Mineral particle dispersions stabilized with a poly (oxyalkene) phosphonate

• US 20060241008A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Specialty Operations France
• Original Assignee: Rhodia Incorporated
• Inventors: Sehgal, Amit, Morvan, Mikel, Baker, John Marshall, Wo, Shiming
• Granted Patent: US 7,381,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 510/475
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/22 of metals
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 17/001 in aqueous medium C09D17/003, C09D17/004 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 17/002 in organic medium C09D17/003, C09D17/004 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 5/027 Dispersing agents anti-settling agents C09D7/45
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/45 Anti-settling agents
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/61 inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/65 macromolecular C09D7/41-C09D7/48 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/67 Particle size smaller than 100 nm
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/68 Particle size between 100-1000 nm
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/69 Particle size larger than 1000 nm
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 7/70 characterised by shape, e.g. fibres, flakes or microspheres
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/003 Colloidal solutions, e.g. gels; Thixotropic solutions or pastes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/1213 Oxides or hydroxides, e.g. Al2O3, TiO2, CaO or Ca(OH)2
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/361 Phosphonates, phosphinates or phosphonites
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3703 Macromolecular compounds obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3707 Polyethers, e.g. polyalkyleneoxides

Abstract

The instant invention relates to a liquid composition comprising a mixture of: (1) water and/or a polar solvent; (2) a colloidal dispersion of mineral particles; and (3) a phosphonate terminated poly(oxyalkene) polymer; the invention also relates to process for stabilizing aqueous and/or solvent-based dispersions of mineral particles comprising the step of adding an efficient stabilising amount of a phosphonate terminated poly(oxyalkene) polymer.

Claims

1. A liquid composition comprising a mixture of:

(1) a liquid medium comprising water and/or a solvent;

(2) a colloidal dispersion of mineral particles; and

(3) a phosphonate terminated poly(oxyalkene) polymer of the general structure of the formula I;

wherein R₁ and R₂ are independently H, C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₃-C₂₀ cycloalkyl, or C₆-C₂₀ aralkyl;

R₃ is substituted or unsubstituted C₂-C₂₀ alkyl, C₄-C₂₀ cycloalkyl, or C₈-C₂₀ aralkyl;

R₄ and R₅ are independently H or C₁-C₂ alkyl;

R₆ is H, C₁-C₂₀ alkyl, C₃-C₂₀ cycloalkyl, or C₆-C₂₀ aralkyl;

m and n are independently 0-200; and

the moieties to which m and n are subscripted and refer to are either blocked, randomly spaced, or both along the chain between the OR₃ and R₆ groups.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the polymer (3) is of the formula:

3. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein (1) is a polar organic solvent.

4. The composition according to claim 3, wherein the solvent is ethanol, propanol, butanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, glyme, diglyme, ethyl acetate, propyl acetate, butyl acetate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether 2-(1-methoxy)propyl acetate, propylene glycol monomethylether, ethyl lactate, anisole, methyl adipate, or cyclopentanol.

5. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the mineral particles are cationic.

6. The composition according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the mineral particles are metal oxide particles.

7. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the metal is aluminum, zirconium, phosphorus, gallium, cerium, germanium, barium, strontium, yttrium, antimony, cesium, or a combination thereof.

8. The composition according to claim 6, wherein the molar ratio between the phosphonate molar equivalent of the polymer (3) and the moles of total metal oxides of the dispersion is of between 0.001 and 10.0.

9. The composition according to claim 8, wherein the molar ratio, is of between 0.1 and 1.5.

10. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the particle size of the particle dispersion is of at most 5000 nm.

11. The composition according to claim 10, wherein the particle size of the colloidal dispersion is of at most 200 nm.

12. A process for the preparation of a composition as defined in any of the preceding claims, comprising the step of mixing the colloidal dispersion with the phosphonate polymer in water and/or a solvent.

13. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein (1) is water.

14. The composition according to claim 13, having a pH of between 1 and 10.

27. A paint or varnish composition comprising a liquid composition as defined in any one of claims 1 to 14 or an aqueous and/or solvent-based dispersions of mineral particles stabilized by the process as defined in any one of claims 15 to 26.

15. A process for stabilizing aqueous and/or solvent-based dispersions of mineral particles comprising the step of adding to said dispersions, an efficient stabilising amount of a phosphonate terminated poly(oxyalkene) polymer of the general structure of the formula I:

16. A process according to claim 15, wherein the polymer is of the formula:

17. The process according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the dispersion is in a polar organic solvent.

18. The process according to claim 17, wherein the solvent is ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, glyme, diglyme, propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, propylene glycol monomethyl ether 2-(1-methoxy)propyl acetate, propylene glycol monomethylether, ethyl lactate, anisole, methyl adipate, or cyclopentanol.

19. The process according to any of claims 15 to 18, wherein the mineral particles are cationic.

20. The process according to any of claims 15 to 19, wherein the mineral particles are metal oxide particles.

21. The process according to claim 20, wherein the metal is aluminum, zirconium, phosphorus, gallium, germanium, cerium, barium, strontium, yttrium, antimony, cesium, or a combination thereof.

22. The process according to claim 21, wherein the molar ratio between the phosphonate molar equivalent of the polymer (3) and the moles of total metal oxides of the dispersion is of between 0.001 and 10.0.

23. The composition according to claim 22, wherein the molar ratio, is of between 0.1 and 1.5.

24. The process according to any of claims 15 to 23, wherein the particle size of the particle dispersion is of at most 5000 nm.

25. The process according to claim 24, wherein the particle size of the colloidal dispersion is of at most 200 nm.

26. The process according to any of claims 15 to 25, wherein the dispersion is in water and has a pH of between 1 and 10.