodiment of the present invention. The system 1 comprises a device 100 for in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends according to an embodiment of the present invention. The device 100 may be a “Prebox” as described herewith. The device may comprise a PLC 110, means of user input and/or output 120, and a Server/PC 130. The server may be an industrial server as described herewith. The system 1 may further comprise process equipment 200 for the in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends, the process equipment 200 may comprise pumps 210, valves 220, mixers 230, and sensors 240, wherein sensors 240 may include flowmeters. The PLC 110 or the device 100 may control the pumps 210, valves 220, and mixers 230 for the in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends using a recipe as described herewith. The process equipment 200 may also comprise sensors 240. The PLC 110 or device 100 may monitor the in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends using signals received from the sensors 240. The process equipment 200 may further comprise containers 250 with raw materials for the production of polyurethane polyol blends. The server/PC 130 or device 100 may further be connected to a blockchain storage of a blockchain network 300 using an API.

Fig. 2 depicts a method 400 for the in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method may comprising steps of: receiving 410, at a device 100 for in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends, a first request from a user for a production of a polyurethane polyol blend; sending 420 , by the device 100, a first signal to a blockchain storage 300, the signal containing the first request for the production of the polyurethane polyol blend and an ID of the device 100 or of a user of the device; receiving 430, at the device 100, a second signal from the blockchain storage 300, the second signal containing an encrypted recipe for the production of the polyurethane polyol blend; decrypting 440, at the device 100, the recipe using a private key of the device, and storing a decrypted recipe in a memory of the device; sending 450, by the device 100 to a process equipment 200 for the in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends, signals for the production of the polyurethane polyol blend according to the recipe; and sending 460, by the device, a third signal to the blockchain storage, containing information on a volume of production.

The production method may include:

1. A SmartContract is registered in Blockchain

2. Customer initiates this SmartContract in PreBox

3. The NFT recipe of the SmartContract is called from Blockchain

4. The volume to be produced in this batch is entered in PreBox by the customer

5. PreBox first checks whether the entered volume is available in the SmartContract

6. If yes, PreBox checks whether the required raw materials exist in the raw material containers

7. Production starts

The invention is created to solve Customers’ production, logistics and supply problems, while decreasing their cost. A system according to an embodiment of the invention may comprise of two components: a state-of-the-art custom designed mechanical process equipment setup including raw material product tanks (“Process Equipment” or “SHE”), and a digital and mechanical process control device that allows a confidential recipe usage, proprietary software controlling production and generating vital production data and registering the generated data on a dedicated blockchain (“Prebox”).

The Process Equipment may consist of a special and modular mechanical equipment setup that has been created for the polyol blend production to be carried out at Customers’ premises. This setup may include specially selected, pumps, flowmeters, collectors, heaters, mixers, piping and a structure to keep the setup modular and movable. The mechanical equipment setup may be connected to by purpose built raw material tanks with special heating, mixers, and an independent metal structure to keep the tanks modular and transportable. A device for the in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends may be a Prebox as described herewith. The Prebox may contain Scada software, a Programmable Logic Controller (“PLC”), an industrial server that operates a custom-made software to collect and store vital production data as well as a link to a designated blockchain platform specifically created to store IP critical parts of the data such as the confidential recipes and the actual Product volumes produced using these confidential recipes. SCADA stands for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. Scada is a monitoring software that helps control the Process Equipment and makes a record of the data collected from all sections of the Process Equipment. PLC is installed to monitor sensors, receiving and collecting critical information about the flow and input within the system in real time while performing basic interventions, and triggering outputs when the parameters programmed into the system are met. Specifically designed PLC of Prebox may control all processes within the Process Equipment running motors, pumps, valves and mixers. Scada is acting as the broad software structure that supports the system.

All the basic and detailed production data, such as time/date, raw material designations, flows of each one of them and production volumes may be kept in the data collection of the Scada system locally. Critical confidential IP sections of the data such as the confidential recipes and the actual Product volumes produced using these confidential recipes are kept in a designated Blockchain network. Blockchain technology produces a structure of data with inherent security qualities which are based on cryptography, decentralization, and consensus, which ensure trust in transactions. In most blockchains the data is structured into blocks and each block contains a transaction or bundle of transactions. Each new block connects to all the blocks before it in a cryptographic chain in such a way that it is very difficult to tamper with. All transactions within the blocks are validated and agreed upon by a consensus mechanism, ensuring that each transaction is true and correct. There is no single point of failure, and a single user cannot change the record of transactions, which means neither the Vendor nor the Customer may amend the data, once it is registered on the blockchain. A custom-made interface algorithm code may link the locally generated and registered data collected by the internal Scada system to the decentralized Blockchain network. This linked system may be complete with login menus for both the admin and the Customer, Customer information, confidential recipes, and quality control information. The IP critical data is always registered in Blockchain due to its high level of security and its undisputable nature. The polyol blend recipes may be minted as Non-Fungible Tokens (“NFT’s”). NFTs are tokens that can be used to represent ownership of unique items. NFT’s can only have one official owner at a time, and they are secured by the Ethereum blockchain; no one can modify the record of ownership. Every NFT must have an owner, and this may be of public record and easy for anyone to verify. Before start of the production, the selected recipe in the form of an NFT may be loaded by the Customer using his designated private key into the local Scada without the Customer having access to its content. The actual production quantity of the Product actually produced utilizing the NFT Recipe may also be registered in Blockchain.

Finally, the agreed quantity and the unit price of the Product may be registered in the designated Blockchain as a Smart Contract. Smart contracts are simply programs that may be stored on a blockchain, that run when predetermined conditions are met. They typically are used to automate the execution of an agreement without any intermediary’s involvement or time loss. Once the pre agreed condition is met, such as receiving information on a production of a volume of a polyurethane polyol blend, the smart contract is executed immediately. Because smart contracts are digital and automated, there is no paperwork to process and no time spent on manual operations.

The Customer will first start Product production by selecting a smart contract. The NFT recipe associated with the smart contract is loaded. Before production, the system will check the availability of raw materials required for the selected recipe and the volume. After the production is actuated, the Scada Software will allow production to the volume limits (if any) set in the particular Smart Contract of the Customer. Once the in-situ production starts, the raw materials are drawn from dedicated raw material tanks by separate dosage pumps and flowmeters, according to the confidential NFT recipe and pushed through specially designed set of static and dynamic mixers to create a homogeneous chemical mix, the Product, which has the equivalent technical characteristics and fits a Technical Data Sheet (TDS) of the product that is produced at Vendor’s factory. The Process Equipment can produce the Product in batches or may continuously feed the Product to the production equipment of the Customer, through a purpose-built buffer tank.

The actual production volume of the Product will be calculated as the flow going through the flowmeters and will be registered in the designated Blockchain registry. This registration of actual volumes cannot be changed by either the Vendor or the Customer and becomes undisputable data for commercial purposes. The registration may be signed using a private key of the device.

The customer may perform pre-agreed quality control tests on the Product and register this data on the designated local software system. In case there is a discrepancy between the TDS and the actual registered quality control data this will create an automatic alert, such as an email alert to the Vendor. The blockchain link may also register sensitive data related to the Process Equipment such as physical location, malfunctions, maintenance, and repair interventions as well as any unauthorized tampering.

With the SHE/Prebox system, the Customer produces the amount of Product when needed and in the amount that is needed to run his production process. The Customer does not need to produce and keep stocks of the Product as he can produce it at the push of a button when it is actually required. This eliminates the working capital requirement and the supply chain planning of the Product. Vendor’s IP is protected as recipes are encrypted and may be lodged in NFT’s in the designated Blockchain where records are encrypted. Moreover, because on the designated blockchain each transaction record is connected to the previous and subsequent records on a distributed ledger, the registered volume data cannot be altered by either the Vendor or Customer. Finally, Smart Contracts may remove the need for intermediaries to handle transactions and, by extension, they are undisputable in executing commercial transactions. As used herein, a “polyurethane polyol” refers to a polyol that can be used in the production of polyurethanes. As used herein, “polyurethane polyol blends” refers to a blend comprising two or more polyurethane polyols and, optionally, one or more additives.

Examples of suitable polyols include polyether polyols, such as those made by addition of alkylene oxides to initiators, containing from 2 to 8 active hydrogen atoms per molecule. In some embodiments, the aforementioned initiators include glycols, glycerol, trimethylolpropane, triethanolamine, pentaerythritol, sorbitol, sucrose, ethylenediamine, ethanolamine, diethanolamine, aniline, toluenediamines (e.g., 2,4 and 2,6 toluenediamines), polymethylene polyphenylene polyamines, N-alkylphenylene-diamines, o-chloro-aniline, p-aminoaniline, diaminonaphthalene, or combinations thereof. Suitable alkylene oxides that may be used to form the polyether polyols include ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and butylene oxide, or combinations thereof.

Other suitable polyols include Mannich polyols having a nominal hydroxyl functionality of at least 2 and having at least one secondary or tertiary amine nitrogen atom per molecule. In some embodiments, Mannich polyols are the condensates of an aromatic compound, an aldehyde, and an alkanol amine. For example, a Mannich condensate may be produced by the condensation of either or both of phenol and an alkylphenol with formaldehyde and one or more of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, and diisopronolamine. In some embodiments, the Mannich condensates comprise the reaction products of phenol or nonylphenol with formaldehyde and diethanolamine.

In certain embodiments, the polyols that are used are polyether polyols that comprise propylene oxide (“PO”), ethylene oxide (“EO”), or a combination of PO and EO groups or moieties in the polymeric structure of the polyols. These PO and EO units may be arranged randomly or in block sections throughout the polymeric structure. In certain embodiments, the EO content of the polyol ranges from 0 to 100% by weight based on the total weight of the polyol (e.g., 50% to 100% by weight). In some embodiments, the PO content of the polyol ranges from 100 to 0% by weight based on the total weight of the polyol (e.g., 100% to 50% by weight). Accordingly, in some embodiments, the EO content of a polyol can range from 99% to 33% by weight of the polyol while the PO content ranges from 1% to 67% by weight of the polyol. Moreover, in some embodiments, the EO and/or PO units can either be located terminally on the polymeric structure of the polyol or within the interior sections of the polymeric backbone structure of the polyol. Suitable poly ether polyols include poly(oxy ethylene oxypropylene) diols and triols obtained by the sequential addition of propylene and ethylene oxides to di-or trifunctional initiators that are known in the art.

Other examples of polyols include polyether polyols which are the reaction products obtained by the polymerization of ethylene oxide with another cyclic oxide (e.g., propylene oxide) in the presence of polyfunctional initiators such as water and low molecular weight polyols. Suitable low molecular weight polyols include ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, cyclohexane dimethanol, resorcinol, bisphenol A, glycerol, trimethylol opropane, 1,2,6-hexantriol, pentaerythritol, or combinations thereof.

Additional examples of polyols include polyester polyols having a linear polymeric structure and a number average molecular weight (Mn) ranging from about 500 to about 10,000 (e.g., preferably from about 700 to about 5,000 or 700 to about 4,000) and an acid number generally less than 1.3 (e.g., less than 0.8). The molecular weight is determined by assay of the terminal functional groups and is related to the number average molecular weight. The polyester polymers can be produced using techniques known in the art such as: (1) an esterification reaction of one or more glycols with one or more dicarboxylic acids or anhydrides; or (2) a transesterification reaction (i.e. the reaction of one or more glycols with esters of dicarboxylic acids). Mole ratios generally in excess of more than one mole of glycol to acid are preferred so as to obtain linear polymeric chains having terminal hydroxyl groups. Suitable polyester polyols also include various lactones that are typically made from caprolactone and a bifunctional initiator such as di ethylene glycol. The dicarboxylic acids of the desired polyester can be aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic, or combinations thereof. Suitable dicarboxylic acids which can be used alone or in mixtures generally have a total of from 4 to 15 carbon atoms include succinic, glutaric, adipic, pimelic, suberic, azelaic, sebacic, dodecanedioic, isophthalic, terephthalic, cyclohexane dicarboxylic, or combinations thereof. Anhydrides of the aforementioned dicarboxylic acids (e.g., phthalic anhydride, tetrahydrophthalic anhydride, or combinations thereof) can also be used. The glycols used to form suitable polyester polyols can include aliphatic and aromatic glycols having a total of from 2 to 12 carbon atoms. Examples of such glycols include ethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,3 -butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 2,2-dimethyl-l,3-propanediol, 1,4- cyclohexanedimethanol, decamethylene glycol, dodecamethylene glycol, or combinations thereof. Additional examples of polyols include hydroxyl-terminated polythioethers, polyamides, polyesteramides, polycarbonates, polyacetals, polyolefins, polysiloxanes, and simple glycols such as ethylene glycol, butanediols, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, the propylene glycols, dipropylene glycol, tripropylene glycol, and mixtures thereof.

Reference numerals:

1 System for in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends

100 Device for in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends (Prebox)

110 PLC

120 Screen/User input

130 Server/PC

200 Process Equipment

210 Pumps

220 Valves

230 Mixers

240 Sensors/Flowmeters

250 Containers with raw materials for the production of polyurethane polyol blends

300 Blockchain network

400 Method for in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends

410 receiving, at a device for in situ production of polyurethane polyol blends, a first request from a user for a production of a polyurethane polyol blend;

420 sending, by the device, a first signal to a blockchain storage, the signal containing the first request for the production of the polyurethane polyol blend and an ID of the device or of a user of the device;

430 receiving, at the device, a second signal from the blockchain storage, the second signal containing an encrypted recipe for the production of the polyurethane polyol blend;

440 decrypting, at the device, the recipe using a private key of the device, and storing a decrypted recipe in a memory of the device;

450 sending, by the device to a process equipment for the production of polyurethane polyol blends, signals for the production of the polyurethane polyol blend according to the recipe.

460 sending, by the device, a third signal to the blockchain storage, containing information on a volume of production.