DISPERSION OF ZIRCONIUM OXIDE AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

• US 20130333592A1
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sakai Chemical Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sakai Chemical Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: NAKAGAWA, Kenichi, MORITA, Takanori
• Granted Patent: US 9,416,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 106/450
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 25/02 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/54 one element only
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/64 Nanometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 nanometer
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/08 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/22 of metals
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/09 Carboxylic acids; Metal salts thereof; Anhydrides thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a process for producing an aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide that includes: reacting a zirconium salt with an alkali in water to obtain a slurry of particles of zirconium oxide; filtering, washing, and repulping the slurry; adding an organic acid to the resulting slurry in an amount of one mole part or more per mole part of the zirconium in the slurry; hydrothermally treating the resulting mixture at a temperature of 170° C. or higher; and washing the resulting aqueous dispersion of particles of zirconium oxide.

Claims

1. A process for producing an aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide comprising:

reacting a zirconium salt with an alkali in water to obtain a slurry of particles of zirconium oxide;

filtering, washing, and repulping the slurry;

adding an organic acid to the resulting slurry in an amount of one mole part or more per mole part of the zirconium in the slurry;

hydrothermally treating the resulting mixture at a temperature of 170°

C. or higher; and

washing the resulting aqueous dispersion of particles of zirconium oxide.

3. The process for producing an aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide obtained by the hydrothermal treatment is washed using an ultrafilter.

4. The process for producing an aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide according to claim 1, wherein an aqueous solution of a zirconium salt, or a zirconium salt and a salt of at least one stabilizing element selected from aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and rare earth elements, and an aqueous alkaline solution are added at the same time to charged water which has been in advance placed in a precipitation reactor so that the zirconium salt, or the zirconium salt and the salt of the at least one stabilizing element are reacted with an alkali in water.

5. The process for producing an aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide obtained is further subjected to dispersion treatment.

6. The process for producing a dispersion of zirconium oxide according to claim 5, wherein the dispersion treatment is performed by a wet media dispersion treatment.

7. A process for producing a dispersion of zirconium oxide of which dispersion medium is an organic solvent, the process comprising replacing the dispersion medium of the aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide obtained by the process according to claim 1 by the organic solvent.

8. An aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide which is obtainable by the process according to claim 1.

9. A dispersion of zirconium oxide which is obtainable by the process according to claim 7.

10. The process for producing an aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide according to claim 3, wherein the aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide obtained is further subjected to dispersion treatment.

11. The process for producing an aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide according to claim 4, wherein the aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide obtained is further subjected to dispersion treatment.

12. A process for producing a dispersion of zirconium oxide of which dispersion medium is an organic solvent, the process comprising replacing the dispersion medium of the aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide obtained by the process according to claim 3 by the organic solvent.

13. A process for producing a dispersion of zirconium oxide of which dispersion medium is an organic solvent, the process comprising replacing the dispersion medium of the aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide obtained by the process according to claim 4 by the organic solvent.

14. A process for producing a dispersion of zirconium oxide of which dispersion medium is an organic solvent, the process comprising replacing the dispersion medium of the aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide obtained by the process according to claim 5 by the organic solvent.

15. A process for producing a dispersion of zirconium oxide of which dispersion medium is an organic solvent, the process comprising replacing the dispersion medium of the aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide obtained by the process according to claim 6 by the organic solvent.

16. An aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide which is obtainable by the process according to claim 3.

17. An aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide which is obtainable by the process according to claim 4.

18. An aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide which is obtainable by the process according to claim 5.

19. An aqueous dispersion of zirconium oxide which is obtainable by the process according to claim 6.

2. (canceled)