Abstract:
The invention is directed to point of use devices and appliances for alkalizing and/or adjusting the oxidation/reduction potential of water that is to be ingested. The devices comprise straws, carafes, countertop units, water bottle units and any other devices that will treat the water at the point of use. The water will flow through the point of use devices or appliances longitudinally or radially. The point of use device or appliance will contain an alkalizing formulation that will increase the pH of the water to preferably above about 8 and the oxidation/reduction potential to about −100 and −700. The amount of water that can be treated will depend on the amount of the oxidation/reduction potential and alkalizing formulations used and the size and capacity of the device or appliance for the alkalizing and oxidation/reduction potential formulations. The alkalizing formulation will supply to the water being treated one or more of potassium, calcium and magnesium ions. The water prior to contacting the treatment compound can be filtered through a purification formulation to remove particulates, heavy metals and various organic compounds. The purification formulation can be a form of activated carbon.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/998,138 filed Apr. 14, 2011, which is a continuation in part of provisional application 61/194,732 filed Sep. 30, 2008, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to appliances for the reduction of the oxidation/reduction potential with or without the increase of the alkalinity of water. More particularly, the invention relates to point of use appliances for the reduction of the oxidation/reduction potential and additionally the increase of the alkalinity of water for subsequent personal use by a person. 
         [0003]    It has been found to be a positive for a person&#39;s health to ingest water that has an alkaline pH and in particular that has an oxidation/reduction potential (ORP) of less than −100, and preferably less than about −300. Although the human stomach has an acidic pH of about 4.5 to 5.5 the blood of humans has a pH of about 7.4. This blood cell ph of 7.4 is supported by the bicarbonates produced in the body as a part of the digestive process. Foods are broken down by the hydrochloric acid generated in the stomach and in the lower intestine. This pH is about 4. As the hydrochloric acid is produced the bicarbonate is produced. The formation of bicarbonate is absorbed into the blood cell where it maintains the cell ph at about 7.4. As we age this process slows down and the resultant blood cell pH begins to lower. The ingestion of a high pH diet and/or liquid will cause the pH in the stomach to rise. The body compensates for the hydrochloric acid decrease by causing the stomach and the lower intestine to produce more hydrochloric acid and resulting bicarbonate. This additionally produced hydrochloric acid re-establishes the proper amount of hydrochloric acid needed for digestion and the additional bicarbonate helps to maintain the blood cell required pH of 7.4. The pH of drinking water is normally about 7. The process of food digestion utilizes hydrochloric acid, and depending on the food being digested other acids such as sulfuric acid and uric acid are produced in the stomach. As these acids are produced an equal amount of bicarbonates are also produced. These should be significantly neutralized. Then in order to maintain the blood pH at about 7.4 basic substances are needed. If not available from ingested substances the body will take calcium and potassium ions from parts of the body such as the skeletal structure. Rather than to have this occur, it is preferable to supply basic ions through foods and supplements. The ingestion of basic pH water will provide such ions. It also will throughout a day provide the base ions needed to assist in maintaining the blood pH at about 7.4. 
         [0004]    The oxidation/reduction potential of municipal water is in the range of about +250 to about +400 depending on the content of minerals, salts, organics and chlorine or other added disinfectants. Water that is oxidizing is harmful over time to body tissues when ingested. It is needed to purify the water with regard to bacteria, viruses and other organics. However, an oxidizing atmosphere within the body will degrade such tissue over time. Such water will have preferably need to be modified to a reducing oxidation/reduction potential. It will need to be modified to an oxidation/reduction potential of abut −100 to about −700, and preferably to the range of from about −250 to about −400. This will result in better overall health. A reducing oxidation/reduction potential and an alkaline Ph will result in improved basic health. 
         [0005]    An alkaline pH water can be provided by the addition of an alkaline supplement to the water that is to be ingested as is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,511 and to an alkaline pill that can be ingested as is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,130. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,511 that relates to the product AlkaLife, there is disclosed a concentrated alkaline solution of sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. A sufficient amount is added to a glass of water to raise the pH of the water to be ingested to between 8 and 12. This will neutralize the stomach acids and promote a healthy pH to the blood. U.S. Pat. No. 5,914,130 is directed to a pill comprised of sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate that is ingested to neutralize stomach acids. This is a non-caustic formulation. One pill a day will replace the ingestion of many glasses of water provided under U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,511. Another way to provide for the ingestion of an alkaline water is to produce such water through electrolysis. The water is separated into an alkaline stream and an acid stream. The alkaline stream can be collected and used or stored for later use. Such a process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,902. 
         [0006]    A reducing oxidation/reduction potential is usually produced by treating water in ionizing equipment. Such ionizing equipment is available under the JPURE Ionizer, Jupiter Melody Water Ionizer and the Chanson Miracle Water Ionizer product names. Another way to produce water with a reducing oxidation/reduction potential is through contact with a substance that will lower the oxidation/reduction potential of the water. This water than can be consumed directly or it can be used to make a beverage such as coffee or tea or various drinks from a powder a fruit or vegetable source or in cocktails. This water also can be used for skin cleansing tooth brushing and consuming medications and vitamins. 
         [0007]    The present invention provides a solution to this problem of water having an oxidation/reduction potential of −100 to −700 and the problem of providing water that has a reducing oxidation/reduction potential. There is provided a low cost point of use supply of a water that has an oxidation/reduction potential of −100 to −700 and also alkaline water that has a reducing oxidation/reduction potential of about −100 to −700. This is through the use of a formulation that will supply alkaline base ions to water that is flowed through such a formulation and reduce the oxidation/reduction potential when flowed through an ORP formulation to lower the ORP to less than −100. This alkaline formulation is a solid, substantially non-water soluble formulation that will supply one or more of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium ions to water that flows through the formulation. The alkaline formulation can contain a component that reduces the oxidation/reduction potential, or the formulation to reduce the oxidation/reduction potential can be in a separate layer to the alkaline formulation. In addition they can be in separate attached units. The formulation will be a part of an appliance such as a carafe filter, a straw, a water bottle unit that can alkalize and optionally purify a water at the time of ingestion, and a unit that is adjacent to a water source such as a counter top or under the sink unit for water treatment in a home, office school or business. All of these units will provide an alkalized water on demand by the treatment of the water with solid, substantially insoluble, formulation. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The invention is directed to an appliance for treating input water to increase the alkalinity and decrease the oxidation/reduction potential of the input water, the appliance comprising a housing containing one or more units, an input aperture for input water and an exit aperture for the flow of the input water from the housing for ingestion, a holder for an alkaline and oxidation/reduction potential formulation mounted in an alkalizing unit of the housing, one end of the housing connected to the input aperture and the other end of the holder connected to an exit aperture of the housing, the alkaline formulation being a solid and comprising at least one shaped structure containing compounds to raise the pH of the input water, the alkaline formulation containing ions of one or more of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, the pH of the input water being increased at least about 0.5 pH. The oxidation/reduction potential formulation comprises a quantity of particulate magnesium metal. This will usually be in a layer of particulate magnesium metal or the particulate magnesium metal can be in an attached separate ORP unit. When in a separate unit it can be located before or after the alkaline unit. 
         [0009]    The alkaline formulation can contain about 25% to about 80% by weight of the ions of one or more of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. The alkaline formulation can have a calcium content of about 40% to 60% by weight of calcium ions in the form of their oxides and about 8% to about 20% by weight of magnesium ions in the form of their oxides and oxidation/reduction potential particulate magnesium metal in a quantity of about 3 percent to about 30 percent by weight of the alkaline formulations. 
         [0010]    The alkaline formulation can be in the form of particles having a mean diameter of about 5 mm to about 50 mm or can be in a non-particulate three dimensional form. The input water has a pH of about 5 to 7.5, usually about 7. The alkaline formulation and oxidation/reduction potential formulation can treat a total volume of water of about 5 liters to about 10,000 liters depending on the appliance unit and the alkaline formulation content of the appliance unit. In a preferred embodiment the holder and formulation are replaceable. The full appliance unit need not be replaced. 
         [0011]    The appliance unit can be a straw, the straw having a housing containing a unit, a dip tube extending from the lower input end of the housing and a straw segment extending from the exit end of the housing, whereby when a suction is applied to the straw segment water is drawn up through the dip tube into and through the housing and alkaline and oxidation/reduction potential formulation exiting into the straw segment. The appliance unit also can be a water bottle with a modified straw unit containing the alkaline formulation. By squeezing the bottle or through a sucking action on the bottle exit the water is drawn up through the modified straw and ingested. 
         [0012]    The appliance unit can be a pour through unit such as a carafe attachment wherein the housing is an input funnel at the housing input end and disposed over a container at the housing output end whereby input water is fed into the funnel, passed downwardly through the unit in the housing, and flowed through the holder containing the formulations and into the container from the exit aperture of the housing. 
         [0013]    The housing in one embodiment is a continuous longitudinal body except for the input aperture and the exit aperture with the water flowed longitudinally through the housing and the container alkaline and oxidation/reduction potential formulations from the input aperture to the exit aperture. In an alternative embodiment the holder is a longitudinal body with an exit aperture at one end and a plurality of small to micro apertures in the longitudinal body surface to allow water to be treated to flow radially into a holder for the alkaline formulation in the housing, through the alkaline and oxidation/reduction potential formulation and into a collector channel in the holder. The various appliances can utilize a longitudinal flow or a radial flow. 
         [0014]    The holder in a further embodiment can contain a water purification formulation prior to the alkaline and oxidation/reduction potential formulations. The holder, purification formulation and alkaline and oxidation/reduction potential formulations are replaceable in the housing of the appliance. 
         [0015]    In the embodiment where the unit is a straw, the housing will contain the purification formulation and the alkaline formulation and oxidation/reduction potential whereby when a suction is applied to the straw, water is drawn up through the dip tube into and through the holder and purification formulation and alkaline formulation and oxidation/reduction potential formulation exiting into the straw segment. 
         [0016]    In the embodiment where the appliance unit is a carafe the housing is a funnel-like housing disposed over a container at the housing output end whereby input water is fed into the funnel, passed downwardly through the housing alkaline and oxidation/reduction potential formulations and/or purification formulation in the housing, and flowed into the container from the exit aperture of the housing. 
         [0017]    In the embodiment where the housing is a continuous elongated body except for the input aperture and the exit aperture, the purification formulation and the alkaline treatment and oxidation/reduction potential formulations are layered longitudinally, the purification formulation layer being prior to the alkaline and oxidation/reduction potential treatment formulations. 
         [0018]    In the embodiment where the housing has a holder for the purification formulation and the alkaline and oxidation/reduction potential formulations, the holder is an elongated structure with an outer wall and an internal channel, the channel closed adjacent the input aperture of the housing, and at least a portion of the outer wall having a plurality of pores to allow for the passage of water radially into the holder and into contact with the purification formulation and/or alkaline and oxidation/reduction potential formulations, and then into the internal channel to raise the pH of the water exiting the internal channel at the exit aperture of the housing. 
         [0019]    The formulation is a solid that is substantially non-water soluble but which contains one or more sources of sodium, potassium, calcium and/or magnesium ions that can be dissolved into the water flowing through the alkaline formulation. The support for such ions is an alumina, aluminosilicate inclusive of zeolites, silica, titania or a clay. The support will have a particle density of about 0.9 to about 1.3 g/cc. The formulation will contain particulate magnesium metal for Ph and oxidation/reduction potential adjustment. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of an appliance unit housing containing a purification and an ORP formulation unit or an alkalizing formulation unit in a longitudinal arrangement. 
           [0021]      FIG. 1 a    is a cross-sectional view of a holder cartridge that can be used in conjunction with the appliance unit of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of an appliance unit and a holder containing an alkalizing and/or an oxidation/reduction potential formulation in a radial arrangement. 
           [0023]      FIG. 2 a    is a cross-sectional view of an appliance unit and a holder containing a purification formulation and an alkalizing unit and/or oxidation/reduction potential formulation unit in a radial arrangement. 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a straw comprised of a combined housing and holder containing an alkalizing unit and/or oxidation/reduction potential formulation unit in a longitudinal arrangement. 
           [0025]      FIG. 3 a    is a cross-sectional view of a straw comprised of a combined housing and holder containing a purification formulation and an alkalizing unit and/or oxidation/reduction potential formulation unit in a longitudinal arrangement. 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a carafe unit that has a combined housing and holder containing an alkalizing unit and/or oxidation/reduction potential formulation. 
           [0027]      FIG. 4 a    is a cross-sectional view of a carafe unit along line  4   a - 4   a  of  FIG. 5  that has a combined housing and holder containing a purification formulation and an alkalizing unit and/or oxidation/reduction potential formulation unit. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the carafe unit of  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0029]    The invention will now be described in more detail in its preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The described invention may be modified in various details but will still be within the concepts of the present invention. 
         [0030]    It is known that alkaline water and water with an ORP of about −100 to about −700 have certain health benefits. In the present invention it has been found that the best way to provide water for human ingestion is to alkalize the water and adjust its ORP at the point and the time of use. It is not useful to treat all of the water for a household since in some uses about a neutral pH is needed or in some instances an acidic pH is needed. For instance the surface of the skin has a slightly acidic pH with a neutral to a slightly acidic water being useful. Further, if the water for a household is alkalized there can result scale problems in the piping and in the water heaters. This will be a negative. The most effective and efficient technique to provide an alkalized water is to alkalize the water at or adjacent to the point of use. Consequently, the present invention is directed to having the alkalizing formulation a part of appliances such as water bottles, straws, carafes, counter top units that supply water only for ingestion, water fountains, soda fountains, refrigerator ice making units and other point of use appliance units. This applies equally to treating the water so that it has an ORP of about −100 to about −700. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  sets out an appliance unit  10  that is adapted for linear flow of water that is to be alkalized or ORP adjusted in a longitudinal direction. The appliance unit  10  is comprised of continuous circumferential wall  12  with inlet end wall  11  and outlet end wall  13  which comprise the housing. In this embodiment the housing of the appliance unit substantially functions also as a holder for the purification formulation  20  and alkalizing or ORP formulation  22 . In an additional embodiment the housing can solely contain the alkalizing unit or ORP formulation unit. Thus it will along with mesh  23  and mesh  25  hold the alkalizing or ORP adjusting formulation  22  and the purification formulation  20 . Appliance unit end wall  11  has inlet  16  for the flow of water  15  into the appliance unit  10  and appliance unit end wall  13  has outlet  18  for the flow of purified and alkalized or ORP adjusted water to use from the appliance unit  10 . There is a porous pad  26  adjacent the inlet  16  to maintain the purification formulation  20  in place and a porous pad  21  adjacent the outlet  18 . The mesh  23  such as a screen supports porous pad  26  and the mesh  25  supports pad  21 . There can be a porous pad  28  separating the purification formulation from the alkalizing unit or ORP adjusting formulation unit. Although it is preferred to have porous pad  28  this pad can be deleted if the purification formulation and the alkalizing or ORP adjusting formulation will remain substantially segregated without this separating pad  28 . This appliance unit is used in different point of use. It can be used in counter top water treatment units, water fountains, soda fountains, and other appliance units for the production of purified and alkalized water. If only alkalized or ORP adjusted water is to be produced the purification formulation  20  can be deleted. It then will only contain the alkalizing or ORP adjusting formulation. 
         [0032]      FIG. 1 a    is directed to a cartridge holder unit  14  that can be used as a refill unit for the housing of the appliance unit  10 . It comprises a circumferential outer wall  27 , and pads  26 ,  28  and  21  as discussed above with reference to  FIG. 1 . Meshes  23  and  25  as shown in  FIG. 1  will be a removable part of the appliance unit  10  and can provide a circumferential water seal in the  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 1 a    embodiments. In this way water will not be able to bypass the alkalizing or ORP formulation  22  in  FIG. 1 , purification formulation  20 , and the formulation  22  in  FIG. 1   a.    
         [0033]    One preferred way to both alkalize the water and to adjust the ORP of the water to about −100 to about −700 is to utilize one appliance unit  10  with an alkalizing formulation and another appliance unit  10  with an ORP adjusting formulation connected in series. When connected in series usually the appliance unit with the alkalizing formulation will be the first unit and the ORP adjusting unit the second unit. In this arrangement the ORP adjusting unit will not contain a water purification formulation. The alkalized and ORP adjusted water will be delivered from exit  18  of the ORP 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  is a appliance unit and housing unit that is related to that of  FIG. 1  with the main difference being that in  FIG. 2  the water flow through the holder  34  and the purification formulation  20  and/or alkalizing/ORP formulation  22  will be radial rather that longitudinal as shown in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 2  the appliance unit  10  has a housing comprised of a circumferential wall  32  with end walls  31  and  33 . End wall  31  has inlet aperture  36  for the input of water  40  into the housing and end wall  33  and alkalized or ORP water outlet  38 . Within the appliance unit  10  is holder  34  with circumferential wall  35 . There are end walls  42  and  43 . The circumferential wall  35  is porous with apertures of from about 5 mm to about 40 mm. The apertures have a diameter less than the mean diameter of the particulate alkalizing formulation. The end walls  42  and  43  are solid, non-porous walls. Within the holder  34  is substantially porous channel  44  with apertures of from about 5 mm to about 40 mm. Part  45  of the porous channel  44  that is exposed to the input water is not porous but is continuous. These apertures have a diameter less than the mean diameter of the particulate alkalizing or ORP formulation. Optionally there can be a pad around porous channel  44 . In this embodiment the input water flows into the appliance unit  10  through inlet  36  and is maintained between housing circumferential wall  32  and holder circumferential wall  35  until it flows through the apertures in holder circumferential wall  35  and into and through alkalizing media  22 . After flowing through alkalizing or ORP media  22  the now alkalized or ORP treated water flows into porous channel  40  and to the exit at  38 . This unit also can be used in counter top water treatment units, water fountains, soda fountains, and other appliance units for the production of purified and alkalized water. 
         [0035]      FIG. 2 a    is directed to an appliance unit  10  and a holder  34  that can be used for the dual purpose of water purification and water alkalizing and/or ORP treating. In this embodiment the water purification formulation layer will be adjacent to the holder circumferential wall  35  with an inner layer of the alkalizing or ORP treating formulation  22 . There is an outer purification layer  20  with a separating porous pad  39  between the two formulations if needed. The other parts are the same as in  FIG. 2  and have been described in the description of  FIG. 2 . The difference from  FIG. 1  is the use of a purification formulation  20  in conjunction with alkalizing or ORP treating formulation  22 . In either the  FIG. 2  embodiment or the  FIG. 2 a    embodiment the holder  34  can be a replaceable cartridge. The water purification formulation can be a particulate material, a larger particle material or a continuous molded insert. All that is required is that the input water flow first pass through the purification formulation and then through the alkalizing or ORP treating formulation. The particular needs will dictate the physical forms of the purification formulation and the alkalizing and ORP treating formulation. When the alkalizing unit and the ORP decreasing units are connected, the exit of one to the input of the other the purification layer needs only to be in the first unit, 
         [0036]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a straw appliance unit  50  for the alkalizing or ORP treatment of water from a water bottle. A person can refill the bottle from a water tap, a fountain or from a large spring water bottle and have alkalized water by the drinking of the water via the straw appliance unit  50 . The straw appliance  50  contains the alkalizing or ORP formulation  22 . At the water input end of the alkalizing or ORP treating formulation there is a porous pad  64  and at the outlet end there is a porous pad  62 . The function of the porous pads is to maintain the alkalizing or ORP treating formulation in place in the circumferential wall  52  of the straw appliance  50 . The porous pads will have sufficient integrity so as to maintain their structure during use. The straw appliance unit  50  in addition to circumferential wall  52  has end wall  56  at the water input end and end wall  54  at the water exit end which collectively form the housing. Water  55  is supplied through straw dip tube  58  and by the applied suction of a person. It is drawn up through straw delivery tube  60  and into a person&#39;s mouth. The straw appliance unit  50  can be constructed to be disassembled so that replacement holder cartridges can be inserted and used as refills. In this way the housing, the dip tube and the delivery tube can be reused. However, in most instances the full straw will be replaced when the alkaline or ORP treating formulation has been depleted. The straw appliance parts are of a low cost which is similar to that of a cartridge unit. 
         [0037]    The  FIG. 3 a    shows the straw appliance unit  50  with both a purification portion and an alkalizing or ORP treating portion. There will be an alkalizing unit and an ORP decreasing unit. In this embodiment there will be a purification formulation  20  adjacent to inlet end wall  56 . This end wall  56  and porous pad  64  will maintain the purification media in position. As a part of this structure there will be a porous pad  62  adjacent end wall  56 . In addition this straw appliance unit  50  can be adapted for use as a replacement unit for a personal water bottle of the type used by individuals in warm climates and by runners and other athletes. The housing is then designed to be mounted in the neck of the bottle with the dip tube  58  extending down into the bottle. In addition although the straw appliance is shown with a longitudinal flow through the alkalizing formulation or ORP treating formulation, the flow can be radial.  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 2A  show a radial flow. 
         [0038]      FIG. 4  is a cross-section view of the upper portion of a carafe filter unit  70 . The carafe filter unit  70  has upper wall  72 , and tapered wall  74  to a base area  76  which collectively form the housing. The carafe unit is open at the upper end. At the base area  76  there is a screen  80 , a porous pad  77  above the screen and the alkalizing formulation or ORP treating formulation  22  above the porous pad  77 . Above the formulation  22  there is a porous pad  78  and a mesh  82  for water to pass through after it enters into the carafe filter unit  70 .  FIG. 5  is a top plan view of carafe filter unit  70  of  FIG. 4 . This  FIG. 5  shows the lower region  76  in more detail with the apertures  84  to allow the input water to pass into the tapered funnel part  74  of the carafe filter unit. The mesh  82  contacts the tapered wall  74  at  86 .  FIG. 4 a    is an embodiment of the carafe filter unit where there is a purification formulation and an alkalizing or ORP treating formulation. In this embodiment the structure is the same as that of  FIG. 4  with the addition of a purification formulation  20  above the porous pad  78  with a porous pad  79  above the purification formulation  20 . The mesh  82  is above the porous pad  79 . The apertures will be from about 0.5 mm to about 40 mm in diameter. Commercially available screen material can be used. The pad will be of a structure to hold the alkalizing formulation in place, but be sufficiently porous to allow the water to readily pass through to the alkalizing formulation. If desired above the alkalizing or ORP treating formulation there can be a purification formulation. It can be of a particulate size or of a small pellet size. Also depending on the form of the purification formulation there can be a pad between the purification formulation and the alkalizing or ORP treating formulation. The various structural parts can be molded from various thermoplastics. Preferred thermoplastics are polyethylenes and polypropylenes. 
         [0039]    The purification formulations that can be used in the present appliance units include the various activated carbons and other materials that will remove heavy metals and various organics from water. Very useful formulations are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,655. These can be in a particulate or molded three dimensional form. The useful alkalizing formulations are those that will supply alkaline ions such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium ions to water that passes through the formulation. The One objective is to raise the pH of the water at least about 0.5 pH, and preferably above about 8.0. This must be accomplished relatively quickly as the water is passing through the alkalizing formulation. In this way it can effectively raise the pH of water to the desired level to make the various appliances practical in the raising the pH of water that is to be ingested. Another objective is to produce water with an ORP preferably between about −100 and about −700. 
         [0040]    The alkalizing formulation will be comprised of a support for the sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium ions. These ions must be extractable, leachable and/or exchangeable from the support over a period of time to raise the pH of the water flowing through the alkalizing formulation. The support will be a material such as an alumina, an aluminosilicates including zeolite aluminosilicates, a silica, a titania and/or a clay. The sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium ions are held in the support physically and chemically. If the support will contain a zeolite the sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium ions can be ion exchanged for other ions in the water. The requirement is that the sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium ions must be leachable, extractable and/or exchangeable from the support. In addition they should leach a minor amount of aluminum and any higher atomic weight metals into the water. In general the supports can contain from about 25% to about 80% by weight of the sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium ions as calculated as their oxides. The remaining content is the substantially inert base material. The alkalizing formulation need not contain all of these ions. However, it is preferred that it contain at least three of these ions. The preferred ions are those of calcium, magnesium and potassium. The formulation usually will be in a particle size of about 5 mm to about 50 mm, and a particle density of about 0.7 to about 1.7 gms/cc., preferably about 0.9 to about 1.25 gms/cc. However, other particle sizes can be used and the alkalizing formulation can be in the form of molded units that can be inserted into a holder and adapted to a particular use. 
         [0041]    This alkaline formulation also can contain magnesium metal in the form of particulate magnesium. The magnesium metal, when utilized will be in a content of about 3% to about 30% by weight of the alkaline formulation. The particle size can be similar to that of the oxide base material for the calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium ions. The particle size can also be greater or less than that of the oxide base material. In addition the magnesium can be in the form of various shaped particles including chips. 
         [0042]    Although the base support material can be an alumina, silica, titania, a clay or an aluminosilicate, the preferred base material is silica. This silica material is essentially inert. The particles will have a silica content by weight of about 20% to about 50%, preferably about 25% to about 40%. Alumina will be present in an amount of less than 2.5% and preferably less than about 1% by weight. The calcium content as calcium oxide is about 40% to about 60%, preferably about 45% to about 55%. The magnesium content as magnesium oxide is about 8% to about 20% and preferably about 10% to about 18%. The potassium content as potassium oxide is about 0.5% to about 2%. The content of other materials will individually be less that 2% by weight, and preferably less than 1%. 
         [0043]    The ORP formulation will be comprised of particulate magnesium metal. The particulate magnesium should preferably have size of through a 2 to 6 mesh. Other sizes can be used but it may affect the flow through appliance unit. In purity the particulate magnesium must have a purity of at least about 99.5% and preferable about 99.8%. The impurities will be other metal ions. A preferred particulate magnesium is RMC-4/6 of the Reade Manufacturing Company located at 100 Ridgeway Boulevard, Manchester, N.J. This company also trade under the name Magnesium Elektron Powders. 
       EXAMPLE 
       [0044]    The base alkalizing material sample has the following formulation as percents by weight as follows: a silica content of 33.97%, alumina content of 0.53%; iron oxide content of 0.56%; a titania content of 0.01%; a calcium content of 49.91%, a magnesium content 13.98% and potassium content of 1.04%. Any other substances are in a content of less than 0.1%. This formulation is mixed with particulate magnesium metal. The alkalizing formulation will be comprised of about 80% of the base formulation and 20% by weight particulate magnesium metal as magnesium chips. The base alkalizing material is available from the Norpro Division of Saint-Gobain Norpro in Stow, Ohio. The magnesium metal is available from the Reade Manufacturing Company in Manchester, N.J. 
         [0045]    A static test was conducted on the above formulation. 50 ml of alkalizing material formulation along with 200 ml of water is placed into a cup. The initial ph of the water was 7.05. The ph was measured at intervals. The ph and the intervals are as follows: 1 min. 9.99 ph; 5 min. 10.08 ph; 10 min. 10.08 ph; 30 min. 10.09 ph; 60 min. 10.12 ph; 24 hours 9.65 ph; 96 hours 9.73 ph; 120 hours 9.74 ph. After this 120 test interval the water was decanted from the formulation and 200 ml of fresh water added. After 30 sec. the ph was 8.98 and after 60 sec. the ph was 9.57. The data shows that the ph will be maintained above about 8 over a long period of time 
         [0046]    In a dynamic test water at a ph of 7.0 was passed to through a media bed of 8 gms. at a flow rate of 3 ml/sec. After 1 minute the ph was 8.49. At a flow rate of 4 ml/sec the ph was 8.30 after 1 minute. At a flow rate of 5 ml/sec. the ph was 7.89 after 1 minute. In this test it is shown that the alkalizing formulation can maintain an alkaline output at increased rates of flow through the media. 
         [0047]    This formulation can be effective for use in personal water bottles and other personal appliances. In order to use this formulation in other than personal appliances larger amounts will be required. In the combination with a purification formulation such purification formulations are available under the trademark AQUASPACE from Western Water International in Forestville, Md.